Jack Reyes✔️

Concern

The next morning, Emma awoke to a sense of unease. She reached for her phone, hoping for a message from Jack, but there was nothing. The entire day went by without a word from him. The following day, her anxiety grew as the silence persisted. It was her day off, and she found herself restless, unable to shake off the nagging worry.

With Brad in her apartment, Emma found herself pouring out her concerns. She described Jack's sudden mood swings, the moments when he seemed distant and pained, as if wrestling with inner demons. "It's like he's battling something, Brad," she said softly, her concern etched across her features. "I just want to help him, to let him know that I'm here for him."

Brad listened attentively, his eyes filled with empathy. "Why don't you ask him what's wrong?"

Emma's shoulders slumped, her expression downcast. "I don't want to invade his privacy, Brad. I don't want to be pushy."

Brad's voice softened. "Emma, you don't have to pry, but you can let him know you're there if he needs someone to talk to."

Her phone vibrated on the table, and she checked it to see Jack's name flashing on the screen. Brad mouthed, "Speaker," and Emma nodded, putting the call on speaker.

"Hey, Jack, what happened?" Emma's voice held genuine concern. "I was worried about you."

There was a moment of silence, then David's voice came through the phone. "Um, hello, Ms. Jones. It's David. I just wanted to let you know that Jack's been swamped with work. He's okay, no need to worry."

Relief washed over Emma, and she thanked David. "David, could I come over and see him? I just want to make sure he's all right."

There was a pause, a shuffling of papers or movement on the other end, then Jack's voice, soft and barely audible, whispered something that Emma couldn't quite make out.

"Sorry, Ms. Jones," David's voice returned. "Mr. Reyes has a meeting today, but he said he'll make it up to you tomorrow. Have a great day, Ms. Jones."

The call ended, and Emma exchanged a knowing glance with Brad. She stood up, the worry evident in her eyes, and mumbled something about being tired and needing to head to her room, and brad left Emma's house to give her some time alone.

Once she was alone, Emma couldn't shake the feeling of concern for Jack. She wanted to reach out, to offer comfort, to be a presence of support in his life. She thought back to the moments they had shared, the laughter, the connection, and the growing affection between them.

As the evening sun cast warm hues across her apartment, Emma sat on her couch, her thoughts consumed by Jack. She couldn't help but imagine him sitting in his office, lost in his thoughts, battling his own struggles. Her heart ached for him, and she knew that she couldn't stand by idly.

She picked up her phone and sent him a simple text: "Hey, I'm here for you. Whenever you're ready to talk or if you just need someone to be around, I'm here."

With a sigh, she set her phone down, a mixture of hope and uncertainty swirling within her. She knew that she couldn't force Jack to open up, but she wanted him to know that he wasn't alone. As the evening turned to night, Emma couldn't help but hope that her message would reach him, that he would understand the depth of her feelings and the sincerity of her offer—a promise to stand by his side, no matter what challenges he faced.