When two worlds collide at midnight in the empty halls of New Jersey Private Hospital, Jack and Parker learn that no matter what, the heart wants what it wants.
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I HADN'T SEEN OR SPOKEN TO JACK IN TWO DAYS. He kept telling me that he was busy, that his schedule was all over the place, that he was tired and couldn't chat, that he was in the middle or practice, or about to head into a game. I didn't blame Jack, this was his job, after all, but I also didn't love that I hadn't spoken to him since I'd taken him to my parent's house.
Things had been strange since that night, he'd grown distant, but I couldn't help but think that he was the one who had put the idea out there that we could be more than friends, and then back off completely.
Maybe I was overthinking things.
Something told me I wasn't. It was the morning of my eighteenth birthday, and honestly, I couldn't believe I'd made it to eighteen alive. However, I knew Olive had chemo today, and Xander had a whole lot of tests going on too, which meant I was on my own.
I hadn't texted Jack this morning, hoping that, since it was my birthday, he would be the one to do it, but, as eleven in the morning rolls around and I still haven't received a single word from the boy, disappointed starts to settle in.
He hasn't forgotten, right?
He couldn't have, we'd only been speaking about it two days ago, and he seemed keen as anything to celebrate with me, but now, I don't know.
I stare at my phone periodically, jumping for it every time I get a notification, only to be mildly disappointed when I realise it's just another relative calling me for my birthday. I should be grateful that so many family and friends are contacting me, but I can't help but feel that pang of hurt that it's not Jack.
I was alarmingly attached to him. So much so, that is started to get a little bit angry by the time two in the afternoon rolls around.
By six at night, I'm hovering over his Instagram profile, contemplating whether or not I unfollow him, and by six thirty, I go through with it.
"Asshole," I mutter, scrolling until I find his contact in my phone, and readying myself to delete that too.
I hesitate, and the moment I do, I get a text from him, making me near jump out of my skin. My cheeks burn and my chest beats out of control at the sight of his name accompanied by a text. The first I'd heard from him all day.
For a moment, I consider pushing aside the hurt and caving into him, texting him as usual, pretending he hadn't been ghosting me all day, but then I shake my head and remind myself that no boy is worth that, and I'm mad all over again.
I read his text with a deep scowl on my face.
From: Jack 💙
Common room. Don't ask questions.
My eyebrows knit together at his text, and my frown somehow deepens. He couldn't be serious, could he? He'd been ignoring me for the better half of two days and now, what? He wanted me to meet him in the damn common room?
