J.A.C.I.E.'s World (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 6

The day I had been dreading finally came. Jack was going on tour again and this time I wasn't coming along. He was going to be gone for two months, travelling around the entire country and some of Canada. I had come with him to the airport to drop him off and say goodbye. There was such a strong mix of emotions coursing through me.

We were standing in front of the security line after Jack had checked in his bags. It was a bittersweet moment. I was excited for him and he was obviously excited to be back on the road again. But we were also seconds away from saying goodbye. The terminal was busy, but all I could focus on was him.

I tried my best to keep my emotions in check. After all, this was part of the life I had signed up for. It might have been the first time, but it definitely wasn't going to be the last. I just didn't want to burden anybody with tears.

"Promise me you'll take care of yourself?" I asked as I gently took hold of his hand.

"I promise," he nodded, intertwining his fingers with mine. "Promise you'll do the same?"

"Of course."

He tugged on my hand, forcing me to step closer. Our chests touched as he wrapped his arms around me and rested his head against my shoulder. I returned the gesture, putting my hands on his shoulder blades and breathing in deeply. All I wanted was to memorise how we fit together so well.

"I wish I didn't have to go," he mumbled into my shoulder.

I shook my head. "That's not true."

He laughed softly, causing his voice to rumble inside of his chest. "I would take you by my side over anything."

He pulled me into a tighter embrace, and I buried my face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar scent, wanting to etch it into my memory.

"I'm going to miss you," I confessed, a knot in my throat almost preventing me from uttering the words

"I'm gonna miss you too."

"I guess we knew this was coming."

He pulled away from me, cupping my cheeks and brushing away a few stray tears that had fallen with his thumb. "Hey, it's only two months. We've got this."

"I know," I took a deep shaky breath in, "but it seems like such a long time now."

"I promise I'll call you every day and I'll be back before you know it," he told me, trying to stay optimistic. But I could see his own eyes started to glass over a little bit.

"I'll hold you to that." I attempted to smile.

He sighed deeply. "I love you."

"I love you."

And then we shared the last kiss we would share for a while. It was a kiss that our simple words couldn't convey. There was a pain we couldn't heal. Reluctantly, we released each other and gave each other a reassuring smile before saying our final goodbyes.

Once he disappeared into the security queue, I stood there for a moment. The emotions were heavy and something I'd never experienced before to such an extent. I took a deep breath and turned away knowing that he wouldn't just suddenly appear in front of me again.

I was pretty proud of myself for not bursting into tears. Sure, a few had escaped, but it wasn't anything dramatic. But every step felt like I was distancing myself more and more from Jack. Two months was a long time. Two months ago, we had been married for two months. Two months from now, we would be married for half a year. Fuck, it was going to be such a large chunk of time.

I continued my way out of the airport and managed to keep myself together as I walked through the parking lot. My steps felt heavy and slow, but it didn't take me long to get back to Jack's car. The whole world seemed to be muted as I unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat.

I don't know what happened, but as soon as the door shut, I wasn't able to keep it in anymore. I didn't want it to happen in this cold empty parking lot, but the weight of it all was relentless, pressing deep into my chest with determination. The dam finally burst and I found tears cascading down my cheeks. They were hot and persistent. I made no effort to wipe them away.

We'd never been apart for much more than a week. Over a year of being together – almost a year and a half – and we'd somehow managed to always be around each other. Even at the very beginning, I saw Jack pretty frequently. This was a very new feeling and I certainly didn't like it.

The sobs racked my body, a raw ache that needed to be released. Somehow, it felt like a piece of me had been torn away and I was left alone and lost. I knew better than that. I knew reacting like this was insane. But I couldn't help it.

I tried to breathe through it all, forcing rational thoughts into my mind. It was only temporary. I would hear his voice every day. This wasn't forever. I could survive just fine by myself. When did I become so attached?

My chest still heaved raggedly, but the tears slowly dried up. I was stronger than I knew. Everything was going to be fine.

Eventually, my phone buzzed and I saw a notification from Jack. He had sent me a selfie with a pug in a rainbow sweater that he had encountered past security. I couldn't help but laugh at his joy as I wiped away my tears.

As much as I wanted to hide my embarrassing reaction to him leaving, I turned on my own camera and snapped a picture of myself. My face was puffy, my eyes were red, there was mascara running down my cheeks, but I gave a thumbs up and smiled through the pain.

Jack: I'd cry too if I missed a dog in a sweater.

I continued to chuckle.

Me: It's just so emotional. How could this happen?

Jack: There's plenty of dogs in sweaters in the sea.

Jack: You okay?

Me: Yeah, all good. I'm feeling a bad case of PMS. Text me when you're off?

Jack: Of course. I love you.

Jack: Drive safely.