Jackie

23- Mail

I woke up to the sunlight peering in from the blinds on the small window and the smell of cigarettes.

I looked over and saw Dally lying in bed staring at the ceiling with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. I felt a pain on the side of my neck and touched it, wincing from the small pain from the fresh hickeys.

"Mornin doll." He mumbled, his voice low and raspy from tiredness. "What time is it?" I asked him while rubbing my eyes. "M'not sure, nine I would guess?" He answered unsure.

"Fuck. Cmon get up." I said while uncovering from the blankets not realizing I was still naked. He grinned and started to laugh. I quickly realized what he was laughing at and ran off the bed, grabbing my clothes and getting dressed.

"Don't be embarrassed baby I could get used to seeing that ass." He smirked. "Shut the hell up Dallas and get dressed." I barked back, throwing his boots at him harshly.

Both of us went down the stairs, me in a hurry since I had a shift at the DX. Buck stopped us before we left with an obvious hangover. "Hey Jackie wait up, some mail came in for you." Buck called out.

Mail? From who? No one knew I was here besides my... shit. My mom. I walked over to Buck quickly and snatched the letter from his hands.

"Uh, thanks Buck. Cmon Dal I'm gonna be late." I said tucking the letter in my jacket.

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"Dallas you've got to have something better to do with your life than to hang around here all day." I said annoyed while ringing an old man up at the register.

Dal waited until he left before he said anything. "Yeah well I'd like to make sure someone doesn't try and make a move on you with your tits out like that." He said, almost in what seemed like jealousy.

He was referring to my blue button up shirt, my work uniform. I scoffed. "I don't like buttonin' them up all the way, I feel like I'm getting choked." I answered defensively.

He leaned against the counter. "Well be a normal person and leave the top button down, not fucking three." He said with his eyes slanted.

"Soda leaves the whole thing unbuttoned y'know that right?" I said turning around to go restock shelves. "Yeah well Soda doesn't have double D's" He snapped back. I rolled my eyes.

"You gonna read that letter you got?" He asked curiously, lighting a cigarette. I had honestly put the letter out of my mind and forgot about it. "Don't really want to, I don't think." I answered.

"Why not?" He asked. "You're really in my business today aren't you?" I asked annoyed. "Just curious." He mumbled back.

I went behind the counter to my jacket, pulling out the letter and throwing it to him. "You read it then, while I'm gone. I'm going on my smoke break." I was kinda fed up with him being so nosy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~Dallas~

She threw the letter at me before I had time to object. Sure I've read her mail before, but that was shit she had written. This was something she hadn't even looked at who it was from yet.

I flipped the letter over, looking at who it's from.
'Harry Moorson'

Must her father. How the hell did her father get Buck's address? I tore the letter open immediately.

'Dear Jaqueline.
I know you don't want to hear from me, and I am truly sorry. This, however, is rather urgent, and if you didn't hear it from me, I'm not sure you would hear about it at all.

Beth, your mother, is dead. The prison she was staying in sent me a letter. I'm sure they would have sent you one too if they knew where you were. They sent people they knew within her prison after her, and she was badly jumped. They used shanks and pipes from what I was told.

Since the state doesn't know where you are, they gave me the money she had left you in her will, I have included it in the envelope.

I hope you are okay. Maybe one day you will forgive me and come visit, but I very much understand if you choose not to. Your mother told me your new address, but per your request, this will be the only thing I sent.

She loved you very much Jaqueline, and so do I. I know you had a very special connection. I'm sorry I dragged you and your mother into this, it's my fault she's dead.

I wish you a happy life Jaqueline. I'm so sorry I took everything away from you.

I love you
-Dad'

Holy shit. I stared at the letter with my mouth slightly open. I really think she should have been the one to read this first. I looked in the envelope in my other hand and saw a check.

I pulled out the check from the envelope and read the amount. Five thousand fucking dollars. Her mom left her five grand. Holy shit.

I shoved the letter and check both back into envelope, and just in time Jackie walked back into the room. She looked over at me and must have seen the look on my face, because she ran over and snatched the envelope from my hand.

I didn't know if I would be able to be there for her the way she needed after she read it, so I left the DX.

I left her alone with that letter, praying someone else would be there for her in a way I couldn't be.