𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐈𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ━ 𝐉𝐢𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭

- 16 | shadows of the past -

Shadows of the past.

The morning air was crisp as Marceline walked into the office, her thoughts swirling with the events of the past few days. The conversation with Jim lingered in her mind, replaying over and over like a broken record. She tried to focus on her work, but the emotional weight was impossible to ignore. She had told Jim she needed time, and while that was true, there was so much more she wasn't saying. So much she couldn't say.

As she sat at her desk, typing up a report, she found herself glancing over at Jim. He was at his desk, engaged in a conversation with Dwight about some new sales strategy. His laughter rang out across the office, warm and infectious. Marceline couldn't help but smile to herself. There was something about Jim—his easy charm, his genuine kindness—that had begun to tug at her heart in a way she hadn't anticipated.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the thoughts. "Focus," she muttered to herself, turning her attention back to her screen. But the words on the page blurred as her mind drifted back to the night of the party, the kiss they had shared, and the way Jim had looked at her afterward. The memory sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt a warmth spreading in her chest.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to let herself get attached. Not now, not when her past was still so close, lurking just behind the surface. Marceline's eyes flicked to her phone, sitting on the desk beside her. She hadn't heard from Jack in weeks, and while that should have been a relief, it only made her more anxious. The calm before the storm, as they say.

Jim caught her eye, and for a brief moment, they shared a look—one that was filled with an unspoken understanding. Marceline quickly looked away, her heart racing. She couldn't afford to let herself fall for him, not when there was so much at stake. But she couldn't deny that the feelings were there, growing stronger with each passing day.

———

Interview: Marceline

Marceline sat in the conference room, her expression conflicted. She looked down at her hands, twisting them together nervously.

"I've always been good at keeping things to myself, at compartmentalizing. But this... this is different." She paused, struggling to find the right words. "Jim is... he's just so easy to talk to. And I find myself wanting to be around him, to open up to him. But I can't. Not with everything that's going on."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "There's so much he doesn't know about me. Things I've been running from for a long time. I can't drag him into that. It wouldn't be fair."

———

As the day wore on, Marceline tried to push her feelings for Jim aside and focus on her work. But every time he walked by her desk or flashed that charming smile in her direction, her resolve weakened just a little bit more. She was torn between the desire to let herself care for him and the need to keep her distance, to protect him from the chaos that followed her wherever she went.

Around noon, Marceline's phone buzzed on her desk, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the screen, expecting a text from one of her coworkers, but instead, she saw an unknown number. A cold chill ran down her spine.

She hesitated for a moment before picking up the phone, her hand trembling slightly. "Hello?" she answered, trying to keep her voice steady.

There was silence on the other end for a moment, and then a familiar voice spoke. "Abigail."

Her heart stopped. It was Jack. The last person she wanted to hear from. She jinxed herself...

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice sharp, trying to mask the fear that had suddenly gripped her.

"You didn't think you could just walk away, did you?" Jack's voice was smooth, almost taunting. "You know how this works, Abby. You're not done with us. Not by a long shot."

Marceline's grip on the phone tightened. She could feel the walls closing in around her, the office suddenly feeling too small, too suffocating. "I've made my choice, Jack. I'm done."

Jack laughed, a low, menacing sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "You don't get to make that choice. We're not finished until I say we are."

Marceline closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. "Leave me alone," she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable in your little office, Abby. We'll be seeing each other real soon."

The line went dead, and Marceline was left staring at her phone, her heart pounding in her chest. She sat frozen, the conversation replaying in her mind. Jack's words were a reminder of the danger she was still in, of the past she had tried so hard to escape.

———

Interview: Marceline

Marceline's face was pale as she sat in the conference room. She glanced down at the floor, avoiding the camera's gaze.

"He called," she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "I knew it was only a matter of time, but... it doesn't make it any easier."

She swallowed hard, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I thought I could start over here, that I could leave everything behind. But I was wrong. It's all catching up to me, and I don't know what to do."

She paused, taking a shaky breath. "I can't let anyone here know what's going on. Especially not Jim. It's too dangerous. For now, I just have to keep my head down and figure out how to get out of this mess."

———

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Marceline. She went through the motions, interacting with her coworkers, but her mind was elsewhere. The call from Jack had shaken her more than she wanted to admit, and the constant threat of her past creeping back into her life made it hard to focus on anything else.

As the office began to wind down for the day, Marceline found herself alone in the break room, staring blankly at the coffee machine. The voices of her coworkers drifted in from the other room, a dull hum in the background.

Jim walked in, carrying a stack of papers. He paused when he saw her, sensing that something was off. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

Marceline snapped out of her daze, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just a long day," she replied, her voice a little too bright.

Jim didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he set the papers down on the counter and leaned against the wall, watching her closely. "If you ever need to talk, you know I'm here, right?"

Marceline nodded, her heart aching at how genuine he was. "Thanks, Jim. I appreciate that."

They stood there for a moment in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Marceline wanted to tell him everything, to let him in on the truth of why she was really here. But she couldn't. Not yet.

After a while, Jim pushed off the wall and picked up the papers. "I should finish up these reports. But seriously, if you need anything..."

Marceline nodded again, watching as he walked away. As he disappeared into the hallway, she let out a long, shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves. She knew she couldn't keep this up forever—something had to give. But for now, she would have to continue living this double life, hiding her true feelings from Jim while also keeping the demons of her past at bay.

As the office emptied out and the night settled in, Marceline gathered her things and headed out, her mind racing with everything that had happened. She knew that Jack wouldn't just go away, and that her past was closer than ever to catching up with her.

But one thing was certain—she wasn't going to let Jack, or anyone else, control her life again. She would fight back, no matter the cost. And maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to protect the people she cared about in the process.

As she walked through the quiet streets toward home, Marceline felt a resolve harden within her. She had come to Scranton for a fresh start, and she was determined to see it through, no matter how many shadows from her past she had to face.