FLASHBACKS ➳ JACK GILINSKY

Chapter 28 - Keep Holding On

I never expected this story to get as big as it did. I remember writing Collision and struggling to get reads and votes and comments. Now, y'all say the nicest thing and I do appreciate it all. Thank you for supporting me and my books.

//28//

"So," Ivy drawled, taking a bite out of her sandwich, "What's up with you and Jack?"

"Nothing," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

She eyed me, as if to say, "Are you sure?"

"Nothing, okay?" I exclaimed. "We're not together or anything."

"But, there is something there, isn't there?" she questioned, making me sigh.

"Yeah, I guess," I said, defeated, "but I don't want there to be. I told him that we could only be friends for now?"

"For now?" she asked, earning a nod for me. "Just be careful with him. I don't completely trust him yet."

"Me neither," I mumbled.

"It's obvious he cares for you though. I mean, he instructed me, very carefully might I add, about your diet," she paused, "which reminds me, eat your sandwich.

She pushed my sandwich in front of me, looking at me, expecting me to eat it. I nervously picked it up and stared at it for a good minute or even two.

"I don't feel like eating today," I said, placing the sandwich back down again.

Ivy huffed, before placing her own sandwich down and grabbing mine up. She practically shoved that thing in my mouth, making me chew it then swallow. "That's better," she said, beaming at what she's done as I wiped the sauce from the side of my mouth. "I know he cares, but some people just can't help but hurt the people they care about."

I nodded understandingly, slowly taking another bite out of my sandwich. "It's nice that they let us out of the mansion once in a while to hangout together. The competition gets a little too much sometimes."

Ivy picked up a few pieces of her lettuce that fell out of her sandwich and shoved it into her mouth. "I agree," she mumbled from all the food she had in her mouth. She swallowed the contents, before speaking again, "I can't believe that we have to have our own bodyguards now, due to the amount of fans following us."

"It is crazy," I said, eyeing the amount of people crowding around us as we were eating in one of the sections of the food court. Some fans caught my gaze, and surprisingly waved excitedly at me. I gave them a smile, before waving back to them as well. Of course there were other fans who just gave me a stinky eye. "How does it feel to have your first shot of fame?"

"To be honest, it's not as great as people think. I don't think I like being in the spotlight. It's like I do a humane things that every normal human being does, but since I'm some celebrity, I get looked at weirdly and brought down upon."

"That's why I was MIA for a year," I whispered, "I'm only back now to follow my dreams."

"You know, I admire you. Like you're my best friend and all, but you're also my role model," she said, looking highly at me. "How you get through all this crap is completely mindblowing to me. I would have just given up."

I was shocked by her words to say the least. "Yea," I said quietly. "I feel like I had a promise to make." I thought of my family right away, and even though back then, I wouldn't have thought of Jeremy, deep down inside, I knew it was for Jeremy too.

"Well, I think I've had enough." I wrapped whatever was left of my sandwich, and stood up to go throw it away. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ivy shoot me a pointed look. "What?" I asked innocently, and she answered by eyeing my half-eaten sandwich. "I ate half of it! That's quite the accomplishment for me!" I defended myself.