Raising Hell

Promises Made

ALEX'S POV

"You ready?" Jake asks beside me. I stare at the plane I am about to board. I grab his hand without breaking my stare. He squeezes my hand.

"No." I answer softly. "But does it matter?"

"It does to me." He answers. I finally turn to him, while still holding his hand.

"I don't want to leave you." I tell him and he looks down at his hands.

"You won't have to." He decides and takes off a ring from his hand. I have noticed it before. It's polished wood with small knots throughout, in the center a band of emerald diamonds.

"Jake, I can't take your ring." I say and he smiles sadly as he takes my hand.

"My father gave it to me before he died. He said as long as I wore it I would be okay. I never even touched it after he left because it hurt too much. Then one day I saw it on my dresser and decided to finally put it on. Do you know what day that was?" He asks, rubbing the ring. I shake my head. He smiles and pushes it on my finger. "The day I met you." He says finally looking up from my hand.

"Jake. Please don't say goodbye." I plead and he brushes my bangs from my eyes.

"I'm don't have to, because we're going to see eachother real soon and we will live happily ever after and get married and have little kids with your eyes and your spirit and your heart." He says and pulls my chin towards him. He looks down at the ring on my hand.

"Consider this a promise." He says and looks up back at me with teary eyes. "That I will never say goodbye."

"I love you." I tell him. He leans his forehead against mine.

"I always will." He promises and kisses me. He walks me to the plane and stops before I enter.

"Now kick some ass." He orders seriously and I laugh.

"It's what I do best." I say and walk into the plane. The door raises up eliminating the view I had of him. I told myself this wasn't a goodbye and my brain believed me, my heart knew better.

I turned to see the front of the jet and realized no one was yet aboard. I sat down and twiddled my thumbs until a door slid open and a man stepped in. He walked towards me and took the seat next to mine. 

"I'm Devin." He tells me. I furrow my eyebrows.

"Hi, I'm confused." I reply and he smirks.

"I'm here to keep you company." He explains and I look at him doubtingly.
"Why?" I ask.

"The next week of your life will probably be youturb worst. The president thought you could use someone to talk to you."

"Well he was wrong." I turn away from him and wait for take off.

"You're nervous?" He asks already knowing my answer. I nod anyways.

"It's not something I do everyday."

"Just think, if we pull this off it will all be over."

"It's doubt it." I mumble.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm smart enough to know that bad things just don't stop happening. People will still die. Things will still go wrong. I'm a good soldier but I'm no miracle worker."

"I think you're underestimating your strength."

"What do you mean?"

"You say you can't win us the war, but look around. You have already done so much."

"Like what?" I ask.

"You had a life sentence in prison and got out in three days. You watched your father die for a second time, you fell in love with your guard. You survived a week with the spawn of Satan." He told me and consider his point. "Your the bravest person this city has seen in years."

"You seem to have been watching me." I say and he smirks.

"It's impossible not to. You have the city's attention. Now show them who Alex Ringman really is." He orders and I smile.

"And who am I?" I ask and he laughs.

"I was there when you were in court so long ago. You said you were going to raise hell. Now do it." He instructs.

"Yes sir." I agree and he smiles and stands up.

"We're almost here, don't be nervous. The whole city believes in you." He says and for the first time, I believe in myself.