Twenty-Nine // J.G.

twenty-four.

Day 23.

"Marley..."

I hummed, the courtesy to respond not being coherent while in another world - a dream one.

"Marley," The voice repeated, and a hazy image of Jack came appeared before me.

"Mm.. Jack..." I sighed dreamily.

"Marley, baby." Again Jack called me, the padding of his fingers caressing the side of my cheek. "Wake up.."

For a moment I was confused as to why I'd be dreaming about Jack saying this me, and it took me a few more minutes to realize that this dream wasn't a dream at all. Still, I lazily opened my eyes to face a sleepy Jack right above me, and I didn't even flinch.

"Morning, sleepyhead." He grinned, tracing his finger back and forth across my forehead.

"G'morning." I whispered before wriggling beneath him so I could stretch, and he obliged by opting to lay beside me. It seemed like a peaceful morning, where we'd talk and maybe cuddle in bed for a little longer before having to get up and be productive, but then the heart-wrenching slap of reality left a red mark across my cheeks.

"One week until I win.." Jack sang, turning his body towards me as his hand slid over my stomach.

Win. Seven days until he won. The event of the bet seemed so foreign to me, as if I had only dreamt about it and every day spent with Jack was genuine with real intentions and real feelings. But the only real part about it was a sprouting friendship between us, and not even that was guaranteed after we leave this paradise. God. The thought of having to go back home after experiencing all these new things about life and living made my stomach flip with despair. Had I ever considered that I might not want to leave this place? Of course not. At first the only thing I wanted was to get the hell out of here. Now I could hardly imagine what it'd be like to not always have Sammy and Nate at an arm's length away, and I couldn't even begin to explain how different things would be without Jack. I dreaded the return of my old life and even more so the loneliness that I would inevitably succumb to. I would have to accept the fact that I probably will never experience something like this trip ever again, and that terrified me. I didn't want to accept it. I didn't want to leave Hawaii and have everything be left to rot in the past.

"You're extra quiet today, Mar," Jack observed as I sat at the kitchen table while he prepared a homemade breakfast for us. "I can practically hear your thoughts." He snickered. For once I wouldn't have minded if he knew what I was thinking so maybe he'd do something about it, but then again he could also very well laugh in my face.

"There's a lot on my mind, I suppose." I sighed, chewing harshly on my lip as I gazed at his occupied figure near the stove and wondered if he was analyzing the same situation. I doubted it, but that didn't stop the sliver of hope that wedged itself into my thoughts.

"Care to elaborate?" He turned back and flashed that gentle smile I adored.

"It's nothing." I assured him with the tiniest of details, "Just, like, wondering what's gonna happen when I go back to New Jersey." After all, he didn't need to know that I no longer cared about the bet and that I couldn't bear the idea of parting from him.

"I'm gonna miss this place. It's so peaceful and all about good vibes, like I fuck heavy with that shit. And I'm gonna miss Sam and Nate, and you." He gushed, sliding my plate of pancakes across the table to me.

"I'm.. gonna miss you too." I admitted with a slight smile.

"Really? How much?" He smiled wide with his mouth closed, crows feet etching into the corners of his eyes.