His Prisoner

Jack Is Back [32]

Meredith

Stepping into my childhood home, I feel a sense of relief as the door closes quietly behind me. The silence is almost deafening but I welcome it. I know Jack isn't here. The house seems emptier and I know it's because he was forced to leave after all the things that happened. At least that's one thing I can thank Eliot for.

A sharp pain shoots through my chest at the mere thought of his name. The man that saved me from an unhappy life and filled my heart with love. I will forever remember the good times we had together, the intimate moments of sharing secrets and confessing our love for one another. Without Eliot, I wouldn't have met Emily or Chase. My best friends that always bring a smile to my face. And then I met his parents. After not having my own for so long, it felt good to be apart of a family again. Claire treated me like her own daughter and Anthony had nothing but kind words and a helping hand. 

They all became my family.

A sob escapes my throat as I slowly sink to the floor. It's quite hard with a broken leg but I somehow end up leaning against the door with my casted leg stretched out in front of me. My sobs of pain echo through the quiet house, tears streaming down my cheeks as my crutches clutter to the floor beside me. 

I've lost everything. 

If it wasn't bad enough that I was an orphan with only Jack to rely on, now I've lost the man I love as well as the family I gained. I've even lost Jack, not that I would want him back in my life but I literally have no one. Most of all, I lost my child. There's no one left but me. I'm in this empty house by myself with nothing. 

I spend the rest of the evening sitting against the door crying. 

*

I manage to drag myself up from the floor a few hours later, my bum completely numb from sitting on the hard cold floor for so long. I didn't eat anything, I just went straight to bed. I tossed and turned for most of the night, catching bits of sleep here and there until the sun rose. There was too much going on in my head, I couldn't shut down and sleep properly. 

I laid in bed long after the sun rose. I had no desire to get up and do something productive. It felt like a good day to stay in bed and drown my sorrows in ice cream but apparently, the universe had other ideas. I hear a knock on the door and when I glance at the clock on my bedside table, it reads 09:23. Who would be here this early? In fact, who would be here at all?

I plan to ignore it but when the knocking continues, I roll out of bed with a loud groan. 

Opening the front door with a scowl on my face, it deepens when I see who's standing on my doorstep. 

He's not drunk for once and he seems less aggressive than usual. I take five seconds to look him over before closing the door in his face.

"Meredith! Open up. I just want to talk." He bangs on the door again. 

"Leave Jack." I shout through the door.

I haven't seen this guy since I found out he killed my parents and he wants to talk? He doesn't deserve my time, let alone a conversation. 

"Please Meredith. Just five minutes." With a huff, I open the door again.

"You have one. What do you want?"