California Gold

Chapter 9 // Trigger

Ally blinked awake, rubbing the fog from her eyes. Moonlight streamed in through the window of the jet, and she closed the shade. Jack was sleeping on the couch across from her, looking uncharacteristically peaceful. For a moment, she watched his chest rise and fall, and took a moment to appreciate that he was in front of her, breathing, ​alive,​ beautiful in the dim light of the jet. She reached out to touch him, but a familiar itch stopped her.

Her hand went to the pocket of her sweatpants, and she let out a sigh of relief. Orange prescription bottles had been a very conspicuous feature of Jack's addiction; she preferred a tiny handmade medicine pouch she'd purchased from a Navajo tribe on her first trip to Arizona. Quietly, she pulled an afghan off her lap and made her way to the restroom.

The door shut quietly behind her, and she stared at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a rich auburn, and it grazed her natural waist, which had shrunk significantly in recent months. She'd lost about seventeen pounds since her life was uprooted. Last time she'd gone in to see her doctor he'd expressed concern as she now bordered on being underweight. However, her management team didn't seem to mind, and if she was honest, she didn't mind either. Her tiny silhouette blended much more easily with the high fashion Hollywood crowds she was forced to rub elbows with.

Pills slipped down her throat easily, and she drank from the sink to wash them down. She ran her hands through her hair, pulling it away from her face. Dark circles marred her eyes, stark against her pale, gaunt features. Her hair shrouded her face again as she let it go, and she decided she liked it better that way. Gratefully, she pulled her eyes away from the reflection she barely recognized, and she headed back to her seat.

Jack was awake, sitting up with his head in his hands. He looked at her, and she stopped for a moment, nervous. "Why're you up so late?"

"I had to use the restroom."

Jack's handsome features twisted slightly. He knew she was lying, but he didn't press it further. "Do you need anything? Some water maybe?"

No​, Ally thought, but the words escaped her lips before she could stop them "A glass of wine maybe?"

He smiled at her and nodded, then walked down the hall. Ally slumped. ​Damn lowered inhibitions. D​ efeated, she slinked toward her seat, reclined it, and shrouded herself in the warm afghan.

Jack returned, handing her the wine glass. He sat across from her, a glass of water in his hand. "You didn't want any wine?" she asked.

"I don't think it would be a very good idea," Jack replied with a brisk laugh. Ally swore she could feel his words tickling her spine.

"Sorry," Ally whispered, sipping her wine.

"Don't be," Jackson smiled softly, then checked his watch. "Man Enough dropped about an hour ago. Should we see how it's doing."

"I'd rather not," Ally laughed in response. It was nice to talk to him again, even if it was just OxyContin that allowed her to do it. "Forget went platinum last week, I don't know if Rez told you."

"Damn. We're pretty good. Platinum in a week- that's gotta be close to record time," Jack's smile fell as he bowed his head to look at his hands. "Um... I'm sorry, I hate to do this, it's so nice talking to you," Ally took a deep breath, steadying herself for whatever was about to come. "Do you think things will ever be like they used to?"

Ally looked down now, too ashamed to look at him. "No," she whispered, "but I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to try and make this work," with that, she finished her glass.

"Um," Jack seemed stunned, and he twisted his ring around his finger as he contemplated what he'd say next. "I know a really good pub in London. It's kinda underground, discreet... I could take you there, if you like," he stroked his beard. "Like, as a date."