Mutual

Chapter twenty

I don't really know what's going on, but I have a feeling Jack's gonna fess why he's been so off. I'm pretty sure Sonny knows but everyone else looks as confused as me. We're all sat in their living room with blankets and everyone's snuggled up to at least one person. Despicable Me is running in the background. I peek at Jack and only one word can describe him - broken. Completely and utterly broken. I don't what I'm doing but my body moves away from Brooklyn and I clamber into Jack's lap. I relax against his chest and he winds his arms around me. Brook smiles and nods to me.

Jack: "Okay. I don't know how to say this."
Rye: "Take all the time you need buddy, we're here for you."
Jack: "As you all know, I have a girlfriend."

Kathryn spits out a mouthful of tea she was about to swallow and I jolt away from Jack slightly, looking into his eyes to see if I can decipher whether he's telling the truth or not. From what I can gather, he is. Oh no, is he going through a really tough breakup? Wait, he said 'I have a girlfriend.' I lean back into him and wait for him to continue.

Kathryn: "You do?"
Jack: "As the majority of you know, I have a girlfriend."
Kathryn: "Ooh tea! Go on then, spill. What's she like? Is she my age? I love you Y/N but it's gonna be so cool to have another girl in the group!"

Sonny not so subtly thumps Kathryn with a cushion to get her to shut up.

Jack: "Well, her name is Katy. I asked her out around three months ago and for the first month, everything was going so well."
Kathryn: "Okay, so she's either a bitch or you don't like her anymore."
Me: "Kathryn, shut the hell up." She flips me off but stays silent.
Jack: "Anyway, after a while, she started speaking to me in an awful manner. She-"
Kathryn: "So the former option then."
Sonny: "Kathryn..."
Kathryn: "Sorry, I'm just so excited that there's tea."
Sonny: "I will personally escort you out of the room if you don't stop talking."
Kathryn: "Okay, okay." She motions that her lips are sealed.
Jack: "She'd call me names, treat me like her servant and all that. One day I 'd had enough so I threatened to leave her. She didn't take it well. She hit me a few times and then told me to leave. I headed out of the door but she grabbed me and said, 'if you ever leave me, I will commit suicide.' Obviously, I didn't break up with her as I don't wish any pain or hurt upon her, upon anyone. We continued to meet and she started to-" His voice cracked. "Sorry. She started to abuse me. Not just verbally, but physically too. She said if I ever told anyone or leave her, she'd hurt herself. Then this one time, I went over to her house. I don't remember anything until I woke up in this warehouse. She... s-she tried to umm... yeah." He was fully crying now.
Me: "You don't have to tell us everything. Just take your time." I hold him tighter and cries into my shoulder for a while before straightening himself up. Brooklyn also looks close to tears.
Jack: "Sorry. Can I just take a minute?" 

I stand up and he walks into the bathroom. Sitting back down next to Brooklyn.

Brooklyn: "I feel so bad for him, he doesn't deserve this.
Kathryn: "Why didn't you guys tell me to shut my big mouth earlier? I feel like an idiot."
Sonny: "We did. And don't worry yourself. You didn't realise."

Jack returns from the bathroom and reclaims his original seat. He gestures for me to join him, so I do, this time pulling Brooklyn down next to us. Me in Jack's lap, leaning into him but holding Brook's hand.

Jack: "Sorry. Okay, where was I? I managed to get away but I got to a dead end because I didn't know where I was and had no sense of direction. She jumped me and I hit my head against the floor, giving myself concussion. I tried to push her off but she retaliated, hitting me. She broke a few of my ribs that day, and my whole body was black and blue. Luckily, some guys found us and I woke in the hospital. They wanted me to stay for a while in the hospital but I didn't want you guys to find out so I ran away."
Rye: "Oh so that's when you came in that day holding your side and I asked you what you'd done. I knew you hadn't tripped and landed badly. That was a pathetic excuse mate, no offence."
Jack: "Yeah. I stayed away from you guys as much as I could."
Me: "Sorry, when was this?"
Jack: "When you and Kathryn had your little dispute."
Me: "Wait, so are your ribs still broken?" I apply less pressure where I'm leaning.
Jack: "They are healing, yes. They don't really hurt anymore. Anyway, it was the other side." He pulls me back into him. "She asked me to come over a couple days after so we could watch movies."
Brooklyn: "Wait, I have a question."
Jack: "Go on."
Brooklyn: "Was she always like this or would she be nice and then just switch?"
Jack: "She was nice, and then she'd switch. Nevertheless, I'd always be absolutely terrified. So, she asked me to come over, and I declined. I said we were filming covers when we weren't. I just wanted an excuse not to go. I went to the gym instead. Somehow, she found out that I'd lied to her and the next time I saw her she 'punished me for being a naughty boy.' That was the worst time." He stays silent for the next few minutes."I haven't seen her since. She wanted to meet with me tonight, which is why I dragged you all to the studio. I'm pretty sure she only face timed me to check I was there."
Rye: "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this, alone."
Jack: "Not your fault, mate."
Rye: "You need to break up with her."
Jack: "You know I can't."
Andy: "I personally think she's just saying that so you don't break up with her."
Jack: "Do you know what, you're right. She wouldn't do that - she has too much to live for. I'll do it now. She's just an attention seeker."

He calls her and puts her on speaker, so we can all hear.

Katy: Hey baby, you done at the studio yet? She lets out a sickly sweet giggle.
Jack: Yes.
Katy: Do you want to come over?
Jack: No. He gulps and looks at us. We all nod.
Katy: What do you mean no? She screeches like a pterodactyl.
Jack: I mean, exactly what I said, Katy. I don't ever want to come over again. I don't see a future with us, so I'm ending it here.
Katy: What the fuck, Jack? I cannot live without you. I-I need you."
Jack: You don't. Goodbye Katy."
He hangs up and blocks her number.

Me: "Well done, Jack. I'm so proud of you." There are nods and murmurs of agreement.
Jack: "Thanks, guys. I love you all."