I Won't Let You Choke On Your Misery
Chapter 22
I was first awake. Jack still had his arms tightly around me, there was nowhere I’d rather be, but glancing at the clock I knew we’d have to get up.
“Jack” I didn’t move, only lifting my arm slightly to stroke the back of his hair. His eyelids fluttered, but didn’t open.
“Jack, wake up” He groaned in response, nuzzling the nape of my neck. His warm breath brushed my skin, giving me goosebumps.
“Not yet” he mumbled, readjusting and pulling me in closer. I chuckled, pulling away.
“C’mon sleeping beauty, we’ve got a flight to catch”
The bus had been travelling to the airport all night and we were almost there. I wasn’t sure what was happening once we got to America, Jack hadn’t had the chance to explain that part yet. Once I had finally gotten Jack up, I showered and got myself dressed. I would have made an effort, but all I wanted to be on the plane was confortable. As I left the toilet, Alice poked her head out of Zack’s bunk squinting her eyes under the light. Her hair was stuck up at every angle. I grinned at her.
“That looks cosy” I winked at her. She grimaced, throwing a punch at my leg which I narrowly dodged. I stuck my tongue out at her.
Jack was still wrapped up in his blanket on the sofa, but at least he was upright. He was joined by Alex and Rian.
“Morning trouble!” Alex greeted me cheerfully.
“Morning Alex. Someone’s in a good mood” I smiled.
“I can’t wait to get home and sleep in my own bed, and my dogs! I’ve missed them so much”
“I second that” Jack added as he stood up. He kissed my forehead as he walked passed me, going into the toilet. I couldn’t stop the small smile that tainted my lips. Rian caught me smiling which of course, made my smile wider.
“Awwww, you guys are so cute!” Rian smiled back at me as I tried to compose myself and remove the gooeyness from my expression. Alex walked over and sat on his lap and Rian kissed Alex’s cheek. Alex giggled like a school girl and imitated my voice.
“Oh Jack, your so dreamy!” I tried to act annoyed, but it was just too funny.
“And here’s the other one” Rian said, looking over my shoulder. I turned as Alice emerged from the bunks.
“Morning” I grinned at her. She smiled back and rolled her eyes, knowing what I was grinning about.
“What’s a girl gotta do to get a coffee round here?” She asked in a husky voice. I took the hint and put some water on to boil.
“Forever the early bird...” I murmured and Alex snickered, I obviously hadn’t said it as quietly as I intended.
“Looks like Zack’s going to have to stock up with coffee” Rian added with amusement. Alice looked at him in confusion.
“What does that mean?” I asked. Alex and Rian both looked a little confused themselves.
“For when you stay with him?” Alex said in a ‘you should know that’ tone. Alice slowly nodded her head.
“Oh.” Her expression was blank, but her eyes gave it away.
“You didn’t know that already?” Alex asked us, still looking miffed. I shook my head. If Alice was staying at Zack’s… where was I staying?
“So…” I thought about what I was going to say next, but Rian beat me to it.
“Yepp, your stuck with Jack for a few days.” He grinned at me. Me and Alice looked at each other. It was a complete deer in the headlights moment. Part of me was thrilled, I was never going to want to leave. The other part, the bigger part……was absolutely terrified.
“Jack” I didn’t move, only lifting my arm slightly to stroke the back of his hair. His eyelids fluttered, but didn’t open.
“Jack, wake up” He groaned in response, nuzzling the nape of my neck. His warm breath brushed my skin, giving me goosebumps.
“Not yet” he mumbled, readjusting and pulling me in closer. I chuckled, pulling away.
“C’mon sleeping beauty, we’ve got a flight to catch”
The bus had been travelling to the airport all night and we were almost there. I wasn’t sure what was happening once we got to America, Jack hadn’t had the chance to explain that part yet. Once I had finally gotten Jack up, I showered and got myself dressed. I would have made an effort, but all I wanted to be on the plane was confortable. As I left the toilet, Alice poked her head out of Zack’s bunk squinting her eyes under the light. Her hair was stuck up at every angle. I grinned at her.
“That looks cosy” I winked at her. She grimaced, throwing a punch at my leg which I narrowly dodged. I stuck my tongue out at her.
Jack was still wrapped up in his blanket on the sofa, but at least he was upright. He was joined by Alex and Rian.
“Morning trouble!” Alex greeted me cheerfully.
“Morning Alex. Someone’s in a good mood” I smiled.
“I can’t wait to get home and sleep in my own bed, and my dogs! I’ve missed them so much”
“I second that” Jack added as he stood up. He kissed my forehead as he walked passed me, going into the toilet. I couldn’t stop the small smile that tainted my lips. Rian caught me smiling which of course, made my smile wider.
“Awwww, you guys are so cute!” Rian smiled back at me as I tried to compose myself and remove the gooeyness from my expression. Alex walked over and sat on his lap and Rian kissed Alex’s cheek. Alex giggled like a school girl and imitated my voice.
“Oh Jack, your so dreamy!” I tried to act annoyed, but it was just too funny.
“And here’s the other one” Rian said, looking over my shoulder. I turned as Alice emerged from the bunks.
“Morning” I grinned at her. She smiled back and rolled her eyes, knowing what I was grinning about.
“What’s a girl gotta do to get a coffee round here?” She asked in a husky voice. I took the hint and put some water on to boil.
“Forever the early bird...” I murmured and Alex snickered, I obviously hadn’t said it as quietly as I intended.
“Looks like Zack’s going to have to stock up with coffee” Rian added with amusement. Alice looked at him in confusion.
“What does that mean?” I asked. Alex and Rian both looked a little confused themselves.
“For when you stay with him?” Alex said in a ‘you should know that’ tone. Alice slowly nodded her head.
“Oh.” Her expression was blank, but her eyes gave it away.
“You didn’t know that already?” Alex asked us, still looking miffed. I shook my head. If Alice was staying at Zack’s… where was I staying?
“So…” I thought about what I was going to say next, but Rian beat me to it.
“Yepp, your stuck with Jack for a few days.” He grinned at me. Me and Alice looked at each other. It was a complete deer in the headlights moment. Part of me was thrilled, I was never going to want to leave. The other part, the bigger part……was absolutely terrified.
6/6/13