Jack POV

“What’s the time now?” I heard Zack suddenly enquire, sounding extremely bored.

I could empathise with that; I was bored out of my fucking mind too.

I’ve always hated airports with a fucking passion. There’s so much waiting around. I mean, it feels like we’ve been here at least five hours already.

“Just gone 7,” Rian yawned flatly.

…When, in actual fact, we’ve only been here one fucking hour. Nothing is really what it seems.

I really should have thought about the three hour plane journey today before I tried to drink myself into a fucking coma last night, because right now I feel like shit and I have the worst hangover ever.

But I am not the only one who wasn't thinking straight last night… And what I did is nothing compared to what Alex did. I may be regretting the choice I made to drink last night, but at least I won't regret it and have to deal with the consequences of my actions for the rest of my life... His consequence will never be gone. Something tells me she’s here till the end just to torment me.

“Only another hour to go,” Robbie observed with a moody sigh, breaking me out of my erratic thoughts.

Rian and Zack groaned in unison. I heard no sound to indicate Lisa and Alex’s presence, and I didn’t know whether they were still here or not, because I had not opened my eyes in pretty much the whole time we’d been waiting.

“Is Jack asleep?” Rian suddenly questioned, as if he was noticing for the first time that I was slouching in my seat as low as I possibly could without falling onto the floor, my tired eyes closed and my heavy head resting on my hand.

“I think so,” Zack answered monotonously.

Actually, I’m wide a-fucking-wake. Can't stop sleeping awake…

I couldn’t be bothered to put them straight. I found it easier to pretend I was asleep and avoid their frequent sympathetic looks. I knew they all wanted to express their sympathy that Alex chose Lisa over me, but I didn't want or need them to. I just wanted to be left alone... To just get away from everyone for a few days, at least, so I could get my shit together.

“Don’t the doors open at 7:30?” Rian asked thoughtfully.

“I think so,” Zack repeated in the same tone of voice.

“D'you think we should start queuing now?” Rian suggested with a loud yawn. (queuing means Line up, wait in line, form a line)

“I’m gonna guess that, yes, Zack thinks so,” Robbie commented flatly, answering Rian’s question before Zack had the chance to annoyingly repeat himself.

“Yes, that is what I think,” Zack confirmed predictably.

My tired and easily-confused brain was close to giving up listening, as it was almost forgetting what they were even talking about because the word ‘think’ was taking over the conversation.

“Alright, Alex, we’re gonna go and start queuing,” Rian announced, bringing my attention straight back to the conversation.

I wasn't even aware that Alex was with us. He's being unnaturally quiet.

“You can wait here for Lisa to get back from the toilets and then come and find us,” Rian continued bossily, taking me by surprise a little at the way he was commanding Alex. (It's usually the other way around.)

“Mhmm,” Alex responded wordlessly, apparently refusing to speak actual words.

There was a lot of rustling and heavy sighing which told me that Rian, Zack and Robbie were all getting to their feet and gathering their bags, ready to go and line up.

“Oh, and don’t forget to wake Jack up,” Rian suddenly added as a delayed afterthought.

This time Alex didn’t attempt to respond with words or any kind of noise. But maybe Rian didn’t wait for a response; it wasn’t really a question… It was an instructing reminder. The only thing I heard was all of their footsteps fading away, leaving Alex and I alone, much to my resentment.

But then, if I resented it that much, I would have just stood up and followed Rian. The undeniable truth was, part of me cherished every second I spent with Alex, while the other half of me hated being around him right now... I was torn in two. Do you feel like I feel?

I squinted my eyes open slightly and peered through my lashes at Alex. He was standing a few metres away from me, with his back to me, staring straight ahead. He had one hand on his hip, like the fucking diva he is, and the other was clenched into a fist down by his thigh, like the tense addict that he is. (Clenching his fists is usually a sign that he's fighting an urge... Or about to punch me. But I don't even know if he's still addicted to me. I guess time will tell.)

All of a sudden, as if he could sense my piercing eyes analysing him, he shot a quick glance over his shoulder in my direction. I snapped my eyes shut immediately and I don’t think his eyes properly locked with mine.

I was pretending to be asleep because it was just easier to be around him right now if he was unaware that I was awake. That way, I didn't have to try to talk to him and have to feel the tension between us suffocate me.

I could almost feel the heat from where his eyes were burning into me for the next few seconds, so I kept mine closed to avoid holding contact. I didn’t want to look into those dark, empty eyes of his; there was nothing there for me anymore. No warmth, no comfort, no hope… No life. His eyes repelled me now, rather than pulled me in.

Then, suddenly, I heard a voice that makes the envy and anger sear through my veins, notifying my brain of the bitch's return.

“The line for the ladies was insane!”

I could tell by the volume of her voice that she was standing close by.

Without thinking, I blinked my eyes open again just in time to see her and Alex kissing, and then I mentally kicked myself for looking. I accidentally groaned out loud, then I quickly squeezed my eyes shut again, blocking out the sight of the pair of them embraced, but unfortunately I couldn’t block out the increased aching in my heart.

“Well, are you in the mood to wait in line some more? Because that's where the others have gone. I was just waiting for you to get back,” Alex informed Lisa, breaking the kiss after a few seconds. His voice was rather unenthusiastic. He sounded as fed up as I felt.

“Oh right, okay,” Lisa replied, and I imagined her shrugging in a nonchalant manner.

The sound of their footsteps informed me that they had started to walk away. I exhaled heavily in rejection at the realisation that I was being abandoned.

Am I just invisible today or what? …Anybody see me?

Then, all of a sudden, the sound of Lisa’s high-heeled shoes against the tiled floor stopped abruptly.

“Oh, what about Jack?” She suddenly questioned Alex, finally acknowledging my existence.

“He’s sleeping,” Alex stated the obvious (or unobvious... considering I'm actually NOT asleep).

“Shouldn’t we wake him up?” Lisa asked slowly.

Oh no, it’s fine just leave me here in my ‘deep sleep’ and let me miss the flight home…

“He’ll wake up eventually,” Alex retorted candidly.

What? I was being sarcastic... They can't leave me here! Does Alex want me to miss the plane?

“Alex, seriously, we’re not just leaving him here, are we?” Lisa enquired, sounding confused.

I love how that was a question, not a statement... She may as well just say, ‘are we leaving him here? Just so I know…’ After all, whatever Alex says, she will do.

“We can try,” Alex stated spitefully.

Oh, well that's just charming.

I wasn't sure if he was joking or being deadly serious, but I took offence that he wanted to just leave me here. The fact alone was enough of a reason to make me want to stay here forever… After all, then I wouldn’t want to be a fucking burden in his life.

I decided in that moment that if no one came to ‘wake me up’, I wouldn’t go and find the guys. I would take the hint that Alex didn't want me around anymore and stay behind. It's not like I had much to go back to back home anyway.

Before Lisa had a chance to respond to Alex’s snide remark, her phone suddenly started ringing, blasting out our song ‘Lost In The Stereo’. (It irritates me that she has it as her ring tone... It’s like she’s kissing our asses!)

“Uh, I should probably take this. It’s my mum,” Lisa informed Alex hesitantly.

“Okay,” Alex spoke uninterestedly. “Well, just come and find us in the line when you’re finished.”

Lisa said nothing; I assumed her response was a nod. It didn’t take long for Alex’s footsteps to die away after that.

Then, all of a sudden, Lisa’s sharp voice broke the brief silence, making me blink my eyes open again, this time in alarm.

“I told you to stop ringing me,” she hissed down the phone.

My eyes widened and then I frowned to myself a second time, wondering why on earth Lisa was talking to her mother like that. But as soon as the thought entered my mind, a realisation struck me and sudden annoyance overpowered the momentary confusion; I knew whoever was on the end of that phone was never going to be who Lisa had told Alex it was.

“You want to talk now? Well, I have nothing to say to you,” she spat down the phone.

Yeah, it’s definitely not her mum. But man, is she angry with whoever it is…

“No, I didn’t need you in my life before and I don’t need you now. You were never even supposed to find out about this,” Lisa snapped angrily.

‘…Find about what?’ a suspicious voice wondered in my head. ‘Who the fuck is she talking to?

I sat up a little straighter in my seat, intrigued and eager to hear more.

There was a brief silence in which the other person was responding, but then suddenly Lisa fired up again.

“Well, it’s too late to give a shit now, Matt... I’m fucking married!”

It was a slap in the face to hear those words fall from her mouth for the first time. I tried to ignore the overwhelming aching sensation in my heart again and concentrate on the conversation, even though it made no sense. If only I could hear this Matt guy’s side of the conversation…

Matt who?

“Fuck off, what do you know about love? You said you loved me and then you told me you didn’t want anything to do with me,” Lisa cried, taking a shaky breath. “Now guess what? I want nothing to do with you, so, delete my number and just leave me alone!”

Things just got interesting….

Without warning, she suddenly hung up the phone, ending the call very abruptly. Then she wheeled around on the spot, turning back to face me, so fast that I couldn’t help but recoil into my chair slightly at the rash movement.

She didn’t look at me right away; she focused her gaze on the ceiling and I noticed that her eyes were glistening with tears she was trying to hold back. My own eyes were narrowed and questioning, fixated on her. It took her while to notice that I was wide awake, but eventually, her eyes locked with mine.

She inhaled in surprise and took a step back instinctively. I saw the panic flash behind her suddenly wide eyes as I just glared up at her suspiciously.

“I… didn’t know you were awake,” she murmured, averting her eyes to the floor.

I wordlessly pulled myself to my feet, so we were level with eachother and then I took a step closer to her.

“So, how's your mum?" I asked nonchalantly, raising my eyebrows inquisitively and smirking slightly.

Lisa rubbed her neck awkwardly, suddenly breaking her contact with the floor to look at me again.

"Look, I couldn't tell Alex who it was... He… He doesn't know about him," she tried to explain in an urgent tone of voice.

Like, that's a good excuse...

I narrowed my eyes at her pathetic attempt to redeem herself.

"Who is he?” I demanded curiously.

Reveal to me the mysteries…

I noticed her swallow nervously, before shaking her head slowly.

“Uh, no one… It- it doesn’t matter now,” she dismissed hesitantly. "I won't be hearing from him again."

How did I guess she would avoid giving me a straight answer? It's not a hard question: 'Who is he?' requires a simple answer of first and last name. And possibly relationship with the person involved...

I sighed.

“Fine, you know what? Don’t tell me,” I shrugged casually, causing Lisa to furrow her eyebrows at me in confusion at my apparent disinterest.

But unfortunately for her, apathy is not something I’m feeling right now… I feel quite the opposite actually. My curiosity levels have been kicked into overdrive. Can you tell me what this means?

“No… That would be too easy,” I continued slowly. “You’re hiding something... And I'm going to figure it out on my own,” I assured her confidently, shooting her a heated glare as I suddenly stormed past her and headed for the doors leading to the guys in the queue.

Notes

If you liked this.... you are in for a shit storm next chapter!!!! keep up thoes comments that i love so much! and all those rate/votes that make me feel happy!!
Song: P.O.D