siena's pov +

i walked out of the bedroom, rubbing my sleepy eyes as i'd just woken up from a nap. i could here jack talking downstairs and then a few other familiar voices.

"hey, sorry. did we wake you?" jack gently took my hand when i walked up to the couch where he sat opposite johnson, nate and sammy.

"no, i wasn't that tired any ways" i pulled my jumper sleeves over my pale hands. "what are you guys talking about? do you have a plan yet?".

"you guys are heading to france" johnson informed, taking me by surprise. "my cousin's a real estate agent there and there's a house you can stay in, but only for a few months before the owners move in".

"france?" i recalled then glanced at jack. "wow, that's so far away".

he turned to me more and rubbed his hands against my thighs, "hey, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, baby".

"no, i know" i gave him an assuring smile. "but what about the airports? what if there's police or security that recognise us?".

"you guys are just gonna have to keep your heads down and take the risk, right?" sammy somewhat chuckled. "i mean, how else are you going to get on a flight?".

"leon took most of our savings, so i sold my half of the garage and got quite a lot from that" jack explained to me, unzipping a duffel bag with a bunch of loose cash.

"we've already booked your flights for this evening. we tried to go for the least connections so that you don't spend so much time around the public" nate added.

"once you get to france, my cousin will be waiting for you guys and you'll be in good hands with him - you can trust him" johnson nodded before i took a deep breathe.

"i can't believe that this is happening. do avery and tiana know?" i wondered, exchanging looks with them all.

"i think it's best that they don't" jack answered for them. "just until we settle in europe".

i frowned, "why? your friends know?".

"yes but your parents aren't going to interrogate them to spilling where we are" jack retorted in a hostile manner.

i sat back in my seat, folding my arms across my chest with annoyance.

"siena, look at me" jack lightly pulled my arm to sit up again. "we can do this. just remember, you and me, somewhere hot or somewhere cold. we're just starting again".

i stared into his eyes, seeing how scared yet determined he was to do this. i was scared too, frightened actually, but this was my idea. i just want to do whatever we can to stop the police from getting to jack.

"i'll be right back. just gonna head to the bathroom" he told us all and stood to head upstairs.

i stayed seated amongst jack's friends, feeling my thoughts chaotically circle my head whilst a silence drifted through the room.

"are you okay?" sammy must have noticed my worried facial expression that i was quite frankly unaware that i was making.

"me? yeah, i'm fine" i brushed off. "i wanted this. i'm the one who encouraged jack to call you guys".

johnson scratched the back of his neck, then sat forward in his seat, "but you do realise what you're doing siena?".

"what do you mean?".

"you're jetting off to a different continent and you'll be on the run for the rest of your lives" he emphasised. "jack's wanted by the police for now three accounts of murder, arson—".

"the security guard wasn't murder" i cut him off. "it was an accident".

"is that how the police are going to see it?" nate suddenly added.

i knitted my brows at them all, scolding their words, "what are you guys doing? you're supposed to be on our side".

"look, we love jack" sammy began. "we've all been friends for years and we will do anything to help him. but us three were never part of that whole drug cartel, robbery lifestyle".

"yeah, we watched jack get sucked into that and his life fall into pieces after his mom and sister, but the law will never see it as a innocent kid who fell in the wrong path" johnson explained. "they'll just see a troubled teen who murdered three people, was in possession of drugs and manipulated a rich, middle-class, white girl into keeping quiet".

i shook my head at them, sitting back in my seat. "you don't know what you're talking about. the law isn't going to get involved, we're going to france and we'll figure it out from there".

"you're being delusional" nate lightly scoffed. "no offence, but jack can just about make this fugitive lifestyle, but you? your best bet would be to go home to your family and friends".

"no. okay, we've already decided on what's best" i immdiately disagreed with him. "this is happening and you can either help us or leave".

he sighed at me, "we're not trying to be harsh siena. we're on your side, we're just being honest and realistic for the sake of both of you".

"i know that it'll be hard but," i struggled to continue with the lump straining itself against my throat. "i can't... i am not leaving jack".

"what are you guys talking about?" jack hurried down the steps and joined us back on the couches.

i quickly wiped my eyes to avoid any questions and gave him a quick smile, "nothing. i was just wondering what they eat in france because you know how picky i am".

jack laughed and kissed the top of my head, completely oblivious to the previous conversation that was going on downstairs.

+

i stared out of the window on the ride to the airport, thinking of what the guys said to me.

i want to be with jack - i've never been so sure of anything in my life and i know it won't be easy but i promised to be by his side, and i will.

"right, you guys call me if you need to" johnson said as he took our bags out of the trunk. "you've got our numbers written down, so you better look after that whenever you change your phones".

"thanks, man" jack gave him a quick hug.

johnson returned the gesture, patting his back, "good luck bro".

"yeah, be safe out there" sammy and nate continued to say their goodbyes and give their best wishes to us both.

johnson was the last person to say bye to me, but hugged me unlike the others did.

"it's not too late, siena" he whispered to me, but i purposely ignored him before jack and i took our bags and headed into the terminal.

"wow, vacation or returning home?" the neatly dressed woman asked at the check in.

jack and i glanced at one another until i answered for us, "um, vacation. yeah i have family there, so we'll be there a while".

"i would love to go to france - the eiffel tower seems gorgeous to see in person. have you been before?" she sat with her hands locked under her chin, completely invested in the conversation.

"yeah, but many years ago" i replied, hugging my arm around jack. "taking my boyfriend to meet the rest of the family".

"aw, how sweet!" the woman turned to jack then chuckled. "are you nervous?".

"nervous? nah, they're all as lovely as her" jack kissed my head.

"so charming! you're very lucky, young lady" she exclaimed. "now, can i please see your passports?".

we handed her the fake and frighteningly realistic passports that the guys made for us - mine was lexi jenson and jack's read theo garrold.

"oh, uh, what are you doing?" jack halted the lady as she was about to scan our passports to the computer.

"we no longer just look at passports. we now scan them through databases to avoid any complications when entering a foreign country" she explained still with a smile held on her face. "it's all fairly easy, it just takes two—".

her smile slowly faded as she took a look at us standing before her and then the passports again. my heart raced as i imagined the worst.

"is something wrong?" jack inquired, squeezing my sweaty hand in fear.

"actually, um, hold on" she rose from her seat and began to back away. "there seems to be a slight issue but i'm sure it's just an error in the database. one-one second".

she stuttered then rushed in her heels to a nearby colleague. from where we were standing we couldn't hear their exact words, but it was clear that it wasn't good news since the colleague's expression soon matched the woman's.

"jack...jack, let's just go" i nudged him.

"what?" he subtly said as we continued looking at the two conversing with now another colleague.

"i think they recognise us or-or the computer must have" i told. "we need to go. now".

"siena, we'll look more suspicious if we run".

"then let's just move away really quickly then" i quickly fitted my small hand into his again and we turned out from the front of the line to hastily walk away.

"fuck. what are we going to do? we can't get on a plane without valid passports" jack mentioned as we continued walking at a high speed towards the airport exit.

i started to shake with fear as i tried to get my phone out of my back pocket, "i don't know. i'll call johnson and tell him what's happened".

i put the phone to my ear as we exited the automatic doors but it wasn't long before the sound of police sirens increased and they speedily stopped outside the airport.

"hello? siena? what's happened? is that police sirens?" i could hear johnson's voice speaking in my ear and the feeling of my heart beating slowly taking over.

"jack, come on, run!" i yelled as we tried to run in a different direction but instantly saw security charging towards us.

without thinking, we hurried back inside the airport, trying our best to get as far away as possible with people glancing at our suspicious movements.

jack's hand soon let go of mine as he slowed down and stopped running.

"what are you doing?!" i exclaimed.

he glanced behind him at the cops nearing to us then back at me, "there's no point, siena".

"what?".

without another word, he grabbed my hand again and took me through a nearby door that read "staff - no-entry". he paused right in the middle of the hallway and locked the door.

"look, just..." he couldn't continue as if his next words were about to break him. "just make it look like i forced you to do everything, so you don't get in trouble".

"are you crazy? no!" i instantly declined.

"i heard the conversation with my friends when i went to the bathroom, and they're right".

i knew that the guys were right too, but we're so close and i'm not about to let go of jack when we've come this far.

"no, i'm not doing it" i held back my tears from hearing him give up and stood up straighter. "i am not letting them lock you up".

he stroked my cheek, trapping his lips in his mouth as tears hung on his eyes.

"baby, i can handle it, i fucking know i can. but you won't and i don't want you to go through that" he told me.

"jack, please" i begged and tugged on his arm. "let's just go and make a run for it or we can find a backway to sneak out of and—".

"we can't, siena!" his deep voice chopped off my sentence.

he sighed at his loud hostility, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and looking up to compose himself.

"you are now surrounded!" the police called from outside the door with a megaphone. i anxiously pushed my hair back and breathed through my falling tears. "you have one minute to carefully leave the room with your hands where we can see them!".

jack quickly held onto my heated cheeks so that i was looking directly at his reddening eyes.

"listen to me, listen" he sniffed. "i have never felt about anyone the way i feel about you, siena. i've never let anyone in my life until i met you, and i know that we started off at a rough patch but it was worth it".

he continued with a chuckle, "every single second. i'm sorry that i ruined things for us and lied to you, but the fact that you were willing to go on the run with me is fucking incredible, but i need you to do this for me instead. you need to let me go and face the consequences of my actions...i'll always love you, baby".

by the end of his words, i was an emotional wreck as i listened to the boy that i love so deeply say his goodbye.

it was all finally hitting me that it was now over.

"jack, please. i love you, i can't do it" i spoke in a flood of tears.

he pulled me in to kiss my forehead, trying to calm me down then used his thumbs to wipe my puffy under-eyes.

"shhhh. yes, you can, don't cry, okay. just trust me and follow my lead" he assured me.

before i knew it, jack had opened the door once again. it was as if time had slowed down as he presented himself to the various police officers pointing guns at him, whilst forcefully holding onto my arm.

"son, step away from the girl and get on your knees! hands behind your head!" one of them shouted, keeping the firearm aimed at us.

jack shoved me to the side, causing a police officer to grab me for protection and did as he was told.

he fell down onto his knees with his hands locked behind his head and i could see him holding back his urge to cry with his eyes tightly shut.

two officers eventually attacked jack onto the floor, pushing him onto his stomach to cuff his hands together.

i stared at the scene, feeling my emotions freeze with shock. i didn't understand how i could even watch them handle jack like he was some sort of animal.

suddenly, i was taken by my shoulders and lead out of the airport. i kept my eyes behind me as jack was being pushed in my direction too until i was placed into a police car with the door shut firmly behind me.

i caught jack glance at me through the window then look away - it was as if he was too embarrassed to have me watching him in this state.

he eventually looked back up, enforcing tears to stream down my cheeks again. i held onto the window as jack mouthed "it's okay" with his head nodding assuringly.

i don't even know how long it will be until i see him again - will i see him at the station when they question me? or will i have to wait weeks for the trail and give evidence against him like a pitiful victim?

i tried to block out my thoughts and repeat jack saying "it's okay" in my head as the police officer ducked him down to pushed him into the nearby car.

-

sorry for the one hundredth time for the late update my beautiful readers

but next chapter will be the beginning of the epilogue bc tbh this story needs to come to an end already

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