jack's pov +

i tugged my fingers through my hair as i tiredly came downstairs in the morning. i wanted to make some coffee for siena and i since we both haven't managed to get much sleep lately.

it's been two days since the aquarium incident happened. on the outside, i'm at least acting like i'm coping but i can clearly tell that siena isn't.

she'd rather stay in bed most of the day, she isn't her bubbly and talkative self anymore and she usually says about three words to me everyday.

it hurts to see her like this, but i just hope that we both find a way to move on and not let this affect our future together.

as i came past the living room, i turned on the tv before i entered the kitchen to make those coffees.

i could hear the news opening music starting up whilst i worked the coffee machine and grabbed two cups.

"...two days ago, a security guard from newdale aquarium was reported missing" i heard the female news reader say, causing me to promptly re-enter the living room.

a personal picture of the security guard smiling was shown on the screen as the news reader continued.

"...he was supposed to be on the nightshift and was not seen or heard from by colleagues and his family the following morning".

i sat down on the arm rest of the couch, listening closely to what was being said to make sure that my plan with skeez actually worked out.

"news reports from last night say that two hikers found a body in the woods and it has now been identified as the same aquarium security guard. forensics are saying that he suffered from a head injury and—".

i instantly grabbed the remote and switched channels as i heard siena coming down the stairs. when she came into the room, i gave her a smile as she returned a small one back.

"good morning" i coughed.

"morning" she wrapped her blanket tightly around her body as she stood in a tank top and shorts.

i held my arms out for her to come closer to me as i stayed seated. she stood before me whilst i wrapped my arms around her.

"i'm sorry, did i wake you?" i asked.

she shook her head, burying it into the dip of my shoulder, "no".

"you could have stayed in bed, i would have bought you some coffee".

siena slowly pulled away from my hold, "no, i can do it myself. thanks any ways".

she left me to go into the kitchen and i sighed and scratched my neck at her blunt and distant behaviour, feeling incredibly guilty for it.

+

as the day quickly passed, siena and i were sitting comfortably on the couch together, watching some chick-flick movie that we found on the tv.

i stroked her hair as she lay her head on my chest until the doorbell rang and interrupted the intense, romantic moment between the tv characters.

"who could that be?" siena sat up. "did you order any food?".

"no" i replied, knowing very well who was at the door. i planned a small surprise for siena because i felt like it was desperately needed after the week we've had.

"what if it's the cops?" she began to panic. "jack—".

i stroked her arm to calm her down, "you stay here, let me get it".

i stood up to open the front door and i watched as siena got up with her eyes lighting in surprise at who was standing before her.

"what?" she choked out in disbelief.

"siena!" avery screamed before her and tiana hurried into the house and embraced their best friend in the tightest hug.

"why don't we get a welcome like that?" sam questioned me once him, johnson and nate entered the house too. i chuckled at his words and began hugging each of my friends too.

"what are you guys doing here?" siena asked.

"jack called us" tiana said.

siena glanced over at me and my smile dropped as i struggled to read her reaction, "that was okay, right?".

"yeah, of course but—".

"don't worry" avery cut her off. "we haven't told anyone where we were going today".

tiana agreed, "yeah, no one knows where you are".

"and oh my god, your hair. it's brown" avery pointed out as siena ran her fingers through her hair.

"yeah, hardly. it's fading now so i need to fix it, but i can't believe this" she hugged her friends once again. "i missed you guys so much".

"we've missed you too" avery replied. "we have so much to tell you, siena".

i watched as the girls already started to devour into their catch up session, making me smile at siena's behaviour changing for the better already.

"how about you girls go ahead upstairs and have your girly gossip, then us guys are gonna chill down here?" i suggested to make things easier for us all.

before the girls could make another move, siena came up to me and pulled me down by my neck to kiss me slowly.

"thank you" she whispered close to my lips.

"you're welcome" i winked then allowed her to hurry upstairs with avery and tiana to chat about god-knows-what.

i grabbed the guys and i a few beers for us to have as we sat on the couch and caught each other up on our lives.

"it's been so weird not having you around, man" johnson said.

"exactly. i can't believe that you're doing this" nate added.

i popped open a new beer and took a small sip, "yeah, well siena and i are happy here. really happy".

after my words, johnson, sam and nate all exchanged weird looks with one another before facing me once again. i narrowed my eyes at them.

"so you've told her then?" sam lowered his voice.

"about the stuff with leon and..." johnson drifted off.

i let out a breath and shook my head to answer them all, receiving a few huffs and sighs of disappointment.

"dude, what the fuck? she's your girlfriend, you've ran away with her and she still doesn't know half of your story" johnson told me.

i tapped my beer against my chin as i briefly fell into my thoughts, "i'll tell her when the time is right. but i just can't do it now, she's been through enough".

"leon payed us a visit" nate mentioned.

my eyes widened and i sat up in my seat, "he what?".

"trashed the entire garage and threatened us to tell him where you were" sam explained.

"and did you?".

sam cocked his head back, "no way. we just said we didn't know but we had to repair a lot of damages".

i settled down my drink and pulled my hands down my face, "i'm sorry, guys. you shouldn't even be involved in this, what i did had nothing to do with you".

"i don't think leon cares about that. he just wants his money" johnson mentioned. "do you have it?".

"probably half or maybe less" i shrugged.

nate scoffed, "doesn't your rich girlfriend have any money?".

"are you crazy?!" i quietly exclaimed. "i'm not stealing from siena".

"but you might have to. i mean, you guys have only known each other a few months" sam clarified, sipping his own beer. "is it really that big of a deal?".

"yes! i love her" i frowned at them all for even suggesting the idea. "and i care about her, so i'm not going to drag her into this".

johnson chuckled and sat forward in his seat, "she's already in it. haven't you seen the news? she's a missing person and now they know that she's travelling with you - the guy who's potentially wanted by the police".

"that's not my concern right now" i brushed off. "i just need to make sure that until i get that money, leon never finds me and doesn't get anywhere near siena".

siena's pov +

"i wish that they didn't have to leave" i said, dropping back on the couch and into jack's arms once again.

"same" he replied as he kissed my head and lightly massaged it with his fingers. "it was nice having company other than our own".

"yeah. the girls were telling me that isabella really misses me" i told him. "she asks them all the time if they've heard from me and she sleeps in bed every night".

"did you talk about your parents?".

i shook my head, "i didn't want to. but, they did mention kyle and said that he sets flowers at my locker every week because to him, running away means that i'm dead".

i felt jack's laugh against his chest, "i don't know whether that's cute or completely creepy".

"creepy - definitely creepy" i answered, then reached across the couch to pick up the tv remote.

the first channel that came up was the news and i felt a lump grow in my throat as i immediately saw a picture of the dead security guard on the screen.

i sat up from jack's body and tapped him as he was busy scrolling through his phone, "j-jack...jack, look".

we listened closely as the news reader claimed that forensics and crime scene investigators are trying to figure out if the man's fall was an accident or potential murder.

by the second, i could feel my chest growing tighter and tighter.

"what if they find our dna on the body?" i panicked. "we were the last person near him, what if our hairs were caught on his clothing?".

"siena, i don't think—".

"they're going to..." i suddenly struggled to speak as my heart started to beat faster and my breathing shortened. "they're...they're going to find out that we were there and we're gonna be sent to—".

i held onto the edge of my seat with one hand whilst the other held my tightening chest.

"hey, hey, siena" jack rubbed my lower back. "calm down, okay. look at me and just try and slow your breathing".

i tried my best to listen to his words and take smaller breathes but the news continued to distract me with all of this coverage on the aquarium incident.

"listen to me, you don't need to worry about this investigation, okay?" he assured as my breathing gradually came down. "this isn't your fault and—".

"you know what? you're right, it's not my fault. this is your fault" i pushed his hands off my shoulder and stood up. "why did you have to throw that sign at him, huh? i've been blaming myself all this time and haven't slept a single second. but the truth is, it's you who killed that guard - that husband and father of three kids. not me!".

"so what are you saying?" jack retorted, quickly rising from his seat too. "that you'd rat me out to the cops, so they'd put me in prison and throw the key away?".

"this isn't about you right now! and that's exactly what you did the other night" i argued back. "you thought about yourself and didn't even stop to think about how the consequences could affect us both".

i angrily pushed past jack and grabbed my denim jacket that was hung on the side. i left the house with the door slamming behind me and groaned loudly on the porch.

i just really need some air or just some real space from jack and this complicated situation that he's placed us in.

+

after taking my breather of sitting by the lake alone, i started walking back to the house. i didn't know how long i was gone for since i didn't have a phone or watch on me but i assumed that it was at least an hour.

all i wanted to do right now was apologise and make up with jack - i didn't mean to snap at him and make him feel responsible for that man's death, because i did play a part in it too.

i was just stressed and worried about the police finding out, that i needed to make myself feel better. even though i didn't exactly harm the guard, i would still be seen as an accomplice.

by the time i made it through the path in the woods, i paused outside the cabin when i noticed a random, black car parked right beside jack's.

i stared at it for a second until the worst came to mind and i rushed up the steps with the keys shaking in my hand.

"siena, wait!" jack yelled as soon as i came in.

i heard the front door lock behind me before a large and muscular man stood against it to obstruct me from leaving.

"jack? w-what's going on?" i questioned.

there was a second large man standing across the room behind jack, whilst another shorter guy pointed a gun at his chest.

"...oh my god" i breathed at the sight of the weapon. i tried to come towards jack but the large man forcefully pulled me back and sat me down on the nearest chair.

he tightly tied my hands and feet together with rope, so that any type of movement from me was completely pointless now.

"so this is the famous siena?" the man with the gun smiled, nodding his head like he was impressed.

jack stepped forward, "you touch her and—".

"and what, jack? i mean, one more move and you're dead" the man replied.

"jack, who is this? what is happening?" i asked since he ignored my first question.

"you haven't told her, have you? well gorgeous, let me enlighten you" the armed man throatily chuckled, holding back his fire.

he turned to me whilst the other, larger guy aimed a gun at jack's back to take over.

"leon," jack warned.

"you see, your boyfriend owes me money - a lot of money, because for about a year or maybe less i've been doing that asshole a bunch of favours" he explained.

i glanced at jack with my brows furrowed as i remained as confused as ever. all of this was making no sense to me and if i could, i would pinch myself to make sure that i wasn't dreaming.

"wow, jack. you haven't been honest at all, have you?" this leon sauntered closer to me. "i loaned jack money a while ago and i only received half of it back, i've been his alibi to the cops, i hid the items that he once stole, i got rid of guys who were trying to kill him,"

leon crouched down to my seated height, giving me the chance to observe his features.

he had dark greasy hair that was slightly long then a scruffy beard and mustache that he'd itch every once in a while with his loaded hand gun.

"now call me crazy, but i think it's pretty fair if the least jack could do is give me my money back and a little extra for my troubles" leon looked directly at me, leaving me unsure of whether to answer or not.

"extra? you never said anything about extra money, i'll only give you what i owe you!" jack retorted.

"alibi? money? for what?" i inquired the information that was being thrown at me. "i don't understand".

leon slowly brushed the tip of his gun up and down my lower leg as my eyes cautiously stared at the weapon.

he ran his tongue over his dry lips and glanced up at me, "...your boyfriend is a killer".

-

cliffhanger are the best

btw i imagine leon as jared leto's character in panic room but without the cornrows lmao

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