siena's pov

i settled down on the bed, signalling that jack has my attention. he sat beside me but i moved up one since i wasn't as comfortable being that close to him anymore.

"okay, so you know how i told you that i dropped out of school when i was 16?" jack began.

"yes, why?".

"that was because i met leon and i ended up working for him" he explained. "...selling drugs".

i started shaking my head, "no, i can't. i'm not doing this".

i stood up to leave the room, but jack took held of my wrist, causing me to look back at him.

"please" he begged me. i sighed at his pleading face and settled back down with my arms tightly folded.

"me and a few other guys would supply the drugs to clients, give the money to leon and the extras would go to us" he said. "but one time, i supplied drugs that weren't exactly pure. i didn't know but these two guys got angry, like angrier than i thought they would. apparently they've had beef with leon before. so anyways, they decided to take it all out on me and one night, they came into my house".

i kept my eyes on my hands, that were settled on my lap as i continued to listen.

"it was me, my dad...and my little sister" jack added.

i frowned, "sister? you don't even have a sister".

"i did have a sister. her name was allison, she was about seven at the time like isabella" he informed. "the two guys attacked me and my dad whilst raiding our house for anything they could gain money from".

i finally looked into jack's eyes, feeling that i needed to when i heard his voice crack a little.

"i was lying at the bottom of the stairs after being beaten repeatedly and allison woke up at the noise. she was at the top crying when she saw the state i was in and i just remember how one of the guys looked at me. i knew that he was going to do something but i was too late, he pushed her".

jack took in a small breathe between his words, clearly trying to hide away his cries from me.

"he pushed her and she fell right down to where i was and...and there was just blood everywhere, siena" he spoke with his eyes glistening with tears.

but it wasn't until i felt something wet drop against my wrist that i realised i was crying too.

"i remember holding her and trying to make it stop, but she died in my arms" jack told. "a week or so after allison's funeral, i couldn't take it anymore. i wanted to kill the bastards who killed my sister. i mean, i couldn't go to the police, so i took matter into my own hands and did it".

i used my fingers to wipe my eyes and sniffed whilst a budding question repeated itself in my head.

"how?" i whispered. "how did you kill them?".

"does it matter?".

"yes" i replied. "yes to me, it does".

he held back any further words, pulling his hands down his face to stall.

"jack, just tell me" sternly, i demanded.

"...arson".

i covered my mouth as my voice cracked with disbelief, "oh my god".

"but it wasn't as if the whole house was on fire. it was just the living room and—".

"that doesn't make it any better!".

"they killed my sister, siena!" jack yelled over me, causing my body to flinch back. "do you not understand that?! they took everything that we had! it was bad enough after my mom had died but we were left with nothing. okay, i wasn't just going to sit there and grieve and let them get away with it".

i folded my arms across my chest, aiming to keep calm with the way he just screamed at me. i understand that he's upset so i relaxed and let it slide.

"leon was my alibi, so i never got caught. he was there for me by giving me a loan for rent and bills after my dad was too depressed to work. but i just kept asking for more and more without knowing what trouble i was getting myself into".

he continued, "after i climbed into your room that one night, leon wanted to meet me. he said that he wanted his money asap".

"is that how you got that bruise the next day?" i inquired.

jack nodded to respond, "he said that he'd tell the police that he lied about my alibi. then the morning before we ran away, he told me that the police had a lead on the murder so i knew that i had to leave. i just couldn't go to prison".

i narrowed my eyes as i recited jack's words in my head.

"you had to leave because you thought you were going to prison?" i wanted to clarify.

"yes, but—".

"so all of this has been for yourself all along?!" i exclaimed. "i should have known, you were always so jumpy and cautious of who i was talking to or who was talking to us. you were scared that leon had found you or even the police".

"siena, it wasn't like that".

"yes it was! it was never about us being happy and away from all of the shit at home, it was about you being so scared to face up to your mistakes!".

"no, that's not it. i couldn't go to prison because i'd met you" jack settled. "i hid out in my car, hoping the police wouldn't find me then you called saying that you had to get away and i knew that it was right. you, me, starting a new life somewhere else".

with all honesty, a few weeks ago i wasn't even sure that i'd ever have the guts to runaway but when i saw jack's face that night at my window, i somehow knew that i could do it.

"how can i even trust you now?" i lowly spoke, my voice tired from crying. "after everything that you just told me?".

"because i love you" he stroked my cheek, moving my hair out of my face too. "and because i would never do anything to hurt you. all i ever need is you siena, you're the only person keeping me sane".

"but the police are probably going to think that i have something to do with all of this now" i mentioned. "you should have told me, i could have helped you".

he scoffed at my optimism, "how? snuck into the forensic department and taken away all of my dna?".

"that's not an excuse for lying to me" i muttered.

"i know and i'm sorry but you probably wouldn't be sitting here right now if i did. i just couldn't loose you".

a small period of silence drew upon us. i tried to comprehend what has happened in the last hour, and jack was evidently contemplating something to himself.

"i'm being so selfish" he eventually spoke up, glancing at my eyes. "maybe...maybe you should leave".

my brows turned into a frown, "leave?".

"i've messed this all up" he pushed his dark hair back. "i'm wanted by the police for arson, they also think that i've basically kidnapped you, they'll find out sooner or later about the aquarium guard and then earlier...".

jack hesitated as fear dawned over his face and he took my hand.

"did you not see what just happened? leon could have shot you and if he did, i-i don't know what i would have done" he continued.

"but he has the money, it's all over now" i tried to say.

"he could still come back, he knows where we are. okay, you need to be safe".

i knitted my brows together with confusion at how jack's attitude has suddenly changed - from being so optimistic about us having a future together to persuading me to leave and forget this ever happened.

"the whole reason i came here was to get away from my family - to be with you, jack. if i go home now, i will never see you again" i argued.

"siena,".

"no, you know what? i love you and-and i'm not leaving you, okay" i assured. "i was just angry and confused before but i know what i want. i'm staying and i don't care about school or my college plans".

i slowly began pacing around the room in front of jack as i tried to think of a few ideas to help move forward from this.

"we'll start again. we just have to come up with a plan and go some place else" i suggested.

"are you even listening to me? or yourself?" jack recalled. "you're throwing away your life for me? i could go to prison at anytime and you'd be all alone because you left everyone for this".

"no, you listen to me" i promptly sat back down beside him. "look, we can call...we can call your friends. we can trust them, y'know the guys? we can see if we can go somewhere that no one else knows".

jack shook his head with disagreement at my ideas but i wasn't giving up.

"we have our passports and we can do that dream thing, the one we discussed with somewhere really hot or really cold. okay, just please" i held his cheeks and gently pecked his lips. "i don't care about your past right now, i just want to be with you".

he looked at me for a while, wiping my falling tears and questioning to himself on what to do next.

jack licked his lips and nodded hesitantly, "okay".

i shakily let out a sigh of relief and reached over to grab his phone, calling his friends to help us out with our next move.

-

secrets have finally been revealed yay

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