Author's Note: Before you guys read this, I wanted to let you know that I've tweaked the cast list a bit. (If you pay attention to that kinda stuff). You are free to envision the characters as whoever you wish. But I've changed it because it fits my visions better and it also fits the cast in the TRAILER! Yeah, I know it's a bit late to make a trailer but I did so check it out under the media. It focuses more on Jack & Lexi rather than the other characters, which I think is PERFECT for this chapter. Now, onto the chapter!

unedited.

I can't eat or sleep 

When you're not with me 

✝ Chapter Nineteen | Critical ✝

   Almost a half an hour after school let out, Jack and I arrived at the Rayleton town center where plenty of shops were located – including his father’s motor shop. Jack had parked his truck right out front because he mentioned his dad would be using it later.

   The sun was at its highest in the sky, the temperature probably in the low eighties. Thankfully, Jack promised there was air conditioning inside unlike the last visit. We walked alongside each other to the entrance where Jack threw the door open and let a gust of air escape the shop. He held the door open and waited for me to step inside before he followed suit.

  Almost immediately, a middle aged man seemingly in his mid-forties glanced up when the chimes on the door sounded. His hair was a tousled honey brown, sticking out in different angles. Grease was smudged on one of his high cheekbones as well as the dirty coveralls he currently wore. He gave me a puzzles look, blinking a few times. It was then I realized he had the same transparent blue eyes as Jack’s. They were definitely related.

   “Hey, Pop!” Jack greeted ecstatically as he took leisurely steps towards his father.

   The man shifted his gaze to his son. “Hey there, Jackson! I was fixin’ to call you to tell you to hurry up.” His voice was thick with a southern accent. It reminded me of the lady from the bookstore.

  Jack’s lips stretched into an amused smile. “I’m here now, Pop. Car’s outside, full tank. You’re welcome.” He moved towards the checkout counter and jumped over it, popping up on the other side. In a few quick movements, he opened the cash register and began to count the money.

   I shifted awkwardly, letting my eyes roam around the shop.

   “Three-fifty?” Jack asked, raising a light eyebrow. “Didn’t we start with three hundred?”

  Jack’s dad released a heavy sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m goin’ downtown, get some paint ‘er somethin’. This place here needs a makeover. I’ll be back, say, two hours. Cover me ‘til then.” He gave his son a quick nod before he made his way to the exit, his eyes meeting mine again. “And who are you?” he asked accusingly as if I was a trespasser.

   “Leave her alone, Pop,” Jack called from behind the counter. “Her name is Lexi. She’s a really nice girl.”

    I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks.

  “Better be if she’s fine goin’ to a motor shop for a date!” His dad cackled loudly, not even attempting to hide his amusement. He snapped his eyes back to his son. “Two hours, you hear me? Whatever y’all do, use a condom. I have some in that drawer over there. And don’t do it on my counter! Clean up after you’re done, I don’t wanna clean up your mess.” His eyes slowly moved back to mine. “Take care.” And with those words, he was out of the door.

   Snapping my gaze to Jack, I lifted a brow. “Uh … What was that about?”

   Jack shook his head, chuckling softly. “Don’t worry, he’s just like that.”

   “He’s interesting,” I commented as I moved closer. “So, when you said you’d take me back to your place … I figured a house, an apartment maybe. Not a store.”

   He stared back at me, and then pointed towards the ceiling. “We live upstairs. Sure it’s not your average home, but it works. Besides, my dad put all of his money into this place. We can’t really afford to buy a house.” His eyes fell to the cash register again.  

   I propped myself against the counter, bringing my full attention to him. “Tell me about the whole drug thing with your dad.”

   He placed the money back into the register and shut it, sighing. “My dad went overseas to get these rare motor parts. He met some sketchy people there and next thing you know, he’s traveling with drugs. He wasn’t aware of the fact and when he entered the United States, he got arrested. They didn’t let him out until they caught the actual traffickers and realized he was innocent.” His clear eyes met mine, appearing cold and full rather than confident.

   “Why did you let everyone believe that your dad did it?”

  He shrugged. “I think it’s because I don’t really care what they think of me. They’ve already assumed and nothing I say will change their minds. So, I don’t care which is what you should do. People think you’re a cheater and a slut, but you know the truth. So, why should everyone else matter? If I had listened to the horrible things people said about you, I would have never gotten to know you.”

   The corners of my lips twitched into a smile. “Have you ever done it? Sex?”

   Jack seemed taken aback by my question because he took a step away from me with his brows furrowed into a straight line. “That’s kind of personal.”

   “You said I could ask any question and you’d answer,” I pointed out.

   He considered it. “Yeah, well I thought you’d ask what type of blood I have, or what my zodiac sign is. I didn’t think-”

   “What are they?”

   “AB and Sagittarius.”

   I flashed him a smile. “Great, now answer my previous question.”

   He sighed in defeat, knowing I wouldn’t back down anytime soon. “Yes, I have. Once.” He propped himself up against the nearest wall, drawing one leg up.

   Nodding, I continued to pry. “Who was she?”

   His lips curved into a slight frown as his eyes focused on everything but me. He clenched his fists as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, unable to keep still. “Her name-” He caught his bottom lip with his teeth and finally lifted his eyes to mine, “-was Pat.”

   “Pat?” I questioned. “Does she go to our school.”

   He broke his gaze away from mine again, shaking his head.

  Growing interested, I leaned in and rested my chin on the heel of my hand. “What school does she go to?”

   “She doesn’t go to school, Lexi,” he said dryly. “She’s dead.”

   Unintentionally, I gaped at him. “She’s d-dead? Was she a girlfriend?” I didn’t want to imagine losing someone close at an age so young.

   “No,” he said. “She was my mom.”

   Pulling my brows together in a frown, a mocking grin curved my lips. “That’s not funny, Jack. Why would your mom-” I stopped mid-sentence when I caught the sad look forming on his face. He was staring directly at me, but he looked distant. He looked as though he was looking right through me, his mind drifting off to a darker place. “Wait, you’re serious?”

   He didn’t make a move to respond. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and breathed out heavily.

   “Jack, I’m-”

   “You remind me of her, you know,” he announced as a sardonic smile slowly took shape on his face. “Not the messed up part, though. The good part. She was the kind of person that could make anyone’s day better just by being in her presence. She was going through a rough time. I guess I don’t really blame her for that. Dad was too absorbed in his work that he never had time for her, so she did what she did.”

   My face softened as I listened to him, guilt forming in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know why I was guilty; it wasn’t like I had actually done it. But I felt guilty for misjudging him and not knowing why he was the way he was. Surely, he must have been horrible that I kept making accusations that weren’t any close to being true.

   “I have mixed feelings about it. I know it was a wrong thing to do, but she was my mom. And no matter what she did to me, I could never hate her.”

   I reached out and took his hand in mine. “Did she force you?”

   He nodded slowly. “My dad caught us and he yelled at her, telling her to leave. I still remember her crying her eyes out, but she did. She left. I really wish she hadn’t. She would still be alive.”

   Attempting to soothe him, I ran my thumb along his knuckles. “It’s okay, Jack. I’m really glad you told me.” 

   His gaze flicked to mine as he pulled his lips into a faint smile. “I-I’m really glad I told you.” He leaned over the counter and pressed his lips to mine gently. He pulled away not a second later and smiled his signature grin. “Thank you for listening.” 

   I couldn’t help but smile, too. “No problem.”

   Jack stood straight, letting out an exhausted sigh. “Okay. Next question.”

   “Are you sure?” I questioned, knitting my brows together. “I don’t want to pry again.”

   “It’s okay,” he assured me, waving his hand. “It feels good to talk about it.” Suddenly, he jumped over the counter again and headed towards the door.

   “What are you doing?”

   He flipped the sign on the door so that the side labeled OPEN was facing him. Then, he locked the door and turned to face me. “We’re probably not going to get customers, anyway. I want to show you my room.” He trudged towards the staircase in the far corner, snaking his hand around my wrist in the process and pulling me along with him.

   “Aren’t you going to lose money or something like that?” I inquired as we climbed the stairs.

   “Trust me, no one is coming. I’ll even leave twenty dollars in the register so my dad will think we had some customers.” By the time he was finished talking, we had reached the last step and entered what looked like a small apartment. It was so small that when we set foot in the house, we were already in the middle of the living room.

   A small boxed TV sat on top the coffee table in front of two recliners which was nothing compared to the flat screen TV mounted on my bedroom wall. The kitchen seemed to be even smaller than the living room. There was only one entrance and that, itself, was small. If I had to guess, only one person could occupy the kitchen at a time because there simply wasn’t enough space. A couple cabinets lined the walls and floors, but the sink wasn’t attached to the white countertops. It was separate and from a glance, it looked like a washing machine.

  “I know it’s nothing like your house,” he commented as if he read my thoughts. “But it’s comfortable enough.” He waved me over as he walked to one of the two doors connected to the beige walls. He swung the door open and stepped into the room, opening his arms wide. “And this is my room.”

   After seeing the rest of the house, I’ve already concluded that his room would be just as small – and it was. There wasn’t much space for anything other than a bed and a closet, which was exactly what he had. “The bed looks like it’s never been slept on,” I declared as my eyes scanned the freshly made bed.

   He chuckled at my statement. “Well … When I’m out saving damsels in distress, I don’t really have much time for sleep.”

   I rolled my eyes. “For the last time, I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m just pissed off at the world.”

   Jack hummed to himself as he plopped down on his bed. “Call it whatever you want, Lexi. You’re in distress.” He pulled his hands up behind his head and gave me a sly smirk.

   I shook my head in disbelief, poking the inside of my cheek with my tongue. “Can we get back to the questions?”

   “Sure.”

   I took a seat on the edge of his bed. “Why did Stephanie let you off the hook when you got into the fight with Lou? I know from experience that Stephanie lets no one off the hook. Especially not pretty boys with sparkling eyes. Honestly, I think she’s asexual or something.”

   He threw his head back, laughing. “Stephanie and I have mutual respect for each other.”

   “Why?” Instantly, my eyes grew wide as I clapped a hand over my mouth. “Don’t tell me you guys are related, because that’s just-”

   “No, we’re not,” he clarified. “Her dad owns this building and we’re practically renting it. So, we have no choice but to have respect for them.”

   “Renting it? Does that mean you have to give them money?”

   He nodded. “Exactly.”

  “So you gave Stephanie money,” I muttered under my breath, “for rent.”

   He nodded once more.

   “Since you guys are on good terms, would you mind putting in a good word for me? She hates me because she thinks that I wrote that comment on that stupid website. And I never thought that I would actually say this, but I don’t want her to hate me. She’s not as bad as people make her out to be.”

   “I’ll try.”

   I smiled at him as I tugged out my phone from my back pocket. “I bet Adam’s been texting me to see where I’m at. He doesn’t really like you, you know.” Sure enough, I had five missed calls from him.

   “I can tell.”

   I unlocked my phone and began to scroll through my messages when all of a sudden, the screen went black. Furrowing my brows, I tried to turn it on again but nothing happened. “What the...” I pressed random buttons in an attempt to get the phone to work, but the screen remained black. “This was working just fine a while ago.”

   Jack sat up straight and peered over my shoulder. “What happened?”

   “I don’t know! I need to call my mom to tell her when I’ll be home or else she’ll worry sick. Do you have a phone I can use?”

   He stared back at me, dumbfounded. “No, I don’t have a cell phone.”

   Confused, I turned to face him. “Why the hell not?”

   “Don’t really have the money for it. It’s not a priority, anyway.”

   What? What kind of teenager doesn’t have a cell phone? “You don’t even have a flip phone? Jack, that is so lame. You lose points.”

   He found that to be hilarious because he broke into uncontrollable laughter, clutching onto his stomach for support. Once the laughter died down, he shook his head in disbelief. “So, I have points now?”

   “Whatever, I need a phone.”

   “Do you want to go to the store? We can get them to fix it.”

   A frustrated sigh erupted from the back of my throat as I dragged a lazy hand down my face. “No, um, it’s okay. That’ll cost money and I’m broke as of the moment.”

   “I have money.”

   Startled by his comment, I edged off the bed. He couldn’t actually be serious. He lived in a house so small that it would make anyone feel claustrophobic and he didn’t have enough money to buy himself a phone – that or he was too cool for one – but he was offering to get my phone fixed? Who knows how much that would cost? iPhones were something to be taken seriously.  “I’m not taking your money.”

   “Lexi,” he said softly. It felt like honey to my ears, the way his voice was so smooth and thick. He reached over and pushed my hair back behind my ear, his gaze burning into mine. “We’re going to get your phone fixed.” He said it with such determination that I felt inclined to agree.

   “Okay,” I gave in. “But, can I ask one more question?”

   He nodded.

   “Can I call you Jackson?”

   His infamous grin spread onto his face and I didn’t realize how much I liked seeing it until now. After hearing of what happened to him, seeing him smile made me happy. He wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me into a hug. A soft laugh escaped from his lips before he broke away and stood from the bed. “Come on,” he insisted as he rushed towards the door. When he realized that I hadn’t moved, he glanced back at me. “Are you coming?”

   I sat there, just staring at him in awe. I don’t think I’ll ever truly unravel the mystery that is Jack Addister, but I would definitely love staying around to learn more.  

✝ 

A/N: If you haven't already, please check out the trailer to the side. It's like the first trailer I've ever made so it's obviously not perfect but I love it. And also, Lexi is still played by Cara Delevingne. Jack is Hunter Parrish. And I've changed Adam, as well. Instead of Chace Crawford, it will be Jeremy Sumpter which is more suiting. Chace Crawford is way too hot to be Adam. (Adam's attractive but not THAT attractive). Stephanie is still played by Nina Dobrev. I haven't decided who would fit Henri's character. So if you have any ideas, let me know. 

Anyway, wasn't this chapter cute or WUT? It's filled with so much Jexus/Laddister/Addon/whatever-is-a-suitable-ship-name that it's not even funny! I'm surprised I updated this quick but I thank you guys for reading and being awesome as well. 

Reminder: random commenters get dedications. So, comment! 

Love you guys. 

~lara <3