THE LOW, A JACK HARLOW FIC.   

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

BEGIN.

Jack sat in his bed thinking about what he was going to wear in a week as his phone rang. He sighed and picked it up from the coffee table. Anger shot through him as he read Claire's name on the screen.

"What the fuck? How is she calling me when we have court?" Jack grumbled letting the phone ring some more before he answered it. The only reason he never blocked her is because he needed to stop her from trying to commit defamation and it wasn't working.

"Yes Claire?" Jack asked into the phone with a bored tone but really he was livid. He put the phone on speaker because he didn't want to speak to her in the first place.

"Wow that's how you speak to me?" Jack could almost laugh from the pain he felt. The way Solána neevr once fucking spoke to him that way and never would. Because if she did he would leave. He couldn't take being disrespected, it hurt him so badly because he would do anything for the people he loved.

And he once loved Claire and she took advantage of him.

"Yes that's how I speak to someone who's lying to the press saying that I abused her." Jack tried to keep calm but it wasn't working. All this he had to put up with and still he had to get Solána back. His chest started to feel heavy.

"Jack just admit to hitting me and we can be done." She pleaded in a soft tone as his eye twitched. He let out a deep breath at the memory of her throwing a class cup at his head. He told himself he wouldn't cry now but the day after he definitely did.

He couldn't understand how someone he loved could want to hurt him for no reason, "Claire.. lawyer up. Please you're going to need a lawyer to keep up with all your lies." He said in a calm tone even though he hoped she couldn't even afford one.

Claire's sucked her teeth with a laugh, "I remember it Jack... you forcing me to drink and then trying to get me undressed." Jacks breath went shallow he could sort of breathe but his veins were clear as day, he grind his teeth together to shut out the memory.

"Claire. I remember that night. I remember kept handing me drinks while you were perfectly sober." Jack said enraged that he even had to bring it up. Everything that she did to him she flipped around and made it seem like he did it to her. Including this and she wasn't going to get away with it.

"You're saying I harassed you?" Claire gave out a pathetic laugh and sighed, "who the hell would believe that?" She asked with venom in her tone.

"I'll find out next week." Jack said before hanging up and stopping the recording which was the only reason he was calm. He was going to provide the proof-when he could get some-to the judge and even Solána.

Then he hung up.

—

I sat with the phone in my hand before she finally started to text back after two weeks.

claire
What's your relationship with Jack?
seen.

sza
why don't you ask him yourself?
seen 2Weeks

claire
I'm not in contact with him anymore
Hes not a good guy
seen.

What in the hell? What is she talking about?

sza
I'm tying to figure out when I asked you?
seen 5mins

claire
He abused me, he cheated on me too. We're
Going to court in one week.
seen.

What the hell? What the hell? I sat up on the couch reading the message over and over. Jack abused her? No. Nope. I wasn't going to believe it, he was never aggressive with me, ever. But.. cheated.. if that was true why wouldn't the abuse be?

I couldn't text Jack either because we agreed not to talk after a month. Wait... he has court in a week and that would make a month. It makes sense now. But what didn't add up was Jacks supposed Chris Brown like abilities.

sza
How'd he abuse you?
seen 5mins

claire
Well first he threw a glass cup at my head
because we were arguing and he was shouting
calling me names and everything
At first I thought he was sweet and sensitive
because he always took care of me but he has
another side
seen.

sza
You don't have any kind of proof I don't
believe you.
seen

I knew that all I had to do was wait a month and see the truth, I didn't have to believe her if I didn't want to. Jack was the kindest person I'd ever met.

claire
Ok sweetheart I tried to warn you
seen.

sza
Don't call me that.
seen

In a small part of my head she's still the one Jack cheated on me with and I wish I didn't have to text her at all. I sat back and sent the screenshots of the chat to Montero. He left me on open and I rolled my eyes but that's when he called me. I pressed green and held the phone to my ear.

"Solána." He sounded dead serious and almost sick. My eyebrows furrowed as I played with my fingers.

"What's wrong... is what she said tr—" I don't know why I even said something like that to Montero when I knew it couldn't be. He immediately cut me off with a sharp no before mumbling something about a "white pasty ass, snake lookin ass.. Britney Spears wanna be ass bitch.."

"Montero!" I tried to get his attention back, "One time we needed Jack at the studio and he called it off. The only thing he said was that he got in a fight with his girlfriend.." my chest panged at the image of him having one. I took a deep breath and let him continue.

"Then later on when he got back home he had stitches in his head and he wouldn't talk about it.." Montero sounded Ill and quiet at the same time. I realized why. Claire hit him, not the other way around. And he had nobody to talk to about it because he didn't want to admit to being abused.

Anger rocked through me as I held the phone tighter. Montero wasn't saying a word, giving me a chance to put it together as if he couldn't say it himself. I gasped realizing there were tears in my eyes and I was suddenly crying. I was so consumed with anger and pity that a sob rocked through me.

"This whole time..." I cursed at myself, "No Solána it was a long time ago." Montero tried to calm me down but I wasn't having it.

"I'm seriously fucked up, I should've believed him." I tried to stop crying but I was too angry at myself, "I didn't fucking believe him when he asked me to. All I did was assume that he was hurting me... please send the screenshots to Jack if it helps.." I begged as Montero drew a breath.

"I can't do that. All the evidence outside of the case don't matter because of the NDA. Even though we're witnesses it's like we're saying nothing.." he mentioned softly as I pulled myself together, "And she'll be saying all that in court." He said as I felt sick. I have never been so ashamed of myself. But I knew there wasn't time for that, I needed to help Jack by believing in him and I did. Because I love him.

"Thanks Mont." I said before hanging up and calling a friend of mine.

an: okay man I almost cried writing this myself because god damn, I wanna go back to writing cute stuff Jesus, but all this stuff is important too.
Neither Jack nor Solána have relived their previous traumas, grudges or beliefs even though they loved each other had communicated.
You can be in a healthy strong relationship and still be plagued by pain, that's why it's important to trust people and Solána didn't but Jack kept trying.
Also: men can be abused psychically and sexually, it's not a joke
Also also: if this chapter was triggering I have a warning in the previous one but I still apologize