SEVENTEENTH
CHARLIE
The days following our visit to the convenience store settled into a peculiar routine, where Jack and I navigated a blend of shared moments that felt both oddly comfortable and tantalizingly new. Yet, amidst the veneer of normalcy, I began to notice subtle shifts in Jack's demeanor. He grew quieter, his smiles more fleeting, as if he carried a weight he couldn't or wouldn't share.
One evening, as we sat in my apartment, the silence between us thickened like fog rolling in from the sea. Jack stared out the window, his expression distant, lost in his thoughts. The urge to reach out and ask what troubled him gnawed at me, but I hesitated, afraid of intruding on whatever private battle consumed him.
"Jack, are you okay?" I finally ventured, my voice soft, hoping to break the heavy silence.
He turned to me, offering a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, just thinking," he murmured, his words trailing off into the quiet space between us.
I nodded, sensing his need for space, yet the unease in my chest grew as the days stretched on. Jack's silence became more pronounced, his presence more elusive. Then, one morning, I awoke to find his side of the bed cold and empty. At first, I thought he might have gone out early, but as hours slipped by like sand through my fingers, panic gripped me.
Frantic calls to his phone went unanswered, each unanswered ring amplifying my worry. Desperate for answers, I reached out to Eddie, hoping against hope that he might have heard from his brother. When Eddie answered on the first ring, my heart pounded in my chest.
"Eddie, have you seen Jack?" I blurted out, my voice trembling with fear.
"Charlie, I haven't seen him since..." Eddie's voice trailed off, concern etched into his words. "He hasn't been answering my calls either. I thought he was with you."
My stomach churned with a mixture of fear and confusion. Jack had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a void that swallowed me whole. Days passed in a haze of searching—coffee shops, parks, libraries—all places Jack frequented, yet none yielded any sign of him. His friends and classmates were as baffled as I was, his professors unaware of his whereabouts.
Nights became sleepless stretches of staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with unanswered questions. Where had he gone? Why had he left without a word? Was he safe?
The weight of uncertainty pressed down on me like a heavy blanket. Every passing minute without news from Jack deepened the ache in my chest. Each time my phone buzzed, hope surged, only to plummet with disappointment when it wasn't him. I tried to bury myself in work, in mundane tasks that offered fleeting distraction, but the worry persisted, an ever-present shadow haunting my every thought.
One evening, unable to shake the restlessness that consumed me, I found myself standing in the familiar aisles of the convenience store again. Eddie greeted me with a sympathetic smile from behind the counter, his eyes mirroring my own turmoil.
"Any news?" he asked softly as I approached.
I shook my head, shoulders sagging under the weight of uncertainty. "Nothing. It's like he's disappeared."
Eddie sighed heavily, his concern palpable. "I don't know what to say, Charlie. This isn't like him."
"I just want to know he's okay," I confessed quietly, my voice cracking with emotion.
Eddie reached across the counter, squeezing my hand gently. "We'll find him, Charlie. I promise."
Leaving the store that night, the ache in my chest deepened. Jack's absence left a void that nothing could fill. I clung to hope, a fragile lifeline in the storm of uncertainty. All I could do was wait, hoping and praying that wherever Jack was, he was safe—and that he would find his way back to me.
Days stretched into an eternity, and Eddie became my lifeline—a constant presence in the relentless search for Jack. Together, we retraced Jack's steps, piecing together fragments of his life in hopes of unraveling the mystery of his disappearance. Eddie's unwavering support anchored me, his determination a mirror to my own wavering resolve.
"He's like this whenever something's bothering him," Eddie confided one evening, his voice tinged with worry. "When he's sad or has those dark thoughts."
The words sent a chill down my spine, confirming the darkest fears I had dared not acknowledge. Jack's demons had always been elusive, shadows dancing on the edges of his smiles. The thought that he might be battling them alone, unreachable and adrift, tore at my heart.
Days turned into weeks, each passing moment a testament to the relentless passage of time and the stubborn hope that refused to dim. Eddie and I poured over old messages, retraced phone calls, and combed through social media in search of any clue that might lead us to Jack's whereabouts. Each dead end brought us closer to despair, yet Eddie's steadfast belief in finding his brother never faltered.
"Jack, where are you?" I whispered, before closing my eyes to sleep. I can't work. My mind is busy thinking about...
I jolt up. I immediately grab my laptop, my hands shaking. I logged in into Jessica's account and there, I saw WarmNights online.
I called him.
He then answer. I can hear his breathing.
"Jack!" I sobbed. "Where are you?"
I heard him chuckled. He sound so sad and miserable. "You found me, Charlie," Jack's voice crackled through the phone, his words heavy with emotion. "I didn't mean to worry you."
Relief flooded through me, mingled with a rush of frustration. "Jack, where are you? Everyone's been looking for you. We've been so worried."
There was a long pause on the other end, the silence stretching taut between us. "I needed some time," he finally murmured, his voice strained. "I needed to figure things out."
Tears stung my eyes. "You could have talked to me, Jack. You didn't have to disappear like that."
"I know, Charlie," he sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I just... I couldn't burden you with this."
My heart clenched at his words. "You're not a burden, Jack. You're never a burden to me."
More silence followed, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. "Can I come back?" he asked quietly, his voice tentative.
A wave of relief washed over me. "Yes, please. Come back, Jack. We'll figure this out together."
I could hear the hesitation in his response. "I'll be there soon, Charlie. Just give me a little more time."
"Okay," I whispered, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Just... be safe, Jack."
"I will," he promised softly before hanging up.
I sank onto the couch, clutching the phone to my chest, overwhelmed with a mix of emotions. Relief that he was safe, anguish at the pain he must have been carrying alone, and a deep longing for him to be home again.
In the days that followed, I held onto Eddie's unwavering support as we waited for Jack's return. Each passing hour felt like an eternity, my thoughts consumed by memories of our time together, the laughter and the quiet moments we shared. I found myself retracing our steps, reliving the conversations, searching for clues to understand what had led Jack to retreat into silence.
When Jack finally walked through the door, weary and subdued, my heart leaped with a bittersweet mix of joy and concern. His eyes met mine, carrying a weight of sorrow that tore at my soul. Without a word, I pulled him into a tight embrace, feeling the tremors in his body as he clung to me as if I were his anchor in a stormy sea.
"I'm here, Jack," I whispered, holding him close. "You don't have to face this alone."
He buried his face in my shoulder, his voice muffled against my neck. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I didn't mean to shut you out."
"We'll figure it out together," I assured him, my voice wavering with emotion. "Just promise me you won't disappear like that again."
"I promise," he murmured, his grip tightening around me. "I'm sorry I scared you."
I held him tighter, savoring the warmth of his presence, grateful beyond words that he was home. The road ahead wouldn't be easy, but knowing that we faced it together gave me hope. Our love had weathered the storm of his absence, stronger for having endured the uncertainty and the fear.
As we sat together that evening, the weight of the days apart slowly lifted, replaced by a quiet understanding that bound us closer than ever before. Jack shared fragments of his journey, the struggles and the moments of clarity that had led him back to me.
"I love you, Charlie," Jack whispered, his voice trembling with raw honesty.
Tears streamed down my face, and I couldn't hold back the sobs. I noticed how much weight he'd lost, how fragile he looked. "Why did you disappear like that? Why—why did you—"
"I love you," he whispered again, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry if I failed you." His lips brushed against my jawline, sending shivers down my spine. "I'm sorry if I tried to end it all."
What?
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I couldn't bring myself to say anything, my mind reeling from the revelation.
And then, in that moment, I saw him—truly saw him. The real Jack. The guy I used to talk to at 3 AM, sharing secrets and dreams, fears and hopes.
"I love you, too," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Please, Jack. Don't disappear like that ever again."
His arms tightened around me, and I felt his body shake with silent sobs. We stayed like that, wrapped in each other's embrace, as the world outside faded away.
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