Page 137 of Don't Leave Me

“Hi,” I croaked out, my voice sore and raw.Must be from all the crying yesterday.

He started stroking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“How did you sleep?”

“Alright,” I answered honestly. I wasn’t awake enough to start pretending yet.

He paused for a moment. I saw a shadow of anger wash over him.

“I want to show you something,” he replied, his face somber now.

I watched as he got up from bed and headed towards a safe that I somehow didn’t notice before in the corner near the kitchen. He typed in several numbers and the safe latched open; from the angle I was at, I couldn’t tell what he was pulling out. He closed the safe and walked towards me – and I realized he was holding a gun. Jack suddenly had his frightening self back, his eyes dark and grim.

“Jack,” I sat up in bed, starting to slide myself off of the other side.

“I want you to remember something, Hana,” he held the gun held up in his hand now, pointing at the ceiling.

I was trembling already, guarding myself in the corner of the bed against the wall.

“You are here because you are mine. You are here to do as I say, to be mine and be devoted to me entirely,” he went on, his voice getting louder and more frightening.

I nodded, tears streaming down my face.

“I don’t think you understand how serious I am, Hana,” he spit out.

“I-I do. I believe you, Jack. I understand,” I stammered out.

“I am not afraid to use this, Hana. I have everyone’s death all planned out, how I’m gonna do it, how I’ll plant suicide evidence or a burglary gone wrong,” he ignored me. “And it will all be your fault, Hana,” he went on, lowering the gun to his side now.

I nodded quickly. “I will do anything for you, Jack. I promise. I’ll be yours. I’ll be yours forever and do whatever you want me to,” I cried out.

He paused again, observing me. He quietly walked back to the safe, put the gun back in and closed it. He walked towards me again, his eyes wild, and stood in front of the bed that I was trembling in.

“Do you love me, Hana?” He demanded my answer.

I knew what I had to say. “Yes,” I responded immediately.

“Tell me,” he ordered.

“I love you, Jack,” I smiled through my tears.

He licked his lips and then sat on the bed, putting his hand out for me. My shaking hand took his and I crawled next to him.

“And how did you sleep?”

His voice was gentle again, the old Jack back.

I blinked. “Very well.”

Jack was sweet to me the rest of the day, probably because I said everything that I knew he wanted me to. We stayed in the loft, watching old episodes of the Twilight Zone, Jack making me french toast for brunch and then ordered from a nearby vegan restaurant for dinner. It almost felt like we were a normal couple just having a lazy day at home. Almost.

“I’m texting Emily. I’m going to suggest we all get together tomorrow evening,” he said as he got up to get my phone.

All day my phone had been buzzing, carefully in Jack’s care – so much so that he had to mute it. I knew that it was Michael and it broke my heart every time Jack ignored it.

“That sounds good,” I smiled to him from the couch, excitement arising; I was finally going to be out in the free world to some extent.

“This is your first test, Hana,” he warned, looking up from the phone. “Do not fuck this up.”

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