Page 157 of Don't Leave Me

I looked down with confusion.Ididn’t even know where that important piece of document was – was it in my office in Chelsea? Was it Jessica that had broke into our apartment to take my belongings? How did she manage that?

I felt a lump in my throat as I signed the bottom of the paper, the marriage application now complete. Jack had already eagerly filled out his half before me while my mind was racing, my thoughts elsewhere.

“Could you call a cab for us, please…Wendy?” Jack said sweetly as he looked down at the receptionist’s name tag.

I felt a cold sweat across my forehead.

Ten minutes later, we were walking into the Albany city hall and paying our fees for our marriage license. And as easy as that, we were 24 hours away from being married.

Jack took my hand as we exited our cab and entered through the back lobby of the hotel, returning only 45 minutes after we had left. I didn’t know what Jack had planned for us for the rest of the day, but he did extend our stay another night with the receptionist before we left for city hall. We entered our room and I could feel my chest tighten, like my heart was closing in on itself and trying to hide away. I heard Jack lock the door behind us. As I turned around, expecting something like another slap across the face or probably something much worse, Jack pulled something out of his pocket – it was a little sash, and he quickly pulled out a small silver band with a diamond in the middle. He held it up for me to see.

His face was somber. “I had always imagined this day would look differently – the day I had asked you to marry me.”

I remained quiet as I watched him – what was he feeling? And why did I care? He looked up at me with sad eyes and continued.

“I know it’s not the biggest ring, but I bought it quite some time ago for you. Here,” he offered gently, then inched closer to me, reaching for my left hand.

I lifted my hand onto his and watched as he slipped the ring onto my ring finger. It was a gorgeous little band, I had to admit, and really matched my style. I had to react quickly and let my instinctive thoughts out before the reality set in. “It’s beautiful,” I observed quietly as I looked up at him.

There was the Jack that I knew again. He smiled up at me slowly, shyly, and put his hand softly to my cheek. If only he could seem this way forever, maybe I could bear this life with him.

“I love you, Hana,” he murmured, almost like it stung him.

“I love you too, Jack,” I responded without thought – it was something that I had grown accustomed to.

He removed his hand from my cheek. “What did you tell Billie then?” he asked gently, although he was clearly displeased.

I hesitated as I felt my stomach drop.

“Do you want the truth, Jack?”

I was unsure if I was supposed to keep up with his lie or not.

He nodded hesitantly.What more do I have to lose now? I can just tell him.

“I did tell her. I told her just the basics, not in detail. But I told her not to tell anyone. I told her I would figure it out, and the next time that I saw her, I would…” I trailed off.

I had hoped that the truth would make him realize that I was serious about this – if I had confessed my sins to him and cooperated from now on, he would leave all of my loved ones alone.

Jack gulped and his eyes widened, but then he gave me a slow smile.

“Well now you can tell her it was all just a misunderstanding, that you made it all up. Tell her you were torn between me and Michael, and that you didn’t know what you wanted. Tell her that it seemed easier to lock me up than to break my heart,” he explained, already having it all figured out.

I nodded slowly, waiting for him to go on, waiting for him to tell my he had already killed Michael somehow and that Billie was next.

“I will do that. I’m sorry,” I whispered, hot tears streaming down my face.

“I guess I’m glad you told her, in a way,” he sighed, beginning for the chair that sat in the corner of the suite.

I turned to him with confusion.

“Now I don’t have to kill anyone,” he raised his eyebrows, smiling. “Now I get what I wanted all along. You fucked up, and now you’re going to marry me to make up for it. It seems like I got quite the deal,” he laughed to himself, stretching his arms out on each side of the chair.

“So…you will leave everyone alone then?” I asked hesitantly, making sure I understood.

“As long as you do exactly as I say, as my wife, then yes – Michael, Emily, Billie, your parents…they’ll all be spared,” he announced with a smug smile.

Relief flooded through me as I exhaled. “Thank you.” I held onto the wall to steady myself; I was on the verge of fainting the whole time.

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