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You wanted to throw your phone across the room. Actually, no, that was too tame. You wanted to violently stomp on it until it was in five thousand little pieces and then set the pieces on fire, allowing them to burn and melt as his last form of contact to you turned to ashes.
But, because you needed it for work, you settled for shutting it down and plugging it into the charger.
Ian.
How the fuck did he find you?
You sighed. He must have gotten a new number, an unblocked number.
Still, part of the blame was on you for listening to his messages. How he was sorry for cheating on you, for ghosting you instead of talking things through when he was caught. How he just couldn’t live without you.
The sleepless nights you’d spent clinging to the phone, talking him through one of his many emotional meltdowns while you were faint with exhaustion, the guilt tripping he gave you when you did anything outside of him, and his jealous streak, never allowing you to go out with male friends alone. It had been…suffocating.
You curled up on the couch now, burying your head in your knees. You didn’t want your roommate-if you could really call him that?-to wake up and worry about you.
The urge to sob was so strong now, it made you feel sick. Your shoulders shook as you desperately tried to keep your tears quiet, to not draw any extra attention.
“Sunshine?”
Shit. You’d already failed.
“Hey, Sunshine…what’s wrong?” The familiar voice of Sunny Day Jack grew closer as he sat next to you on the couch.
You shook your head. According to Jack, it had been decades since he last talked to someone, and the last thing he needed was the one person he could talk to losing her mind over some guy.
His arms slid around you, pulling you into his chest. “Shhh…it’s okay. It’ll be okay, just let it all out.” That was all it took for you to start really sobbing, tears staining his multicolored jacket as he rubbed your back gently.
You stayed like this for a few minutes, Jack just holding you while you clung to him like a baby koala. It hadn’t hit you until now how much the breakup really hurt-how much you needed someone to cry to. And here it was, and now the emotions mixed with the comfort were so overwhelming. But Jack didn’t seem to mind, allowing you to bury your face in his chest while he held you close.
He finally pulled back, tilting your chin up to meet his eyes. Then, he cupped the sides of your cheeks, gently wiping away your tears with his thumb.
“What happened, Sunshine?” He whispered, his voice full of empathy. “You can tell me.”
You sniffled, pulling your knees back under your chin. “It’s stupid.”
Jack shook his head. “No, it isn’t. If it’s making you cry, it’s obviously affecting you, and that isn’t stupid.”
You closed your eyes. He really wasn’t going to give this up, was he? Although…you had to admit, you really did need to talk about it. Your heartbreak was eating away at you, and you needed to let it out.
“My ex. Ian. I blocked him…but I guess he got a new phone number.” You sighed.
Jack’s brows furrowed. “Your ex? I haven’t heard about him before.”
“Well, you haven’t been here for more than a few weeks. I guess…he never came up.” You replied.
Jack’s hand made its way to your own, intertwining his fingers with yours. “Did he…hurt you?”
Your eyes filled with tears again. “No…yes…? I don’t know. He was my first love. I gave him everything…I told him everything…and he just..threw it all away. Threw me away.”
Jack’s expression darkened. “Threw you away..how?”
You bit your lip. “He was cheating on me. When I found out…he blocked my number, and never spoke to me again.” Your voice began to shake. “Until today. Out of nowhere, he just…calls me, tells me how much he needs me, how he can’t live without me…”
Jack squeezed your hand. “You don’t owe him anything. Nothing at all, okay? After how he’s treated you…you deserve so much better, Sunshine. You bring so much light to the world. To me. Please…don’t ever forget that, okay?”
You closed your eyes again, trying to believe Jack’s words. Trying to soak up his comfort while it was offered to you. As if reading your mind, he wrapped his arms around you again.
“You’re going to be okay, I promise. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but someday you will. And until then, I’ll do everything I can to make you smile. I just want to see you happy. That’s…all I could ever want.” He whispered into your hair.
You relaxed in his arms, your eyes growing heavy. “Thank you…Jack.”
He smiled down at you. “Hey, I’m happy to take care of you. Anywhere and anytime you need.” His hands trailed down your back, gently caressing your small frame. “Now, let’s get you back to bed, okay? I know you have tomorrow off, but a good night’s sleep is always important.”
It was impossible to protest even if you wanted to, as Jack was now lifting you up bridal style and carrying you to the bedroom. Jeez, you didn’t realize how strong this guy was. He held you like you weighed nothing.
He gently laid you on the bed before climbing in next to you, pulling you close to his chest. You could hear his heartbeat against your ear, drowning out your worries with its steady rhythm.
With the blankets over you, and Jack’s arms locking you in a warm embrace, you felt more comfortable than ever. Sleep seemed to be calling your name, your eyelids growing heavy as if they weighed a hundred pounds.
Soon enough, you were drifting off. Just as you fell asleep, Jack whispered into your hair.
“I love you.”