Jake

As my Ginger drives away from my house and out of my life, she’s taking my heart with her. This ache’s so deep, it physically hurts, but I don’t have time for the luxury of letting the pain overtake me. No, as damaged as I am in this moment, and I fucking am, I have two more tasks left; equally daunting and equally painful.

Back in the house, I take my secure phone from its lock box along with my passport. Looking at the swarm of passports, I consider taking the emergency identity I created to escape the grips of Sylvie, but I opt just to be myself today. She has to know where I’ll end up eventually.

Armed with some cash, my work phone, personal cell and my normal passport, I hurry to my room and grab my suitcase, glad I don’t have to pack since I never did end up emptying my luggage. I don’t care if the CIA can trace me. I won’t have this motherfucker of a work phone much longer anyway.

Out in my car, I type in the code to connect to the one person I could kill with my bare hands right now. Reversing and holding the phone, I don’t fucking care if it’s illegal to talk and drive at the same time, not at this point. Turning left out of my neighborhood, I’m connected with her screechy voice, which makes me want to stick a needle through my eyes more with every syllable she utters.

“Jacob, you did the right thing.” These are her opening words, as if I fucking care what her opinion is on this matter. No, not one iota since her agenda has always been to fuck with my life.

I only have one reason for this phone call and then it’s over. “Sylvie, I fucking quit. You can try as you might, but you won’t win me back.” Silence for once with Sylvie. “I know where and how to hurt you but we don’t want it to come to that.” Not that this little secret is enough to dangle over her head to save my relationship with Sasha, no, Ginge is too valuable to Sylvie’s end game. “I swear Sylvie, we are done. Over.” Before I let her say a word, I have one last demand she’ll adhere to. “And Sylvie, you better stay the fuck away from my sister.”

Pulling over to the nearest gas station, I grab for a hammer I carry in my glove compartment. Tossing the phone on the ground, I grasp the hammer with one hand. Pausing for a brief second, I smash the last connection I have with Sylvie to smithereens. Tossing the remnants of that phone and the past ten years of my life, I say goodbye to my old existence, vowing to start a new one right now.

* * *

I can’t say he looks surprised that I’m standing motionless on his front porch. It’s funny, in the ten days I had been here, I’ve never once used this entrance. My expression is blank but his is certainly not. With a small smile covering the scruff that has sprung up since I left, he extends his hand for me to shake it. All I want to do is deck him, but I can’t, not until I hear him out.

“I had a feeling I would see you again,” he says, putting down his hand, as it’s apparent I won’t be shaking it, not yet. Stepping out of the way, he motions me in. “You better come on in. This may take a while, Jake,” he plainly states, knowing what I need.

I look over my right shoulder and see a fucking iguana. I had hoped the next time I was here it would be with Sasha by my side. This time I need only one room, instead of two like we had a few days ago. Shit, how my life has imploded in two days.

I have never been in the front part of his house before and it’s still adorned with Christmas decorations. Leading me to the back of the house that looks out to the veranda and the pool I have fond memories of, I turn to him. “You wanted to tell me, didn’t you, Mack?”

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his faded blue jeans, he shrugs. “After the two of you got back from the Grand Caymans last week, when I met you down at the pool, I had it in my mind I would tell you. Then you told me you wanted more with her. I couldn’t take a chance telling you. If you were on the cusp of revealing your true feelings to her and what you wanted, it would ruin any future the two of you had.”

“So, you just let Sylvie manipulate you, with no regard for me?”

He looks away and I know I’ve hit a cord. “What does she have on you, Mack?” Looking away again, this is all I need to understand, she has used him. “What the fuck could be more important than using an innocent woman like Sasha against me, making me fall for her, just to do Sylvie’s bidding?” I’m now yelling and he still has not faced me. He avoids looking at me eye to eye, man to man.

Out of nowhere, the door opens and I hear the familiar voice of Mack’s better half, “Me, Jake. She has me, that’s what she’s using against Mack.” Turning, I see the long and lean figure of Mack’s wife, Anna, sobbing as she continues to explain.