And we are back! If you have not yet read my first story, Rare, please go read it cause this contains many spoilers. But enjoy!
Jack Mercer's lean frame towered over the counter as he signed his name on the papers that made his freedom official. A smile wasn't sitting upon his face nor was a frown. He was more curious than anything, about who was on the other side of those doors waiting for him.
It's been a little over five months since he was arrested on that night he got the news that Alana was pregnant. And no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, a child with her just didn't make his heart skip a beat. It blew Jack's mind. He lost the baby with the woman he wanted to be with and got one with the woman he was planning on leaving.
But life was crazy like that sometimes and he knew he had to man up to take care of these responsibilities.
Life was so crazy that Jack found himself in a situation where he had to kill a man because some asshole put the love of his life in the hospital. But he was getting out. Out of prison for murder.
See what happened was Jack spent five months in prison for a crime he didn't commit, well at least that's what the judge thinks. His brother's got him a real nice lawyer, Jack didn't ask how, he just went with it. And come to find out, the police didn't have any real evidence of him killing Vic.
They went off of a witness's word, which was, "That goddamn Mercer boy did it! I saw him walk out of the house while it was burning! I'm not crazy!" But once it was trial time, they found out that "Old Man Emerson" was almost blind as a fool's heart and the police never had any proof that Jack did it, and the crime scene got messy and everyone was walking all around the area without bags on their feet.
The policemen who arrested Jack almost lost their jobs for not going deep into the investigation like they should have. So The Mercers thanked God for only five months.
Jack walked out the prison doors as a strange feeling went throughout his body as he seen his brothers, nieces, Sofi and Camille at the end of the walkway. Two people were missing though and that wasn't something he wanted to come out to.
The air and atmosphere was different than how it was when he went in. It was warm and pleasant this time, not cold and dark. The middle of June. Detroit's finest time, at least when it came to the weather. Other than that, it was the worst time to be in Detroit.
A wise man once said, "Everybody's dyin' in the summer, so pray to God for a little more spring." In nice weather, people are outside more and interact a lot which could lead to some conflict, but it's not like that's anything new to Detroit.
Amelia and Daniella sprinted over to their uncle Jack and broke out in giggles as he picked the both of them up and spun them around in his arms. "Uncle Jack stop!" Amelia said through each one of her giggles.
Jack pecked both of their cheeks softly then placed them down back on the ground. Angel and Jerry moved from their post on the car. The both of them embraced Jack and didn't speak any words. They were just happy their little brother was out and safe. After a long moment of their embrace, Camille and Sofi were the next to give him a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Welcome back Jack." Sofi greeted in her thick Spanish accent. Jack smiled back at her. "Thanks Soph." Jack let out a deep breath before asking the question he'd been wondering since he only seen two brothers at the end of the walkway. "Where's Bobby?"
Jerry shrugged and then took a look at the watch that sat on his left wrist. "He was supposed to be here a few minutes ago. He had to pick up Alana from her house." Jack nodded, crinkling his nose and baring his teeth.
"How was it?" Sofi asked as she leaned into Angel's chest after he handed Jack his pack of cigarettes. Jack chuckled before he lit the stick and perched it in his lips, taking a long drag. "I ran that shit." He bragged, making everyone laugh. He posted against the car, ankles crossed with the freshly lit cigarette in his mouth, he watched a girl with long brown curls with a slim thick body meet with her husband.
And he couldn't help but think of Selena.
"That's that shit I'm talking about baby." Camille laughed, snapping Jack back into the conversation.
"Yeah. Got in a few fights. Nothing bad though. People kept trying me cause I was new, but it wasn't too long before they changed their mind. Let them know my last name."
Jack was basically the guy everyone fucked with in their pod. They thought he was cool. People would give him commissary if they wanted to trade for anything in particular. No one necessarily feared him, but everyone damn sure respected him. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel good in there sometimes. Out here with his brothers he was always on the bottom, but in there he was on top.
Angel and Jerry laughed at their little brother as Sofi and Camille shook their heads and rolled their eyes playfully. Jack blew out a puff of smoke and let out an exasperated sign once he saw Bobby's car pull up. "What Jack Jack? You not happy to see your baby mama?" Angel teased, getting only a one sided shrug out of Jack.
Bobby nearly stumbled out of the car, happiness filling his body. "What's up mothafuckin fairy! Man, you get yo ass a boyfriend up in that bitch?" Bobby joked as he pulled in Jack for a hug. "Hey Bobby." Jack mumbled.
"You good?" Bobby asked, pushing all jokes aside, pulling back to get a look at Jack's face which was now upsetting. Jack only nodded then flicked his cigarette onto the ground and stomped on it. He looked down at the cigarette making sure he killed the light. The sound of the car door shutting, made his head snap up, almost forgetting that Alana was here.
But it wasn't Alana.
There stood a woman with teary brown eyes that matched her long curls that hung past her shoulder. Her hand was covering the ear to ear grin that Jack missed all too well. She wore black leggings that gave her ass a nice round frame and a white folded crop top that had a small rose in the corner of it.
Jack's breath was caught in his throat and his heart fell at his feet, but somehow his feet carried him to her. He could tell her hands were trembling and he could tell she was shaken up by this. Their proximity was sending chills up her spine. Jack snaked his arms around her waist, holding the love of his life tighter than he has ever held her. "I'm so sorry Selena baby. I'm so so sorry." He whispered into her ear.
He could feel her body freeze against his. Selena could feel the rapid palpations from his chest against hers, and once she realized that this was all real once again, she relaxed against him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and smiled into the crook of his neck.
This was love. This was the love that the both of them have missed.
Jack could feel her tears hitting the skin on his neck as she whispered something back to him. "I heard every word Jack. I heard everything." And those words put him at ease.
The way they felt about each other was beautiful and complicated at the same time. It's like they knew what was bound to happen once they let each other go, which what made them afraid of each other. Every time they loved, there was always hurt to follow behind it.
This was like being at a state fair and getting the fortune to kiss a beauty queen. A delicate and soft kiss you exchanged money for, but knowing the kiss will not last or linger. And similar to a temporary tattoo, knowing it'll eventually fade away.
So they had to make this moment last.
