A/N: This chapter is starting mid-scene of when Jacob finds out Mallory's age, to get his reaction and what happens next. I know I might be moving slow and the chapters aren't that long, but thank you to anyone sticking with me or reviewing. You are amazing!
Oh and I'm changing some parts of Water For Elephants β like for those who know who dies in it, they don't in here. I needed Jacob to have some people around him who was loyal and a friend.
"I know," Mallory said. "What kind of job could I possibly get that would pay even a quarter of the money I make stripping? I'm not exactly some college gradute." There was a slight pause in her words. "Or even high school."
That surprised me. I knew she had a β well, hard childhood sounded like an understatement. But I never knew that about her. "You didn't finish high school?"
"Even if I was in school, I wouldn't be done," she replied to me. That made me stop and think even more than her last statement. How old exactly was she? I never even thought to ask her that before.
"How old are you?"
She sighed and answered, "What my ID says or the real age?" I gave the most serious look I could form. "I7," she replied after a few murderous seconds. I felt like the suspense had been killing me and also like now that I knew, I didn't want to.
I could get arrested.
"17," I whispered back. It was all I could do in the moment. I gathered my thoughts up and tried to speak. "So this -" I made a point to show I was talking about the two of us by pointing to her and me "βis illegial."
"Yes," she calmly responded, "In some ways. But I don't have any family." Pause. "Well, real family. I'm technically emancipated." I only heard the one word that meant she wasn't.
"Where's your mom?"
I went to get my clothes and started to get dressed. I couldn't be standing around naked, talking about the girl I just had sex with, the most amazing kind ever, was underage. I needed to be wearing something.
"Dead."
That stopped me this time. I paused from getting my pants on and looked at Mallory. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks," she whispered. You could tell she doesn't like talking about that too much.
"Your dad?" I needed to push this to find out if any family would come after me for corrupting their daughter. They would probablty blame the stripping on me.
She shrugged. "Dunno. I guess he spilt or something. But he barely was there for me when my mom died." Fuck. Now I felt like shit for asking about an asshole and bringing up her dead mom.
"Look," I began when my jeans were completely on. She started biting her lip, which caused me to want to bite her lip. I knew that wasn't exactly what I should be thinking of during a conversation like this. I should be thinking of what all this could mean. "I really hope I didn't just screw myself over and get myself set up for an arrest warrant."
After all, Mallory did say there was this guy and his wife that treated her like family and she was really close to.
She started walking over to me. "Jacob," she started. "Look, this isn't wrong. There's feelings. And, I mean, so what? I'll be 18 not too long anyways." That's true, but how long exactly? "How old are you, exactly," she questioned me.
"23," I answered truthfully.
"Wow," her face lit up as if that were a turn-on. "That's fucking sexy."
I guess it is.
That caused me to laugh a little bit and she laughed with me. "We can make this work, you know," she said.
I sighed loudly. "I gotta think," I answered back. "I mean, I like you, really. I do. But I don't want to be doing anything we shouldn't be doing." I looked around the room, glancing for anything to distract me from what I knew I had to do soon. Anything to delay it.
Then I got another thought. "Do you think your dad would ever have any contact with you?"
"Probably not," she just shrugged. "He never has." She looked thoughtful for a second and then suddenly, hurt crossed her face. "Are you saying you're leaving? Before we even get to start anything?"
"I think it's already started," I said, keeping my voice low. I was already in love with her, after all. There wasn't much I could do to get out of this unscathed. She nodded, as if she was thinking the same thing I was. I got my shirt on now and knew it was inevitable now. "Look," I tried to keep it less painful, "just give me some time to think, okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded slowly again. "Okay. Um, where are you staying?"
"At a hotel about 2 blocks down," I replied. "I didn't wanna be far if you wanted to see me." I didn't think it was dangerous to tell her where I was staying, not that she would come. Not if she thought I was upset, anyway.
"Room," she asked me back.
"7," I was hesitant but told her anyway.
"Okay," she sighed at me, making my heart want to break. "So, if you want to talk-"
"I'll be there," I answered. I knew it was time. "I should go."
"Are you coming by the club later," she asked. I honestly hadn't even thought about it.
"I'll think about it," I said with a slight smile forming on my face. I couldn't make any promises. Not now. I walked towards the door and Mallory followed me. She was trying to smile back, which made me want to hug and kiss her.
That wasn't exactly the right solution.
"Bye Jacob," she managed to speak. She leaned in and kissed me soft. "Just in case you don't want to continue this. We'll have that last kiss." Her face was heartbroken and looked like she was about to cry. Mallory didn't seem like the crying type so I knew this way bigger than it seemed.
"Bye," I forced out a smile back. I got my hand on the knob and turned it. The door opened and I turned to face her again.
"Mallory?" She looked at me. "That wasn't our last kiss."
I smiled at her and she smiled this gigantic smile that showed how happy those few words made her. Just then I walked out the door, with the image of her happier than the last time I left. And knowing it wasn't going to end up like last time.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It took me a while to think on my way back to the hotel. The girl I'd just fallen so helplessly in love with, that I'd just slept with, was only 17 years old. I know it doesn't seem like a panic attack to most people but for me, it was.
Just a few months ago, I was having an affair with a married woman. And now I'm having sex with an underage girl. Sure, she was a stripper so maybe it was true her father had no involvement with her life. But it didn't mean he couldn't come looking for her or that those people who love her like a daughter wouldn't come after me.
If I learned anything from my relationship with Marlena, it's how bad secrets are. Her husband was, is awful. He would beat her and seconds later, be begging for her forgiveness as if he didn't wash a fork. It wasn't right how he was treating her. And she knew it.
That's why she came to me.
When I first met Mallory, I was this shy, lost boy who had no family and nowhere to go. Seeing her that first night, I felt like I saw an angel. Or whatever the equivalent was for an angel in a strip club. I had to chuckle at that a bit.
When I ran off to that vet job in the Circus, I didn't know what I was in for. I was thinking of Mallory a lot. I barely knew her but there she was on my mind all the time. That is, until I met Marlena. She was everything Mallory wasn't. She couldn't stand up to her husband, her family abandoned her for marrying so young.
That may have been what attracted me to her in the first place.
I loved Marlena, I did. Still do. But it's a different level of love then I feel for Mallory, which I know now.
Reaching the hotel and getting up to my room, I felt free. Free to scream and throw things and wonder if I was stupid for getting involved or stupid to let her go. I had to hold a pillow over my face the few times I did scream because I didn't want to alarm anyone who was around.
Getting it all out seemed like the answer. I knew I needed to talk to someone. That part was obvious. But I didn't know who I could talk to. Walter was still with the circus. Camel went home to his son. I sure as hell couldn't call Marlena. It felt like that was the right thing to do but what if her husband did know about us?
I couldn't exactly call to say "Hey" then.
I tried calling some of the guys I was at Cornell with but there was no answers. Just phones ringing, probably wondering who the hell was calling them. I had no idea what time it was where they were.
Instead, following my gut, I dialed Marlena's number. If she answered, I'd ask if he knew. If he answered, I would hang up and maybe try again later. The ringing only lasted twice and I heard her pick up.
"Hello?"
"Marlena," I breathed.
"Jacob? Is that you?"
"Yeah, it is me," I replied. "Does -"
"No," she cut me off, "he doesn't know." I breathed an internal sigh of relief, especially that I could even be making this phone call right now.
"I need to talk to you," I said. How to start was a bit confusing, though.
"What happened?"
"Nothing bad," I assured her. "There's this girl."
I heard her chuckle, "You've moved on?"
"You're married," I outsmarted her. "Remember?"
"Yeah," she whispered, "I am." I kicked myself for saying that without thinking. "So what about this girl?"
"I'm in love with her," I said honestly. "I haven't known her for that long but I already love her, Marlena."
"Does she love you?"
"I don't know."
"Well," she chuckled again, "You always were the romantic type so I knew you'd fall in love with some girl soon."
"Yeah," I said smiling, "there's a problem though."
"What's that?"
"She's 17." There was a pause on the other side as I heard her sigh. "Marlena?"
"I'm still here," she said. "Just taking it in. Are her parents around?"
"No," I sighed. "Her mom's passed away and her dad left. There is these people who treat her like a daughter but that's it. They'd have no legal claim involved."
"Then go for it," she said.
"What," she shocked me. "'Go for it?'"
"You love her," she started, "her parents aren't in the picture. I don't see the problem."
I thought about it for a second and she was right. "Thank you."
"Anytime," she smiled. And we said our goodbyes and hung up.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
I walked into the club when I knew her shift was. She wasn't at her usual spot so I had to look around. None of those girls could compare to her, at all.
She looked up at me when I saw her. I smiled because I knew this whole crazy thing was over. I could tell she was relieved and happy as I walked over. The chorus of the song was perfect for us.
you are a fever, you are a fever
you ain't born typical
you are a fever, you are a fever
you ain't born typical
She kept dancing and even though there was other guys near, I knew she was dancing just for me. I also knew it'd all be okay.
