Author's note: Heya readers! We are moving closer and closer to end of Hope, :(. But here's another update, enjoy!
Hope Chapter 53- The Deadline
APOV
Time wasn't moving for me.
Well it may have been moving, but it was slower than I had ever felt before. I sat here in this empty basement, staring at Jasper's little picture on my key chain, his blue eyes holding me. The thought of him was all that was keeping me sane.
Anger and hatred took turns trying to fight against the defeat and loneliness that was trying to control me. I tried to stay emotionless, but I had no idea how to do that. How could you block out everything that you were feeling? Especially when those feelings were so deep? How had Jasper, Nick, and Mack done it for so long?
I put his picture down beside my purse and took my little mirror out of the pile of things on the floor. I then began to retouch my makeup. After all of the tears that I had spilled today, there was a lot to fix. I took my time, trying to make this anxious feeling disappear.
Could Jasper get all of that money? Was it possible, without him doing something reckless and illegal?
He wouldn't be able to call the police, so he had to make sure that no one knew why he needed the money. Would he call Spencer to help him? Spencer would definitely give him the money, but I didn't want him involved in this. There were already enough people in danger right now.
I tilted my face to the right, looking at the small patch of red on my cheek. I began to put cover up on it, knowing it would help Jasper stay in control this way. Though, my tears might wash it off again if I was trapped down here much longer...
I heard the floor creak and I straightened up, putting my makeup back in my purse as the door opened. I stiffened in fear for a moment until I saw the familiar shoes; Mack's.
I relaxed in my seat on the floor as he rounded the corner toward me. He had a paper bag in one of his hands and a cup in his other.
I gasped involuntarily as I saw his face and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you okay?" he asked with concern, thinking that I was hurt.
I nodded my head slowly, taking him in, eyes wide. His face was pale white, almost like he was dead. He was drowned of all color, a thin layer of sweat sparkling off of his face. He looked even worse than earlier. His eyes were drooping and his words slurred a bit in exhaustion.
"Are you all right?" I asked him back, wondering what was happening to him. Was he sick? Had he taken something?
Mack narrowed his eyes in confusion and sat down, crossed legged in front of me.
"Sure, why?" he asked, obliviously. He started to open the paper bag, pulling out two hamburgers and fries. He placed the cup on the ground between us and then pulled a can of beer out of the paper bag.
"You look horrible," I stated bluntly, touching his hair, which was soaked in sweat.
Mack looked surprised at my words, but wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, getting rid of the sweat.
"That really hurts a guy's ego, you know?" he joked weakly. It was as if he knew, somewhat, that he did look bad. But he brushed my comment off as nothing.
"Are you feeling okay?" I asked again, concerned. My eyes scanned over him quickly; he looked so sick.
Mack rolled his eyes nonchalantly.
"I feel great," he assured me almost honestly, handing me one of the burgers. His movements were more happy, upbeat. It worried me.
I stayed silent for a moment, searching his eyes for something, but they were blank.
"Eat, please," he said to me, nudging the burger into my hand.
I grabbed it hesitantly, not sure if I should eat it or not. What if Greg had put something in it or had done something to it? I wasn't supposed to trust them. Any of them.
Mack seemed to catch onto what I was thinking.
"I picked it up for you myself. It's okay. Nothing is wrong with it, promise," he confirmed, taking a bite out of one of the fries.
I knew he wasn't lying. I did trust Mack, even after what he did. I knew that he didn't mean me any harm... he was just confused. Why would he tell me so much about his whole past if he didn't trust or care for me?
I slowly raised the burger to my mouth and took a small bite. It tasted normal... it tasted good. I hadn't eaten since lunch and I was sure that the sun was already setting. I had definitely been hungry.
"Is it okay? I didn't know what you liked or disliked. I hope that's fine," Mack mumbled nervously, opening his can of beer, his eyes only on it.
"It's delicious, thank you," I assured him, smiling widely at him. I took another bite as he took a long swig of his beer.
He sighed. "Wow... I'm so thirsty," he said, surprised, taking another sip.
"Oh, and I got you some Coke. I figured you wouldn't want any beer..." he informed me, motioning to the cup in between us.
I smiled gratefully at him.
"That's perfect. You didn't have to do all of this. You're a sweetheart," I said to him, smiling widely, trying to assure him that everything was perfect. I was thankful that he was trying to make me feel all right.
He smiled, his cheeks getting a bit of color back, blushing just a bit.
"I hate you being stuck in here...and it is all my fault... I just wanted to make sure that you were as comfortable as you could be," he murmured shyly. I had never seen Mack act shy before.
I picked up the cup and took a long, soothing sip of the soda. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was until now.
Mack seemed satisfied that I was drinking and went back to his own food and drink. We ate in a pleasant silence. I felt a lot safer and much less lonely now that he was here.
I watched him for a moment and then brushed his hair off of his forehead again. It was sticking to it. I noticed how hot his skin felt against mine.
I put both of my cold hands on either side of his face, trying to cool him down. "What'd you take, Mack?" I asked quietly, staring at him intently.
He closed his eyes at my touch, and then met my eyes for a moment before looking away. "Don't worry about it, Alice. It's nothing..."
"Doesn't seem like nothing...you're burning up..." I mumbled.
"I'll be okay," he tried to assure me. He gently took my hands off of his face and placed them in my lap, as if he felt he didn't deserve the attention.
We ate in silence again. Then, he broke it a few minutes later.
"Alice," he said softly, looking up at me shyly.
"Yes?" I replied with a smirk, wondering what he wanted. He looked unsure for a moment, shrugging to himself.
"Do you think I'm a bad guy...?" he asked, his eyes looking ashamed and a bit pained.
I shook my head quickly and confidently.
"No, I think you are a great, sweet, lovable guy who has made some bad decisions," I told him the truth. He probably had been one of the sweetest guys in the world before he had met Greg. I wished that I had gotten to meet him before he had been shaken by the tragedy that had hit him.
"Do you think I'm a messed up drug addict?" he asked, a bit quieter this time, his eyes hardening suddenly. It was probably something that he heard a lot. I knew that Greg had called him that before...
"No. No I don't, Mack. I think you have made some bad choices, but I think you could change that anytime you wanted to," I said to him very softly, putting my food down and looking at him seriously. Where was all of this coming from?
He paused before squeezing his eyes shut, asking me one more question. "D-do you think Katie would have still loved me if she met me now?" he asked brokenly, his voice cracking in pain. I noticed his jaw muscles flex and his lips tilt down in a frown, trying to hold his emotions back.
I didn't know what to say. I had no idea. If Katie had fallen in love with him when they were just fourteen, then Mack had still been that smart, silly, sweet guy. It was before all of those things had happened. It was unlikely, in my head, that she would have fallen in love with the guy he was now. He was so different now... I was guessing that they never hung around gangs or druggies when she was alive.
"I don't know," I mumbled, not wanting to hurt him. But I gave him my honest answer. She probably wouldn't have even known him if he was in a gang... she would have been in a totally different crowd.
Mack frowned deeply, sniffing, nodding quickly. He picked up his can and took a long drink, his eyes deep in thought. He knew what I meant by that answer. He knew I meant that I didn't know if she would like him, not that I didn't know the answer to the question.
"She probably wouldn't," he whispered, his voice reflecting the pain in his eyes. It sounded like his heart had just been crushed to pieces. "She was too perfect, even for me, when I was good. A good son, a good student, a good friend, a good boyfriend. Just a good person all together. Now look at me," he motioned up and down his body, a tear rolling silently down his cheek.
"How could she ever love me now...?" he whimpered, crushed. He stared blankly down at his can of beer, letting the tear roll freely down his cheek.
"Mack..." I reached forward to lightly wipe the tear off of his cheek. "I'm sure she would have still loved you. She would have just been confused as to why you were doing this to yourself. You don't have to be this way... you could be the person she loves," I reasoned with him, my hand still rested on his cheek.
He swallowed hard and nodded, thinking.
Suddenly the basement door flew open, the door creaking loudly. Mack straightened up, wiping his cheeks to make sure he looked okay. He took a quick sip of his beer as Greg stomped down the stairs, jogging. He always had to come at the worst times. I had gotten Mack to open up again, open up about changing, and Greg had ruined it.
I noticed something in Greg's hand pressed against his ear, an annoyed look plastered over his face.
He shoved the phone, which I recognized as my cell phone, at me. He had his fingers pressed over the speaker.
"It's your stupid ex boyfriend. Talk to him and make it fast. Tell him anything about this and you die. Mack, watch her," Greg hissed at us.
I took the phone, seeing Spencer's id on the screen. I had forgotten that I was supposed to call him tonight...
Greg walked away from us, back up the stairs, looking pissed off. I took a breath and put the phone softly to my ear.
"Hello?" I said quietly. I heard Spencer's breath catch, his breathing uneven.
"Who was that?" he asked quickly, his voice rushed and worried.
"Relax, Spencer. He was just a friend. What's wrong?" I assured him, but I knew that he wasn't going to let it go that easily. He and Jasper had one thing in common: both were overly protective when it came to me.
"He didn't sound much like a friend... and your voice sounds wrong, Alice. What's going on, hun? I called the cottage and Nick didn't answer the phone and he isn't answering his cell phone either. Is something happening?" Spencer's voice was sounding hysterical. The amount of worry in his tone seemed to be making him lose it.
I frowned to myself, not wanting to lie to him more than I had already.
"Spencer," I sighed, sounding like I was frustrated, "I'm fine. He is a friend. He was probably just in a bad mood. And Nick is probably showering or something. Just calm down, okay?" I swore to him, my voice honest and smooth. My lying abilities were improving.
Spencer was silent for a long moment.
"You're lying," he stated shortly, his voice even more panicked.
"No I'm not!" I hissed angrily. I was angry that he could still tell when I was lying. Why couldn't he just forget how I acted with certain moods!?
"He wasn't your friend, Alice. He answered the phone saying, "Do you have my money if not shut the hell up and go get it before she dies!" Are you telling me he was joking? Because it sure didn't sound like it," he grumbled, frustration rising in his voice. But there was also a hint of pain... he was wondering why I was lying to him.
"And why isn't Jasper answering his phone? If everything is fine, make him call me right now, Alice," Spencer ordered me, his voice full of aggravation.
"Jasper's practicing football with Davis. And that guy was just joking around," I growled, trying to sound annoyed with him so that he would leave it alone.
"Then why didn't you call me? You said you were going to," he said, suspiciously. But his voice was a tad calmer, composed.
"I was going to... am I not allowed to get busy?" I lied, hating myself even more. My eyes narrowed painfully as I hoped that he would forgive me for this someday.
"Oh..." Spencer whispered, sounding like he was feeling bad, regretting getting upset with me for a little while.
"I'm sorry, hun, I was just really worried about you," he apologized, pain in his voice. I winced at it, knowing that it wasn't his fault at all.
"Its fine, Spencer. Don't worry about it," I whispered softly back, trying to make him feel better.
"Well... I was just calling to see if you and Jasper were doing any better? You were so upset earlier... I was just making sure you were okay now..." he continued, speaking in a sad voice, his words quiet and sorry.
"We are doing better. We aren't fighting anymore. Thanks for calling..." My voice faded off, fear piercing through me. What if this was the last time that I would talk to Spencer? If Jasper didn't get the money in time... and obviously they hadn't asked Spencer for help...
"Hun?" he asked softly. He knew something was wrong now.
"You can tell me what's wrong? I'm here for you." His voice was smooth, full of love and devotion. It made my insides soften and there was a fluttery sensation in my stomach. The weird feeling crept over me again.
"I'm fine, just feeling a little down, I guess. I know you're here for me, Spencer. You always are and I can't thank you enough. I don't know what I'd do without you," I told him honestly. It was the first honest thing that I had told him.
Mack watched me warily, noticing the pain in my eyes.
"I don't know what I'd do without you either, baby—hun," he breathed sincerely, his voice as sweet as usual. He was still struggling, but I didn't say anything about what he had called me, knowing it was best for him to remember like I was still his... not breaking his heart and dying.
"I have to go though, okay?" I whispered, my voice wavering a bit, defeat trying to pull through.
"No!" His voice was panicked. It was like he instantly knew something was terribly wrong. I heard him opening a door and then shutting it quickly. He cleared his throat.
"Can we talk longer? I wanted to tell you about some things." His voice was smoother now, normal, trying to hide his emotions.
"No, I'm with people, Spencer. I'll call you tomorrow," I assured him.
I saw Mack glance at the basement door, pretty sure that Greg would come down and check on us to make sure that I had gotten off of the phone.
I vaguely heard a car engine starting, the gas being pushed down in a hurry and the wheels squealing.
"What are their names?" Spencer questioned me. It was unlike him not to trust me... how did he know something was wrong?
"I have to go. I'll call you tomorrow," I repeated. I was about the hang up the phone until I heard the next question fly through his lips.
"Why did my jet pilot tell me Nick went to Forks?" he asked, now. His voice was a bit angry. Stupid pilot...!
"I have no idea," I lied through my teeth, panic hitting me. How would I get him off of the phone now?
"Something's wrong. He wouldn't go there unless it was an emergency. Alice, please, hun, don't lie to me. Are you okay? Are people holding you against your will? I'm right here, you can tell me, just say yes. Please don't lie to me," he begged. I could hear his car wheels ripping through turns, speeding down the road. What could I tell him? I couldn't change his mind, but I couldn't let him get hurt...
"I won't tell the police, Alice. Just tell me the truth. Say yes or no. That's all you have to do..." he tried to coax it out of me, making sure that I knew that he was there for me.
I took a deep, long breath, having no idea what to do. But I couldn't let what might be my last words to him be a lie.
"Yes..." I whispered in defeat to him. It almost felt like a black cloud settled onto me as defeat dawned over me.
Spencer didn't say anything this time, but I heard the most violent squeal from his tires, his breath caught in his throat.
"Jasper knows? Just answer yes or no," he questioned me.
"Yes."
"Nick? Yes or no?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Is it that guy from Jasper's gang?" he questioned, his voice fierce, fear breaking into it, though.
"Yes."
Mack was getting suspicious now. His eyes narrowed at me, questioning what I was talking about.
"I'm going to come there right now. Stay calm. I am going to guess that they were asking for money because of the guy who answered the phone. Do you know how much they wanted?" he continued with the questions, trying to understand everything that was going on so he could plan what he was going to do.
"Mm-hmm," I answered. I tried to look like I was bored from answering his questions so that Mack would think he was just being annoyingly persistent and protective. I rolled my eyes for effect.
"Okay..." he breathed, unsure of how to ask me how much. "Umm, is it in the thousands? Hundred thousands?"
"The second one," I whispered, quietly, trying not to let Mack hear it.
"Alice?" Mack questioned me, his eyes hardening a bit, "Finish the call up, all right?" he warned me, not forcefully, but softly.
"Someone's there..." Spencer whispered more to himself than me, "How many hundred thousand, hun? Only tell me if you can, okay?" he told me carefully.
"Can you pick me up three more shirts like the ones we bought last time we shopped? You know, the blues ones?" I coded my message to him, knowing Mack was going to relax if I was just talking about clothes.
Mack smirked and rolled his eyes, then took a sip of his beer, finishing it up.
"Three hundred thousand?" Spencer asked. I heard his car door open and the car alarm honk as he locked it.
"Yes, exactly. I need those ones," I replied to him. I felt a little amused by how I was doing this, even though I knew it was about my life. Why was I so relaxed about this whole thing? Did I have that much confidence in Jasper getting the cash, or was it Mack being here that kept me optimistic?
"'Kay. You did wonderfully, hun. I am going to come there as soon as possible, okay? I'll be there soon. Are you going to be okay for now?" he asked, his breath quicker. He was running.
"Yeah," I assured him, taking a drink of my Coke, trying to look casual. I felt like some kind of person from a movie, trying to outsmart the bad guys.
"Mmm, all right. Stay as safe as you can. I'll be there with the money soon, I love you, hun." He whispered the last part, knowing that he wasn't supposed to say that. He wasn't supposed to tell me how he really felt, even though I knew it every time I heard or saw him. That was how he thought, though.
"Goodbye Spencer," I whispered back, a bit of pain cracking into my voice.
"It will never be goodbye, Alice. Don't say that. I'll be there soon, hun," he said forcefully. I heard his phone hang up with a click.
Mack bit down on his burger, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. I just shook my head and yawned widely. Mack gave me a soft expression and stood up.
My eyes were starting to flutter, fatigue suddenly taking me over. Mack reached down and picked me up.
"What are you doing?" I asked him sleepily, opening my eyes to see him. He didn't say anything though, he just carried me across the room and laid me down on the bed. Before I could say anything, he walked away from the bed and across the room, coming back with my key chain picture of Jasper.
"It might help you sleep better," he shrugged nonchalantly. I smiled softly at him. He sat on the ground beside the bed, leaning his back against it.
I laid my head down softly on the pillow, looking at Jasper's picture, his smile instantly calming my nerves a bit. I began to close my eyes after a few minutes, feeling myself lose consciousness, until I heard a paper crinkling.
I opened my eyes slowly, glancing over Mack's shoulder where he was reading off of a piece of paper. I squinted my eyes, trying to focus on it, but from not sleeping last night and then the drama from today, my eyes couldn't seem to open.
"What's that?" I asked curiously, my words a bit hard to understand, heavy with sleep. But Mack got it.
"It's a poem. Katie and I used to read poetry a lot and once she...umm was gone... I still read it a lot. Until I joined the gang... but I kept this poem with me," he informed me, not taking his eyes off of the paper though. A poem?
"Can you read it to me?" I asked softly, unsure if I should ask or not. It was probably private. Mack turned his head slightly to see me and he smiled widely at me.
"Only if you sleep after," he offered, making a deal with me.
I smiled at that and nodded, happy that he was letting me hear it.
"i
carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never
without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for
you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are
my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always
meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is
the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and
the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and
this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)"
He read the poem perfectly, his voice smooth, perfect for reading poems, making my own eyes tear up. It did sound like something that would match Katie and his relationship.
"It's by e.e. cummings..." Mack whispered quietly, gazing at the pages with a passion.
I opened my mouth to say something, but he turned around and pressed his finger to my lips.
"Sleep," he smirked at me, his eyes sparkling just a tad now.
"I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed, sitting back down in front of me, reading the page again.
The day that Mack stops surprising me would probably be the day that I die. He was so complicated, so deep... it was such a pity that no one would ever know who he really was...
With his promise, my eyes slowly drifted shut, all the stress fading away as I fell into a deep sleep.
"No!" I heard someone's bloodcurdling screams. It was very familiar. It was my voice. "No!" I couldn't see where I was, though. Everything was black. The images were choppy. Everything was flashing. All I could see was light, then no light.
It flashed to light again.
"You idiot! You are so stupid! Why would you do that?! What's wrong with you?!" I heard Greg's voice yelling loudly at someone, but I didn't know who. Was it me? What was happening?
Then it went dark again.
Then light.
"Alice!" Nick roared, I heard the pain and panic in his voice. "No!"
Darkness took over.
The bright light hit me again. "Alice, no, please! Don't hurt her!" This time I knew the voice the second it came. Jasper's. The pain in it was unbearable. I wanted to find him, but the darkness consumed me again.
Then the light was back. "Jazz, help me...please, Jazz," I heard myself whimper in pain.
Darkness.
I woke up, flying out of my bed. What was that? Why had it kept changing!? Why wasn't it going through the whole dream like usual? Why was it light and dark like that? The dreams had never been like that before...
Mack turned around, looking into my eyes, panic in his. He put his hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes.
"Shh, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" Mack asked concernedly, touching my cheek for a very short moment.
"Mack, bring Alice up here!" Greg roared from up the stairs.
Mack sighed loudly, seeming annoyed, which surprised me.
"Come on," he whispered, offering me his hand.
I was still in a slight daze from the dream. I looked at his hand, stunned.
He rolled his eyes jokingly and wrapped his hand around mine. "I have to make sure you won't try to run," he explained, a smirk tugging on the side of his lip.
"Yeah right..." I chuckled, squeezing his cold, hard hand. I hadn't noticed how cold it was getting down here until now. I glanced back at the bed and noticed that a blanket had been placed over me while I slept...
Mack laughed softly to himself and led me to the stairs, frowning once we got there. Did this mean Jasper was here? My heartbeat quickened at the thought of him, a smile wanting to take control of my lips.
Once we had walked up the stairs and left the basement, both of us let go of each others hands. Greg wouldn't take it very well if he saw us like that again. And neither would Jasper and Nick.
Mack looked around slowly. The house was empty. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Where was everyone?
Mack put his hand firmly on my back, looking around with his eyes flashing alertly. He brought us outside, where he found everyone standing, including Jasper and Nick, both of them looking protectively at me. Jasper's eyes were burning with need.
I noticed a backpack being held tightly in Jasper's hand. He was waiting to get me before handing anything over.
"Looks like your boyfriend made the deadline. Too bad," Greg smirked, eyes glinting with the cruelness that always seemed to linger there.
But this time it was there even more. He had a plan.
Something was about to happen and it wasn't going to be good.
Author's note: (here comes
another LONG A/N) Uh-oh! What do you mean Greg has a plan?! Let's
Hope that plan is letting Alice go! But is Hope ever that simple? :P
Well tell us what you thought, leave a review!
Photo time, good
news Team Nick! We know have a background made for him, check out my
profile to see it! Also, we have picked someone to show as Alice's
father, Dan Cullen, his picture link is also located on my profile,
check 'em out!
Also, about a billion chapters ago I mentioned
putting up a forum for Hope, but I never knew how to use it, but
yesterday I took the time to learn, or somewhat at least, I started a
forum, its a place where you can discussion Hope and blah blah, lol,
but I started it with the summary for the sequel AND 10 random things
about Hope (that you do not know) check it out and reply with your
own thoughts on whatever!
And, I think there are two new songs on
the Hope playlist if you wanna check it out, if you click on the song
name it'll now bring you to youtube and show the song! I still have
to update the main playlist with the new songs so to check 'em out
just click the link!
Two more chapters to go! Leave a review! :D
