Chapter 26 - Jack

The bed feels too cold, too empty. I reach out instinctively, searching for the warmth that’s been beside me for the past few weeks, but my hand meets only cool sheets.

My eyes snap open, and I’m wide awake. The room is lit only by the early morning light seeping through the curtains, and there’s a stillness in the air that tells me everything I need to know.

Sonya’s gone. She never came home last night.

A knot forms in my stomach, tightening with each passing second as I stare at the empty space where she should be. There’s no note, no sign that she won’t come home, but I know—I can feel it deep in my bones—that this isn’t just a morning errand or a walk to clear her head. This time, she’s not coming back.

I sit up, running a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the lingering dread that’s settled over me like a heavy blanket. My mind races, piecing together the events of the last few days—Casey’s unexpected return, the way Sonya’s been pulling away, Casey kissing me last night. Oh, God. What if Sonya saw it? It all makes sense now, like a puzzle clicking into place with a sickening finality.

But before I can let the panic fully take hold, the door to the bedroom creaks open, and Casey steps inside. She’s wearing one of my old t-shirts, with her hair tousled like she’s just woken up, but there’s something calculated in the way she moves.

“Good morning,” she purrs, slipping into bed beside me, resting her hand on my chest like it belongs there. “I was hoping we could spend a little more time together before Fiona wakes up.”

My body goes rigid under her touch. Oh, shit. Casey’s making a move, and I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming sooner.

“Casey, don’t,” I say as I pull away from her. I get out of bed, putting distance between us, and the look of surprise on her face quickly morphs into something closer to hurt.

“What’s wrong?” she asks, sitting up and hugging her knees to her chest. “I thought we were… I mean, I thought this was what you wanted. For us to be a family.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “A family? You think climbing into my bed after everything that’s happened is going to magically fix things? Casey, you can’t just waltz back into our lives and expect everything to go back to the way it was.”

She flinches at my words, but I don’t stop. I can’t. I’ve held this in for too long, and it’s time to let it all out.

“You left, Casey. You didn’t just leave—you abandoned our daughter on my porch without a word. I had to find out about Fiona’s existence when she was already here, crying for a mother who wasn’t coming back. And now you’re here, acting like you can just pick up where you left off? It doesn’t work like that.”

Her eyes fill with tears, but I don’t let that stop me. I need her to understand how much she hurt us both.

“You didn’t tell me you were pregnant,” I continue, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I’ve been holding back. “You didn’t give me a chance to be there for you, to be there for Fiona from the beginning. And then you disappear, leaving us to figure it all out on our own, only to come back because you got yourself into trouble? What if Vince and his gang never got their hands on you? What then?”

She’s crying now, silent tears streaming down her cheeks, but I don’t feel any satisfaction seeing her break down. I’m just tired. Tired of the lies, the betrayals, the hurt that’s been festering between us for so long.

“For Fiona’s sake, I’m willing to give you a chance to be the mother she deserves, but this—” I gesture between us, the space that now feels like a chasm, “—this isn’t going to happen. We’re not getting back together. I can’t go back to what we were, and I don’t want to. Not anymore.”

Casey nods, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry, Jack. I never meant to hurt you like this. I just… I didn’t know what to do. I thought I was doing what was best for Fiona, but I see now that I was wrong.”

“I know you were scared,” I reply, my voice steady. “And I get that. But you need to understand that things have changed. I’ve changed. Fiona’s my priority now, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s happy and safe.”

She sniffles, looking down at her hands. “I want that, too. I want to be a part of her life, Jack. I want to make things right.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I say, even though the words feel heavy on my tongue. “But it’s going to take time. And you need to respect the boundaries I’m setting.”

She nods again, and for a moment, there’s a fragile peace between us. But it’s shattered the second I hear Reiner’s truck pull up outside, his horn blaring in a way that sends my heart into a full-blown panic.

I rush to the window, throwing it open to see Reiner climbing out of his truck. The sight of him alone tells me everything I need to know: Sonya’s gone, and Jane knows all about it.

I’m out the door in seconds, not even bothering with shoes or a jacket as I sprint across the yard. “Reiner! Where is she?”

“She’s on her way out of town,” he explains. “Left with Piper’s brothers not too long ago. They’re heading back to Stardust Hollow.”

The world narrows to that single, agonizing fact. Sonya’s leaving, and she’s not planning on coming back. My chest tightens, and I don’t even stop to think. I jump into the passenger seat of Reiner’s truck, slamming the door shut.

“Drive,” I order. “We have to catch them.”

Reiner doesn’t ask questions. He just throws the truck into gear and peels out of the driveway, the tires kicking up gravel as we tear down the road.

The drive feels like it takes forever, the minutes stretching out in agonizing silence as I watch the road ahead, praying we’re not too late. The trees whip by in a green blur, and every second that passes is another second Sonya’s getting farther away from me.

Finally, we spot a familiar car up ahead, Piper’s car, and I lean forward, smacking the dash. “There they are. Pull in front of them. We need to stop them before they hit the highway.”

Reiner nods as he speeds up, edging the truck in front of the other vehicle and forcing them to slow down. The car comes to a halt on the side of the road, and I’m out the door before Reiner even has a chance to fully stop.

“Sonya!” I shout, running to the passenger side of the car. Lenny’s behind the wheel, and his eyes narrow at me as I approach, but I don’t care. I need to see her, to talk to her before it’s too late.

Sonya opens the door, and at first, I’m not sure she’s going to step out. When she finally does, she asks, “What are you doing here, Jack?”

“Why are you leaving, Sonya? Why now?”

She looks away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Because I don’t belong here, Jack. I thought I did, but… seeing you with Casey, realizing you might have a chance to be a family… I couldn’t stay.”

“Sonya, no,” I say, stepping closer and grabbing her hand, refusing to let her go. “You’ve got it all wrong. Casey and I, we’re not getting back together. She kissed me, yes, but it meant nothing. I told her off. I told her that what I want, what I need, is right here in front of me.”

“What are you saying, Jack?”

“I’m saying I love you, Sonya,” I confess, my voice breaking with the intensity of the emotions I’ve been holding back for so long. “I don’t care about the past, about Casey or any of it. You’re the one I want. You, Sonya. And Fiona, she needs you, too. We both do.”

For a moment, there’s only silence. I’m terrified, afraid that I’m too late, that she’s already made up her mind to leave. But then, Sonya steps forward, wrapping her arms around me as she presses her face against my chest.

“I love you, too, Jack,” she whispers. “I was so scared that you wanted Casey back, that you’d choose her over me. But I can’t keep running from this. I don’t want to. I want to be with you, with Fiona.”

I hold her close, relief flooding through me as I bury my face in her hair, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of her. “We’ll figure it out,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Together. We’re going to make this work, Sonya. I promise.”

She pulls back just enough to look up at me, her eyes shining with determination. “Together,” she agrees, her voice strong and sure.

I kiss her then, pulling her into me like I’m afraid to let her go. And this time, I know it’s right. No more running, no more doubt. Just us, taking the leap together.