Unveiling J.A.C.I.E. (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 14

With the last show nearing, we started taking in every moment we possibly could. All the All Time Low boys were standing side stage with me before my set, which would start ten minutes later. My set had evolved over the weeks. While my song with Alex was only supposed to be a one off when Jack wasn't available one night, it had now also become a staple. I didn't want him to come out early every night, but he insisted. And that's how the crowd already got to see one half of All Time Low before their set even started.

Rian and Zack had come to watch. They'd just watch from the sidelines. Even just the few minutes all four of them were there felt like the biggest support. Without all of them, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have helped them on their album, they wouldn't have influenced my own song writing, my songs with Alex and Jack would have never existed, which meant I would have never been on this tour, and Jack and I wouldn't have ended up getting married.

I had to thank them for everything even if they didn't know the extent of it all.

The four men were chatting as I helped Jack clip his monitor onto the back of his jeans. Once I was done, I slipped my hands up his back, over his sides, avoiding the guitar he had slung onto him, and up his front until they were on his shoulders. My arms were hooked under his, letting me pull myself closer. I could hear his voice travel through his body as I rested my head against his back.

The fact that he didn't react to my movements only made me smile. Things like this had become second nature to us. I wasn't afraid of things becoming normal and forgettable. It just meant everything started feeling like home.

I don't know how it exactly happened, but somehow Jack's guitar strap caught on the thin chain around my neck. That paired with the fact that I was wearing a slightly lower cut shirt than usual was a recipe for disaster. The strap didn't even have to tug harshly for the chain to slip out, showcasing the rings on the wrong side of the fabric. I barely even noticed that it had happened.

Luckily, I was half hidden behind Jack. It must have been a quick second, but it felt like ages before I missed the familiar feeling of the metal dangling against my skin. In my lower peripheral vision, I suddenly spotted the glistening of gold.

I quickly put my hand over the rings and stuffed them back in my shirt. As I glanced around to check if anybody had seen, I made eye contact with Zack. He was staring back at me but his expression was stoic. I couldn't tell if he had seen or not. To play it off, I anxiously wrapped my arms around Jack's waist again.

It felt ominous as Zack slowly left the scene while I left Jack to go grab my own bass.

That show, Jack took our usual performance a step further. Ever since we had made our relationship public, we were more affectionate instead of just flirty on stage. Still, it was all very mild. This time, he came right up to me instead of simply next to me. He got as close as possible without both of our instruments crashing together. Carefully, he kissed my cheek, which surprisingly made the crowd go wild. I just stuck my tongue out at him as he slowly put more distance between us, and focused on singing the song.

I felt like Zack's eyes were on me the entire time, analysing every move I made. Especially when Jack was up on stage with me. I was being paranoid. Almost all eyes in the room were on me. Still, I felt like he had seen more than he let on.

What I did not expect was that I'd come face to face with him after my set ended and before their set started. Nobody else was around in the hallways to protect me from my fears and I fully expected him to confront me.

"Great show, Jacie!" He grinned brightly, holding his hand up for a high five.

"Oh, thanks." I sounded quite surprised as I went in for the high five.

"We should really share some bass secrets at some point."

I laughed, still trying to figure out if he had seen the rings and knew what they were. "I think you can teach me a few more things than I can teach you."

"You never know," he winked.

I thought he would change the subject and inquire about the rings. But he didn't. He didn't even seem to hesitate or want to ask me something. Instead, he just gave me a pat on the shoulder as he pushed past me towards the stage.

Maybe I had been paranoid after all. It wasn't like he knew what the rings were for. For all he knew, they could have been family heirlooms.

The rings stayed on my mind for the rest of the evening. It could have been a disaster. Our secret could have been laid bare for everybody to see. But was that really such a bad thing? Maybe it was time. Maybe it shouldn't be a secret anymore. After all, if we wanted to go through with this marriage, we were going to have to lay it out in the open.

I anxiously kept the thought to myself for the rest of the evening until Jack and I had a moment alone.

Everybody on the bus was hanging out in the back lounge, ready to watch a movie together. Jack and I were on snack duty, leaving the two of us alone in the front lounge as we scavenged the kitchenette for food and waited for popcorn to pop in the microwave. He was sitting on one of the couches while I hit the button of the microwave to turn it on.

Now was my chance to address it all.

"Hey, Jack? I don't want to wear these anymore," I told him as I gently tugged at the chain around my neck.

It took Jack's face for me to realise what it sounded like I was saying. Confusion was spread all over it with a certain tint of hurt in his eyes. His lips were in a straight line and his eyebrows sank.

"Fuck." I quickly corrected, "No. I mean, I don't think I should be wearing them anymore. What? No. I mean we should probably both wear them. Like, permanently. Not just when nobody's around. Shit, that came out so wrong."

Relief replaced all his negative emotions like a tidal wave. "Oh my god, Jacie!"

"I'm so sorry!" I gushed and put both of my hands on his cheeks.

"Why would you do that?!"

"No, no, no, I'm so sorry," I continued to mumble apologies, peppering his entire face with kisses.

He caught me off guard and pulled me towards him, making me fall into his lap. I yelped in surprise, my hands falling from his face and onto his shoulders. Our laughter filled the air as he held me tightly. He switched our roles and started kissing my cheeks instead. I could barely reach out enough to finally connect our lips.