In My Rearview Mirror, JACK.HUGHES

TWENTY FOUR

JACK'S POV

"Come on, it's almost 3 am, Jack," whines Luke beside me, his seat lying completely backward, almost horizontal.

I ignore his comment, still keeping my eye on the back door.

He scoffs, adjusting his seat to a more upright position. "We've been here for almost an hour and thirty minutes," he complains.

I keep my gaze fixed on the back door, my patience wearing thin. "Fuck, Luke, how old are you? We've been here for less than an hour."

He squints at the dashboard clock, his finger pointing accusingly. "No, we arrived at one thirty am," he corrects me with a self-satisfied smirk.

I roll my eyes, conceding to his accurate observation. "Alright, fine. But that's not the point. We're here to make sure Morgan gets out of there without any issues."

Luke grumbles, "Still don't get why you're so worried about her. She can handle herself." I turn to face him, my expression stern. "I know she can, but tonight's different. Braden and his brother aren't around. I can't take any chances."

"You honestly look like a creep. Coming here to her workplace...Kind of whack," he yawns beside me. "I'm just making sure she goes home safely. If Braden was here, I wouldn't have come," I snap back, my tone edged with frustration.

"Yeah, right, as if you trust her boyfriend," he chuckles softly. "He's not even her boyfriend," I say quickly, aware of the chuckles intensifying at my statement.

Luke smirks, looking amused. "Jack, you can fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. You're into her, big time."

I shoot him a look that says 'mind your own business,' but he just smirks knowingly. 

Luke studies me for a moment, then nods in understanding. "Alright, I get it. But we can't stay here all night. What's the plan?"

"We wait until she comes out, make sure she gets home okay. No compromises," I say firmly.

He grumbles, "Fine, but we better not get caught up in some drama. I've got things to do tomorrow."

With a furrowed brow, I can't help but let out an arrogant laugh. "What do you have planned tomorrow, man? We have a hockey game."

Luke raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's the thing I have to do."

He lets go of a big yawn before he drops his seat back again. "Wake me up when she's there."

I wipe my eyes because they are starting to burn due to how tired I am, but I won't let go. What if something happens to her?

I see a crowd of drunk people leaving the bar, making me believe that the bar is closing, even though I already know that the bar is closing at 3 am because I looked it up on Google.

I keep a watchful eye as the street gradually empties, the distant echoes of laughter and conversations fading away. And then, in the dim light, I spot Morgan emerging from the back door alone.

My heart skips a beat. Why the hell is she leaving alone? The unspoken rule for bartenders is never to exit the bar solo.

"Luke, she's there," I alarm him, slapping his chest. "Great," he grumbles next to me, still with his eyes shut.

I watch her walk to her car as she searches for something in her bag. Unable to find it, she squats down to get a better look inside. Even after a long shift in a humid room, she looks beautiful. This is the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and honestly, if I didn't know her, I would've shot my shot.