The One Without Words

❀ chapter thirty-six | everyone is gay for jack ❀

"Have you ever talked to anyone else, Jack?" I asked as I leaned against him.

"I've never talked to anyone as much as I've talked to you," he admitted. "Except... my mom and therapist."

"That's it?"

"It's embarrassing."

"Not embarrassing. More like sad. Not enough people know who you are."

He didn't answer. Only tightened his hold around my waist.

For whatever reason, I was the one he chose to share his words with now. Old Romy would've gotten a major ego boost out of that, but I found myself retreating into this newfound sadness. How alone had he felt for years, unable to open up to anyone?

"I don't want to wait anymore," he murmured, interrupting my thoughts. "I'm cold."

"Doesn't it get cold in Germany?"

"Yes. I don't like the cold. We need to go."

"Sorry I'm not hot enough for you," I joked. "But when you say go... where are we supposed to go, exactly?"

"Back to the trail."

I got up from my very comfortable seat in his lap. He stood and turned on the flashlight on his phone again.

"What if our phones die before we find it?" I asked.

"Let me borrow your necklace."

"What?"

"Trust me."

"Um... okay."

I slowly unhooked my citrine necklace and gave it back to him. He shone the light through the stone, revealing a brilliant clear gold flecked with orange and white.

"It can help guide us," he said. "Crystals are magical like that."

I held my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't laugh at him. "I thought you said you only believe in science."

But maybe science alone wouldn't be enough to get us out of here.

And so I followed Jack's lead as he began walking through the slush of snow and leaves. In one hand, he held out his phone to illuminate our path. In his other hand, he held up the citrine as if it was a compass.

The sight was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen. Even if we got lost and froze to death, the idea of this being one of our final moments made me laugh.

"You're really cute, you know that?" I said.

Jack turned around to give me a look.

"Put away your phone, though. You shouldn't strain your arm too much."

I took out mine and turned on the flashlight instead.

And he resumed his navigation.

We walked—more like trudged—through the slush and overlapping branches. Everything overgrown and dead at the same time, layered on top of each other. Endless. My shoes soon grew wet and freezing. My teeth chattered.

Thing is, I didn't even want to leave yet. I'd become perfectly happy in the dark, leaning against Jack's chest. Maybe a little too happy.

"What if we get lost?" I asked, moving a branch away so it wouldn't whack me in the face. "We should make walking sticks or something. What if we slip?"

"I know the trail is close," Jack whispered.

"I see you're the reckless one now."

But after another few minutes of walking, the trees cleared in front of us.