So Long Soldier (Jalex)

Chapter Thirteen - Torn Love

- 2 days later -

 

Jack’s POV

I sat down on Alex’s bed, head in my hands and sobbing. I looked out of the window towards the place that used to be my home and saw my older sister and brother on the doorstep with the people that had come to take them away. Next they’d come to the door of Alex’s house and ask for me. I would never see Alex again. My mum and dad were now both serving a year in prison, which meant I was safe until then, but for now all I wanted to do was lay with the only person in my life that I could love which was Alex.

Alex’s POV

I walked into my room, seeing Jack sat on my bed, head in his hands and crying. “Jack…” His head raised and he looked into my eyes. The emotions I saw when I looked into them made me tear up inside. “Alex I don’t want to leave you. Please don’t let them take me away from you.”

“I can’t do anything to stop them Jack. It’s the law, I’m so sorry. I wish I could stop them.” Tears dropped from the corners of my eyes. I went over to the bed and sat in front of Jack, and shuffled so close to him that our knees and foreheads were touching together. “I love you Alex.” His voice sounded heartbreaking with all of the sniffling and cracks appearing in his voice. “I promise I’ll try and visit whenever I can Jack. I really do promise.”

“But Alex it’s about 3 hours away from here!” I put my finger on his lips to stop him from talking. “I don’t care how far away you’re going to be from me. All I care is that you’re safe, okay?” We both looked into each other’s eyes. “I’m really going to miss you Alex.” I sighed. “I’m going to miss you too Jack.” An idea popped into my mind. “Hang on I have something for you to take.” I jumped off the bed and walked over to my table where my piles of bracelets were kept. I searched through them all till I found the box that my brother had got me one Christmas. It was the last Christmas I shared with him before he died. I opened up the box and saw the two matching bracelets. They each had heart charms on them but on each one, one half of the heart is on them, so I would have one half of the heart and Jack would have the other. I walked back over to him and sat back down. “Roll up your sleeve.” He put out his arm and rolled up the sleeve of his jumper. I placed the bracelet around his wrist and put mine on too. “What’s this for?”

“It’s a bracelet to remind me of you. I have the other half of the heart on mine, see?” I showed him mine that was dangling around my wrist. I looked at his face and saw him smile and the tears fell down his face, past his cheeks and onto my bed sheets. “I love you so fucking much Alex.” He leapt at me and wrapped his arms around me, clinging onto the back of my shirt. I sighed. “I love you too Jack. I really do.” I held back all of my tears but let a few go. I didn’t want to make Jack more upset than he already was. A loud knock from the front door echoed up the stairs. “Alex, the child services are here!”

“Okay mum.” Jack was still clinging to my shirt and my fingers wrapped around the creases in his jumper. “Please don’t leave me Alex, please.” I felt Jack’s heart getting faster and faster against my chest. My tears escaped and I gave in. “I can’t help Jack I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!”

“Alex, the child services people are waiting to collect J-“ I turned my head slightly to see my mum who was stood at the door, sorrow in her eyes and her eyelids puffy from the crying that had taken place when she’d found out that Jack had to be taken away. “Jack, you have to go.” I pulled away from the hug. Jack’s eyes looked back into mine and I didn’t want to leave his gaze, ever. “Okay…” He sniffled and ran his hand down my arm and swung his legs over to the edge of the bed slowly. He walked out of the room and down the stairs. I followed him out, along with my mum.

Jack’s POV

“There you are! It’s Jack Barakat right?” The woman was tall and skinny with long blonde hair. I nodded, looking behind at Alex whose hands were clasped tightly together and his whole body was shaking. The woman’s eyes caught onto the bracelet that Alex had just given me. “That’s a lovely bracelet! Who gave you that?” I sniffled, and pointed towards Alex who was behind me. “He has one too? That is so lovely. You two must be very good friends. I’m sorry that it has to be this way.”

“We’re not friends.” Alex stepped forward to my side and grabbed hold of my hand tightly, and squeezed it. “He’s my boyfriend.” The woman’s mouth dropped open. “So we’re tearing apart two lovers here?” I nodded, and Alex followed, tears dripping down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I can’t do anything about this because it’s the law but if I could, I wouldn’t be taking Jack away right now because I know exactly how you both feel.”

“AMANDA WE HAVE TO GO!” A man shouted from the car that would take me 3 hours away from Alex and Baltimore. I saw my older brother and sister looking out of the window at me, giving me evil but saddened looks. The woman passed a card to Alex, which had a number on it. “This is if you ever want to contact Jack. It’s my number, but I’ll put him on the phone to you whatever time of the day it is. Being away from a loved one for a long time can tear people’s hearts into pieces. I’ve experienced it myself when I was around your age.”

“AMANDA COME ON!”

“Okay Jack, say your goodbye’s. I’ll be waiting at the car.” The woman walked away and left me staring into Alex’s eyes, hoping a miracle would happen, but inevitably I knew nothing was going to stop this. I wrapped my arms around Alex one last time. “When do you think I’ll see you again Alex?”
“I don’t know Jack. I really don’t know.” My fingers gripped onto the back of Alex’s shirt. “Wait, hang on!” He ran back up the stairs and came back down with a box in his hands. He handed it to me. I opened it up and inside were the entire collection of Polaroid photo’s he’d taken of us. “But Alex don’t you want to keep these?”
“I always took two photos whenever I took them. I always did. I only did it because I knew one day you’d need a copy of them.”

“Oh my goodness. Thank you Alex!” I put the lid back on the box and hugged him tightly for one last time. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too Jack.” I walked away from Alex for the first time since I’d first met him. I reached the car and got in. Alex came over to the car and put his hand against the window and I did the same. The car drove away and left Alex standing there. I looked behind until I could no longer see him and that’s when I broke down. I opened up the box of photos and looked at them and then I looked harder into the bottom of the box. Written on the bottom in purple crayon was ‘I love you Jack.’ Tears escaped from my eyes and I smiled. I hope I can see him soon. I love him so much…