last summer - jack gilinsky

forty five

the sun was setting over the sea. jack and i were sitting at a rooftop restaurant, jack sipping wine while i drank an iced tea.. oh, why did i have to get pregnant before my honeymoon?

i smiled at a text from jack's mom — a picture of mason, who had just woken up. his hair was a mess but he smiled, holding his favorite stuffed tiger that he called tigre, thanks to my dad.

"look at mase!" i eagerly showed jack the picture. he laughed, taking my hands into his.

"my parents are going to be so good with our son." he said, kissing my hand.

"son?" i laughed, putting my hand on my stomach. "what makes you think it's a boy?"

"well, mason needs a little brother." jack shrugged. "and jack jr? come on."

i rolled my eyes and took a sip of my tea.

"maybe." i shrugged. i didn't want to know the gender at my last appointment, having had to go without jack. i also wanted to wait to hear the baby's heartbeat so jack could be there for that as well. as of now, our baby was just our baby.

"i just can't wait to be a dad. like, an actual dad."

i set my tea down and looked at him. "you've been a dad to mason."

he pursed his lips momentarily. "i mean biologically. i love mason, i really do. it just will be different when it's my child that i helped to create."

"are you going to treat mason any differently?" i asked, a hurt feeling mixed with anger bubbling inside of me.

"of course not!" jack assured. "i would never do that, rosie."

i twisted my lips to the side. "promise me?"

jack nodded, kissing my cheek across the table.

"i promise you."

i didn't want mason to feel less important because of his future brother or sister. he'd just be starting kindergarten, meaning he'd need help with homework.. and parent teacher conferences... and play dates...

"babe?"

i snapped out of my thoughts.

"let's go back to our room."

jack and i walk along the roads, all of the signs being in greek meaning we both couldn't really understand anything. luckily, a few had an english translation beneath and it was enough to get us back to our hotel.

"i'm not ready for us to go back home." i laughed, falling back onto the bed. going back to life in california was going to be hard after spending the last week in greece, going to the beaches and and monuments and eating the food and enjoying the weather..

"then let's stay."

i rolled my eyes. "we can't."

jack sat beside me and leaned over me. "i know."

i groaned loudly and jack laughed, pulling me on top of him. "i can help you feel better."

-

i woke up at three in the morning to a call from jade.

"rose, it's on the news."

"what? what's on the news?" i asked sleepily, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. i pulled part of the blankets around my body and went to the balcony, the hot mediterranean air keeping me warm despite the hour.

"they know who killed skyler."

my heart stopped. all of these years, i've felt certain that it was my dad. i never asked, or questioned it, because i didn't want to believe that my dad was capable of murder.

"who?" i asked shakily.

"ollie."

"ollie?" i asked, trying to make sure i heard right. oliver, who i dated for six months. oliver, who proposed to me and i said no.

if anyone, i thought he'd kill me. not skyler.

"yes. i can't believe it. he was at my wedding."

i sat in disbelief. oliver killed skyler.

"where'd they take him?"

"well, he just got arrested down the street a few hours ago. i think they're questioning him."

"jade, i gotta go. i'll call you back."

i knew i wouldn't be going back to sleep tonight.

i called my dad next, the phone ringing once before there was an answer.

"did you know?" i ask immediately, pacing now.

"lina... te dije que conocía a la gente."

my blood ran cold. i told you i knew people.

"¿le preguntaste? de todas las personas?"
you asked him? of all people?

i couldn't believe that this whole time that i had  a feeling my dad had something to do with it, i was right.

"mantente callado hasta que estés de vuelta en los angeles. iremos a verlo juntos."
keep quiet about it until you're back in la. we'll go see him together.

my dad hung up and i walked back inside slowly, numbly.

"it was oliver."

jack was sitting up, having woken up from the sound of the sliding door moments ago.

"what was?"

"oliver killed skyler."