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9| Identities and Information (pt. 1)
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Witness 10| Identities and Information (pt. 2)
After Laurie took my measurements for new clothes and took my photo for my new ID, she lead me through a series of hallways until we arrived at a different room. She opened the door to reveal a small, plain room where Jaxon was seated, going over what looked to be blueprints with another man— Cal, I assumed."Jaxon, she's ready for you," Laurie announced. He and Cal immediately turned to look at me, and I suddenly felt self-conscious. I was about to reach out and stroke my hair out of nervous habit, but stopped when I realized I no longer had the length that I used to."Wow... nice job, Laurie," Jaxon stated. My heart was pounding. He had complimented Laurie, but did that mean he thinks I look nice? I willed my face to stay neutral as I approached the table. "Did you look at your file?" Jaxon asked me before I had time to overthink his comment. I nodded in response, feeling nervous for some reason about finding my voice. Something about the small, bland space was oddly off-puttin
Witness 11| Flight (pt. 1)
Here's the thing about the witness protection program that I didn't think about prior. You get your documents and a new identity, but you still look the same. Sure, they gave me some highlights and a new style, but essentially I still looked like Emery Starr, and that's why I felt a constant pang of paranoia. I was confused at first why we didn't take a private plane, but Jaxon assured me that they used commercial flights to blend in. We had new ID's and nobody would be looking for a Skyler Finley or a Mason Walker. I was fine with all of this, and despite my paranoia I felt calm as we made our way through security and onto our plane.However, the minute Jaxon left my side to go to his seat near the back of the plane, I felt eyes on me. It was probably nothing, but I kept thinking about Chief's words. The line of followers that this particular mob leader had created was extensive, and they could be anywhere. Comforting, right? I settled down into my window seat and waited anxiously
Witness 12| Flight (pt. 2)
Finally, the flight attendant's voice flooded the cabin and Jaxon immediately released my hand. They went through their safety demonstration as we began taxing towards the runway. I didn't have it in me to pay attention even though I didn't fly often— I had too much on my mind and felt like I could fall asleep at any moment. Jaxon and I remained seated in comfortable silence until we were in the air. I was staring out the window, looking at the city structures become smaller and smaller; my old life becoming farther and farther away. "I know you're probably tired, but let's review some of our information quick for when we get off the plane. At least the basics," Jaxon stated, breaking me away from my somber thoughts. We were speaking so quietly nobody would hear us even if they tried to listen in. I nodded, "That’s a good idea." Although I agreed, my mind felt fried and I doubted I'd be able to cover a lot before actually falling asleep. "What's your name?" Jaxon started on the q
Witness 13| New Normal (pt. 1)
Grabbing our luggage and making it to campus was a smooth process. Jaxon had ordered me to stay close to him at all times— a relief because the perv from the plane tried to stand by me at baggage claim until he took note of Jaxon. He was quick to step between us, acting as a wall so that Brennan wouldn't be able to see me behind his large frame. It was nice to see Jaxon in action, not that Brennan was anything like the people I needed real protecting from.I felt a little bad that Jaxon had to grab most of the suitcases since my arm was in a sling, but again, he was a huge guy so I figured he'd be fine.Our trip from the airport was mostly silent, as the only conversation that happened was when Jaxon would bark orders at me or fill me in on safety protocols. I tried my best to understand everything he was saying, but I really only got it after he broke it all down. I didn't need to know all of the technical aspects of it anyway. I was thinking about everything Jaxon told me as we ma
Witness 14| New Normal (pt. 2)
I opened up my suitcase and sorted out my new clothes into piles. I knew hanging my clothes up would be a task because of my sling, and making my bed would be almost impossible. Still, I figured I could get Hannah to help me when she got home from work. I had just started attempting to rip open my comforter set when there was a knock on my door.I turned to see Jaxon standing in my doorway. His brow furrowed as he took in my surroundings. "You know you really should keep your door locked."Shit. I completely forgot to lock it after Hannah left. "Did you need something?" I asked with a sniff. I didn't mean to be rude to him, I just didn't have the energy to hide how I was feeling."No, I actually came to see if you needed some help unpacking, given that your arm is injured. I can leave though if you want me to," he started to shut the door. "No wait!" I called. He stopped immediately. "I could use some help with my bed." It was true, I definitely did need help making my bed, but I al
Witness 15| Whiplash
Waking up the next morning, I felt a lot of things. I was still scared and emotionally taxed from the events of the last two days, I was physically sore from the whiplash and gunshot wound, I was nervous about beginning my new life, I missed my dad and friends, and surprisingly, I was excited to see Jax again. I looked over to Hannah's lofted bed, noting she was still sleeping. I pulled my phone out from under my pillow and lit up my screen.God, my body hurt so bad. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I didn't know how easily I'd be able to get down from my bed when I could barely even move my arm. I figured it would probably loosen up throughout the day like it did yesterday, but as of now, I felt absolutely terrible. Just then, before I could send anything, my phone lit up with a text from Jax: Mason: what's your plan for today? Well good morning to you too, I thought. Skyler: I think Hannah wanted to show me around campus- she mentioned last night maybe going to a coffee shop?
Witness 16| Coffee Bean
When I entered my room again, I saw Hannah sitting up on her bed. "Good morning," I greeted. "Morning roomie!" She replied, stretching out her arms. "Was someone else in here? I thought I heard whispering." "Oh um... yeah. Mason came over for a second to bring me some ibuprofen." She nodded in understanding. "Well that was nice of him; Is it for your arm?"I just nodded, contemplating offering up information, but I chose not to unless she asked."Can I ask what happened?" She pressed.I was so grateful to have asked Jaxon what to tell her. "Old sports injury. I just had surgery to correct it but I'm feeling super sore today." I made my way over to the futon, sitting down since I couldn't get back up on my bed. "Oh gottcha. Are you still up to seeing the campus today? I can show you where your classes are and the coffee shop- nothing too crazy today since you don't feel well." "That sounds great! Would you mind if Mason and his roommate Blake tag along? He's new here too and ment
Witness 17| Moving Forward
The rest of the campus tour was okay. Hannah had done a nice job of showing us the ins and outs of this place, and I felt confident that Jax and I would be able to find our classes with ease tomorrow. Besides, we had the same class schedule so if I forgot, I was sure Jax would be able to get us there. As the tour progressed, I found myself opening up a little more to Blake and Hannah; they were both nice and outgoing, which made it easy for me to make small talk with them. Jaxon, on the other hand, remained silent. I wasn't sure what killed his mood, but he really wasn't being very social, and I found myself growing irritated by him.Hannah had said that she had an assignment she wanted to finish up, so she dipped from the tour early and headed to the library while Blake, Jax, and I walked back to our dorm. It felt kind of awkward with the three of us after Hannah left, and I really didn't like it. It was like cold, professional Jaxon was here for no reason after he was being so nic
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Witness 67| Wake Up Call
I fixed my gaze on Jaxon’s. "Alright. Out with it." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath as if to keep his cool. "What the hell were you thinking picking a fight with that guy?" I blinked at him. He really thought this was my fault? "I didn't pick a fight with anyone. He was the one who started it." "You should have just let it go! He was a drunk idiot, and you let it bother you!" "Me!? You can't be serious," I seethed, "He started it when he grabbed my ass! In case you forgot, that wasn't the first time someone's touched me like that against my will, so yeah, it bothered me. So what if I called him on it?" "We're supposed to be keeping a low profile," Jax said, placing a palm on his head in a frustrated gesture. "If you would have just walked away, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't have needed to step in." I glared at him. He was getting on my last nerve. How dare he place all the blame on me? "You didn't need to step in. I had it handled
Witness 66| Fallout
I was stunned looking at the man's unconscious body, but looking at Jax's expression, he was even more stunned than I was. He hadn't meant to do that. "We gotta go," he said, "Now." There was commotion starting around us, and I could see some of the man's buddies trying to push through the crowd to get to us. Jax was right... we needed to move. Jax grabbed me around the waist, guiding me quickly and somewhat forcefully to the front of the bar, walking out past the bouncers before they caught wind of what was happening inside. Unfortunately for us, Blake's friends were no longer on shift. On the bright side, as we exited, it appeared that we were in the clear, as one of the bouncers hit us with a very bored sounding, "have a good night." Once outside, Jax grabbed my hand, pulling me along with him at a sprint. "Mason, slow down! I can't go that fast in these heels!" I said, stumbling along after him. I was too drunk and too in shock for this, and these heels certainly weren't
Witness 65| New Years Eve (pt. 2)
"Why did you leave Hannah and Blake?" He asked, sounding kind of annoyed. "I needed another drink," I said. "You should have waited for me," he growled. "Sorry. I guess I didn't think it would be an issue," I said, taking a few big swigs of my new drink. I felt I needed it after what was an oddly sobering experience. Once we got back to Hannah and Blake, Jax grabbed my hips, spinning me so that I was facing him. I wrapped an arm around his neck while the other one held my drink, and took another sip. I could feel the tension of his shoulder muscles, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed; his chisled jawline clenched. "Are you mad at me?" I asked. He shook his head. "No, sorry. Just annoyed by that asshole at the bar." I leaned in, placing a gentle kiss at the corner of his full lips. "He doesn't matter. Let it go, please." He nodded, leaning forward and placing his lips on my straw, taking a sip of my vodka lemonade. I giggled as he grimaced. "That's gross," he smiled
Witness 64| New Years Eve (pt. 1)
New Year's Eve has always been one of my favorite holidays. Mainly because it was one that I celebrated with my friends, not my family. The death of my mother and sister always loomed over me like a dark cloud, but I always knew they wouldn't want me to stop living either. And boy, did I plan on living tonight. Of course, I still missed Mel and my group of friends back at my old college, and I wondered briefly what they would be doing to celebrate. But, the wondering wasn't crippling me tonight. Tonight, I was surrounded by people who had become just as important to me as Mel was. Hannah was always so supportive and always knew how to make me smile, Blake always knew how to make sure everyone has a good time, and Jax? Well, I loved him. I wasn't sure when or if I was going to tell him, but I knew I loved him. I also wasn't sure if we would even be able to get in to the bar tonight, but once we arrived, I realized that Blake's basketball buddies worked here as bouncers, and the
Witness 63| The Perfect Outfit
We were not fast. 2 hours later, and Hannah and I still hadn't found an outfit. I was in the changing room, dealing with an exceptionally stubborn zipper when Jax texted me. Mason: 30 minutes in the dressing room? What are you guys doing? Sewing the dresses yourselves? Skyler: Is someone getting a little cranky? Finally, the zipper moved and and I shimmied out of the shiny, silver monstrosity. Only one more dress to try on. Mason: Correction, HANGRY Skyler: I'm almost done. I would be faster if you stopped texting me. I pulled the last dress off the hanger. I had high hopes for this one. It was a fitted, gold, mini dress that was covered in tiny little sequins. The best part was that it didn't even come with a zipper. I pulled the stretchy material over my head, giving myself a once-over in the mirror. Oh yeah... this was the one. My phone dinged again. Mason: Just pick something. I'm bored. I'm sure you look great in anything. I smiled. Last time I wore something even m
Witness 62| The Mall
"Happy New Years Eve, bitch!!!!" Hannah shouted, whacking me with a pillow to wake me up. She was back much earlier than I had anticipated; I didn't even hear her enter the room I had been sleeping so hard. I glanced at my phone, noting it was only 8:30. "Hey," I yawned, "you're home awfully early." She smiled, "I know! That's because we have a lot to do today to prepare for tonight." I sat up in my bed. "Oh yeah? Like what?" "Like going to the mall to find the perfect New Year's outfit, getting our nails done, and then we need to take a very thorough shower! Then, we will get ready, drink alcohol, and go to the bars to ring in the new year!" "Sounds exhausting," I yawned again. "Sure does," she agreed, "but we're doing it. Now get up, and get dressed! I'm gonna run to the dining hall quick and grab us some breakfast." I chuckled. I generally didn't have her energy this early in the morning, but still, it was contagious. I eagerly got out of bed, quickly changing into a pair
Witness 61| Christmas (pt. 2)
“You should slow down," Jax chuckled, watching as I finished my second glass of wine.We actually had a really nice Christmas so far. We went to the dining hall and ate our weight in bacon, then, on our walk back, it started to snow. Normally, I wasn't really into snow. It can be pretty... but after a while, it's just cold, wet, and turns to brown slush. But... I liked it today. It felt festive. Plus, Jax had kept a warming arm around my shoulders as we walked back to the dorm, and the large snowflakes were getting caught in his dark brown hair. I liked the look on him; he was just so beautiful. The soft, bright snowflakes softened his hardened features and made his ice-blue eyes look even more striking, if even possible. Then, when we were home, we watched Elf, and two other ridiculous Hallmark ones that I forgot the names of. Now, it was nighttime, and I was on my second glass of wine and halfway through my chicken Alfredo. "Oh come on; it's a holiday," I said, holding
Witness 60| Christmas (pt. 1)
Well.... it was that time of the year again. Christmas. I was prepared for how I would feel today, given how I felt on Thanksgiving. And, if I was being totally honest, I never felt like celebrating Christmas anyway. Nor did my dad. We actually made Thanksgiving a bigger celebration... Christmas was always too hard for us after the car accident. So, given that my dad and I often ignored Christmas anyway, today sucked, but I was feeling okay. At least, I was definitely feeling better than I did on Thanksgiving. Hannah and Blake had already gone home again, so Jax and I were alone. I knew he'd probably be coming in here to check on me soon, and I didn't want him to find me like he did last holiday. Instead, I pulled myself out of bed, grabbed my shower caddy, and headed to the bathroom. I took my time in the showers today, letting the hot water cascade over my body. It was quiet in here since everyone had family to visit during our two weeks off. Well, everyone but Jax and I. I
Witness 59| On the Ice
“You need to lace them tighter, Sky, or your ankles will wobble," Blake told me as I just finished my last knot. I cocked an eyebrow at him; they felt tight enough to me, but then again, what did I know about skating? "I'll help you," Jax said, walking over and kneeling down in front of me so that he had access to my skates. He hadn't put his on yet because the workers had a hard time finding a pair large enough to fit him. I thanked him, taking a moment to survey the ice rink while Jax retied my skates. It was a surprisingly nice space, and the large rink of ice looked smooth and shiny under the overhead lights. Despite it being indoors, there was a cool breeze coming from somewhere. I pulled my grey beanie hat further over my ears, smoothing my thick braid that hung loosely over my right shoulder. "You should be good now," Jax said, pulling me from my thoughts. He offered me his hands, holding tight as he pulled me up off of the bench. My ankles tried to wobble, but were
