Page 64 of Dance for Me

Vanessa ran down the parking lot and grabbed a cab. She didn’t dare turn around because if she looked at Jack, she was going to cave and run back to him. As much as she loved him, she didn’t want the drama that came along with it anymore. She was tired of seeing Trixie with him everywhere he was.

She sobbed in the cab as her phone rang. It was Jack calling and he must have called her a dozen times since she left.

Jack: Please pick up your phone! Let me fucking explain.

Vanessa sat there staring at his text, but it was too late. The damage was done, and she was never going to be able to get that image from her brain. She shut her phone off right as he called her again.

“You okay miss?” The taxi driver asked as he looked at her from his rear-view mirror. But she didn’t say anything. She just laid her head back and wiped her falling tears.

Once she was at Jack’s, she grabbed her things as fast as she could before he showed up there. She grabbed Sprinkles and headed back to her place. When she got there, she was relieved to see no more vases of flowers left outside the door and no letters inside from being slid under the door.

She cried herself to her bedroom, crawled under the covers, and then cried herself to sleep.

She was hoping it was all a nightmare when she woke up, but it wasn’t. Her chest felt like someone took a knife to it and twisted.

She knew she shouldn’t, but she turned her phone back on and she had five missed calls between Jazz and Owen. Twelve missed calls from Jack, and ten unread texts from him. She deleted them all.

She slouched at the end of her bed and hugged Sprinkles to her chest. She let out an irritated breath when her phone buzzed again.

Jack: Please! Just let me know that u r okay!

Jack: I know I fucked up. I should have never been alone with her, but please Vanessa, just answer your phone!

Jazz: Hey hon. Just checking in to make sure you r okay. Owen is worried, too!

Vanessa answered Jazz, letting her know that she was going to take some time off.

Vanessa: I’m fine. I will be at least. But I’m taking my week vacation starting now.

Jazz: Of course, hon, take all the time u need. But please call us if u need to talk. Jack is going crazy over here. He was going to drive over to your apartment. You need to be careful by yourself, that creeper is still out there. Xoxo

She threw her phone down on her bed and decided to do something that she might regret later. Yes, she understood that some crazy person was still obsessing over her but that was part of the reason she needed to leave town for a little while.

Vanessa: Hey, can you take care of Sprinkles for a few days? Shit went down with Jack and I’m going out of town.

Michelle: Sure thing! What happened?

Vanessa: Don’t really feel like talking about it, but I’ll text u soon. Thanks. Love u.

Michelle: Love u, too.

With that, Vanessa grabbed a bag and packed her things.

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