Chapter Eighteen: The Escape
Jack dropped Bella off at her house just after midnight.
They sat in the driveway for a moment, neither of them moving to get out. The porch light was off. Ronald's car wasn't there.
"Thanks for tonight," Bella said quietly. "I needed that."
"Me too."
She reached for the door handle, then hesitated. "Jack—"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad you texted me. About the game. I'm glad we—" She stopped, searching for words. "I'm glad we're friends."
Friends. The word felt inadequate for what was happening between them, but Jack nodded anyway.
"Me too."
Bella got out of the car. Jack watched her walk to her front door, unlock it, disappear inside.
He sat there for another minute, the engine idling, his phone in his hand.
Then he started typing.
Want to do something stupid?
He hit send before he could second-guess himself.
The response came almost immediately.
How stupid are we talking?
Jack smiled despite himself.
Meet me at the arcade on Maple Street. The one with the terrible pizza.
That place is still open?
Apparently. I'll be there in twenty minutes.
You're insane.
Probably. See you there.
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The arcade was exactly as terrible as Jack remembered.
Flickering neon lights, sticky floors, the smell of stale popcorn and industrial cleaner. Half the machines were out of order, and the ones that worked looked like they'd been salvaged from the 1990s.
It was perfect.
Bella arrived ten minutes after him, still wearing her Celtics jersey, her hair pulled back in that same ponytail. She looked around the arcade with wide eyes.
"Oh my God. This place is a health code violation."
"I know." Jack fed quarters into a Skee-Ball machine. "Isn't it great?"
"It's disgusting."
"Come on. When's the last time you played Skee-Ball?"
Bella laughed—a real, genuine laugh that made something warm bloom in Jack's chest. "I don't think I've ever played Skee-Ball."
"Then you're in for a treat."
He showed her how to roll the ball up the ramp, aiming for the higher-point holes. She was terrible at it. The ball kept bouncing off the sides, landing in the lowest-scoring rings.
"This is rigged," she said after her fifth attempt.
"It's not rigged. You just suck."
"Excuse me?" She turned to him with mock offense. "I'll have you know I was very athletic in high school."
"Clearly that didn't translate to Skee-Ball skills."
"Watch this." Bella grabbed another ball, wound up dramatically, and threw it with way too much force. It sailed over the top of the machine entirely, bouncing off the wall behind it.
They both froze.
Then they burst out laughing.
"Okay," Bella said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Maybe I do suck."
"Maybe?"
"Shut up." She shoved him playfully. "Let's try something else."
They moved through the arcade like kids—racing each other on the motorcycle games, shooting zombies in a co-op shooter, competing at air hockey. Jack couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed this much. Couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this light.
Bella was competitive in a way that surprised him. She trash-talked during air hockey, celebrated obnoxiously when she won at Dance Dance Revolution, demanded rematches when she lost.
And she was beautiful.
Not in the polished, perfect way Leena had been. But in a real, unguarded way. The way she threw her head back when she laughed. The way she bit her lip when she was concentrating. The way she looked at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention.
"You're staring again," she said, catching him mid-gaze.
"Sorry."
"Don't be." She smiled. "I like it."
The air between them shifted. Became charged.
Jack cleared his throat. "Want to try karaoke?"
"There's karaoke here?"
"In the back room. I saw a sign."
"Oh God." Bella groaned. "I'm a terrible singer."
"I don't believe that."
"It's true. I sound like a dying cat."
"Then you'll fit right in with everyone else who does karaoke."
She laughed again. "Fine. But you're going first."
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The karaoke room was even worse than the arcade.
A tiny stage with a single spotlight, a handful of tables, a binder full of song choices that looked like it hadn't been updated since 2005. There were maybe six other people in the room, all of them drunk and enthusiastic.
Jack picked "Don't Stop Believin'" because it was impossible to fuck up.
He was wrong.
He fucked it up spectacularly, missing half the notes and forgetting the words to the second verse. But Bella cheered for him anyway, clapping and whistling like he'd just performed at Madison Square Garden.
"Your turn," he said, handing her the microphone.
"I hate you."
"You love me."
The words came out before he could stop them. They hung in the air for a moment, too heavy, too real.
Bella's smile faltered slightly. Then she took the microphone.
"Fine. But if I embarrass myself, you're buying me a drink."
She chose "Total Eclipse of the Heart." And she was right—she wasn't a great singer. Her voice was a little off-key, a little shaky.
But Jack couldn't look away.
She sang like she meant every word. Like the song was about her, about them, about everything they'd lost and everything they were trying to find.
Turn around, bright eyes...
And when she looked at him during the chorus, Jack felt something crack open in his chest.
This wasn't just attraction. Wasn't just two broken people finding comfort in each other.
This was something more.
Something terrifying.
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They left the arcade just after two in the morning.
Jack's sides hurt from laughing. His throat was sore from singing. He felt more alive than he had in months.
"I'm starving," Bella said as they walked to his car.
"There's a gas station down the street. We could grab snacks."
"Gas station food at two a.m.? You really know how to show a girl a good time."
"Only the best for you."
They bought cheap beer, bags of chips, candy bars, and a pack of cookies that were probably stale. The cashier looked at them like they were insane.
"Where to now?" Bella asked as they got back in the car.
Jack hesitated. He knew where he wanted to go. But saying it out loud felt dangerous.
"There's a hill overlooking the city," he said finally. "Good view. Quiet."
"Sounds perfect."
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The cliff was exactly as Jack remembered.
The same winding road. The same overlook. The same view of the city lights stretching out below them like a blanket of stars.
This was where he'd proposed to Leena.
He'd brought her here on a Sunday morning, the sunrise painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. He'd gotten down on one knee, his hands shaking, his heart pounding, and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.
She'd said yes.
And now he was here with someone else.
Bella seemed to sense the weight of the place. She didn't ask questions. Just followed him to a spot near the edge, where they could see everything.
They spread out their gas station haul on the hood of the car. Opened beers. Ate chips straight from the bag.
"This is nice," Bella said after a while. "Peaceful."
"Yeah."
"Do you come here often?"
"Only when I need to clear my head...so yes. "
She chuckled. Then a moment of silence lingered.
"I know. Probably weird that I brought you here again. The place I proposed to Leena."
"No." She turned to look at him. "Not weird. Intentional."
"What do you mean?"
"You're replacing the memory." Her voice was soft. "You're taking something that used to be hers and making it yours again."
Jack hadn't thought of it that way. But she was right.
"Is that okay?" he asked.
"It's more than okay." Bella moved closer, her shoulder brushing his. "It's brave."
They sat in silence for a while, drinking their beers, watching the city below.
"Can I ask you something?" Jack said finally.
"Anything."
"Why do you stay with him? With Ronald?"
Bella was quiet for a long moment. "I don't know. Habit, maybe. Fear."
"Fear of what?"
"Of being alone. Of disappointing my mother. Of—" She stopped, her voice catching. "Of not knowing who I am without him."
"You're Bella. You're smart and funny and beautiful and—"
"I'm his wife." The words came out flat. "That's who I've been for eight years. Ronald's wife. The woman who looks good at parties and doesn't ask too many questions. I don't know how to be anything else."
"You could be."
"Could I?" She turned to him, her eyes searching his face. "What would I even do? Where would I go? My mother would be devastated. She thinks divorce is—" Bella laughed bitterly. "She thinks it's the worst thing a woman can do. Worse than staying with a cheater. Worse than being miserable."
"Your mother isn't living your life."
"I know that. But it's not that simple, Jack. It's not just about leaving. It's about—" She gestured helplessly. "It's about everything that comes after. The uncertainty. The judgment. The loneliness."
"You wouldn't be alone."
The words hung between them, heavy with implication.
Bella looked at him for a long moment. Then she leaned in and kissed him.
It wasn't like the kiss at the party. Wasn't performative or calculated.
This was real.
Her lips were soft, tentative at first. Then more certain. Her hand came up to cup his face, her fingers threading through his hair.
Jack kissed her back, his hands finding her waist, pulling her closer.
They moved together, awkward at first on the hood of the car, then finding a rhythm. Bella climbed into his lap, straddling him, her body pressed against his.
"Jack," she breathed against his mouth. "I want—"
"Me too."
They moved to the backseat, fumbling with clothes, with seatbelts, with the limited space. It should have been awkward. Should have been uncomfortable.
But it wasn't.
Because this was about them. Not about anyone watching. Not about proving anything.
Just them.
Bella's hands were everywhere—his chest, his shoulders, his face. Like she was trying to memorize him. Like she was afraid he'd disappear.
Jack kissed her neck, her collarbone, the hollow of her throat. She tasted like beer and salt and something uniquely her.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice rough.
"Yes." She pulled back to look at him, her eyes dark and certain. "I'm sure."
They came together slowly, carefully. Jack watched her face, the way her eyes fluttered closed, the way her lips parted on a soft gasp.
"Okay?" he asked.
"More than okay."
They moved together, finding a rhythm that was both tender and intense. Bella's hands gripped his shoulders, her nails digging in slightly. Jack's hands were on her hips, guiding her, holding her.
This wasn't about dominance or submission. Wasn't about power or control.
This was about connection. About two broken people finding something whole in each other.
"Jack," Bella breathed, her forehead pressed against his. "God, Jack—"
"I know. I know."
They came apart together, gasping and trembling. Bella collapsed against him, her face buried in his neck.
They stayed like that for a long time, their breathing slowly returning to normal, their bodies still tangled together.
"That was—" Bella started.
"Yeah."
She laughed softly. "Very articulate."
"I'm a little overwhelmed."
"Me too."
They shifted slightly, making themselves more comfortable in the cramped backseat. Bella's head rested on Jack's chest, his arm wrapped around her.
"I could stay here forever," she murmured.
"Me too."
And for a moment, Jack believed it. Believed they could just stay here, suspended in this perfect moment, and never have to face reality again.
Then Bella's phone buzzed.
She tensed immediately, reaching for her purse on the floor.
Jack felt the shift in her body, the way she pulled away slightly.
"It's Ronald," she said, her voice flat.
Jack's stomach dropped. "What does he say?"
"He's coming home early. Wants to know where I am."
The words were like ice water.
Jack sat up, his hands still on Bella's waist. "Don't go back to him."
"Jack—"
"I'm serious. Divorce him. You can't go back to that. Not after this."
Bella pulled away completely, reaching for her clothes. "We barely know each other."
"What?"
"We barely know each other, Jack. You can't—you can't demand I divorce him. That's not how this works."
Her voice was cold. Defensive. Nothing like the woman who'd been in his arms moments ago.
"I'm not demanding anything," Jack said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I'm just saying—you deserve better than him. Better than a man who cheats on you constantly and doesn't give a shit about your feelings."
"And what? You're better?" Bella was getting dressed now, her movements jerky and angry. "You're a man I've known for a few weeks. A man who's still technically married. A man who—"
"A man who cares about you."
"You don't know me well enough to care about me."
The words hit like a slap.
Jack stared at her, trying to understand what was happening. Trying to figure out where the woman he'd just made love to had gone.
"Bella—"
"I need to go home." She wouldn't look at him. "Ronald's waiting."
"So that's it? You're just going to go back to him? Pretend this didn't happen?"
"I don't know what I'm going to do." Her voice cracked slightly. "But I can't—I can't make that decision right now. Not like this."
Jack wanted to argue. Wanted to tell her she was making a mistake. That she was choosing fear over happiness.
But he could see it in her eyes. The terror. The uncertainty.
She wasn't ready.
And he couldn't force her to be.
"Okay," he said quietly. "I'll take you home."
They got dressed in silence. Climbed back into the front seats. Jack started the car.
The drive back to Bella's house was the longest twenty minutes of Jack's life.
Neither of them spoke. The silence was heavy, suffocating.
Jack kept replaying the moment in his head. The way she'd kissed him. The way she'd looked at him. The way she'd said his name.
And then the way she'd pulled away. The coldness in her voice. The fear.
He'd pushed too hard. Asked for too much.
And now he was losing her too.
When they pulled into her driveway, Ronald's car was there.
Bella stared at it for a moment, her hand on the door handle.
"Bella—" Jack started.
"Don't." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Please don't."
She got out of the car without looking at him.
Jack watched her walk to her front door. Watched her unlock it. Watched her disappear inside.
He sat there for another minute, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his chest tight.
Then he drove away.
Back to his hotel room. Back to his empty bed. Back to the crushing weight of everything he'd lost.
But this time, it wasn't just about Leena.
This time, it was about Bella too.
And somehow, that hurt even more.