Chapter 49: Goodbye

Alex stood in Jack's bedroom one last time. She pulled a black T-shirt on over her black hair. The swish of the short locks still felt new as they tickled her neck. Her neck felt naked now, the gentle pull of the star necklace gone. She had hid it deep in Jack's dresser, safe for another day, one she would not be a part of.

Jack held out his own leather coat to her.

Alex rested her hand on the coat and gently pushed his arm away. With a shake of her head she said, "I am not taking anything with me. I don't want to lose it."

Jack draped it over the arm of the couch.

Alex snatched the tablet off the dresser, trying to steady her hands. She turned and held it out to Jack. "Everything you need is in here."

He reached out to grab it, but she held on to it tight. "Follow it to the letter."

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Every A to Z."

She let go of the tablet, letting its smooth surface slide across the palm of her hand.

Jack flipped through the tablet's screen. "