J.A.C.I.E.'s World (All Time Low Fanfiction | Jack Barakat)

Chapter 7

Even a few days after Jack had left, I was still struggling to figure out exactly how life worked. It was such a sudden adjustment. I tried going to Jack's apartment by myself since that was where I spent most of my time before. But that felt empty and foreign without him there, especially since I hadn't officially moved in with him yet. So, I quickly went back to my apartment with Hazel, where we had some wine and movie nights. I even spent a night at my dad's again to get some distraction.

But the biggest distraction would be my work. My new project was finally starting, and I was excited. It was the first time I'd produce for an artist by myself. Of course, I'd produced my own work, I had obviously helped out Justin, and I'd also done small projects for classmates. But this was my first big-girl solo job.

I entered the studio with my own keys. Even though it was technically behind Justin's house, he trusted me even if he wasn't there himself. This particular day, though, he was already in the reception area himself. He was behind the desk I had started my internship at. The plant Jack had gotten me ages ago was still alive and well there.

"Hey, hey," I greeted as I walked in, dropping my bag next to the desk and letting myself fall into another swivel chair.

"Hey, Jacie!" Justin looked up from the large screen. "What's up?"

I sighed and pushed myself to the same side of the desk as him. "Just excited to get back into things."

"Everything good?" He closed the email he was reading and focused on me.

"Yeah. I'm just in a whirlwind of a relationship."

"Is it that bad?"

"No," I shook my head quickly. "Well, yes, but no."

He frowned at me. "That sounds complicated."

"Not really."

"Okay, why don't you just tell me what's going on?"

I chuckled at his frustration. "I told you Jack and I got married, right? Well–"

"Hold on, hold on." He put his hand up to stop me and stared at me with wide eyes. "You did not tell me that."

"I didn't?" I grinned sheepishly.

To be fair, I wasn't just wearing my wedding ring. A few of my other fingers also sported rings. Granted, they were much cheaper, but it all blended together at some point. I was sure he would have otherwise at least asked if we had gotten engaged.

He shook his head. "I'm sure I would recall you telling me that."

"Well, we got married," I gave as the simplest explanation. It sounded like a minor detail to my story.

"And I wasn't invited or even told you got engaged?"

"It was just the two of us in Vegas."

He took a second and stared at me. "Damn, Jacie."

"Anyway, things have been good," I quickly brushed past it, wanting to tell him what was actually troubling me. "But this will be the longest we'll ever be apart. It's been three days and it already feels longer than the times he's been away for a week."

But he didn't really care. Instead, he repeated, "married..."

I rolled my eyes, but didn't get the time to respond. The intercom buzzed, meaning that the artist I'd be working with had arrived. I walked over to the little screen and saw the four people waiting at the gate. It felt so familiar giving the instructions and pressing the button with a little key to let them in. The last time I had done this, I had to constantly hide my smile around Jack.

Eventually, all four band members entered our little pool-house-turned-studio. They were all relatively young. Probably around their mid-twenties. Just a bit older than me, but it couldn't have been too much. There was this excitement and uncertainty in their eyes, ready to get started with their next big project.

"Hey! Welcome!" I ushered them further inside.

They all started introducing themselves. There was Liam, the lead singer with a powerful voice, Max, the guitarist who could turn anything into a catchy hook, Olivia, the drummer with killer beats, and Joe, the bassist who tied it all together.

It was Liam that caught my attention. He had this weird magnetic pull about him with his striking blue eyes and tousled dark hair. I knew I was married, but his charming smile sent a shiver down my spine. I was still allowed to think he was attractive, right?

I shook all of their hands and led them through the door to the actual studio. Justin wasn't going to join us. Even though he had the time, he wanted me to do this one myself. He was just going to stay close by in case I needed him, but he only had confidence in me.

We all took a seat. Olivia quickly claimed a chair, and Joe and Max shared a couch, leaving me to sit next to Liam. I could practically smell the leather of his jacket mixed with the cologne he was wearing.

"So, how's LA been treating you so far?" I asked, knowing that they weren't originally from here.

"It's been great so far," Liam responded, taking the job as spokesperson seamlessly. "We've never done more than pass through before. It's exciting to be surrounded by all these creative forces – you included, of course."

"Well, I'm flattered. I'm excited to work with you guys as well." I smiled, relaxing into the couch. "If you ever want some tips on the hotspots around town, let me know."

Liam perked up, but it was Max who was first to respond. "Oh, you know LA well then?"

I laughed as I nodded. "I'm an LA native. It's hard to grow up here and not know everything."

"And here I was thinking you were just a small town girl, living in a lonely world." Liam sighed as if his world had been crushed – joking, of course.

"Most definitely not." I decided to move on with the conversation and figure out what we'd be working on the next few weeks. "So, what's your vision and goals for our time together?"

"We really want this album to be a departure from our previous work," he explained, his eyes twinkling with passion and eagerness. "You know, explore the boundaries of the genre and take some risks."

"An ambitious endeavour."

"Exactly. And with your expertise, Jacie, we think we can achieve something truly special."

"Don't hype me up too much or you'll be disappointed," I winked.

We continued to chat some more about their music. Of course, I'd already done my homework and figured out what their sound was like, but getting to hear it from the artist themselves gave such a deeper understanding. We spoke about inspirations, their usual way of working, lyrics, melodies, anything you could think of really. Liam kept giving these subtle but frequent compliments, almost as if he was sucking up to me. It was just nice having somebody so excited to work with me.

"A few nights ago, we got to play in this small dive bar." He was telling a story about what their live shows had been like up until now. "The energy in the room was electric. It's moments like that that remind us why we do what we do."

It was a generic anecdote, but somehow he managed to tell these tales in such a captivating way.

I couldn't help but lean forward in anticipation. "What was that like? I never really got to have that experience. My first real shows were with my husband's band."

"Husband?" He seemed shocked and sat up straight.

"Yep, that's what you tend to call a man you're married to." I raised my left hand and briefly showed off my ring.

The others in the band burst out in giggles. While Liam tried to act like what I had revealed hadn't caught him off guard at all.

During our phone call that evening, I told Jack all about the all too flirtatious lead singer.