The Heart System

Chapter 569: Chapter 569

"...I know you’re worried about me," Jack went on, his voice softer now. "But... yes, I know, I’m usually the careful one. But I’m sick of it. And I missed you. Let’s just meet up tomorrow and hang out."

There was a pause, like he was listening.

"I know, I’ve been selfish," he added. "Always refusing to meet. I know I hurt you. But... just this once, okay? Let’s just meet."

Silence followed. A few seconds later, I heard the lock click.

I straightened immediately and turned away, walking back into the main area as if I had just changed my mind about going in. I slipped a cigarette between my lips and approached a random table where a couple sat with two beers.

"Hey, sorry to bother," I said with an easy smile. "Got a lighter?"

"Yeah, man," the guy replied, pulling one out and lighting it for me.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

I nodded and stepped away, taking a quick drag as I glanced toward the bar again. Jack had returned to his stool, sitting exactly where he had been before, like nothing had happened.

Robert. Tomorrow. Meeting up.

That was something.

I let the cigarette hang from my lips for a second as I thought it through. I didn’t have a location, but I had a name and a time frame. That was already more than I had before.

I turned and made my way back to our table, sliding into my seat across from Cora.

"Well?" she asked quietly, leaning forward a little.

"I heard enough," I replied, taking a sip of my beer. "He’s meeting someone tomorrow. A guy named Robert."

Cora blinked. "Robert?"

"Yeah. Sounded... close," I added, choosing my words carefully. "Not just a friend."

Her eyes widened slightly as she caught on. "Oh..."

"Exactly," I said. "And he’s been hiding it. Probably because of his family."

"So... what now?" she asked.

I leaned back in my chair, exhaling slowly.

"Now we follow him," I said. "Tomorrow. I want you to keep an eye on him again. The moment he moves, you call me. Wherever he goes, whoever he meets, I want to know."

Cora nodded without hesitation. "Okay. I can do that."

"Good," I muttered. "If we can find where they meet... we might finally have something solid."

She gave a small, determined nod, hands wrapping around her glass.

"We’ll get him," she said softly.

I glanced back at Jack one more time, watching him sit there like he owned the place, completely unaware.

"Yeah," I replied. "We will."

Now... I just had to wait.

⟁ ⟁ ⟁

I couldn’t get any sleep after everything that happened. Instead of doing the sensible thing and actually trying to rest, I ended up sprawled on the couch, a movie playing in the background while I smoked one cigarette after another and worked through a bag of chips. I wasn’t even paying attention to what was on screen. Scenes passed, characters talked, things happened... but none of it stuck. If someone asked me what the movie was about, I wouldn’t even be able to guess.

Still, it filled the silence, and that was enough.

At some point, I glanced at the clock on the wall. Five in the morning.

The snow had stopped hours ago, replaced by steady rain tapping against the windows. Every now and then, a gust of wind would roll through, making the glass rattle just enough to remind me how late, or early, it really was.

Finally, it seemed like sleep was winning the war against my stubborn brain. My eyelids felt like lead, growing heavier with every passing second, and I slowly allowed the darkness to pull me under. But just as I started to drift, a sudden, jarring explosion of sound from the movie blasted through the room, snapping me back to reality. I flinched, my eyes flying open, and I rubbed them aggressively as if I could scrub away the exhaustion.

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog. Damn, I was past the point of no return; I really needed to sleep. Earlier, I’d convinced myself that I could just drink a pot of coffee in the morning and be right as rain, but facing the cold weight in my limbs now, I realized that was a lie. No amount of caffeine was going to fix the hollow ache behind my eyes. The "morning-after" fix just wasn’t going to happen this time.

"This isn’t working..." I muttered under my breath. "Not at all."

I grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. The room fell quiet immediately, the sudden silence almost louder than the movie had been. I stayed there for a few seconds, lying flat on my back, staring at the ceiling, letting my thoughts drift whether I wanted them to or not.

Then I exhaled and pushed myself up.

I picked up the empty chips bag from the table, walked into the kitchen, and tossed it into the trash. The sound was small, but in the quiet apartment, it echoed more than it should have, a sharp crinkle that seemed to linger in the still air. My throat felt parched so I filled a glass at the sink, drinking it with one long gulp.

After that, I made my way to the master bedroom. I kept my movements slow, careful not to make unnecessary noise as I unlocked the door and stepped inside. Jasmine was asleep on the right side of the bed, completely out, her breathing slow and even.

I closed the door gently behind me.

I stripped down, swapping into something more comfortable, then slid under the blanket beside her, trying not to disturb her too much.

"Mmh..." she murmured, shifting slightly. She turned onto her side, facing me, eyes still closed. "Hello, handsome."

A small smile tugged at my lips. "Hey... did I wake you?"

She smiled faintly without opening her eyes. "Yes."

"Sorry."

She didn’t seem to mind. One of her legs draped over mine, and she moved closer, resting her head near my shoulder. I could feel her warm breath against my arm. After a moment, she cracked one eye open and looked at me, still half-asleep.

"You drank beer at this hour?" she asked, her voice soft. "And ate chips... wow, Evan."

"I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just... couldn’t sleep," I replied quietly. "I’ve been up for a while. Got out of bed like... three hours ago."

That got her attention. Her other eye opened, and she lifted her head slightly. "Three hours... like... two in the morning? What? Why? What happened?"

I exhaled and shifted a bit to get more comfortable. "I told you about Cora, right? She tracked Jack down to a bar tonight. I went there... listened in on him."

Jasmine blinked a few times, the sleep slowly fading from her expression. "And?"

"I overheard him talking to someone named Robert," I continued. "The way he talked... it didn’t sound casual. I’m pretty sure Robert’s his boyfriend. They’re planning to meet tomorrow, but I couldn’t catch where."

Jasmine nodded slowly, processing it. "So Cora can follow him again and find out?"

"Yeah," I said. "Cora’s... good at this kind of thing. If anyone can figure it out, it’s her."

She studied my face for a second, then gave a small nod. "Alright... that’s something, at least."

"Yeah..."