You lay in bed, your room dim except for the soft glow from your laptop screen. You were curled under the blankets, your attention half on the Netflix show you were watching and half on the silence of the house. It was late—later than you should have been awake—and you were more than ready for some peace and quiet.

Your phone buzzed suddenly, shattering the calm. Frowning, you grabbed it from your nightstand and saw his name on the screen.

Jax?

You hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was some kind of prank call. But after a beat, you answered, the familiar irritation creeping into your voice.

"What do you want?"

"Ellana," Jax’s voice came through the phone, sounding oddly… serious. "I need your help."

You blinked, half convinced you were hearing things. "Help? Are you serious right now?"

"Yeah, I know. I know. Just—don’t make me explain it all over the phone, alright? I’m at the spot we talked about. Just get over here. Quick."

Your mind raced, trying to make sense of what he was asking. It wasn’t like Jax to ask for help, especially not when it meant doing something he couldn’t handle on his own.

"Why would I help you at—" You glanced at the clock. "—midnight? What’s going on?"

"Can’t talk about it now," he cut in, his voice almost strained. "I’ll explain when you get here. Just... don’t let anyone know, okay?"

You sat up, your pulse quickening. The last thing you needed was to get tangled up in one of his stupid schemes, but you could hear the urgency in his voice.

"You’re gonna owe me big time for this," you muttered, already swinging your legs over the side of the bed.

"I know," Jax said, relief in his voice. "Just hurry, alright?"

With a sigh, you threw on a hoodie, your mind spinning with the possibilities. As much as you hated to admit it, you couldn’t just leave him hanging, not when he was this desperate.

"Fine," You said, already heading toward the window to sneak out. "But you better have a good explanation, Jax. I swear to God if I get caught—"

"You won’t," he interrupted, the line