(This story is set from a couple of weeks after Ronnie and Jack split up because of his affair with Selena. Please read and review, any criticism is much appreciated.)
Chapter One
The sun had just set on the horizon, casting Albert Square into darkness, apart from the glow of the street lights. Ronnie sat up in her bedroom of the local pub, the Queen Victoria (or Queen Vic) as it was fondly referred to by the locals. As she gazed into the mirror her face was lit only by her bedside light, making her skin shine softly. When she used to look in the mirror she had seen beauty and radiance, but now she just saw that ghost like shine. Some would say this was because love made you feel beautiful, but Ronnie new different. She had proved them wrong, because she was in love, she just wasn't happy any more. The happiness of love made her feel beautiful, but all that had gone. Now the love just reminded her of all the hurt he had caused her. She was supposed to be getting ready to head over to the club; she knew that she'd have to face him sometime. Roxy thought she should just cut all of her ties with him and sell her part of the business. But that club had become part of her, part of them; after all it was called R&R. This thought brought a smile to her face. Ronnie and Roxy, they had always been best friends, and still were, but just like all best friends they had their arguments. Her thoughts were interrupted by Roxy shouting. "Ronnie, Oy Ronnie, are you up there?" Roxy knew was up here, they had briefly conversed on the stairs, Roxy had planned an evening out with Christian but as usual hadn't bothered to swap shifts and had tried to do it last minute with Ronnie. "Yes I am up here, and before you ask no I can't look after the bar for you tonight, I've already told you I'm going to the club." she replied exasperated. "I know that, you've already told me about six times today." Roxy replied now equally annoyed. "What I was going to say was that you've got a visitor." Why was it that they seemed to be arguing more and more recently? Feeling bad for shouting unnecessarily, she relied gently. "Oh, sorry. Who is it?" Then Roxy said that one word that for some reason still sent tingles down her spine. "Jack."
Taking a deep gulp of air Ronnie tried to compose herself, "oh right, ermn... tell him to come up, I'm in my bedroom." "Are you sure Ron, I mean, after what he did to you." She meant it to show concern, Ronnie new that, but to her it seemed that she reminded her of it at every available opportunity. Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes, but she knew that sometime she was going to have to face him, that was what tonight was all about. "Just send him up, I can handle Jack Branning," she replied, trying to sound like she used to, confident and quick witted. That was what he said he loved about her.
Downstairs in the bar, rather reluctantly Roxy says "right then Mr Branning, Ronnie says that you can go on up, she's in her bedroom. But, I warn you, you try any funny business and I can get you thrown out of here with just three little words." She tries to sound positive, determined not to let him see just how much her hurt her sister. He was his usual cocky and arrogant self, what did her sister ever see in him.
Jack was nervous, he didn't normally get like this over women, and when he did he tended to manage to wind someone up. "Oh yeh, and what are those 'three little words' then Roxanne?" There he was, doing it again. He knew how close Ronnie and Roxy were so why did he have to go and wind Roxy up, she was sure to make her feelings known to Ronnie, then he would definitely have blown any small chance he might have left with her. Her it came, her insulting reply, sure to put him back in his place, "like I'm gonna tell cheating scum like you." Yes it did, reminding him of the very reason why him and Ronnie weren't together anymore. It was his stupid mistake that had done it, that one moment of total and utter foolishness that had cost him his girlfriend. He turned to walk through in to their private quarters, when he is stopped yet again by Roxy. "Well, don't you want to know which one's her bedroom?" He already knew which one it was, he had been in on one of the rare occasions in their relationship when she had brought him back to hers, instead of them going over to his flat. "I already do, you see..." The look on Roxy's face was priceless, a mixture of shock and utter disgust. "Do I look like the kind of girl who needs to know the details of every time her sister slept with someone." She asked clear to make it known that she didn't approve, and added "I get enough action of my own thank you very much." "Of course you do Roxanne, how is Jase these days?" There he went again, not thinking about the consequences of his actions. It had obviously hit a nerve though, as for once she appeared to be speechless. "Argh" she stuttered "you know that we split up... just... Just go and see Ronnie will you." Finally, he could go, and do what he came to do, though he still hadn't quite worked out what to say. "Of course, I'm just on my way." He got the last word in that argument, which was very rare, especially when talking to Roxy.