She felt lighter having admitted it but fearful of his rejection so turned her phone off. It could wait till she got home, till they could talk face to face.
She collapsed on her sofa when she got home still dreadfully hungover and really too tired for any sort of human interaction but she needed to sort this out before it was too late or too soured. After debating back and forth in her head and deciding to ring him, she fell asleep.
RING! RING! What the hell! Who was ringing her doorbell at… half 5, half 5 in the evening? Sacha was working so it couldn't be him and anyone else would be to scared. Presumably it would be Jehovah's witnesses or some charity collection and they'd leave her alone.
No.
BANG!
"Jac!"
BANG!
Shit, it was Fletch.
She heaved herself to the door and opened so they stood face to face. Eyeing him up nervously she asked
"What are you doing here Fletch?" She asked as she eyed him up nervously, afraid to make eye contact, afraid of what she might see. His bravado seemed to have diminished now he was confronted with the sight of her too.
"Did you mean it? The texts did you mean them?"
"I don't know what you mean" she stuttered out protecting herself.
"You said you loved me Jac. Please look me in the eyes and tell me that you didn't mean it. That we can move past all of this."
"I can't. I can't move on. I love you Fletch, I do." She looked up to meet his eyes and saw them reflecting the tears in her own. "Maybe you should come inside. I'm cold with the door open anyway."
He stepped inside and closed the door. "You know how long I've wanted to hear those words from you Jac I really have." He caressed her cheek trying to reassure himself that she was real. "I take it you want me to stay on Darwin?" She nodded. "Would it be unfair of me to expect something, for us to at least try?"
"No… I want to. I want to be with you. I really do Fletch even if it goes against everything I know and everything I've learnt to do to protect myself. I just hope it's enough."
"It is. Can I kiss you?"
She laughed and pulled him closer, their lips meeting in an encore of a night a few months ago. This time noone was pulling away and after a few distractions they managed to make it up the stairs and into her bed.
A couple of pieces of men's clothing on the floor were enough to warn Sacha when he got in later that night. Not that he would needed it given the dawn chorus.
What an awkward breakfast that was…