Chapter Four
Jack could hear her feet pounding down the stairs, and then heard the back door slamming. He stands up but his feet refuse to move as if they are rooted to the spot. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them, it was pitch black outside now and he had no idea where she had gone. He ran down the stairs and yelled "Ronnie, wait!" He knew she probably couldn't hear him, but just in case.
Roxy was stood at the door; her arms folded across her chest, and said in a stern and almost mother like voice, "What have you done to her?" This was the very question that Jack had been asking himself, what had he done to her that had made her run away like that? "Nothing" he replied, he wasn't going to tell Roxy what had happened between them, he knew that Ronnie didn't need any aggravation from her sister, though they were close they had plenty of arguments. Roxy was fuming; she knew that he had done something to her. Ronnie was more vulnerable than most people new. Roxy had seen how hurt how Ronnie had been when Jack had slept with Selena, lying around in her pyjamas or tracksuits for days on end. Roxy didn't want to be seen as over protective, but she just didn't want for her to get hurt again. "Well it doesn't look like nothing." She retorted.
Hearing Roxy's raised voice Peggy walked into the bar and asks, "Where's she just run off too? And what are you doing here? Have you being hassling her?" Jack was now beginning to become annoyed, if he was going to stand any chance of catching up with Ronnie and making up with her then he would have to leave soon. "Just leave it will you," he snapped. With that he turned and opened the door leading into the cellar and ran out into the square.
He stood in the area where the market normally was and waited for his eyes to become accustomed to the dark, he could just make out a figure running through the gardens. Even from a distance he knew that it was Ronnie, her long slim legs jogging slowly along the paths, she was only wearing a figure hugging vest he realised. Yet, when he had been sat in her bedroom he hadn't noticed. She was slowing down to a gentle jog, so he sprinted to catch her up. "Ronnie. Wait."
He managed to catch up with her easily, and placed a hand on her elbow, gently pulling her towards him. As she turns towards him, he can see the tears streaming down her face, the subtle glow from the street lamps reflecting from them. As he looked into her eyes, he could see the hurt deep within them, making his own heart ache.
She could feel the trickles of water running down her face, and tried to find a way to speak. Gulping back the tears, she spoke, "I just can't deal with this now Jack." Just saying his name made her heart beat faster, yet it also made the tears come faster.
"Why?" he asked confused "what's difficult about it?" Ronnie new she was being stupid, he was all she had would ever want, but she didn't do second chances. She hadn't with her dad, and he was family. Yet she still felt the need to explain, "You hurt me Jack, you really hurt me."
When he heard those words, it was as if his heart had been pulled from his stomach, every time he remembered what he had done the guilt washed over him. But he just couldn't find the words to explain how he felt to her. "I know. If I could go back in time that would be the first thing I would change."
These were the words that Ronnie had dreamt of hearing, yet only now was thee a doubt in her mind. "What about Penny?" she asked. Surely he would rather his daughter was paralyzed from the waist down, than get her back. However as always Jack had a reason for everything, "that's harder to change," he explained "if I hadn't locked that guy up then many other people could have died." It seemed to be a good enough reason to Ronnie, yet one question was still nagging at the back of her mind. "How would you change it? Not sleep with her or just make sure you didn't get caught." Though she knew that there was only one answer to this question, it would make him think about what he really wanted. "I wouldn't go anywhere near her," he replied. This of course was the correct answer yet, it annoyed Ronnie, "why, because you couldn't control yourself?" The question came out harsher than she had meant it to, so she smiled briefly to try and soften the atmosphere slightly, after all she didn't want an argument, she wanted him.
Jack smiled, this wasn't how he had imaged their encounter going, yet he felt it was moving forward positively. He knew that they would have to have this conversation sometime, and if there was any hope of them getting back together then it would have to happen sooner rather than later. He thought his answer through carefully, not because he was making it up, but because he didn't want any misplaced words to trip him up. "No, I wouldn't go anywhere near here because she is manipulative and I can't stand to be anywhere near here. I was just trying to stop her from taking Penny to France. I know that doesn't excuse it."
Ronnie smiled; finally she felt that he had acknowledged his mistake, without trying to excuse it but explaining his reasoning. She felt that now he deserved that second chance. "No, it doesn't excuse it. But she's your daughter and I can see why you did it."
Jack tried to stop himself grinning stupidly as his heart beat started to race, "Thank you." Those words showed Ronnie just how much he wanted her, and how much he had grown. Before he would have come out with a cocky remark to try and lighten the situation. But just to make sure she reminded him, "just because I've forgiven you, doesn't mean that I have forgotten." Jack had realised that he would have to make up for that mistake every day that they were together, and wanted to tell her that. "But it means that we can move forward?"
Ronnie smiled, after all this he still wanted to have a relationship with her, and she was pretty certain that it wasn't a purely professional one he was after. "It means that I'm giving you a second chance." The smile across Jack's face mirrored her own, he drew his hands out of his pockets and slowly placed them on her waist. For the second time that day the space between them was getting smaller and smaller, until once again he could feel her breath on his neck. Still smiling she lifted her arms around the back of his neck, gently running her fingers through his hair. Their foreheads were now resting together, he nudged her nose with his, tilting her face and gently brushing her lips against his. Responding Ronnie kissed him back, her heart racing so fast she thought it echoed across the square. As their bodies drew closer, and she pressed herself up against him, she could feel his own heartbeat just as fast as her own.
They were totally lost in the kiss, each enjoying rediscovering the taste, smell and feel of the other. Reluctantly Ronnie gently broke away, "I don't want anyone to find out. Not because I'm ashamed of us. It's just that I can't deal with them questioning me about us all the time." She felt mean saying it to him, not knowing how he was going to take it. Her breath hitched in her throat as he registered what she had said. "That's fine by me, I'm just glad to have you back." Exhaling deeply, she murmured slightly and leant back in to start from where they had left off.
Jack gently pushed her away, and seeing the disappointment in her eyes, explained "much as I enjoy kissing you, might I suggest that if we're serious about no one finding out, we stop doing it directly under a street lamp." A giggle escaped from Ronnie's lips, realising the foolishness of their actions. "You're right.I'll see you in the club in a few minutes."
"It's a date," he replied, only realising how corny it sounded after the words came out of his mouth. In embarrassment he looked down to the ground, and then saw her naked feet. Mud splashed part way up them; presumably from the puddle right outside the exit from the Vic. Ronnie followed his gaze, and giggled at her bare feet. Jack loved her laugh; it was light and bubbly, just like she was when she occasionally let her guard down. "Do you want a lift to the Vic? You don't appear to have any shoes on." Ronnie looked up at him, sizing up the possibility of him being able to lift her up. With a previous boyfriend, he had tried to carry her but failed miserably to the embarrassment of them both. Deciding to play it safe she said "You couldn't carry me." As soon as she said it she saw that cocky grin return to his face, "You want to bet?" he said as he swept her up of her feet, holding her body close to his chest, as if it was so precious it could smash right there and then, into a thousand tiny pieces. Looking up into his eyes Ronnie smiled as he strode over effortlessly through the gardens towards the pub.
Gently placing her on her feet, he brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face and said "are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Much as Ronnie wanted to walk through those doors with Jack and announce to the whole pub that they were together now and that that was how it was going to be, she knew it wouldn't work just like that. "I think Phil would actually kill you if he found out like this," she said jokily but they both heard the seriousness behind her voice. "You could be right," Jack said, only now realising how hard it was going to be for them. "Of course I'm right, I always am," Ronnie said, lightening the atmosphere again.
"So what are you going to tell them?" Jack asked, realising that they needed to get their stories straight to avoid being discovered so early on in their relationship. "Well..," Ronnie said, "I'll tell them that you tried it on so I ran out, you caught up with me but I rejected you." Ronnie turned to leave through the doors into the bar "don't I get a kiss?" Jack asked. Ronnie leant forward and pecked him on the cheek. "Is that it?" he said leaning in towards her lips, she gently pushed him away and said. "You'll have to wait until later won't you." With that she turned and entered the Vic, leaving Jack smiling as the doors shut behind her.