Thank you all for the lovely reviews! And thank you also because you reviewed in such big number although my last chapter was terrible and short. I didn´t expect any reviews for it. So, again – thanks!
Now, as I promised you, there is a big Jate confrotation in this one. Maybe you´ll be little sad and surprised with the way things will be going on in it, but I assure you that this is not the last chapter and that things will be better later. Please, tell me what you think.
P.S. I also tried to redeem for the shortness of the last chapter, so I made this one extra-long.
CHAPTER 4:
Two days have passed. Jack hasn´t been coming to the beach. Kate is sitting on the beach where they first met. She is watching the waves going up and down; then crashing on the rocks. She is pensive as she remembers the events and persons that affected her and directed her life on the path it was now on. P.S. Today is the anniversary of the day she killed Wayne. Suddenly, she hears some rustling coming from behind her and, minute later, sees Jack stepping on the beach. He notices her, too.
˝What are you doing here? ˝he asks coldly, without even looking her in the eyes.
Kate is stunned by his reaction. She thought that he would try to apologize to her or at least explain it; but he is acting like she did something wrong. So, she decides to be cold, too.
˝I could ask you the same question. ˝
He looks at her. He can see that she´s hurt, but he just can´t deal with it. With what he heard. He came here to be alone, to clear his thoughts…He didn´t expect that she´d be here.
˝Never mind. I´ll go. ˝
Having said that, he turns to leave.
Kate can´t believe this. What could have happened to him! He was the one who asked her out! He made the first move! And now – now he treats her like garbage. No, something was wrong there. She needed to find out.
˝Okay, what the hell is going on with you? ˝she asks him, standing up abruptly.
He stops; then turns toward her.
˝Excuse me! ˝
˝How can you pretend it didn´t happen? ˝she asks angrily.
Of course he knows what she´s talking about, but he wants to hurt her like she had hurt him, so he continues.
˝What didn´t happen? ˝
Kate´s had enough of him. How can he act like he doesn´t know what she´s talking about!
˝You asked me out, remember! ˝she starts, fuming. ˝You said you had a great time then and that you want to finish it! You…you… You know what? Forget it! ˝ She turns around to leave. I have already too much on my mind right now to deal with you! I´m…˝
˝Having pangs of conscience? ˝he asks coldly, not able to resist.
She turns around quickly, not knowing what to think.
˝What did you say! ˝
Jack looks around, forcing himself to calm down. He doesn´t feel like discussing with her right now.
˝Nothing. Just…˝
˝No, Jack! I wanna hear it! Just spell it out! ˝
˝Kate… ˝he says slowly, with maximum effort trying to control himself.
But Kate doesn´t want to let it go so quickly.
˝What! If you have something to say, then say it in my face! ˝
Jack feels the anger fastening upon him.
˝FINE! YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT´S WRONG WITH ME! YOU REALLY WANNA KNOW? ˝he asks, yelling.
She´s taken aback a little, but too furious to stop it, so she yells back:
˝YEAH, JACK, I REALLY WA…˝
˝I KNOW ABOUT YOUR DAD, KATE! I KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO HIM! ˝he shouts, stepping towards her and bringing himself into her face. ˝
Kate´s shocked. She stops, speechless.
˝How…˝
˝How you got him drunk…put him in the bed… ˝
˝No, stop! ˝Kate shouts, trying to drive away the memories on that night.
But Jack doesn´t feel like stopping. He finally found a way to get it all out of himself and he won´t stop until he finishes it.
˝…and then drove away, blowing up the house! ˝he continues, feeling the anger growing more and more. ˝Did you know how he looked like when they found him? Do you, Kate? ˝
He grabbed her for her shoulders and is shaking her now. She´s covering her eyes with her hands, desperately trying to stop the scenes that are unrolling in her head, desperately trying to stop Jack´s words reaching her ears…
˝He was black burned, Kate! BURNED! ˝he repeats, shaking with anger.
He takes her hand and removes them from her eyes.
˝Don´t you try to hide now, Kate! You don´t deserve it! ˝
She shakes her head, tears falling down her face.
˝No…No…˝
˝You really are unbelievable! I can´t believe how you did this. Marshal warned me…he told me to watch myself…that you were dangerous…˝
˝You don´t understand, Jack! I…˝she tries; but the words won´t come.
˝But I didn´t listen! I fell for you! For all that ´You´re checkin me out´ and ´I got your back´ crap! ˝
˝Don´t you dare, Jack! ˝she yells, her anger finally outshining her sadness. ˝Don´t you dare minimize the things we´ve gone through! Don´t you dare…˝
˝Or what, Kate? What if I do dare? What will you do? Burn me like you burned your dad? ˝he yells back, pushing her against the tree. ˝Or just blow me up? God knows we have dynamites on this island! ˝
She´s shaking with anger, trying to free herself from his arms, but he doesn´t let her.
˝Who told you? WHO TOLD YOU! ˝
˝That´s all that matters to you, Kate, isn´t it? ˝he asks, tightening his grasp. ˝You wanna know who told me? Fine! Juliet told me! You happy now? ˝
˝Let go off me! ˝
˝You know else what she told me, Kate! ˝he continues, fuming. ˝The only thing they could recognize him for were his teeth! Everything else was burned completely! ˝
Kate finally managed to get herself free from his grab and pushes him back with all of her strength.
˝OH, YEAH! DID SHE ALSO TELL YOU WHY I DID THAT! DID SHE TELL YOU HOW HE WOULD GO INTO MY ROOM AT NIGHT! ˝she starts, poking him in the chest, anger totally overtaking her. ˝DID SHE TELL YOU HOW HE WOULD THRUST INTO ME, AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNTIL I WOULD START BLEEDING! ˝
Jack stops dead, as the reality of Kate´s words reached his mind. Was it possible? No…Not Kate…
˝…UNTIL I WOULD FELL UNCONSCIOUS! DID JULIET TELL YOU THAT! DID SHE! ˝
He doesn´t know what to do, what to say anymore.
˝Kate, I…˝
˝I THOUGHT SO! SO DON´T YOU DARE JUDGE ME, JACK! DON´T YOU DARE! ˝
Having said that, she finally realizes what she´s done. All the things she tried to deny, all the emotions she tried to repress for all these years, emerged on a surface now. She told him the deepest secret of her heart and she knows that there is no way back.
She breaks down, falling onto the sand into a kneeling position. She is crying, crying like she never cried in her life; crying for the childhood ruined forever, crying for all those years lost in the run, crying for the situation between Jack and her…
Jack is overwhelmed with pain and regret. He didn´t expect this. Not in his wildest nightmare. He wants to console her, to hold her in his arms and kiss her until all the bad things are erased. He bends down, putting his hand on her shoulder, pulling her into his hug. But she doesn´t let him.
Kate: Don´t!
Jack: Kate…
Kate screaming: I SAID ˝DON´T˝ !Leave me alone!
Jack pleadingly: Kate, please, don´t do this… Please don´t push me out of this! I can… I want to help you. We can deal with this together… We…
Kate silently: There´s no ´we´, Jack. Now - LEAVE ME ALONE!
He looks at her, trying to find the last trace of hope. But there is no one. He knows he lost her. Maybe even lost her forever. And there is nothing he can do. He sees it in her eyes. At least for now. So he turns around and leaves, her sobs echoing in his ears long after he leaves the beach.
