A.N - Just a little something to say thanks for all the reviews and for reading, I can never really get used to all the feedback. Now back to my normal long chapters, hope you enjoy.
Chapter 7 – Was It All A Dream?
Jack's eyes flickered open to find an empty space next to him. His arm was still stretch where Ronnie's head had resting; he finally sat up his eyes scanning the room, all Ronnie's possessions were gone; the smile on his face fading.
Jack made his way into the living room, blinking as the sun shone through the open kitchen door. He raised his hand in front of his face, pacing towards the window, shutting the blinds. He looked around the flat, while leaning against the wall and talking to himself. "It did happen Jack, ya not going crazy, ya need to talk to her."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Cafe was empty, apart from one woman sitting in the corner clutching onto her cup of tea.
"Bit early for you", Jane said as Roxy walked through the door.
"Couldn't sleep. Ronnie disappeared last night", Roxy responded watching Jane's eyes look over her. She turned her head, to find Ronnie looking down. "How long she been there?"
"About an hour", Jane replied. "She's just sat with that cup all the time, no top up or anything."
"Thanks Jane", Roxy said quietly before taking a seat opposite her sister, but Ronnie didn't move an inch. "Earth to Ronnie."
Ronnie finally looked up. "Don't start."
"Don't start", Roxy tried to say quietly. "I had Steve in my ear last night, blaming me for your disappearing act. Then I had Libby, to scared to stay at home with her own dad, so I had to let her stay at the Vic with me."
"She was staying at Georgia's", Ronnie replied.
"Well obviously not. Where were you?"
"I just lost track of time...at the club", Ronnie lied.
"Don't lie to me Ronnie", Roxy replied looking into Ronnie's eyes.
"Jack's", Ronnie whispered.
"You never...", Roxy shouted prompting Jane to look over.
Ronnie nodded. "Not a word Rox."
"So...how was it?", Roxy asked.
"Is that all you think about", Ronnie returned.
"Sorry...so what you gunna do?"
"That's what I've been thinking about the last hour, while sitting here...it just happened", Ronnie added. "I said no at first but went back."
Roxy looked at Ronnie's soft expression. "You still love him, don't you."
"He was my first love."
"Problem solved...you go back home and tell Steve, give him that ring back." Roxy looked down to her sisters' hand noticing the ring was missing. "The ring Ron...it's gone."
Ronnie looked down at her hand. "I must have left it in his flat."
"Well go get it", Roxy exclaimed.
"Why you so supportive of Jack all of a sudden?", Ronnie asked.
"Dunno...just am, plus I've never really liked Steve."
"Steve", Ronnie repeated remembering her message from last night. "I gotta go."
"Ron!", Roxy shouted as Ronnie quickly left The Cafe.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Libby! Libby! Libby"
Libby stopped in her tracks, holding onto her pink school bag. "Dad!", she said looking at him in disgust. "I can smell alcohol."
"I've only had a few baby", Steve slurred. "Why didn't you want to stop with your daddy last night?"
"Your scaring me dad", Libby said with terror in her voice as she took a step back.
"How can you be scared of your our dad?"
"Just stay away from me", Libby shouted.
"Baby!"
"Is everything alright", Jack said as he appeared through the gates.
"It's a father daughter conversation", Steve replied angrily.
"You okay Libby?", Jack asked ignoring Steves' comment.
"I just want my mum", Libby said moving closer to Jack.
"We'll find her."
"No you won't", Steve yelled. "I told you to stay away from my family. I will take my own daughter to find her mother."
Steve grabbed tight hold of Libby's arm. "Dad, you're hurting me."
"Steve I think you should let go", Jack exclaimed holding out his hand however Steves' grip tightened as tears began to emerge in Libby's eyes. "You're making your own daughter cry Steve...look at the state of you. Let her go!"
Steve looked down where his hand held tightly around his daughters arm, as Jack took a step forward Steve let go, collapsing to the ground while Libby hid behind Jack. Jack turned his back on Steve, placing one arm around Libby. "How about we get you inside, take a look at that arm and find your mum?"
Libby nodded in agreement, holding her red arm across her body and following Jack through the gates and towards his flat; taking one last glimpse of her father before stepping into the warmth of Jack's home.
Libby slouched on the settee as Jack took his coat off. "It be your summer holidays soon."
"It would have been my last day today", Libby said cheerfully.
"Looks like your last day was yesterday."
"I was looking forward to school today, we were gunna be making cakes."
Jack took a seat beside Libby, putting a cool cloth on her red arm. "We could always make cakes."
Libby laughed. "Boys can't cook."
"Oh I think they can."
"Prove it...make little fairy cakes."
"Only if you help", Jack responded while Libby stood up and walked into the kitchen. Jack smiled while watching the girl, identical to her mother.
"Come on!" As Libby shouted those words Jack's smile grew. He climbed to his feet, joining Libby in the kitchen getting all the necessary equipment out of the cupboards.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ronnie took a big gulp before opening her front door. Her house was in darkness, as she entered the front room she turned the light on, brightening up the room. Looking at the couch she jumped as Steve sat with a bottle in his hand, scraggy hair and his suit from yesterday.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack", Ronnie said, one had on her chest.
"About time."
"What?"
"I said it's about time you showed your face", Steve said sternly.
"You been drinking again...?", Ronnie asked while looking at the almost empty bottle in his hands.
"Not much more to do when your fiancé disowns you and your daughter is too scared to stay under the same roof as you", Steve announced angrily. "So please enlighten me...where did you go?"
"I don't have time for this", Ronnie replied resulting in a angry Steve grabbing hold of her wrist, just like he had to their daughter less than an hour ago. "Let go of me!"
"Where were you Ronnie? It's really quite a simple question."
"I couldn't face coming home last night Steve cos I got a message from you."
"I never sent you a message", Steve said letting go off her.
"That's because you sent it to the wrong person", Ronnie said watching Steve's facial expression suddenly change. "Now you know what I mean."
"Ron..."
"Shut up Steve!", Ronnie shouted. "You know I always suspected there was someone else...ever since you started working late, started getting me flowers, stopped going to the gym, proposed!"
Steve kept his head hanging. "I'm sorry", he cried.
"Sorry isn't good enough", Ronnie exclaimed.
"I bet if Jack said sorry you'd go running."
"I don't believe this", Ronnie laughed. "Always coming back to Jack...well you wanna know the truth. You were always second best."
As Ronnie spoke those words Steve stood up, raising his right arm and hitting Ronnie across the face, bursting her lip. "Sorry", Steve said quietly after realising what he had done, although Ronnie wasn't sticking around, the first chance she got she was out the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"You look stupid", Libby laughed at Jack who was covered in flour.
"So do you", Jack responded by putting his hands in the flour and patting Libby's small face, sending the two of them in hysterics.
Jack continued his laughter to the front door as the bell sounded. His laughter soon faded as a bloody Ronnie stood in front of him, tears streaming down her face. Without a word Ronnie clung to Jack allowing him to cradle her for a few seconds. Suddenly Ronnie broke from the embrace, hearing laughter coming from the kitchen, the laughter of a girl she recognised. Ronnie barged past Jack, and ran into the kitchen.
Libby looked up as her mother came running through, her laughter also fading as she noticed the blood on her mother's face. "Mummy you're bleeding."
"I know baby but its fine", Ronnie replied as she took hold of her daughter, squeezing her tightly.
Ronnie turned round as she heard Jack's footsteps behind her. "What do you think you're doing? Bringing my daughter in here."
"It's ok mum", Libby spoke revealing her arm. "Daddy took hold of me and Jack was there, he made daddy let go."
Ronnie's faced turned red with anger, looking from Jack to Libby in disbelief and shock.
"What did you do to your lip Ron?", Jack asked but already knowing the answer deep down.
"Libby you finish off your cakes. I need to talk to Jack in the other room."
Libby smiled, watching her mother and Jack head into the other room and with one last smile from Ronnie, before closing the door.
"It was Steve wasn't it?!", Jack said in a raised voice as Ronnie turned to him. "Did you tell him...and this s what he did...I'm gunna kill him."
"Jack", Ronnie said grabbing hold of Jack's arm, stopping him storming out the flat. "Calm down."
Jack closed his eyes, regaining composer. "Sorry."
"It's ok", Ronnie replied sitting down, Jack followed suit.
"Let me clean that up", Jack said pointing to her lip before leaving the room.
Minutes later he came back with a wet cloth and sat back beside her. One hand on her cheek the other tending her bloody lip. "So you gunna tell me why that bastard hit you."
"He...ouch", Ronnie yelled in pain as Jack dabbed too hard.
"Sorry."
"Stop saying sorry", Ronnie replied.
"Continue", Jack said urging Ronnie to explain all.
"I found out he was cheating on me last night, and before you say anything yes that's why I changed my mind. I was so annoyed and wanted to hurt him back."
"And sleeping with me was the only option; you know how to make a guy feel wanted."
"It felt right though", Ronnie smiled prompting Jack to let out a sigh of relief.
"So we did talk last night too didn't we...it wasn't a dream?"
"Yes we talked Jack...and then I left when you were sleeping."
"Good...I thought I was going crazy."
Ronnie looked at Jack, holding each other's gaze. They knew it wasn't the right moment, but they both couldn't help the way their hearts fluttered when around each other.
"Spillage!", Libby shouted prompting both Jack and Ronnie to speed into the kitchen. Libby looked from her mother to Jack to the floor as they gathered round.
"Don't think any cakes will be made today", Ronnie spoke happily as they all looked at the cake mix on the floor.
"Sorry Jack", Libby apologised.
"Don't worry, it was fun while it lasted", Jack joked allowing Ronnie to look on happily.
"I'll help tidy up", Libby said bending down.
"Don't worry I'll do it", Jack spoke. "Anyways I think you and your mum need to find somewhere to stop."
"Can't we stop here", Libby begged.
"I think Jack has enough to cope with", Ronnie butted in, looking at Jack.
"Your mum's right, maybe another time."
"I suppose", Libby replied gloomily.
"Get your coat Libby", Ronnie told her daughter prompting Libby to go in the bedroom for her coat.
Jack rummaged in his pocket pulling out a diamond ring. "You left this."
"Thanks. Not that I be needing it", Ronnie said taking it off his hands.
"Get a canny bit of money for that", Jack replied. "Get Libby something."
Ronnie smiled at Jack just as Libby came back in with her coat on. "So where we going?"
"I think Grandma Peggy's and Aunty Roxy's sounds good", Ronnie replied taking Libby's hand.
"Bye Jack", Libby said as her mother led the way out.
"Bye!"
Ronnie turned round before shutting the door mouthing the words "Thank you" to Jack.
