Hey, I hope you still like it. I could do one stop by chapter but getting to the breaking point would take me forever, so… You get this. :D Anyhow,
Enjoy!
M.
Realizations
Somehow Jack knew that the whole trip would've been a different history altogether if the woman at his side was Sarah. Samantha had made him walk around Venice and enjoy so many things that would've been lost to him in any other situation. And then, they had returned at the Serena for dinner. He had noticed she was beautiful before, with her baggy clothes and her youthful appearance, and then he picked her up for dinner, and he found out she was stunning.
He was left speechless for a few seconds while he looked at her tight-fitting dress, it was simple really, a black number with long sleeves, v neck that ended a few inches above her knee. But for some reason, she felt incredibly self-conscious when he didn't speak.
"I guess now I know why Daniel told me to bring it." She chuckled
"What?"
"The dress… he said it was the ability to render anyone speechless." She shrugged. And he remembered he had shaken his head at how completely ignorant she was of how perfect she was. Somehow, he had managed to find his voice and tell her she looked adorable and that he was sure every other man in the room was going to try and conquer her. And then, he spent the rest of the night trying to make her laugh while glaring at every man who dared to come close.
Then, at 7 AM the next morning, they were having breakfast together as they tried to decide what they would do in Zadar. He thought he was in for a day of laying on the beach next to her and keeping men out of her, but no, somehow, they found themselves inland and walking around the Krka National Park, where she pushed them to try swimming at the foot of seven cascades. Then, they ended up rushing back to the port getting barely on time to depart.
Next morning, they rushed out of the Serena to get the most out of their hours in Kotor. Including hiking up 200 meters above the city to a small fortress. They reached the top panting and ready to collapse, but the view was totally worth it. And once again they found themselves racing to the boat.
On the fourth morning of their trip, they reached Corfu. And somehow, he agreed to climb to another fortress. Angelokastro or something like that. They walked up and just like during the previous ascension, she stopped every time someone seemed in need of help, and he found that, extremely endearing.
Before day six reached them, he was completely sure she was someone special. And he was also quite certain that he hadn't ever spoken that much to someone about himself. But yet, she managed to get him to talk in a way no one could before. And then, they stopped in Taormina.
At that point, the front desk people were pretty used to point them to the weirdest and more adventurous paths of the destination they just arrived, and someone pointed them to Mount Edna. They rented a car and got as close as they could before they started their trek up.
While stopping so she could give her water bottle to a girl that clearly was having trouble walking up, he realized that even if he wasn't a fan of all those things about destiny and fate, he could be wrong. He understood why she was there and not Sarah. And he shook his head, as they started walking up again, and considered that if someone told him before that he would fall so deeply in love by sharing time with someone for less than a week, he would have laughed.
Yes, he believed in love and commitment. But not in that magical bond that came out of nowhere because someone said it was your destiny like the movies were so keen on showing. And yet, as they reached as high as they were allowed and watching how she congratulated happily a recently engaged couple, while she too threw rose petals at them, he understood he might have been wrong the whole time.
If things hadn't happened the way, they happened…he thought.
If he had decided to push this trip to Sarah as a clause for the divorce as it had run through his mind, or if he didn't listen to Charlie and didn't come… Then he would've never feel what he was feeling, the way his heart raced when she turned around with the brightest of the smiles and happy tears in her eyes. Or how his body longed to get her in a tight embrace or the way his lips tingled with the need of tasting hers. And somehow, for some Divine intervention or something magical that was supposed to work only in movies, when he opened his arms she ran to him, and she kissed him as his arms entangled around her.
And as they parted with panting breaths and racing hearts he knew that no matter how it was called: fate, destiny, karma, soul mate… He knew she was the part of him he just realized he had been missing this whole time.
"Hi," he whispered when he saw her searching his eyes, and she chuckled.
"Hi," she answered biting her lower lip, he groaned. Claiming the swollen lip again and if it weren't because someone asked the time behind them, they wouldn't stop the kiss so abruptly.
"Oh shit!" they said at once when they heard the time, and they rushed down the mountain. Jack drove as fast as he was allowed and they were grateful the man on the other side of the counter was quick on collecting from them. Once the car was returned, they ran all the way to the port where they hoped the boat was still expecting them. The captain chuckled when he spotted the two of them running towards the boat as only people who know that can be left behind does.
"You know? I have the feeling I will need to place some sort of alarm, so you get on time." He told them as they came to a stop in front of him. "This is the fourth stop since we sailed and it's the fourth time you almost get stranded. Don't worry we always have pier runners; it's nice to see you are at least trying," he told them nodding to them to jump on the boat.
"Sorry, we were a bit distracted, Green," Jack breathed out reading his name tag, and noticed how Sam was blushing fiercely.
"As I said, don't worry, we always have people running down. This never left my mouth, but we never leave on time, we wait for at least ten minutes if the ship isn't complete. Well, at least I do. It's way less inconvenient than finding in which cabin you are and getting your things off."
"Cool, so we will keep searching for you," Jack added, and the man chuckled as he noticed, how Jack's hand now rested on Sam's hip. Something he noticed wasn't happening before.
"You do that. Anyhow, the view here is breathtaking up the Edna, I take that's where you went?" They nodded. "Being up there can make you forget so many things and point you to others." He said, and they exchanged a glance, soon they were embarking again on the Serena.
"Hey! Pier Runners!" They turned around and walked back to Green. "Just so you are prepared, in case you don't get in time, make sure you take your documents or copies of your documents and at least a change of clothes. And make sure you are on time for the ones we really go sailing, getting back to the ship now that we are relatively close is one thing, getting back once we are halfway through the Pacific is a completely different history."
"Thank you for the advice," Sam grinned.
"No problem, have a nice evening."
"Yeah, you too." Jack nodded.
"Good night!" Sam smiled, and soon they were walking upstairs, and Jack walked her to her room as he always did.
"I wonder if we will be ever awkwardness free," Sam smiled as she blushed. She was standing inside her room with the door still opened after looking at Jack for what seemed forever. He didn't move but chuckled.
"I hope so," he checked his watch. "Dinner in half an hour?"
"Please." They looked at each other awkwardly once more, but then she bit her lower lip, and he had to kiss her. She didn't pull him in, nor he pushed her backward, they simply kissed softly savoring each other, and they broke the kiss quickly noticing where they were standing. "Ah, half an hour?" she asked again, and he nodded placing a soft kiss on her hair he walked away.
