(Hey everyone! Glad you are enjoying my story and just so you know this chapter just surrounds Jack and Amy. The song is 'Bittersweet Symphony' by The Verve which is just amazing. So enjoy and let me know what you think! TKAMB)
Chapter 11:
Amy had been released from hospital and was back at the apartment. She had been sat going over evidence but couldn't concentrate. So she stood up and got changed. Amy turned on her mp3 player as she tied the laces on her trainers. She was too stressed out and consumed by the case that she needed some time out so she decided to go jogging. She wore a vest style sports top with bicycle shorts and trainers. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she took a deep breath before beginning to jog. She absorbed herself in the song she was listening to and smiled softly as the sun shone on a beautiful December afternoon. It was cold as it was only a couple days before Christmas but she didn't care. All she could think of was the music
Cause
it's a bittersweet
symphony that's life...
Try to make ends
meet,
you're a slave
to the money then you die.
I'll take
you down the
only road I've ever been down...
You know the
one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.
No
change, I can change, I can change, I can change,
but I'm here in
my mould, I am here in my mould.
But I'm a million different
people from one day to the next...
I can't change my mould,
no,no,no,no,no,no,no
Well I've never prayed,
But tonight
I'm on my knees, yeah.
I need to hear some sounds that
recognise
the pain in me, yeah.
I let the melody shine,
let it cleanse
my mind,
I feel free now.
But the airwaves are clean and
there's nobody singing to me now.
Have you ever been
down?
I can change, I can change...
Cause it's a
bittersweet
symphony this life.
Trying to make ends meet,
try to find somebody then you die.
I'll take you down the
only road I've ever been down...
You know the one that takes
you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.
We've got
ya sex and violence melody and silence
(Have you ever been down)
(I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down)
Before she knew it she had been jogging over two hours and she felt small beads of sweat flowing down her face. She stopped and took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes in the process. She opened her eyes and gasped as right in front of her was Jack
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you" he apologised as she removed her headphones and put her right hand on her chest. "I said your name several times but you couldn't hear me"
"Jack ... hi" was all she could manage to say and soon realised the girl on Jack's arm
"You ok?" he asked again and Amy nodded
"Yeah I'm ok. Work is a little stressful so I jog to calm myself down ... hi I'm Amy" Amy said holding out her right hand
"Oh I'm sorry Amy this is Helen. Helen this is my ... friend from the old days, this is Amy Bolton" the word 'friend' as well as the pause before it dug deep into Amy's heart
"Amy Bolton? Well it is lovely to finally put a face to the name. Jack talks about you all the time" Helen explained as she shook Amy's hand
"Nice to meet you too" silence fell over them however Helen's pager went off
"Sorry it's the hospital I'm on call. It was nice to meet you Amy"
"You too" Amy watched Helen softly kiss Jack goodbye before heading for the hospital
"Are you really ok?" he asked and Amy smiled
"Well I run into my ex boyfriend with his new beautiful girlfriend whilst I look a mess, covered in sweat and half scared to death as I couldn't hear him" she explained and he bit his lip which made her smile
"Well we were going to go Christmas shopping but now Helen has to work so do you want to hang out? Like old times?" Amy softly smiled and nodded
"Only if instead of shopping we go back to my place and talk. Get some take out and just catch up" she said and he smiled
"Only if you get the muffins"
"Done"
-----
"So how was college in LA? Constant sunshine and no snow I'm so jealous" Amy asked making Jack smile
"It was good. Loved the weather since it meant I could really practice outside all year round. I prefer being outside"
"So no basketball career then?"
"I just didn't feel it was for me. I was writing all through college and my work was picked up and my career began. I have you to thank for that" he explained in a serious tone confusing Amy
"I don't understand. What did I do?"
"You were the only one who constantly told me to go for what I wanted. My parents were always beside me to go for what I wanted but you were the one who always supported my writing. Thanks to you I have my career so thank you" Amy was taken aback by his words
"Um ... you're welcome" she said with a smile
"I missed you" Jack said and Amy stopped smiling before she lowered her head
"I missed you too ... I didn't expect New York to make such an impact on me. I found the worst of things in New York due to my job and now I find it here"
"Does it annoy you that it is here?" Amy looked up at him and he saw tears in her eyes
"Yeah it sucks! I just can't understand how people could do these things to each other?"
"I guess when you lose control a person is capable of doing anything" Amy looked at him confused and saw his eyes were fixated on her. He slowly brought his right hand up to her cheek and cupped it. "Where have you gone Amy?"
"What do you mean?"
"The passion, the brightness in your eyes that you had so long ago has gone. It's like you are another person" Amy backed herself away from him and stood up then walked across the room to get away from him. "You've changed"
"From what? Everyone keeps saying that so please tell me" she yelled spinning around and Jack stood up
"From the girl I loved" Jack yelled back and Amy looked at the floor
"You cannot do this to me Jack. You cannot re-enter my life when you have a girlfriend and expect me to instantly fall into your arms when you broke my heart and break hers in the process!"
"I'm not asking you to do that!"
"THEN WHAT?" she screamed looking up at him
"I just ... I wanted my best friend back. I wanted the one person who saw me for who I was to be mine again. To have the one person who I loved to be by my side again in friendship or in love, either one doesn't matter just so long as it is with you! For some reason for the past ten years I haven't been able to function. I'm screwed up without you" soft tears fell from Amy's eyes and she couldn't stop herself from asking the question she had been holding back for ten years
"Why did you break up with me? What did I do?"
"Nothing"
"Then why?" Jack ran his hand through his hair which he only did when he was nervous
"Because I wanted you to live your dream. You wouldn't have gone otherwise and I would have to live everyday knowing I would have destroyed the life of the person I loved. So if I have to live an eternity with a broken heart to save you, I'd still do it in a heartbeat" Amy dried her cheeks and began to walk around the room trying to take in what had just happened
"I cannot do this right now Jack. I'm so busy with the case and my family, now you drop this bomb on my head and expect me to deal with it with the blink of an eye! You turned your back on us the last time we were together, now it's my turn. I want you to leave"
"Amy please –" he began but she cut him off by shaking her head
"GO!" he stood for a few seconds hoping she would change her mind but she didn't. As he opened the door she turned to him. "Wait, I have one more question" he turned around with his hand still resting on the door handle. "When I went to college you were at the airport. I knew you were there before you got that CD to me. I didn't see you but I FELT you were there in my heart and soul. If we got into college together, would you have broken up with me anyway?"
"If you really knew me you wouldn't have asked me that" he responded and left the apartment. Amy sunk to her knees and tears and stayed there for what felt like hours. After a while she opened the freezer, grabbed some ice and the bottle of vodka she had chilling. She got a glass and began to drink without a care of the world around her
