Hey everyone! Sorry this took so long. There's been a lot going on in my life, and I haven't had the time to update. I hope you guys like it though! Sara will have one more chapter of her memories after this. Let me know what you think:)
Chapter 15
At twelve I was nervously sitting with Mom in the kitchen. She had sat me down at the table while Jack and Dad were out gathering wood. I nervously swung my legs as I sat watching her knead the bread dough a few feet away. Jack would have laughed at my scared face and dangling legs that had yet to reach the floor. I really wished he was here right now, but Mom insisted on having some conversation while he was not around. I had no idea why.
"Sara," She began as she finally let the dough rest and sat next to me, "You're twelve now as you know." She smiled which confused me even more. I obviously wasn't in trouble or she would have been scolding me.
"I know my age Mom," I stated matter of factly putting my chin in my hands, "What conversation is this? You wouldn't even let Jack stay." I sighed unhappily at being left behind. Staying at home wasn't something I enjoyed, unless I was playing with Pippa who was taking a nap at the moment.
"This is a conversation for women only." Mom explained putting her hand on my shoulder. My legs stopped swinging and I turned to look at her.
"I'm confused."
"Sara, you're getting older. As you age, there are things that may seem...strange." She pushed her graying hair back behind her face as she spoke. I sat up straight, surprised and a little shocked.
"What do you mean strange?"
"I just want you to know that you can talk to me."
"Why would I need to?" She sighed at me.
"For example, your body may change soon." My eyes widened in realization.
"No," I began rising from my chair, "I don't want to have this kind of conversation."
"You may notice boys also," Mom laughed as she followed me to the door which I was about to swing open, "Noticing them may lead you to also have certain thoughts-"
"Mom!" I gasped horrified. Before I could swing the door open, it opened wide with a bang as Jack walked in. He smiled his signature lopsided grin and opened his mouth to speak.
"Dad and I are ba-" He stopped midsentence and looked between me and Mom. He cleared his throat, "Am I interrupting something?"
"Not at all!" I exclaimed while quickly grabbing his arm. "Jack and I are going to stack the wood!" I yelled before practically running outside.
"We will need to finish this conversation young lady!" Mom replied as I lead Jack away. I didn't turn back until I heard the door close. I sighed and let go of Jack as we walked over to Dad and the large pile of timber by him.
"What was that all about?" Jack asked looking down at me. I blushed slightly before replying.
"Nothing." I saw him smirking as he ran a hand through his messy, dark hair. Happy that I escaped the conversation, we walked over to Dad and we then set to work.
I was starring at my reflection in the clear water. I saw my dark hair and began to fiddle with it, trying to get the long hair to look less mesay. I saw my brown eyes, which made me cringe. They were simple, and simple was boring. Finally, I let my eyes graze my skin. It had tanned from constantly being out in the sun, I couldn't stay pale like Jack could. I frowned at my reflection, sitting on my knees in the, what I believed to be, unflattering pants. I splashed the water angrily, which caused it to darken the brown on my shirt. I sighed as the water made me shiver in the light, autumn breeze.
Life was hard at thirteen.
"What are you doing?" I spun around in shock when I heard his voice. Jack was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. The light of the setting sun shone on him, which accentuated the shape of his face, which had sharpened slightly with age. His lightly muscled arms filled out his shirt more than they used to, something he was proud of. I frowned as I stared at his messy hair. Why couldn't my hair look that good?
"Go away." I stated turning back to my relfection. The water still rippled slightly from my hit, but it remained a good mirror.
"Why are you sulking?" He questioned as I heard the crunch of leaves under his feet.
"I'm not sulking."
"Yes you are. You've been lost in thought for a while." He sat down next to me, his legs outstretched.
"How long have you been watching me?" I asked slightly startled.
"Long enough."
"That's not a good answer."
"It's good enough."
"I disagree." I frowned at him.
"Something you've been doing a lot lately." He said smirking at me. Damn that smirk. His eyes lit up as he saw my mouth curl upwards.
"That's what I love to see." He stated as I looked at him, adjusting so I was sitting with my knees pointed towards him.
"What?"
"I said that's what I love to see." I sighed at his joke.
"Yes. I'm asking what you meant."
"Then why didn't you say that." I turned away from him and returned my gaze to my reflection beneath me.
"I love seeing you smile," My heart suddenly quickened for some reason, "That's why I love making you laugh." I looked at Jack and saw his earnest face. He wasn't joking anymore.
"Atleast there's something good about me." Jack suddenly moved closer to me to where we were only inches apart. I held my breath as he slowly cupped the side of my face with one of his hands.
"Sara," He began as he lightly caressed his thumb against my cheek, "You're beautiful. Don't let anyone tell you different. If someone dares to say otherwise they'll have to deal with me." I smiled at his words and the thought of him protecting my feelings like that. I felt my cheeks flush as we held eye contact. Why was I holding my breath?
He removed his hand from my face with a slight blush. I leaned my head on his shoulder as we watched the sun set together across the lake.
I groaned annoyed as I walked through the snow. Jack looked back at me and smiled, the winter wind blowing his cape behind him.
"Having trouble?" He laughed as I glared at him. This winter was greeting our small town with a lot of snow, and my short legs had trouble walking through it all. Even though I was officially a teenager at thirteen, my body refused to grow along with my age.
"Don't talk."
"Ouch. That hurt my feelings." He said walking back towards where I was slightly stuck in the powder beneath me.
"You're just not having any trouble because-"
"Because I'm not short?" He gasped in pretend shock as I glared at him.
"I said don't talk." I then tried trudging through the snow once more.
"If you don't hurry up we won't get home before dark." I continued to glare at him.
"You didn't have to come with me," I said stopping to turn to him, "You still don't have to. Mom asked me to go to the store, you chose to volunteer." I then began to inch forward again wrapping my cloak around me for warmth. Jack walked backwards next to me, showing off how easy he could stroll through the snow.
"Like I'm going to let you be around him alone." He almost growled.
"Who?" I asked stopping again.
"Don't act dumb. Benjamin. I know he scares you."
"What," I said trying to cover the surprise on my face, "I am not!" I actually was though, and was truthfully delighted when Jack said he'd go with me. Ben had a habit of making me uncomfortable, usually by his obvious lack of understanding bonderies. I knew Jack noticed how nervous it made me even though I had never spoken about it. Now he refuses to let me go to town alone. I act like it annoys me, which it does sometimes, but I'm grateful for his company.
"Whatever you say." He shrugged. He took a few steps forward, then turned back to look at me. Then he smirked at me. A smirk that meant he was up to something.
"What are yo-" Before I could finish I gasped as he scooped me up in his arms. I threw my arms around his neck in surprise as he held me with one arm on my back and one under my knees.
"Let's go short stuff." He said walking further down the wooded trail. I smacked his chest playfully at his comment, then felt my face grow warm. I was blushing? But why? I felt Jack's lean, but strong arms hold me as we walked and my blush worsened. I was praying he would just assume it was from the cold.
Why was I flustered? My heart began racing when I glanced up at him, seeing his sparking eyes and messy hair. I had the sudden urge to run my hand through it. Was I embarrassed? What's going on?
"We're here!" Jack exclaimed causing me to stiffen in surprise. I quickly jumped out of his arms, missing his body heat. I looked down at the bustling town. Over the past few years many people from the new, neighboring town travel over to trade or buy goods. They don't have a general store yet, so they have to come over to ours instead when they need supplies.
I sighed as I pulled Jack down the hill with me to town. I heard him make an irritated sound as we reached the store.
"Jack," I put a hand on his chest before he entered, "Please behave." He looked at me for a moment before nodding, then I followed him inside. I welcomed the warmth as we walked in, once again glad I wear pants rather than a skirt that would have made me even more frozen from our walk.
The store was busy, and I was hoping we could get what we need and leave before we had to deal with any confrontation.
"Flour first?" Jack asked pointing to the back of the store.
"Why not?" I shrugged letting him lead the way. I leaned down to grab a sack of flour, but before I could grab it Jack easily slung it up on his shoulders. I stared at him in awe, we used to have to carry the sack together all the way home. But with his age, he must be acquiring strength as well.
I looked beyond Jack and saw a girl, about Jack's age, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She had an angular face, and hair pulled back in a delicate bun. She must have been from the neighboring town since I didn't recognize her. She was smirking at Jack, and began to stroll over to us.
"I'm Katie." She said standing in front of Jack, slightly pushing me aside. She leaned slightly against the shelf, letting her fingers play with the wood.
"Uhhh...hi?" Jack responded, seemingly confused by her presence. She stepped closer to him, and I felt a rage build in my chest. But why? It's not my fault Jack's handsome and that he's now talking to this tall, blone girl.
"What's your name?" She asked trailing a hand closer to his, the one that wasn't holding the sack of flour in place. I was astounded at how direct she was, and feeling the annoyance I was experiencing get stronger, I decided to walk away. I frowned as I walked away, searching for the other item we needed.
"Sugar." I stated naming the second item we had came for. I quickly found the small sacks of it on the top shelf in the front corner of the store.
I sighed. Jack usually got it down for me, I looked toward the back of the store. Jack and the Katie girl seemed to be talking still, and who was I to interrupt them? I scowled at her seeing her hand on his arm. I stood on tiptoe and reached up as far as I could, but to no avail. I glanced around sheepishly, then, seeing how the store was beginning to empty out, began to jump towards the sugar. Embarrassment filled me when I still couldn't reach it.
I frowned, and then made up my mind. I climbed on top of the barrel standing near the shelf, and reached for the sugar once again. My finger was just about to graze one of them when it happened.
"Need some help?" I froze and looked down at Ben standing below me. He was smirking, but his eyes didn't seem to show any humor.
I cleared my throat before responding, "Yes, please." I climbed down as he easily reached up and grabbed a package of sugar. He then handed it to me, letting his large hands graze against my arms.
"Thank you, Ben." I said hoping I could quickly walk away. He then flew an arm out in front of me to stop my return to Jack. I glared at him in annoyance, but kept his grin.
"Women shouldn't be climbing things like that," He said walking closer to me, "Especially you."
"What do you mean especially me?" I questioned irrated while pushing his arm away. He was less than a foot away from me now, I could hear his breathing and was surprised on how steady it was. Mine seemed to be getting heavier by the second.
"You're small," He said standing in front of me, "It would be easy for you to get hurt." He brushed away a strand of my long hair from my face. I shivered at the contact and turned away.
"Thank you for your concern," I made eye contact with him, "But I'll be okay." I tried in vain to see Jack behind him, but he was about as tall as Jack was now, which made it impossible.
"It would also be easy," He began as he trailed a hand down my side to rest firmly at my waist, "For someone to...overpower you." He squeezed my waist tighter and I tried to twist away.
"Stop!" I half shouted, hoping he would drop his arm and walk away like he usually did when tried to do this. When he tried to get too close. But he didn't this time, and I felt my hands sink into the sugar package. Why was he like this? Why did he feel this need to show his masculinity in such a brutish way?
"Why?" He asked pulling me flush against him, "Why should I?" I tried to pull away but was unsuccessful in my attempts.
"Because I told you to!"
"That's not a good enough answer." We made eye contact and I shivered in fear. His eyes were always so emotionless, they always caused my hair to stand on end.
"How about if I told you to stop?" Ben quickly pushed me away causing me to stumble back. He glared at Jack. I stared at him, hugging the sugar to my chest as Jack set the flour down on the counter. The tension between them was thick, and I was happy the store had now completely emptied.
"Why are you here?" Ben asked, posion lining his words.
"Well nice to see you too, now Sara and I are going to buy these things." He then looked at me and beckoned me over to him. I sighed in relief as I slightly smiled at Jack, my savior. I felt a large amount of affection for him, always being there to save me from everything. Ever since we were small he would be there to help me up when I would fall, and even today he always was looking out for me.
I quickly began to walk over to Jack, handing him the sugar. Jack put the coins we were given on the counter, picked up the flour, and pushed me slightly behind him. I picked up the sugar and followed Jack silently. Right before we were about to exit, Jack turned around.
"I don't know who you think you are, but she isn't yours. She never will be. And as long as I'm around you won't be able to lay a finger on her without me breaking it." He then abruptly left leaving an outraged Ben behind. I jogged to keep up with his long strides.
He was silent almost the whole way home. I assumed he was mad at me and lowered my head whenever he looked back at me. He suddenly stopped when I was beginning to fall behind.
"Do I need to carry you again?"
"No." I said looking down at the snow covered ground. I heard the crunch of his feet hitting the whiter powder as he moved to stand in front of me.
"Sara I'm sorry." I looked up in shock.
"Why are you sorry?"
"That weird girl kept talking to me, and I couldn't get her to leave. I noticed you had walked off, and I shouldn't have let you. I should have pushed her away to find you!" He sighed and turned his sideways.
"No," I said letting one of my hands cup the side of his face so he looked at me, "You didn't do anything wrong. I shouldn't have wondered off like that." I sighed before continuing, "Everytime I think I can take care of myself, you have to come save me from something. I'm sorry."
"No matter what," Jack began keeping his eyes locked on mine, "I will always protect you. Don't apologize for it, because I'll never stop. Even if you beg me to, I won't." He smiled and I removed my hand from his face. My heart felt like it was going to burst as we stood there in silence for a few moments, before he hugged me with his open arm. I let myself fall into his warm chest, and let myself relax in his embrace.
Finally we parted and began walking to our home in the distance.
"You know she was talking to you because you're cute right?" I laughed thinking of his ignorance back in the store.
"You think I'm cute?" He teased with a smile. Usually I would smack him or roll my eyes, but this time I remained silent. Walking home next to him, I tried to hide the blush that once again had creeped onto my face.
