Chapter 8: VeryBerry Apologies
A/N: Comedy Central keeps you awake. Which is a good thing when you've got work to do. The characters here? Not my property. They're from a very wonderful game called Harvest Moon 64, though I think you knew that. Otherwise you wouldn't be here. Uhh, Enjoy. *Falls over*
His screaming. Her sobbing. Kai's soothing tone. Ann's laugh. Elli's complaining. From dusk till dawn, these sounds live within my head. A constant companion. This morning was no different.
I wandered down the stairs, this time deciding not to do damage control for my parents. I could see Kai was already trying to fill my place. Without a word, I took a slice of bread from the kitchen table, eating as I walked outside. Kai soon followed, giving up on the hopeless situation inside the house.
"I don't know why you waste your breath." I commented, stuffing the last piece of bread into my mouth.
"I really don't know myself." He replied, shaking his head.
We both looked up as footsteps were heard outside the vineyard gate. Great, just who I wanted to see this morning.
"Mind if I come in?" Jack asked, smiling.
"Not at all." Kai replied, moving to open the gate.
I glared at him. Jack walked inside the fence, glancing around the vineyard.
"What do you want?" I asked, my tone icy.
"Karen, can we talk…alone?" He questioned, looking at Kai. I sighed.
"I guess so." I said.
"I'll leave you two alone then." Kai commented, walking into the house.
Now it was just me and Jack. Alone.
"Karen, I know I could never really make it up to you for what I did, but I want you to have these." He took his rucksack off, searching inside it for something.
A few moments later his hand emerged from the sack with a small pouch. Jack handed it to me.
"Jack…presents aren't going to take the scars off my heart." I said as I opened the pouch.
A few veryberries fell into my hand. I gasped. It was surprising that he remembered. He grinned at my reaction.
"I think it helps, though. Maybe you'll hate me a little bit less now." Jack replied.
"I don't hate you Jack. I hate what you did to me. You made me unable to trust people. I became this shell of my former self, unwilling and unable to care, all out of fear. Fear that someone else would hurt me. And seeing you again…just made me feel so…confused." I said, my eyes brimming with tears. It was hard to actually speak my mind.
"I…I didn't know that I did that much damage. I'm truly sorry Karen. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me." He commented. Jack started to smile.
"You don't have to worry about me trying to make you love me. I can see that you have feelings for another. And I think I may as well." He laughed a bit.
"Things sure have changed, eh?" I said, starting to smile. Jack nodded.
"Well, I better be off, I've got crops to tend to." He said, moving toward the vineyard gate. I waved as he started home.
After Jack was out of sight, I walked towards the house to retrieve my coworker.
