Chapter 5 - Exasperation
The door closed with a click behind Leigh's turned back. She held her breath so as to hold back the tears raining from her eyes. She bit her tongue and clenched her fists to keep from running back into the room.
Shakily, she took her first few steps, realizing that with every movement she was placing herself farther and farther away from the man she knew she loved to pieces and would always love to pieces.
As she descended the stairs, she perked her ears so as to make sure she didn't hear the door open and hear Jack follow her. She didn't want to run. She just wanted to make her path casual and slow so as to not attract attention.
She reached the hallway downstairs by the bar and walked down a long line of doors, heading for the farthest door at the end. Twisting the knob, she entered into the pitch black room and shut the door behind her.
Making her way to where the bed was, she crawled in beside her mother and began to cry.
~
The world opened its glorious eyes to Leigh that night. She saw glimpses of things she would never remember in the morning, even though they introduced her to her own future.
Words couldn't begin to describe the things she saw through tightly closed eyes and a wide open mind. Her dreams haunted her, and pleasured her at the same time. She'd seen a brighter future.but only after a very horrid one.
Her past disturbed her, causing her to toss and turn and wake her mother.
Madam Wilcox held her daughter closely, wishing she could end the troubles her daughter was going through. Yet she knew, as well as the next person, that to wake a person during a nightmare would only let them remember.
~
A quiet shuffle of boots on hard wooden floors and a mild sniffling had Leigh opening her eyes. The window was wide open, and a cool breeze was wafting in through the billowing curtains. The late morning sun blinded her briefly before she turned over and stretched.
Her eyes wandered over towards the door, where she saw a figure leaning against the wall. Rubbing her eyes to clear her drowsiness, Leigh glanced again.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, groaning as she stretched again. Sitting up, she glared at him.
"I suppose there isn't much in the way of apologies that I can offer you, Leigh." Jack replied, fingering something in his hands. Leigh's brows furrowed in curiosity as she stared at it. Jack's eyes glanced up at her, his hands retreating to rub the object. His face was blank, and his eyes said nothing. "This is yours, you know." He informed her, tossing the object to her.
Leigh caught it with both hands and inspected it closely. It was a large silver ring with intertwined silver vines which encircled a worn black onyx sphere. The ring was antique looking but still held its glimmer as if it were brand new. Leigh brought her hand to cover her mouth as she recognized what it was.
"J-Jack.I -"
"I thought I should give it back to you." Jack said, stepping towards Leigh. Her eyes shot up from the ring and glared at him.
"Don't." she said irately, eyeing him strangely. Her demeanor might have looked calm, but her heart was pounding in her ears louder than ever. "Don't come any closer, I don't need your pity nor do I need any comfort."
"I'm afraid that is where you are wrong, love." Jack replied, a weak smirk forming on his dry lips. He continued to approach her, and against her wishes, sat beside her on the bed. "You may not need pity, but you most definitely need comfort." He added, his hand making its way to rest on her own. She felt herself begin to tremble as she stared blankly at his hand on hers.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why give this back?" She asked, her voice shaky as she lifted her head to look at him. His eyes bore into hers as he examined her face.
"I just thought that if you didn't want me any longer, than you might want the ring back." Jack replied, his hand squeezing hers. With a grin he added: "This way, you can give it to the next fool who falls for you."
Leigh's jaw dropped at his comment. Her hand clutched the ring tighter in a fist as she felt her temper soaring. Whipping her hand from his grasp she stood up quickly and slapped him hard across the face.
"You bloody bastard!" Leigh managed to scream through her anger. Her vision turned red colored as she felt the blood boiling in her system. She felt her breath come out in raspy gasps through her tightly clenched teeth as she glared at him.
He sat there, stunned by the slap, rubbing his now reddened cheek gingerly. He looked up at her, his face blank. Standing up, he turned to face her.
Taking a deep breath, Jack lifted his head and looked down at her in a slightly condescending manner. "You really haven't changed a bit, Leigh."
"Really?" Leigh replied, a loathing hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Because you, Jack, have changed." She paused, feelings of sadness falling over her. In a hushed whisper, she added: "You've changed so much."
Her head fell down and she could no longer look at him in defiance. She had to close her eyes and grasp the headboard of the bed to keep from falling over. Her emotions changed immediately from anger to depression in little more than a minute.
She could feel Jack's eyes on her, his own pride never faltering. She knew he would never give up a fight, and he always thought she was the one at fault. Always. Yet still, he had changed.
The ring still clutched in her fist, Leigh opened her hand to look at it. It had been her fathers.the only thing she had of his. She had given it to Jack long ago as a birthday gift, promising him that she would love him till the day she died. She knew her promise had been kept.and every day she wished she could just move on and forget him.
But Jack wasn't a man most people could forget.
The door opened suddenly and Leigh watched as Aidan stepped in. "Leigh I made you some breakfast-"suddenly Aidan paused, his eyes sharp on Jack. Leigh watched in fear as a million emotions of anger roared through Aidan's eyes. "You."
Jack turned to look at Aidan, and immediately made the connection. "Aidan." Jack greeted, smirking and taking his hat off in a bow. Lifting his head only, he watched as Aidan approached him.
"Stand up you godforsaken fool." Aidan muttered, his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides. Aidan was a tall man with burly muscles and a sharp tongue. He'd been born and raised in Ireland, and even after he'd left, his Irish temper followed him.
His hair was dark and curly red, his face angular but softened by a dust of freckles that had faded with his age. He was in his mid thirties, and he was very protective of his 2nd cousin, Leigh.
Jack stood and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was coming.
"I was told you were here, but I didn't want to believe it." Aidan growled, his accent thick. Aidan and Jack had been best friends years before, back when Jack and Leigh were close. But when Jack had left unexpectedly, breaking Leigh's heart in turn, Aidan grew to hate the man who he had considered his best friend.
"How have you been?" Jack asked Aidan, his voice flat and stern. Aidan mocked his tone in his reply.
"Don't try small talk on me, Jack. I think you have an idea of why I am angry."
Jack pretended to be thinking, then replied: "Is it because you missed me?"
Aidan lifted his fist to punch Jack but Leigh came between them and grabbed his arm. "Stop it. Believe me, I would let you do it, and would be mighty glad if you did, but this is not the way to solve the problem."
"The problem is standing right in front of me." Aidan murmured, his eyes on Jack. Leigh sighed and hit Aidan on the chest.
"Calm down." She scolded him, glaring at her cousin. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack smirk at Aidan and whirled around to face him.
"And you." she muttered with distaste. "You need to shut your bloody mouth."
Jack eyed her strangely, his smirk gone without a trace.
Leigh closed her eyes and sat down on the bed, feeling slightly woozy from all the emotional damage she'd encountered already that day. Jack and Aidan just glared at each other.
"I'll be gettin' your breakfast then, Leigh." Aidan said quietly, turning around and leaving the room, but not before spitting at Jack's feet. Jack simply stared at him.
"Get out, Jack." Leigh muttered, walking over to the door and opening it for Jack. When he just looked at her and opened his mouth to say something, she screamed: "Now!"
Jack's mouth shut instantly as he walked over to the door, looking Leigh in the eye before he walked out. Leigh slammed the door behind him and cried out in fury.
Falling to the floor against the door, she buried her face in her knees and bit her tongue to hold back another cry of agony. Why did he have to change? She thought exasperatedly, feelings of pain and fury flooding through her.
Her temper kept her from taking him back, and his pride kept him from falling into her arms. However, it was their combined past experiences that kept them from coming back together and rebuilding what they had lost.
Leigh felt in her heart that things could never be the way they were.it was impossible. She had been living a lie for so many years she couldn't count them any longer.
~
The door closed with a click behind Leigh's turned back. She held her breath so as to hold back the tears raining from her eyes. She bit her tongue and clenched her fists to keep from running back into the room.
Shakily, she took her first few steps, realizing that with every movement she was placing herself farther and farther away from the man she knew she loved to pieces and would always love to pieces.
As she descended the stairs, she perked her ears so as to make sure she didn't hear the door open and hear Jack follow her. She didn't want to run. She just wanted to make her path casual and slow so as to not attract attention.
She reached the hallway downstairs by the bar and walked down a long line of doors, heading for the farthest door at the end. Twisting the knob, she entered into the pitch black room and shut the door behind her.
Making her way to where the bed was, she crawled in beside her mother and began to cry.
~
The world opened its glorious eyes to Leigh that night. She saw glimpses of things she would never remember in the morning, even though they introduced her to her own future.
Words couldn't begin to describe the things she saw through tightly closed eyes and a wide open mind. Her dreams haunted her, and pleasured her at the same time. She'd seen a brighter future.but only after a very horrid one.
Her past disturbed her, causing her to toss and turn and wake her mother.
Madam Wilcox held her daughter closely, wishing she could end the troubles her daughter was going through. Yet she knew, as well as the next person, that to wake a person during a nightmare would only let them remember.
~
A quiet shuffle of boots on hard wooden floors and a mild sniffling had Leigh opening her eyes. The window was wide open, and a cool breeze was wafting in through the billowing curtains. The late morning sun blinded her briefly before she turned over and stretched.
Her eyes wandered over towards the door, where she saw a figure leaning against the wall. Rubbing her eyes to clear her drowsiness, Leigh glanced again.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, groaning as she stretched again. Sitting up, she glared at him.
"I suppose there isn't much in the way of apologies that I can offer you, Leigh." Jack replied, fingering something in his hands. Leigh's brows furrowed in curiosity as she stared at it. Jack's eyes glanced up at her, his hands retreating to rub the object. His face was blank, and his eyes said nothing. "This is yours, you know." He informed her, tossing the object to her.
Leigh caught it with both hands and inspected it closely. It was a large silver ring with intertwined silver vines which encircled a worn black onyx sphere. The ring was antique looking but still held its glimmer as if it were brand new. Leigh brought her hand to cover her mouth as she recognized what it was.
"J-Jack.I -"
"I thought I should give it back to you." Jack said, stepping towards Leigh. Her eyes shot up from the ring and glared at him.
"Don't." she said irately, eyeing him strangely. Her demeanor might have looked calm, but her heart was pounding in her ears louder than ever. "Don't come any closer, I don't need your pity nor do I need any comfort."
"I'm afraid that is where you are wrong, love." Jack replied, a weak smirk forming on his dry lips. He continued to approach her, and against her wishes, sat beside her on the bed. "You may not need pity, but you most definitely need comfort." He added, his hand making its way to rest on her own. She felt herself begin to tremble as she stared blankly at his hand on hers.
"Why are you doing this to me? Why give this back?" She asked, her voice shaky as she lifted her head to look at him. His eyes bore into hers as he examined her face.
"I just thought that if you didn't want me any longer, than you might want the ring back." Jack replied, his hand squeezing hers. With a grin he added: "This way, you can give it to the next fool who falls for you."
Leigh's jaw dropped at his comment. Her hand clutched the ring tighter in a fist as she felt her temper soaring. Whipping her hand from his grasp she stood up quickly and slapped him hard across the face.
"You bloody bastard!" Leigh managed to scream through her anger. Her vision turned red colored as she felt the blood boiling in her system. She felt her breath come out in raspy gasps through her tightly clenched teeth as she glared at him.
He sat there, stunned by the slap, rubbing his now reddened cheek gingerly. He looked up at her, his face blank. Standing up, he turned to face her.
Taking a deep breath, Jack lifted his head and looked down at her in a slightly condescending manner. "You really haven't changed a bit, Leigh."
"Really?" Leigh replied, a loathing hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Because you, Jack, have changed." She paused, feelings of sadness falling over her. In a hushed whisper, she added: "You've changed so much."
Her head fell down and she could no longer look at him in defiance. She had to close her eyes and grasp the headboard of the bed to keep from falling over. Her emotions changed immediately from anger to depression in little more than a minute.
She could feel Jack's eyes on her, his own pride never faltering. She knew he would never give up a fight, and he always thought she was the one at fault. Always. Yet still, he had changed.
The ring still clutched in her fist, Leigh opened her hand to look at it. It had been her fathers.the only thing she had of his. She had given it to Jack long ago as a birthday gift, promising him that she would love him till the day she died. She knew her promise had been kept.and every day she wished she could just move on and forget him.
But Jack wasn't a man most people could forget.
The door opened suddenly and Leigh watched as Aidan stepped in. "Leigh I made you some breakfast-"suddenly Aidan paused, his eyes sharp on Jack. Leigh watched in fear as a million emotions of anger roared through Aidan's eyes. "You."
Jack turned to look at Aidan, and immediately made the connection. "Aidan." Jack greeted, smirking and taking his hat off in a bow. Lifting his head only, he watched as Aidan approached him.
"Stand up you godforsaken fool." Aidan muttered, his hands clenched in tight fists at his sides. Aidan was a tall man with burly muscles and a sharp tongue. He'd been born and raised in Ireland, and even after he'd left, his Irish temper followed him.
His hair was dark and curly red, his face angular but softened by a dust of freckles that had faded with his age. He was in his mid thirties, and he was very protective of his 2nd cousin, Leigh.
Jack stood and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was coming.
"I was told you were here, but I didn't want to believe it." Aidan growled, his accent thick. Aidan and Jack had been best friends years before, back when Jack and Leigh were close. But when Jack had left unexpectedly, breaking Leigh's heart in turn, Aidan grew to hate the man who he had considered his best friend.
"How have you been?" Jack asked Aidan, his voice flat and stern. Aidan mocked his tone in his reply.
"Don't try small talk on me, Jack. I think you have an idea of why I am angry."
Jack pretended to be thinking, then replied: "Is it because you missed me?"
Aidan lifted his fist to punch Jack but Leigh came between them and grabbed his arm. "Stop it. Believe me, I would let you do it, and would be mighty glad if you did, but this is not the way to solve the problem."
"The problem is standing right in front of me." Aidan murmured, his eyes on Jack. Leigh sighed and hit Aidan on the chest.
"Calm down." She scolded him, glaring at her cousin. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Jack smirk at Aidan and whirled around to face him.
"And you." she muttered with distaste. "You need to shut your bloody mouth."
Jack eyed her strangely, his smirk gone without a trace.
Leigh closed her eyes and sat down on the bed, feeling slightly woozy from all the emotional damage she'd encountered already that day. Jack and Aidan just glared at each other.
"I'll be gettin' your breakfast then, Leigh." Aidan said quietly, turning around and leaving the room, but not before spitting at Jack's feet. Jack simply stared at him.
"Get out, Jack." Leigh muttered, walking over to the door and opening it for Jack. When he just looked at her and opened his mouth to say something, she screamed: "Now!"
Jack's mouth shut instantly as he walked over to the door, looking Leigh in the eye before he walked out. Leigh slammed the door behind him and cried out in fury.
Falling to the floor against the door, she buried her face in her knees and bit her tongue to hold back another cry of agony. Why did he have to change? She thought exasperatedly, feelings of pain and fury flooding through her.
Her temper kept her from taking him back, and his pride kept him from falling into her arms. However, it was their combined past experiences that kept them from coming back together and rebuilding what they had lost.
Leigh felt in her heart that things could never be the way they were.it was impossible. She had been living a lie for so many years she couldn't count them any longer.
~