Chapter 26
After Sydney and Tatiana were out of the kitchen following Irina's revelations, Jack turned on Irina. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Sydney was very insistent that I not tell anyone, including you," Irina answered calmly.
"Why wouldn't she want me to know?"
Irina sighed. "I don't know, Jack. I don't know why she didn't want me to tell her something at least something about what happens. She started acting rather strange at the end."
"How many people knew? That she was still herself, I mean?"
"Besides me and Kendall, only one other person."
Jack glared, and she stared back impassively. "And who exactly is that other person, Irina?" he finally asked.
"He prefers to remain anonymous."
Jack gave a frustrated sigh. "You're not going to tell me any more than you told Sydney, are you?"
"Jack, I wouldn't tell Sydney about her own life. I'm not going to tell you."
"I see." He frowned.
Irina watched him for a moment. "Jack, if I'd been able to contact you to tell you she was alive, I would have." He didn't say anything. "Do you believe me?"
"I don't know, Irina." He avoided looking at her. "We worked together, closely, for most of a year, and I thought maybe you were done with hidden agendas and keeping secrets. And now in the past few days I've found out that you didn't tell me you'd had another child, that you didn't tell me that you were with Sydney for a year.your reasons seem plausible, but I can't help wondering what else you're not telling me."
She sighed. "Jack, I've been keeping secrets all my adult life. It's not that I want to be secretive with you, it's just.it's a habit. You're the same way." She smiled slightly. "We're both used to giving away as little as possible, and we're both justifiably paranoid. We can't just drop that when we're together." She reached out and took his hand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Sydney. Honestly, I'm glad it's out, because it's been tormenting me that I couldn't tell either of you."
"I want to know what happened to Sydney. In more detail than what you told her." Irina looked down at her lap. "Irina, I know you're protecting her. I know she probably had to do some things that she would hate herself for. But stop protecting me. I won't tell her what happened; she doesn't even have to know that I know. Irina, I need to know."
Irina hesitated a moment, unsure. "All right, Jack. But it's not going to be easy to hear."
"I know."
"Tomorrow night, after Sydney leaves."
As Jack nodded, the door to the kitchen burst open, and Sydney entered, followed closely by Tatiana.
After Sydney and Tatiana were out of the kitchen following Irina's revelations, Jack turned on Irina. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Sydney was very insistent that I not tell anyone, including you," Irina answered calmly.
"Why wouldn't she want me to know?"
Irina sighed. "I don't know, Jack. I don't know why she didn't want me to tell her something at least something about what happens. She started acting rather strange at the end."
"How many people knew? That she was still herself, I mean?"
"Besides me and Kendall, only one other person."
Jack glared, and she stared back impassively. "And who exactly is that other person, Irina?" he finally asked.
"He prefers to remain anonymous."
Jack gave a frustrated sigh. "You're not going to tell me any more than you told Sydney, are you?"
"Jack, I wouldn't tell Sydney about her own life. I'm not going to tell you."
"I see." He frowned.
Irina watched him for a moment. "Jack, if I'd been able to contact you to tell you she was alive, I would have." He didn't say anything. "Do you believe me?"
"I don't know, Irina." He avoided looking at her. "We worked together, closely, for most of a year, and I thought maybe you were done with hidden agendas and keeping secrets. And now in the past few days I've found out that you didn't tell me you'd had another child, that you didn't tell me that you were with Sydney for a year.your reasons seem plausible, but I can't help wondering what else you're not telling me."
She sighed. "Jack, I've been keeping secrets all my adult life. It's not that I want to be secretive with you, it's just.it's a habit. You're the same way." She smiled slightly. "We're both used to giving away as little as possible, and we're both justifiably paranoid. We can't just drop that when we're together." She reached out and took his hand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Sydney. Honestly, I'm glad it's out, because it's been tormenting me that I couldn't tell either of you."
"I want to know what happened to Sydney. In more detail than what you told her." Irina looked down at her lap. "Irina, I know you're protecting her. I know she probably had to do some things that she would hate herself for. But stop protecting me. I won't tell her what happened; she doesn't even have to know that I know. Irina, I need to know."
Irina hesitated a moment, unsure. "All right, Jack. But it's not going to be easy to hear."
"I know."
"Tomorrow night, after Sydney leaves."
As Jack nodded, the door to the kitchen burst open, and Sydney entered, followed closely by Tatiana.