AUTHORS NOTE: In the last chapter (on account of I've never posted here
before) forgot to include my friend drummergrl as my co - author. ( Don't
hate me!)
Chapter 2
After the police had left with David, there was a long and uncomfortable moment of silence in the apartment. Janet had not said another word since they left and neither had Jack.
"Did.did he hurt you?" he finally asked, unsure if that was the right thing to say.
Janet just shook her head and tears began to fall again.
"Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm right here, baby. Right here. And I won't let anything else happen to you. I promise. Everything'll be fine."
Janet immediately pulled away. "God, Jack!! How much of an idiot can you be??!! That is by far the stupidest thing you've ever asked me, do you know that? Of course he hurt me! And everything's NOT fine!"
"I'm sorry," Jack answered softly.
Janet! Come on, girl! Chill! It was just a question! He didn't mean anything by it. She closed her eyes, silently cursing the man who had just made her yell at the guy who meant everything to her. "Oh.Jack. I.I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. So sorry. Yes, he hurt me.but not in the way I know you're thinking about." She yawned.
"You tired?"
She nodded. "I'm exhausted, but I sure as hell can't sleep anytime soon. I.I just can't go in that room. I can't."
"How about you sleep in my room? I'll take the couch."
Janet smiled at that, realizing just how much she would do for her and how she took him for granted sometimes. "O - okay, but.but Jack? Will you just.stay with me tonight? Stay and hold me?" Janet asked, suddenly shy.
"Of course" Jack replied, caressing her cheek. His first instinct was to make a suggestive and somewhat lewd comment about the sleeping arrangements, but knew that it was the last thing she needed right now.
Without another word, Janet went into his room, crawled into his bed and curled up into the fetal position, her legs hugging her chest, the blanket securely around her. Jack sighed, got into the bed, and wrapped his arms around her. As expected, her body immediately tensed at his touch, but then relaxed. He smiled, softly stroking her hair. "I love you, you know that? I love you. And I'm right here. You'll be just fine. I promise you that. It's okay." How could this have happened to her?!? His best friend. She had never done anything to hurt anyone, he thought sadly as he watched her fall into a restless sleep.
"Good night Janet" Jack whispered. "Sweet dreams."
The next morning, Janet woke up and realized that Jack's arm was still protectively around her waist. He hadn't let go of her the entire night. She smiled at him, for some reason not wanting to leave the security of his embrace. After brushing her teeth, Janet went into the kitchen, and decided she would cook him breakfast. After all, Jack had stayed with her the entire time, holding her, and simply getting her through the night. She wanted to return the favor, even though the only somewhat edible things she could make were cereal, orange juice, and toast.
Just as she was pouring the orange juice into the cups, Jack walked into the kitchen. He stood at the doorway and smiled as he watched her pour the orange juice and then looked at the table.
Jack smiled as Janet turned around. "What do you think," she asked him hopefully.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly.
"Jack...in all honesty, the only reason I got through last night was because of you. You made it possible. And I don't know what I would have done without you yesterday. Yesterday made me realize that I need you in my life."
"And I need you in mine." He suspiciously checked over the cereal and held up a half burned piece of toast. "Well, it's not that bad," he commented.
She laughed. "Gee, thanks Jack. I know it's an awful breakfast, but I just wanted to do something special to thank you for being such a wonderful friend."
Jack smiled at her and kissed her check. "You're welcome." She handed him his cup of orange juice and they ate their breakfast.
"Thank you Janet" he said as he sat down across from her at the table.
"No problem, Jack. Really.thank you for everything. You really are the best friend anyone could ever ask for." Suddenly, she stood. "Now, I would love to stay here with you, but I'm going to be late."
"You're actually going to work." It was a statement, not a question. "Janet.yesterday -"
"Yesterday was awful. But it was yesterday. The guy's in jail, and he won't bother me anymore. I'm fine, he didn't hurt me.not really. Please Jack, it's over, it's history, and I really don't want to talk about it. I've decided to put that out of my mind. That's the only way I can survive, to let yesterday be history."
He grabbed her arm to stop her from going any further, and both of them were surprised at the evident and undeniable attraction and electricity. "Honey, I love you.but you don't always have to be so strong." he told her softly.
"Jack, stop! Just drop it! Please! I'm okay. I need to get on with my life. I'm completely over what happened.and actually, yes I do." Without another word, she slammed the door to Apartment 201.
Chapter 2
After the police had left with David, there was a long and uncomfortable moment of silence in the apartment. Janet had not said another word since they left and neither had Jack.
"Did.did he hurt you?" he finally asked, unsure if that was the right thing to say.
Janet just shook her head and tears began to fall again.
"Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm right here, baby. Right here. And I won't let anything else happen to you. I promise. Everything'll be fine."
Janet immediately pulled away. "God, Jack!! How much of an idiot can you be??!! That is by far the stupidest thing you've ever asked me, do you know that? Of course he hurt me! And everything's NOT fine!"
"I'm sorry," Jack answered softly.
Janet! Come on, girl! Chill! It was just a question! He didn't mean anything by it. She closed her eyes, silently cursing the man who had just made her yell at the guy who meant everything to her. "Oh.Jack. I.I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. So sorry. Yes, he hurt me.but not in the way I know you're thinking about." She yawned.
"You tired?"
She nodded. "I'm exhausted, but I sure as hell can't sleep anytime soon. I.I just can't go in that room. I can't."
"How about you sleep in my room? I'll take the couch."
Janet smiled at that, realizing just how much she would do for her and how she took him for granted sometimes. "O - okay, but.but Jack? Will you just.stay with me tonight? Stay and hold me?" Janet asked, suddenly shy.
"Of course" Jack replied, caressing her cheek. His first instinct was to make a suggestive and somewhat lewd comment about the sleeping arrangements, but knew that it was the last thing she needed right now.
Without another word, Janet went into his room, crawled into his bed and curled up into the fetal position, her legs hugging her chest, the blanket securely around her. Jack sighed, got into the bed, and wrapped his arms around her. As expected, her body immediately tensed at his touch, but then relaxed. He smiled, softly stroking her hair. "I love you, you know that? I love you. And I'm right here. You'll be just fine. I promise you that. It's okay." How could this have happened to her?!? His best friend. She had never done anything to hurt anyone, he thought sadly as he watched her fall into a restless sleep.
"Good night Janet" Jack whispered. "Sweet dreams."
The next morning, Janet woke up and realized that Jack's arm was still protectively around her waist. He hadn't let go of her the entire night. She smiled at him, for some reason not wanting to leave the security of his embrace. After brushing her teeth, Janet went into the kitchen, and decided she would cook him breakfast. After all, Jack had stayed with her the entire time, holding her, and simply getting her through the night. She wanted to return the favor, even though the only somewhat edible things she could make were cereal, orange juice, and toast.
Just as she was pouring the orange juice into the cups, Jack walked into the kitchen. He stood at the doorway and smiled as he watched her pour the orange juice and then looked at the table.
Jack smiled as Janet turned around. "What do you think," she asked him hopefully.
"What are you doing?" he asked softly.
"Jack...in all honesty, the only reason I got through last night was because of you. You made it possible. And I don't know what I would have done without you yesterday. Yesterday made me realize that I need you in my life."
"And I need you in mine." He suspiciously checked over the cereal and held up a half burned piece of toast. "Well, it's not that bad," he commented.
She laughed. "Gee, thanks Jack. I know it's an awful breakfast, but I just wanted to do something special to thank you for being such a wonderful friend."
Jack smiled at her and kissed her check. "You're welcome." She handed him his cup of orange juice and they ate their breakfast.
"Thank you Janet" he said as he sat down across from her at the table.
"No problem, Jack. Really.thank you for everything. You really are the best friend anyone could ever ask for." Suddenly, she stood. "Now, I would love to stay here with you, but I'm going to be late."
"You're actually going to work." It was a statement, not a question. "Janet.yesterday -"
"Yesterday was awful. But it was yesterday. The guy's in jail, and he won't bother me anymore. I'm fine, he didn't hurt me.not really. Please Jack, it's over, it's history, and I really don't want to talk about it. I've decided to put that out of my mind. That's the only way I can survive, to let yesterday be history."
He grabbed her arm to stop her from going any further, and both of them were surprised at the evident and undeniable attraction and electricity. "Honey, I love you.but you don't always have to be so strong." he told her softly.
"Jack, stop! Just drop it! Please! I'm okay. I need to get on with my life. I'm completely over what happened.and actually, yes I do." Without another word, she slammed the door to Apartment 201.