Chapter 2 – Answers
They walk through the jungle, toward the beach. As they walk, Kate glances at Jack occasionally, but for the most part, she watches their feet. Jack takes long, quick strides. He always seems like he has a mission. On the other hand, her steps are brisk, but short. They've always gotten her where she needs to go, but she's unaccustomed to being there, where she wants to be.
Taking a deep breath, Kate grabs Jack's hand and gives it a little squeeze. He looks at her, surprised, but he smiles, and then they walk hand in hand. Kate feels like her heart is racing out of control. All of a sudden, she imagines herself as a teenage girl in a new relationship. Cotton seems to fill her mouth as she tries to form words.
Jack sighs and looks over at Kate. He doesn't know if he has ever been this nervous about a girl. They continue to walk in silence until they reach the beach. Jack watches Kate with a smile as she digs her feet into the sand when they sit. When she leans against him and puts her head on his shoulder, he can smell her hair, and he remembers.
--
He glances at her and then looks around. She feels him hesitate and stops.
"Are you okay? Do we need to stop?" Renee brushes her hair out of her face and tries to help support him more.
"No, I'm okay. I think… we're close to my place. We just need to go another block down that way," he says, giving an off-hand wave. The pain in his shoulder has dulled some, but his head still throbs. Renee seems nervous, so he tries to downplay the pain. He doesn't want her or anyone else to worry about him.
"I told you my name, but you never told me yours." Renee starts to flash him a flirty grin, and then she catches herself. After tonight, she will never see him again. She can't. Briefly, she closes her eyes and counts the number of people who got hurt because of her.
He smirks. The night sky covers the heated blush in his cheeks, but he stumbles over his words a bit when he speaks.
"Chris. I'm Chris." Jack is hesitant to tell her his real name. He doesn't know why, but he feels as though a bond would be broken.
"Well, Chris, how did you get yourself into this mess?" Jack chuckles.
"I guess that depends if you're talking about getting attacked and kidnapped or my wife leaving me." He pauses to catch his breath, and she pulls him closer. "What about you? How did you find me? Why did you help me? They could have killed you."
For a minute, they are both silent. Tears begin to roll down Renee's cheeks. She wants to tell him everything – how she never meant to kill a man, how she saw him get hurt as she was on the run and felt drawn to him, how her life is royally screwed up. But then she remembers that her life is still in danger. She can't hurt anyone again.
Jack looks over in surprise when he hears Renee's voice choke as she tries to speak.
"Hey, hey. It's okay." Gently, he pushes her hair back. Her eyes glisten with tears, and he doesn't know what to say to make it right. He wants everything to be okay. Not for him, but for her.
He wants to be her hero.
Renee doesn't want him to worry about her, but the words come spilling out of her mouth. "You could have been killed. You could have died. All of it is my fault. It's my fault he died. It's my fault my mom died."
"Shhh…" Jack's mind races as she continues to mumble. He wants to know who the man is and what happened to her mom, but he doesn't ask. "Shh… it's okay. I'm here. I've got your back." He raises his good arm and gently wipes her cheek with his thumb.
And then, the tears begin to fall.
--
Jack takes a deep breath and smiles wistfully as Kate glares at him.
"What the hell happened down there?" Kate's voice is still laced with panic. "What if no one had been there? Why aren't you taking care of yourself, Jack?" Her eyes begin to fill with tears. "Everyone needs you. They look up to you."
"Hey, easy. I'm okay. Kate, I'm okay."
"That's not the point! Just tell me what's going on," Kate snaps. She tries to wipe the tears out of her eyes, but they continue to fall uncontrollably as Jack pulls her close. "I need you," she whispers. "I'm sorry I ran, but I'm not running now. This is where I want to be."
Jack stares into her eyes. Before their jungle trek, he would have questioned her integrity, but he knows now that she's not sorry. He brushes her hair out of her face and pulls her into a tight hug.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Kate," he whispers. His voice sends tingles through Kate's body. She closes her eyes, and Jack leans back, letting her sleep.
--
His touch sends shivers down Renee's spine. She didn't ask any questions as he led her into a lavish apartment building. Somehow, they both know that there isn't time for questions, and neither Jack nor Renee has answers.
He kisses her all over. His hands brush through her hair, and he tries to memorize every touch, every kiss, every moment. He memorizes the smell of her hair and her throaty voice as she says his name.
She wants to savor every moment they have together. In her mind, she wishes that they could have the time for this to amount to something more. Once again though, it's her fault. She messed up, and now she has to pay the consequences alone.
--
Before the night is over, he tries to convince her to stay. They both know what her answer will be, but he feels a duty to try, and she feels a duty to answer. He seems to care like no one ever has before. No one except Tom, she thinks.
His voice is desperate, but he already knows that her answer will be no. He has always wanted someone to hold on, but for the first time in his life, he thinks there's more here. She's not just some girl, and he's not just some guy.
She doesn't want to leave, but she knows this is for the best. At least, that's what she tells herself and hears herself saying over and over. He makes her feel complete, but she can't risk it. She wants the answers, but she knows she won't find them by staying.
--
When Kate stirs, she glances up at Jack. She smiles softly and looks around. Pink and orange shades splash across the sky, and the waves crash with their familiar roar.
"Hey, sleepyhead." He opens his mouth to say more, but she raises her finger to his lips. Together, they stand and walk to the edge of the water. He wraps his arm around her shoulder, and together, they watch the sunset.
No words pass between them, but no words are needed.
They have their answers.
A/N: Okay. You have permission to kill me. I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! School got incredibly busy, but we got out today, so I should be able to write a bunch soon. Be on the lookout for more. Reviews are lovely.