Chapter 15
Kate continued to eat her passion fruit as she walked toward Charlie and some of the others who were sitting around a fire in the morning chill. When she reached them she smiled at Charlie who responded with a smirk and a glance behind her at Sawyer. She sat down next to him. Charlie raised his eyebrows slightly and with ever-growing mirth asked, "sleep well?" His voice squeeking slightly on the last word. Kate looked at him and furrowed her brow.
"What?"
"I asked if you slept well," he still couldn't keep a small giggle from escaping his throat.
"Fine. Why?" Kate drew back a touch, and took another bite of fruit.
Charlie shook his head slightly, "Just uh..hemasking. You know, being hem polite and all." his voice trailed off when Sawyer sat down next to her.
"Well, for your information," Kate smiled widely, "I slept like a baby." Then after a second Charlie caught her mumble under her breath, "When I was sleeping..." He smiled shook his head. Apparently Sawyer caught her words as well because right them he choked on some mango that had gone down the wrong way. Kate glanced at him and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. He had just started eating, but when he heard her last sentance had somehow managed to shove his face into the mango. Now his mouth and cheeks were covered in mango juice, and he cursed heartily as he wiped it off.
After finishing her own fruit Kate grabbed the coconut that Sawyer had yet to succeed in opening. "Hey! I was eatin' that." he said.
Kate just looked at him, "oh really? Looked to me more like you were trying to tear away at the skin with your non-existant fingernails." She giggled and pulled out the knife that had been sheathed at her waist. She placed the coconut firmly on the ground and in between her feet. In one swift motion she struck the coconut with the point of the knife and twirled it between her hands, and soon there was a hole in the top and she hadn't spilled a drop of the sweet milk inside.
Absentmindedly she resheathed the knife with one hand and used the other to pick up the nut. Bringing it to her mouth she drank most of the milk and then handed it to Sawyer who looked at her and raised one eyebrow. "I guess you'll have to show me how to do that sometime." He drank the last of the milk (which ended up only being about a mouthful) and then glared at Kate as he used his own knife (that he had forgotten about) to strip the leathery hide from the thing. Then he hungrily bit into the soft, crunchy fruit and chewed it thoughtfully.
"I'm not gonna follow you this time." Sawyer growled when Kate stood up and started to walk away. He had just started on the coconut and intended to sit there til he'd had his full.
"I know." Kate replied without turning around.
"Damn woman." Sawyer breathed.
Finally, Charlie couldn't handle it any more and began laughing out loud. Sawyer glared at him, "What are you laughin' at VH1?" Charlie just laughed all the harder. Sawyer stood up, throwing his coconut on the ground. "I don't have to sit here and listen to this." And with that he stormed off, conspicuously in the direction Kate had just gone. Then realising what he was doing, he turned mid-step and walked back toward his tent more angry than before if that was possible. "Damn woman."
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Meanwhile, Kate was making her way to the caves. She needed to talk to Jack. She still couldn't get that look on his face from the day before out of her head. So much had already happened since then, it seemed like forever ago. But she had to talk to him, to tell him about her and Sawyer. God! She didn't know how she was going to tell the only other man on the island who actually looked at her like she was a woman and not a thief or murderer, that she had been with another man. Kate was lost in her own thoughts and made her way blindly along the path.
She was so lost in thought that she actually ran bodily into Jack before she even realised he was there. He had been going out to the beach and spotted her quite a ways back and had stopped to see if she would even notice him. Apparently she didn't.
"Oh my god! Jack! You scared the crap outta me! What are you doing here?"
"Uh..." Jack's eyebrows rose, "What am II/I doing here? What are Iyou/I doing here? The last time I saw you, you had just finished...he couldn't say the words...right after spending the day with me..." his words trailed off, and he started walking back toward the caves.
"Jack," the tone of her voice stopped him in his tracks. "Jack, I...I need to tell you something."
He turned towards her. "You don't have to tell me anything Kate. I get it ok? I tried...again he couldn't say what he wanted to...but you chose...him. It's ok. Really. I get it." But the look in his eyes belied his feelings. He looked down and then turned away again.
Kate caught up to him and grabbed his arm, stopping him once more. "Jack. Please. Please don't do this."
"Do what Kate?" The intensity with which he stared at her seared through her mind.
"This." Kate whispered. She frowned slightly and felt a knot beginning to grow in the pit of her stomach. Everything had been so wonderful, so okay, not even an hour ago, and now...now she felt like the worst person in the world. "I never...she faultered...I never meant to hurt you." She felt like her voice was failing her.
Jack smiled that ironic, almost mocking smile of his, and shook his head. "Don't. Don't spend an incredible day with me. He swallowed Hold my han-he swallowed again and then go to him. Don't do all of that and then say you didn't mean to hurt me. I tried. I tried to show you...what it could be like..." he took a deep breath that seemed to tear at Kate's heart. Then he shook his head again, "Forget it. Okay? Just forget it." Then he turned again and walked away from her.
"Jack, "she said sedatedly, he stopped, "I'll never forget." And with that she turned slowly, and headed back to the beach.
