"Sorry for leaving you two the day before your 'big day', but I've had to rush off to attend a family emergency. I will try and make it back for the wedding, however I cannot promise I will make it, so I think that you should give someone else the privilege of being best man. If I don't make it then I apologize and wish you two the best day! Sorry again, Jack." Dave read to himself, placing the letter back on the worktop. He sighed disappointedly and picked up his bags.
"Cya tomorrow, babes!" He shouted up the stairs at Martha, who slowly dragged her self down to say goodbye to her fiancé. Martha hadn't seen the note Jack had left excusing his absence, so she still assumed that not only had she got to marry Dave, but she had to stand in front of Jack whilst she took the vows.
There was no real family emergency, as you probably guessed, it was just Jack running away from his problems. Jack had lay awake most of the night in his hotel room, thinking about Martha, and when he finally did fall asleep, Martha was there. He'd imagined so many different ways that Martha could reject him if he were to declare his feelings for her, but something in his head kept telling him that he should tell her. After tossing and turning all night, he arranged a compromise. "I'll tell her tomorrow, before the wedding." He thought and finally drifted off to sleep.
Martha had too been unable to get any sleep last night, because of thoughts of Jack constantly running through her mind. She went into his room, ready to tell him everything she felt and to try and work things out when she got the worst shock that she could possibly expect, an empty bed. She skulked downstairs, upset and totally confused to why he was gone, when she noticed the note lying on the worktop. She read it in disbelief. She couldn't tell him how she felt! What on earth was she going to do? But she knew the answer to that question, she had to get on with it. She'd promised Dave that there would be a wedding, and she had to stop being so selfish and keep her promise. She was going to marry him today.
Jack tried to focus his tired eyes on to his bedside clock. "E..lev..en.. DAMN IT!" He jumped out of bed and reached out for his clothes. He'd brought with him his formal suit, just in case he was going to attend the wedding. He grabbed it. If he chickened out he could always claim he was there for the wedding, not to confess his love for the bride-to-be. He was dressed and outside the hotel, signalling for a taxi, in under 5 minutes. "To the registry office!" He yelled at the cab driver as he jumped in the taxi.
Jack threw the driver his money and ran into the grand building.
"Hi, Dave and Martha Hotchin wedding?" He asked at main reception. The receptionist looked down at the appointment slot and at her watch.
"Ohh, they're half way through at the moment. If you'd like to wait outside their room then it's number 6."
"Thanks." Jack said, running up the stairs. He ran all the way, until he got to the big wooden door of room 6. He placed his ear against the smooth wood, listening to the voices coming from the room. 3 voices to be exact, the vicar's and the other two he assumed were Dave and Martha's. He could hardly recognize Martha's happy voice, as she excitedly repeated the vows. He'd never heard her sound like this, and wondered if it was because she was now truly happy. It wouldn't be fair for him to ruin her big day, even if her husband-to-be was soon to be arrested. Jack leant against the door. Martha could be stubborn and very annoying sometimes, but he loved her and wanted the best for her even if that meant he couldn't have her. He thought of all the moments that they'd shared, each one defined why he loved her. His thoughts were interrupted by the famous phrase, "I do." Jack knew that he'd done the right thing by letting her go and be happy, but he wished that it didn't hurt so much. It hurt more than when he found out just over a year ago that she had left Summer Bay, at least then there was still hope that he could find her and rekindle their love, but now, she was taken. He couldn't think of anything better to do now than to ring his father up and tell him his problems. But he couldn't even do that, because of this stupid investigation. All he could do was drown his sorrows in the pub on the corner of the road, whilst he thought of yet another plan for getting over Martha.
Chapter 27
Jack was sat in Frankie's, staring into the bottom of his empty pint glass. If only he'd not been so stubborn and talked to her when he had the chance, now he'll never know how she felt. His mobile suddenly started to vibrate on the table. He picked it up and looked at caller ID. Jenny. He really didn't want to talk to her right now, but had remembered what Peter had said.
"Hello." He said, in a depressed, lonely voice that reflected his mood.
"Hi Jay-Jay!" He cheap and cheerful voice had already started to give him a headache. "I was just wondering if maybe you'd come round to beach side hut, I've rented it out for the night and cooked you a really nice meal. Please come Jay-Jay?" Jack sighed, 'perhaps it'll do me good to go, get my mind off Martha' he thought.
"Sure. Cya in 10." He hung up before she started squeaking again, and headed to the door.
Meanwhile, in room 6 the newlyweds were having an amazing time, staring longingly into each others eyes and trying to make the happiest days of their lives last as long as they could. They finally walked out those big wooden doors, hand in hand, smiling at one another.
"Congratulations Helen and Chris, I wish you a great life together!" The registrar said, patting them on the back.
Jack pulled up outside the hut. He dragged himself inside and called out for Jenny.
"Jenny? Listen, I can't stay for too long as I'm not feeling too good." He lied. "But I promise that I'll take you out another day to make it up to you." He carried on, searching through the hut. "Where are you?" He asked.
"I'm upstairs, if you go to the balcony you'll be able to see me!" She shouted. Jack walked up the stairs. Every step he took he had Martha on the brain. He tried to get her out of her head, but he couldn't, he imagined what she'd be doing this very moment, probably with Dave. Just thinking about them hurt him, so he decided to try even harder to get her out of his head. He turned onto the balcony, and he could see that Jenny had climbed over the railings and onto a cliff.
"Come on over! I've got a surprise for you! You'll love it!" She giggled. Jack reluctantly climbed over the railing and onto the cliff, and followed Jenny's voice round a corner. Jack looked around, what was so special about this! Sure no one was around, and it did look quite nice, but he thought that she'd made him dinner. Someone screaming his name distracted his thoughts.
"JACK!" Martha shouted, trying to break free from the chair that she'd been tied to. Jack ran up to her, untying her as quickly as he could, until he noticed that Jenny was right next to Martha, with a gun pointing at her head.
"Stand away from her Jack." She said, "NOW!" Jack stepped away, trying to reassure the petrified Martha that everything would be alright, using solely his facial expressions. Jenny signalled for him to stand at a certain spot around 5 metres away from her, facing Martha.
Chapter 28"What have you done to her?" Jack demanded. He was looking at the cuts on Martha's face. Jenny looked at Martha's face, then to Jack.
"Oh, I didn't do that, I found her like that." She said, Jack didn't believe her.
"Yea, did you find her tied to a chair like that too?" He said, sarcastically. Jenny walked over to him, gun now pointing to his head.
"Are you saying that I'M lying?" Her head rose right in front of his, leaving a centimetre gap between their noses. Martha looked on, worried.
"No! Jack, she's not lying." Jenny relaxed the gun and stood back so Jack and Martha could clearly see one another.
"Well then, who-" A look of anger came across Jack's face. "Dave?" Martha slowly nodded. Jack looked like he was going to explode with anger, which Martha noticed and tried to prevent.
"Well, he did have a reason this time.." She started, Jack interrupted, unable to accept what he was actually hearing.
"You're defending him now?" He enquired.
"No, I'm just saying, he didn't do it because he was drunk, or because he was just bored. It was my fault." Jack looked confused.
"How could it be your fault? It's his fault! He shouldn't hit you! It's wrong of him and I'll get him for it! You just wait until I see him-"
"IF you see him, that is." Jenny said, with an evil grin across her face. Jack watched Martha's face fill with panic and fear, he quickly tried to change the conversation, he'd feel much better if he could just ease her mind for a moment.
"Come on then, why can he be excused to hit his gir-" Jack paused for a moment, remembering the heartbreaking truth of what had happened today, "..wife." The vows that he had heard whilst leaning against room 6 were now echoing in his head, every sentence that his mind repeated made him remember that she didn't reciprocate his feelings.
"I'm not his wife. I didn't get married to him today, I couldn't go through with it, it's not him that I love." Jack looked up, 'does this mean that she might love me?' he thought happily. He was so pleased that she hadn't got married that he'd forgotten about the huge life-threatening situation they were now in.
"Who do you lo-" Jack began to ask the question that he'd been wanting to ask for so long, but was interrupted when Jenny held the gun to Martha's head.
"This isn't time to chat you no!" She yelled. "I brought you both here for revenge, and I intend on having it!" Jack and Martha both looked towards her, confused and petrified.
"Why revenge? What have we done?" Martha asked, her voice was trembling with fear as she stared at the gun that was pointing directly to her face.
"Ha! Don't act all innocent with me!" Jenny said, growing angrier with each breath she took. "I know you two have been having an affair! I know you've been cheating on me Jack!" She sharply turned around, now pointing the gun at Jack. Brief memories shot into his head, painful memories of the girl that he had killed a few years ago, the one that had too threatened her with a gun.
"What? We haven't been having an affair?" Jack said, shocked at what Jenny was accusing him of.
"Oh! And I suppose you think I'm stupid now do you? How come you have a picture of you and her in your room then? Top draw on your bedside table?" Jack closed his eyes for a moment, picturing what photo she was talking about. Not that he needed to think what it looked like, he'd stared at it too many times in the last year to suddenly forget every single detail of it. "You know, the framed one? You and Martha are laughing at the beach?" Jack awoke from his daydream, and looked up at Martha, who clearly knew about the photo she was talking about. She smiled to herself, unaware Jack was watching. She didn't smile because she was happy about her situation, but she was joyful that Jack too had kept the picture of them taken on the day they were on the beach. She thought back to the time when it was taken, one of their last dates. Jack had got a new camera and, being a typical bloke, wanted to go out and try his new toy out, so they sat on the beach, each taking a turn to pose for the camera. Jack had just figured out how to do self-timing, and had set it up facing Martha and ran to join her. They'd both agreed that it was the best picture, and he printed two off, giving one to Martha, and keeping one for himself. Martha had then surprised him by sneaking into his room one day and placing it into a photo frame. Martha noticed that Jack was looking at her, and they both quickly looked down when their eyes met. Jack was slowly thinking about what Jenny had just said.
"When were you in my room?" He shouted. Jenny smiled sweetly.
"Oh, when I popped over to see why my boyfriend wasn't answering my calls your dad Tony and your brother Lucas left me in your house alone. Very trusting of them actually."
"You're not even my girlfriend!" He shouted. "I haven't had one in a year now, and you think I'd start with a nutcase like you!" Jenny looked offended.
"What are you talking about? If we aren't boyfriend and girlfriend then why did you stay with me on Saturday night at the hotel?" She asked. Martha looked down, uncomfortable and hurt, she didn't want to hear about this, it was bad enough knowing that it happened, but she didn't want to have it brought up again, not that it wasn't brought up in her mind every time she saw Jack. Jack noticed Martha's expression, he then angrily looked towards Jenny.
"Okay, Jenny, what do you think happened on Saturday night?" Martha was totally confused at this point, what was he trying to prove?
"We slept together." She smiled, reliving the false memory. Jack stared at her in amazement.
"What is going off in that tiny crazy head of yours.." He asked, not meaning to say it aloud. Jenny and Martha both stared at him in disbelief at what he just said.
"Oh, so now you're going to deny all the other things we did together then? The walks on the beach, our first game at pool when you taught me your tricks, our first date when you set up that lovely banquet at your house.." No matter how hard Martha tried, she couldn't hide the pain that was caused by hearing these things. Jack was getting frustrated that Martha believed this.
"Martha, you have to believe me, this never happened." He said, talking as if Jenny wasn't there. This was a mistake for Jack, but in his defence, he was trying to stop Martha from feeling upset and getting the wrong idea, that he was in love with Jenny. Jenny stretched out her arms, and aimed at Jack.
"Tell her you don't love her!" She screamed. Jack swapped gazes between the gun, Jenny and Martha. He couldn't bring himself to say it, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't, not with Martha sat there.
"SAY IT!" Martha screamed! She sat there helplessly as she watched Jack's life be put on the line for her. "PLEASE!" Jack looked at how desperate she was, he could see her eyes watering.
"I-" He began, but it was too late, Jenny was furious and heartbroken.
"This is for breaking my heart!" She screamed. Martha and Jack both held their breath as she held the gun steady. Martha jumped up, screaming at Jack to move. Jack and Jenny were both as surprised at each other, how had she managed to break free? Jenny spun round and aimed the gun at Martha. Jack watched in slow motion as her finger started to add pressure to the trigger. He made a split second decision and jumped in front of Martha. The gunshot echoed around the cliffs, and so did Martha's scream.