Chapter 29

"We'll get the drinks." Robbie said to Tasha and Martha as him and Jack walked to the bar. Jack stood at the bar in a trance as Robbie ordered the first round.

"Wow, it really did affect you." Robbie continued. Jack awoke, looking to Robbie.

"Sorry, what did you say mate? What affected me?" Jack asked.

"Callum's phone call to Martha. Ever since she got it you've been on a different planet." Robbie said. Jack couldn't be bothered to argue, even if he did, he knew that he wouldn't be convincing. "So now you've just got to tell her." Robbie said, patting him on the back. Jack nearly choked on his beer.

"What?" He spluttered. Tasha and Martha spun around to see what was happening, they'd both assumed that the person coughing and choking on their beer would be Robbie, but to their surprise they saw it was Jack. Martha looked at him stood at the bar, making a big scene with his coughing fit. She felt a small smile appear from the corner of her mouth, as she found it quite funny watching him splutter and get embarrassed.

"Tell him." Tasha whispered. Martha took her gaze from Jack and looked towards Tasha.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Tell him that you love him and that you so desperately want him back!" Tasha giggled.

"No! I don't! I'm fine without him, he's a jerk." Martha said angrily.

"Why the hell would I tell her? She's happy with Callum now anyway." Jack argued, now having his breathing and coughing under control.

"How do you know she's happy with him?" Robbie asked.

"You should have seen them there. She wasn't thinking about me. She knows how much I like her, and that I am really sorry for what I did, so it was up to her, and she chose Callum." Jack mumbled, looking past Robbie's shoulder and to Martha. 'He has a point. I'll drop it for now' Robbie thought.

"Come on, help me out here." Robbie said, gesturing for Jack to pick up two of the drinks.

"Tasha darling." Robbie smiled, passing her a drink and leaning over the table to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks." She smiled sweetly, taking a sip. All eyes were now on Jack, holding the two beers in his hands. He heavily put Martha's drink down on the table, not making eye contact. She reached over and took a drink.

"Service with a smile." She mumbled sarcastically. Jack looked up at her and gave her a short over-the-top smile.

"Better for you?" He snapped.

"Much." She said, Tasha and Robbie laughed, trying to make a joke out of it all, but Jack and Martha just sat quietly drinking.

The four of them sat in awkward silence for about 10 minutes before Robbie finally brought up conversation.

"So Mac, what's dying like? You did it twice, you should be an expert." Robbie joked. "Ow!" He shouted, Tasha had kicked him under the table for bringing up the whole drugs incident. Jack and Martha looked towards him confused.

"What's up mate?" Jack asked, puzzled.

"Pins and Needles." Robbie muttered, giving Tasha deadeye. The four sat quiet for a moment, before Martha decided to continue with the conversation.

"Well, I can't really remember it. Maybe if we get Jack to drug me again then I could write notes!" She said. "He wouldn't take a lot of convincing, especially if we got his boss to ask." Martha commented, giving an evil glare at Jack. Robbie and Tasha looked at one another, and then looked towards Jack who just sat fiddling with the sticker on his beer, trying to ignore what Martha was saying.

"Footy's on tomorrow isn't it?" Jack asked Robbie, ignoring Martha. This made her more infuriated.

"Tasha. Robbie." Martha interrupted. "You two love each other, right?" She asked. Tasha and Robbie gave a sigh of relief, she had stopped making digs at Jack, maybe now they could all have a peaceful drink together.

"Yes." Robbie said, holding Tasha's hand on top of the table.

"Aww aren't that cute?" Martha asked Jack, with a sweet smile. "Anyway.." She continued, looking back at Robbie and Tasha.

"Say if one of you died, how long would it take you to move on, you know, go on a date?" She asked. Tasha realised where she was leading, and tried to think of an answer that would stop her in her tracks, before she started on Jack again.

"I'd never get over her." Robbie smiled at Tasha. "It'd take me a while before I even thought about dating someone else." Robbie answered.

"Mac I think-" Tasha began, but was interrupted by Martha.

"A year perhaps?" Martha asked. Jack wondered what point she was trying to prove, but Robbie suspected nothing and carried on the conversation.

"Oh more than that! 5, 6 maybe." Robbie answered. Tasha leant her head on her arm, now there was nothing she could do to prevent what was going to come out of Martha's mouth.

"Oh, that's funny, it only took Jack a matter of weeks." Martha snapped, looking towards Jack.

"What?" Jack asked, puzzled.

"You know, Alice?" Martha said. She didn't know why she was doing this, but she just couldn't seem to stop. All the sadness inside of her had changed to anger, and she was letting it out on Jack. Jack didn't know how she'd found out about Alice, but he couldn't believe the cheek of Martha having a go at him because of it. After all, he'd done nothing with Alice, and Martha and Callum had kissed!

"Yes, I know Alice." Jack answered sharply.

"Alice? Who the heck is Alice?" Robbie interrupted.

"Well," Jack answered, not looking away from Martha, "she was the stewardess on the plane ride to Sydney, she gave me her number." Robbie looked shocked.

"You called her? It'd only been a couple of weeks since Mac-" Robbie began.

"No I didn't call her. I never made contact with her again after that flight." Jack answered, his gaze still remaining on Martha. "So what point were you trying to prove then Martha?" Jack asked. She was so confused.

"But Callum said-" She began, but Jack was too furious to let her speak.

"Oh! Callum! How is your lover-boy Callum by the way?" Jack snapped. Martha and Tasha looked equally as confused.

"What?" Martha enquired. "He's not my lover-boy. He's just a friend."

"Really? You see I have a hard time believing that Martha!" He said, his voice growing with anger.

"Why is that?" Martha snapped in reply. Jack stood up.

"Because you two were kissing at the hospital!" Jack shouted. Martha spun around to Tasha.

"I didn't say anything." Tasha promised, holding her hands up innocently.

"She's right, she didn't. I was at the door." Jack explained. Martha could see the hurt in his eyes as he stood there looking at her in disappointment and disgust.

"I..I didn't see you…" Martha said guiltily.

"Obviously not. You were too busy with Callum." Jack replied harshly. He stood there, staring at Martha. He'd tried to forget about it, but he couldn't, and every time he thought about it, it made him angry. The anger had built up inside him, and was slowly overpowering his love for Martha. He could look at her now, and not feel the love he knew that existed somewhere deep inside of him, he could just feel hatred and betrayal.

"Jack I.." Martha tried to think of something she could say to make it better, but she couldn't think of anything.

"Save it. I don't really care anymore. You can throw your tantrums if you like, and hold a grudge against me for the drugs, because I'm not going to be around you to know about it." Jack said before storming out of the bar.