Chapter 32

"How can your life be so complicated?" Lucas asked in astonishment. Jack turned around to his younger brother.

"I sometimes wonder." He chuckled. Tony was too deep in thought to say anything. He was concentrating; trying to come up with some sort of advice that he could see his son was desperately seeking. "So…?" Jack asked. At first he didn't want to tell Tony, but as he was explaining everything through, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he knew that his dad could help him now. Well, he thought he could.

"Sorry mate." Tony sighed.

"What? What do you mean, 'sorry'?" Jack asked.

"I don't know what to say. It does seem like Martha likes this guy Callum. After all, you said they were close in Sydney, then they kissed, and they're still talking, so it can't be bad can it?" Tony reasoned. Jack nodded gently.

"I suppose it can't." Jack said, disappointed. He didn't know why he was disappointed, he hated Martha for doing that to him, but he hated more the reality that they weren't going to be together again.

"Are you sure she doesn't like you?" Tony asked.

"Yup. She won't forgive me for the drugging, even though I had to do it, for her sake! I didn't do it for my job dad, I can't believe she'd think I'd do something like that.." Tony put his arm around his eldest son.

"Jack. If Martha did like you, then what would you do?" He asked him. Jack looked confused.

"But she doesn't."

"Yes, but what if she came barging through this door right now and said 'Jack will you take me back? I'm sorry, I love you.' What would you say? Would you take her back?" Tony asked. Jack looked down at his hands, as if they'd have the answer. Lucas stood up.

"I can do a bit of role play if you like?" Lucas laughed. He ran and opened the door, standing just outside. He knocked. "Hi!" Lucas said, in a strange high-pitched voice. "Jack! I love you so much! You're my Romeo." He let out a girly sigh. "Take me back? I don't like that idiot Callum, it's you I want! My cuddly bear!" Lucas said, laughing. Jack threw a pillow at him playfully.

"When does Martha EVER sound like that?" Jack laughed. Lucas walked over in front of Jack.

"Well?" Lucas said, tilting his head to the side and clasping his hands just below his chin.

"You know how camp you sound? Wait until I tell Maddie.." Jack teased. "I wonder how she'll take the news of her boyfriend pretending to be a girl for fun?" Lucas threw the pillow back at Jack.

"Just tell us what you'd say!" He said, sitting back down on his chair. Jack thought for a moment. He thought back to how he felt when he walked into that hospital room. Every time he'd thought of, talked about, or saw Martha, he thought of that kiss, and it sent pains down his spine. 'How can I have a relationship with that going off in my head?' he thought. And as that question ran through his mind, he knew what his answer would be.

"It'd be no." Jack sighed, resting his head back onto the soft, cushiony leather back of the sofa. "I can't stop thinking about it, I can't stop imagining it, so how would I be able to forgive her?" Jack asked his dad.

"I don't think you could." Tony answered.

"But I know that somewhere inside of me loves her, but this anger is just… drowning it out. That shouldn't happen. If I love her we should be fine, right?" Jack pleaded.

"Sometimes love just isn't enough Jack." Tony explained wisely. Jack knew his dad was right, even though on this occasion he desperately didn't want him to be. He closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts and organise what he was going to do. Lucas watched as his brother sat coming to terms with his break up. He knew it was so wrong, Jack and Martha were made for each other, or so he thought. How could it be over? Jack's eyes sprung back open.

"Why are we even discussing this like it's an option?" Jack asked. "As we said before, there's no reason for her not to like Callum. The evidence is all there, the friendliness, the kiss, the call… the decisions not even up to me." Jack continued. "I'll get over her. It's obviously not meant to be. I'll be fine. I was for a year wasn't I? I got over her before!" Jack said, trying to convince himself.

"No you didn't Jack. You pretended you did. We found the photo of you two in your draw." Lucas admitted. Jack's face fell.

"Well, I'll do it properly this time." He said, getting up and walking towards his room. Lucas and Tony looked at each other in bemusement.

"What are you doing?" Tony shouted, as Jack was now in his room.

"Well," he said, reappearing with a sports bag full of stuff. "I'm going to take all our stuff to her apartment." Jack explained. "Then I won't have anything to remind me of her here." He said happily, as he exited the house through the open door. "Thanks for the help!" He shouted back as he shut the door behind him. Jack threw the bag on the passenger seat of his car, driving off fast before he had chance to actually think through what he was doing and stop himself from putting a seal on their break up. He'd been in that much of a rush he hadn't noticed Martha on the bench just outside of the Holden's house, tears streaming down her face. She'd heard everything since Lucas' impersonation, as he'd left the door wide open. It wasn't like she was spying or anything, she'd just walked up to the door as Lucas was acting all girly, she didn't want to interrupt, as she was intrigued into what he was doing. When she listened to what he was saying she soon realised who he was pretending to be, and what that person was going to ask. She kept quiet, listening for an answer, but she wished she hadn't, because it wasn't the answer she wanted. As she listened to Jack talk about how he was going to get over her, she felt her knees start to tremble and grow weak, so she took a seat on the bench, still listening to everything that was going on. She was now watching Jack's car drive off into the distance, thinking about how foolish she'd been. She knew that she should head to the apartment, accept the things off Jack, perhaps even talk to him, but she couldn't pluck up the courage, so she just strolled off aimlessly, letting her legs guide her absent mind for once.