Chapter 2 of 2 today … couldn't leave you hanging for long! ;) Haha. Sorry!
(7/10/2018)
CHAPTER 49
Recap …
As Shane went back out on the streets in search of him, Jack was sitting with Chad and his friend Bernie.
"Come on Jack. Do it with me" Chad said.
"I don't know. It would have to mean something."
"You can pick which one you want."
"Why won't you do it, Bernie?"
"I don't have the money" he said disappointedly.
Jack glanced between Chad and Bernie. "Fine."
Both of the men grinned at him. "Let's go then!"
Continued …
Shane desperately called Chad again and he finally answered.
"Hey Shane."
"Chad. Have you seen Jack?"
"Yeah he's here."
Shane breathed a sigh of relief. "Where are you?"
"Near O'Reillys pub."
"I'm here now. Where?"
"Next door."
"Next door? I'm walking there now."
Shane kept Chad on the phone while he walked around the corner but all he could see was ...
"You didn't."
"I did" Chad replied.
"Please tell me that Jack didn't."
"He did too."
"Oh shit. Elizabeth is going to murder me!"
Jack was laying face down. The woman was hovering over him. He had his eyes shut trying to ignore the pain.
"Almost done" she said.
He had been like this for over an hour but the local anaesthetic was beginning to wear off now.
"Alright. All done. You can sit up now. Do you want a look?"
Jack nodded and the woman held up a mirror so he could see his left shoulder. The black ink wrapped around his shoulder and upper arm. It looked exactly like he had drawn it on the paper.
"It looks really good. You draw really well" the artist added.
"Thanks." He did agree with her. It looked good.
The woman wiped it down again and told him how to care for it over the next few days.
"That looks awesome Jack" Chad said from the nearby chair. He was sporting a brand new tattoo on the underside of his arm which said 'Vanessa Forever'.
Jack's was a lot more complicated than that so they had been waiting a little while for him.
"Yours came up good too. Are you happy with it?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, I just hope Ness likes it."
Chad's phone rang and he walked away to take it. One moment later, Shane flew into the tattoo parlour.
Shane saw Jack sitting down, his shirt off and a woman behind him wearing gloves and wiping his skin with gauze. Thank goodness, I'm not too late.
"Whoa Jack. What are you doing?"
"Hey Shane. Where have you been?"
"Looking for you!"
"Well I've been here with Chad and Bernie for a while."
"Tell me you didn't, Jack?"
"Didn't what?"
"Get a tattoo."
"I did."
Shane groaned. "Jack! Elizabeth's going to be so upset!"
"Why?"
Shane shook his head. It wasn't worth explaining if it was already done.
The next morning, after a late start, Shane was driving himself and Jack home.
"I don't think Elizabeth will ever talk to me again" Shane muttered out loud.
"Why?"
"I promised her I wouldn't let you do anything stupid. This fits into that category."
"It's not stupid. It's meaningful. To me."
"Sure, but it's also permanently on your body. Forever."
"Yeah and I love Elizabeth and my girls and I will forever."
"Sure but she might divorce you over it. Does that count?"
"It will be fine. She'll understand."
"I hope your right for both of our sakes!"
Jack walked into the house to find it quiet.
"Hello?" he called out.
"Hi. I'm coming" he heard Elizabeth reply.
As he reached the stairs, Elizabeth was coming down. He waited at the bottom for her.
"Hey babe" he said as she reached the bottom step so that they were level. He pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.
"Wow. Did you miss me?"
"Always."
"How was it?"
"Good."
"Did you have a good time?"
"Yeah."
"What did you do?"
"Just went to a few pubs."
"You didn't get any trouble as a big group?"
"Nope. We split up for a bit. Where are the girls?"
"Upstairs playing."
"I'll go see them."
Jack went upstairs to find them and ended up sitting on the floor of Gracie's room helping to build their princess castles.
That night Jack waited until Elizabeth had climbed into bed before he went for a shower. He knew he was being a chicken and she'd find out eventually but Shane had scared him a bit. He took his time and by the time he walked back into the bedroom with his long sleeve pyjama top on, Elizabeth was fast asleep.
Two days later, Elizabeth knew something was going on with Jack and it all stemmed from the buck's party. She knew he was avoiding her.
On Wednesday night, she tried talking to him. She put her arms around his neck and leant in to kiss him and he was kissing her back until she ran her hands under his shirt. He swiftly pulled her arms out and then made up some excuse before going upstairs. Elizabeth stood there staring after him.
Not knowing what else to do, Elizabeth texted Shane.
E: What happened?
S: I'm so sorry. I got separated from him and I was looking for him for hours. By the time I found him, the damage was already done.
Elizabeth's eyes went wide when she read the message.
E: I understand it wasn't your fault. I just don't understand him.
S: The guys pushed him into it. Him and Chad ended up doing it. Although Chad seemed to enjoy it, I think Jack was worried about you.
What the hell did he do?
Elizabeth had enough. She marched herself upstairs but it wasn't until she reached the top of the stairs that something dawned on her. No, he wouldn't do that would he.
Elizabeth read back through the texts. Well, it was possible. The fact he hadn't wanted to be with her for three days now also made sense.
No, this was her Jack. He would never do THAT. He loved her. He valued their marriage. He wouldn't seek out another woman's attentions let alone pay for it. No she'd missed something and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Elizabeth went into the bedroom to find Jack in the shower. The bathroom was full of steam. He hadn't turned the fan on. She could barely even see him in there. She went in to clean her teeth and she couldn't see her own reflection.
"Jack, did anything happen at the bucks that you want to talk about?" she called out to him.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Okay. I will just turn on the fan for you."
"No. Don't. I'll get out in a minute. I'll turn it on."
Elizabeth shook her head in his direction and left the bathroom. She went to her chest of drawers and rifled through her second drawer until she found what she was after. She turned back to listen to the shower before she slid into the dark red lingerie that she knew was Jack's favourite. He always melted into a puddle when she put it on and she was hoping he would spill his secret once he saw her in it. She turned the lamp on beside her bed and slipped her robe over the top before she sat in the chair in the corner of the room and waited for him to return.
Jack came in and with a quick glance her way, he climbed into bed hastily.
"Jack, you've got your long pyjama top on. Aren't you hot in that?"
"No."
She studied him for a moment. "Maybe I can entice you to take it off then" she said in a low voice.
He was laying flat on his back, not looking at her. "No, I'm good."
Elizabeth stood up and walked toward him, allowing her robe to spill open. She saw him glance her way and she got exactly the reaction she was hoping for. He did a double take and his eyes were hanging out of his head.
"Are you turning me down?" she asked as she approached him, nearing the edge of the bed.
"No, yes, I …"
"What's wrong, Jack? We don't have secrets. You can tell me."
"I … I can't think right now."
"Why? What's the problem?"
Elizabeth pulled him to sitting position before she moved her legs on either side of him, straddling his hips.
"You … you're …"
She kissed him slowly but as he pulled away from her, she ran her lips along his neck to just underneath his ear. She began bunching up his shirt to pull it off.
His hands overlaid hers. "Stop. I have to tell you something."
She stopped, waiting for him to spill.
He sat in front of her for a moment, before he took his shirt from her hands and pulled it off. She didn't see anything at first but then she noticed the black ink that wrapped over his arm.
"Please don't be angry" he whispered.
Elizabeth put her hand out and touched it. "It's real? You got a tattoo?"
"Yeah."
He was waiting for her to react but surprisingly she didn't. She had always hated tattoos but something about it drew her in.
"You realise it's permanent?"
"Yes. Look Elizabeth, I love you and the girls."
"What's that got to do with us?"
"Just look at it. Please."
Jack turned side on to show her.
She saw it was the branches and limbs of a tree that wrapped around and entwined from half way between his neck and shoulder, wrapping over and down his arm. Embedded in the trunk of the tree was her name and as the limbs stretched up she could read each of the girls names as well.
"Is that …"
"It's supposed to be our tree. I tried to get the bark detail correct."
"Jack, its beautiful."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You like it?"
"I think I do."
"Well, that is a relief. I've been terrified to tell you."
"It's a relief for me as well."
Jack looked at her puzzled. "I don't follow."
"I knew something was up but couldn't work out what. All kinds of things were flying through my head."
"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to worry. I just didn't know how to break it to you. Shane said you would probably divorce me."
"For anything other than that tree I may have" she said with a smile. Her hands ran softly over the ink on his skin again. "Now we will always have it with us."
"That's what I thought." He reached out to kiss her. "Now let me have a look at you properly."
She let the robe fall off her arms and then she wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. "Are you still going to say no to me?"
"No way!" he said. "I was struggling as it was. That colour is … perfect. It suits you" his hands ran up her back, holding her closer to him.
She put her hands up to his chest, "Please just tell me next time. You had me really worried."
"I will. I'm sorry."
He rolled over taking her with him until she was underneath him and his body was pressed against hers. He kissed her deeply, his tongue pressing into her mouth, searching and running along the inside.
He stopped, looking down into her eyes. "Forgive me?"
"Forgiven" she breathed back, before his lips came back to hers.