Author's Note: Italics are either memories or thoughts
"I'm sorry," Jack breathed, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between the two ex-lovers.
"Why?" Ronnie asked, turning her head so that she was looking at him.
Jack lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. "I just . . . am."
Ronnie nodded in reply, facing forwards once again. She felt Jack reach for her freezing hand, attempting to warm it in his own. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Jack clasping Ronnie's hand between his own. But the action was too much for Ronnie, the sense of love emanating from Jack overwhelming her until she felt like she was drowning in it. Slowly, she pulled her hand away; her heart battling with itself as she did so.
Jack looked at her, the hurt evident in his face. But he didn't question it, he didn't push her for an explanation. He just watched her as she attempted to bury her emotions under another layer of abrasiveness and coldness.
"Veronica . . . I'm sorry."
The image of the life leaving her father's body swept through Ronnie's mind. The look on his face; an expression of surprise, as though he couldn't quite believe that this was the end, that it had ended like that.
"Veronica . . . I'm sorry."
"Everyone's sorry, but nobody's saying what they're sorry for," Ronnie whispered.
"What?" Jack asked, confused by her statement.
She shook her head, wisps of blonde hair falling out of her loose ponytail. "It doesn't matter."
Jack watched her, engulfed by anguish and shrouded in a sorrow that seemed impenetrable. Except I did it once, didn't I? We were engaged, happy. And if I had just kept my mouth shut, if I'd just gone along with things like I didn't with Selena and Tanya, maybe she wouldn't be here now. Maybe neither of us would. And maybe Bradley . . .
"It does, Ronnie. It matters . . . what we say, what we do . . . it matters." Jack felt a painful lump form in his throat, but he swallowed it, pushing it down into the pit of his stomach so he could function for the time being before dealing with it later.
I'm exactly like her, aren't I? He thought wryly. Pushing things down, burying 'em, so I can deal with them later. Except we never do, do we?
Jack looked up as he felt Ronnie move away from him. She was standing beside him, a strange expression on her face. "I'm going now, Jack," she told him.
He nodded before standing up as well. They looked into each other's faces before Ronnie slowly leant in and placed a delicate kiss at the corner of Jack's mouth. Her hand fell to his and her freezing fingers squeezed his tightly for a fleeting moment.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Jack murmured as they both drew away from each other.
The corners of Ronnie's lips curved into a small smile. "Bye."