Chapter eight:

There are bits of crude words at the end FYI

Could a night be more perfect? A night which neither of them believed would happen again.

As morning had approached, the euphoria hadn't left their bodies. Any hole which had been open was now closed, scabs had lifted and wounds were healed.

One night eight years previous hadn't prepared them for the night which they would have. Was it possible to enjoy a person more than once, twice, three times?

After all of these years they had needed the other to complete them. Life without the other had been unbearable but now as the new sun rose over Santa Monica beach; it brought new life, happiness and adventures which had been waiting eight years to be had.

The sun had set and then it had rose again. Louise and Matthew Parker hadn't left the bedside of their father and brother, Alf.

He had gone. Taking his last breathe at midnight exactly. They were alone. A once united family were now parted and left to drift. Louise still wore her wedding gown; the beautiful lace dress which just the morning before she had girlishly imagined Jack's face as he pulled it from her body for the first time. He would have laid his eyes and his hands on her for the first time. But she remained untouched. Her heart had broken and her father had died.

She was cold and numb, and despite sat holding her beloved father's now freezing hand, she could still only think of him. Jack. Had he touched Rose last night and taken her in such a loving and gentle way? She imagined so. The resent for her had grown tenfold as those images had grown stronger and caused her to become weaker. She needed strength, to stop thinking of him and to stop wanting. Jack didn't want her.

At first, Louise had cried and then cursed but now she felt a strange calm. Her eyes fell on Matthew, her uncle, who sat opposite her, leant back almost slumped in her fathers armchair with an empty bottle of rum beside him. He wasn't really anything. Half asleep, almost awake. His body ached and his head was fuzzy but he did know one thing; his baby brother had gone. His niece, his poor beloved niece who had lost almost everything. He watched her just as he did when she was a little girl. He had no children of his own so having her there to protect meant the absolute world to him.

He laughed in the dim light at absolutely nothing but it grabbed Louise's attention. She narrowed her eyes at him. In such a situation, what could possibly be so funny?

''You do realise don't you?''

''What?'' She narrowed her eyes at him.

''You know, you know who is to blame for all of this.''

Louise glanced away. ''Don't''

''You got to listen up and face the truth, darling.'' Matthew stood from his armchair, he knocked it backwards and it startled Louise. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her breathing was shallow.

''Uncle-''

''No!'' He rattled in the corner, watching the wall so intently. ''Louise, your father trusted this guy. This man who stole everything including your heart and then he fuckin' ripped it open in front of you and God knows who else. For what? A redhead whore?''

Louise was rarely subjected to such foul language. She looked at her father, his body now so cold. They would need to alert an undertaker. She kissed her fathers hand. She needed to get some air. Dawn was breaking.

''But Jack isn't to blame for Fathers death.'' That much she believed.

Matthew turned around. ''No? I would want God to take me right now if that was the truth.''

Louise bit the inside of her lip. She was already crushed, her body was so heavy and tired yet she needed to stay awake for if she slept she knew all she would dream of was Jack.

''I refuse to believe such a damn thing.''

She turned to leave. She needed to see the new day. To believe that life would get better. Matthew grasped her by the wrist so harshly that she gasped as he shoved her so that her back was against the open door.

''Don't be a fool.'' He whispered, angrily. ''You always were a naïve soul, protected by daddy. Now he isn't here. Jack needs punishment for what he has done.''

He released his grip on Louise, leaving her trembling. She'd heard of how intense her uncle could be but the stories had fallen on deaf ears all of her life. He had always handled her with such care and affection that she would have never thought of any of it as true.

''What do you propose?'' She asked, quietly. Out of curiosity and not with intention of paying any attention to his suggestions.

Matthew clenched his teeth together, his jaw tightened. ''Can you remember the exact moment Jack told you that he loved another? Can you think of how he has made a fool out of you?''

Louise squeezed her eyes closed.

''I think he knew just what he was doing. That girl isn't nothing on you, my sweet Louise. Yet he chose that. Your daddy wanted a happy future for you and to be taken care of. The fact that was ripped from you in such a cruel way has crushed him to the point of death.''

''Matthew, stop.''

He reached out for his jacket which was perched over the armchair. He pulled out something and thrust it into Louise's hands so quickly she didn't see what it was until she felt the coldness of the metal.

She glanced down, her hands trembling as she felt the smoothness of a gun. A pistol...

''Kill him, Louise. Like he did your father.''

Her eyes met his once before she found the strength to leave. She ran. Lifting her skirts, she sprinted as fast and as hard as her body would allow her to. She needed air, she needed to be away from such bereavement. What did life have in store for her? Surely she wouldn't be succumbed to absolute tragedy, loss and unhappiness for the rest of her life.

When she had met Jack, she had believed he was her soulmate. He had been. The perfect gentleman. He rarely kissed her, had never touched her and she believed that had been out of respect, out of love and that when the time arrived he would show her what passion and lovemaking was all about. She would give herself to him wholly.

Her tears fell, she didn't stop them and she couldn't if she wanted to. Her hair fell about her face as she ran. It was only when her chest burnt and her breathing became ragged that she came to a halt. Her stomach was tight. She grasped it with her right hand and realised that she still held something in her left hand.

The gun.

Her mouth fell open as she glanced about. She was on the beach, half way into the surf. She hadn't even felt the coolness of the water or the splashing of the waves. She couldn't breathe. Her eyes scanned the surf, the odd gull flew over as the lovely sun fetched the new morn. The tide was in, quite far and it was only when she heard a giggle that she was startled. She thought herself to be alone.

A couple were frolicking in the surf, a dressed hitched up, a pair of trousers rolled to the knees. She glanced up the strong pair of legs, a mans. His hands held onto a woman, who was sickeningly happy. Another giggle came, a scream and then a male laugh. Louise froze. She knew that laugh. Out of instinct she raised her left arm. It was only when she wiped the tears from her blurred eyes than her vision cleared. It was as though she had been blind all of her life and then suddenly a flash had allowed her to see again. Perfectly.

It was them. Jack and his Rose.

With her gun pointed right at them.