A/N:
Thank you to everyone who has posted a review. I hope you are enjoying the story. I was asked if I have written Fanfiction before. I have written three stories. The two that are posted every Monday (The New Guy, and A Misunderstanding). I have also written a story that is completed – How Fast Is Too Fast.
Please enjoy this journey. A little warning – this, and the next chapter, is a little bumpy.
Leave the people you talk to today better than you found them. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 11
Elizabeth moaned as her alarm sounded. She smacked the top of her bedside table a couple of times before she found her cell phone. She rolled back over to take a moment or two before getting up. She smiled thinking of Jack. Then she shuttered thinking of last night.
She hurried upstairs after being scolded by her mother for being nosey to change into more suitable clothes for Jack. In her haste, she forgot that her hair was still up in a bun. She was afraid she would miss him, so she was hurrying. She forgot all about her hair. It was still in a messy bun as she stepped off the steps and walked into the study.
Elizabeth's smile grew as Jack's smile grew. She swayed back and forth with her hands clasped in front of her. Jack loved it when she did that. It was like she was excited to see him. He wanted to walk to her, but he couldn't with his dad and her father sitting with him.
"Oh Elizabeth…"
Elizabeth turned around when she heard her sister's voice. Julie was standing in the doorway. She started motioning to her head. Elizabeth only looked at her confused. She didn't understand until Julie reached up and touched her hair.
"Oh…my…gosh…" Elizabeth mouthed the words to Julie. She waited to turn back to Jack. She was trying to think of something to do, but she couldn't think of anything. When she finally turned around, she was a little confused by his wink. If she could melt into a crack, she would have instantly. Elizabeth stood there fiddling with the front, bottom hem of her shirt. Jack realized she was nervous. He noticed she glanced up a couple of times as if she was trying to look at her hair.
"Come Elizabeth. We're just sitting here talking." William stated.
Elizabeth slowly walked toward a chair that was beside Jack. She figured if she didn't look him in his eyes, then he wouldn't be able to see her. When she sat beside him, Tom asked William something, Jack took the opportunity to lean over and whisper to her.
"You look beautiful."
"Jack…I know you are lying. I forgot my hair is in a bun."
"Don't underestimate the power of a messy bun." The smile on his face pressed the pause button in her brain.
Elizabeth sighed when her second alarm sounded. She knew she had to wake up. Today was the company's picnic. Her father always asked his kids to be an active part of the day.
Elizabeth quickly looked at her phone when it buzzed. She smiled when she saw the text from Jack. It was one word, 'moving'. She knew what he meant. He was still thinking about the time she pushed him against the lockers. She was a little shocked she was that forward, but she had to get his attention. All she knew was that Jack had to understand. She looked at her phone when it buzzed again. Jack sent her another text. "Good morning, Nosey Beth." She was mortified at being caught listening in. When she heard the knock on the door, she knew it was her mother.
"I'm up!" She yelled as she kicked the covers off her.
…
The first part of the picnic was extremely busy. Chris dropped off the Thatcher family except for Elizabeth. She drove her car. She loved her family and would always love them. However, she did enjoy the freedom her car gave her. It was a small way for her to be Elizabeth. She would meet them there. Tom was there waiting for them. Elizabeth told Jack that she would be busy with her father until about noon. They texted throughout the morning just to stay in touch. Both answered their phones as quickly as it chimed. Smiles were always on their faces when their phones buzzed with a notification.
Jack took the opportunity to walk around and see everything. All this was impressive. Everyone was enjoying the food trucks, the countless games that were set up, and the stage would come alive soon when the bands began to play. He looked at his phone and noticed it was just before noon. He was hoping Elizabeth would be free soon. As much as he enjoyed walking around taking in the sights, he was missing his person.
Jack looked up when he heard his name. Wendy came over waving her hand. Jack couldn't remember her name, but he did remember her face. It was the girl from gym class.
"Jack! Jack…how are you?"
"I'm good."
"What are you doing here?"
"My Pa works for Thatcher Shipping. What are you doing here?"
"The same. My dad is an accountant." Wendy looked around. "Hey, you by yourself?"
"For another twenty minutes or so." Jack stated as he reached for his phone. He laughed when a selfie of Elizabeth and her father appeared on the phone. He instantly took a selfie and sent it to Elizabeth. Wendy watched wondering what he was doing and who he sent the selfie too.
"So…if you're not busy, why don't we walk around together?"
"That's nice of you, but I'm meeting my girlfriend in a couple of minutes."
"You know, none of that makes sense to me or to anyone else. Charles always stated that he and Elizabeth were dating. They were always doing things and going places together. They acted like a couple more than any other couple I have ever known."
"Yeah, that's what he says, but Elizabeth said they never dated."
"I just wonder if something happened between them and she's just saying that to make herself sound better. I wonder if Charles broke up with her and she is just trying to save face?"
"He isn't acting like a guy who just dumped a girl. He's still working very hard to be with her. Why would he do that if he broke it off?"
Wendy just shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not too sure…"
" I trust Elizabeth and what she says."
"You don't know her very well."
Jack looked down when his phone buzzed again. Elizabeth let him know that she was now free from her morning obligations with her father. Jack smiled knowing he would get to see her very soon.
E – I'm done I'll be by the pavilion close to the stage
J – Be there in 5 min
E – Looking forward to it
J – Oh…another word…beautiful
Elizabeth smiled at his silliness. She quickly loved that characteristic of Jack.
Jack looked up to an aggravated Wendy. She was upset he wasn't paying attention to her. She never had to work so hard to capture a guy's attention. The harder she tried, the more he seemed to ignore her.
"I'm sorry…that's true. I haven't known her for years, but I do know her enough to trust her. It's been great talking to you, but I need to go. I'm meeting Elizabeth in a couple of minutes."
"Be careful who you give your heart to Jack. She has always been with Charles…she always will be with him."
"I'll keep that in mind." Jack turned to walk away. He thought about it for the first three steps. He has heard that many times concerning Elizabeth and Charles. He shook his head. "She already has my heart." He whispered to himself.
…
Julie broke free from her obligations a little earlier than Elizabeth. She went on the lookout for the younger Thornton. She sent him a quick text telling him that she was free. He sent a smiley face and an arrow that was pointing left. After a few seconds, she turned to her left to see Tom's smiling face.
"Come on. Let's see who's playing." Julie grabbed his hand and began to pull him toward the music section. They didn't hold hands very long, but that was a big step for both of them. They enjoyed the day hanging with each other. Julie spent the day showing him around.
While Tom and Julie were hanging out, Charlette and Grace found each other. They spent the morning laughing over the story of Jack and Elizabeth last night.
"I bet she was embarrassed." Laughed Charlette.
"I would use the word 'mortified'."
"I bet. What did Jack do?"
"I'm not sure. Bethie didn't say anything. She was too embarrassed to tell me anything."
"Do you think they are doing well?"
"I do, Charlette. She gushes each time she talks about him."
"He does the same when he talks about her. He doesn't seem too fond of that Charles fella."
"He has always been friends with Bethie. She's adamant they haven't dated."
…
Jack turned the corner to see Elizabeth standing by the edge of the pavilion. She was swaying as she noticed Jack. She had missed him during the morning. She was hanging around her father, therefore, Thomas was around. That just made her miss Jack even more. She did enjoy being with Tom. He was funny in his own way, but she could tell he was in work mode. They were getting along pretty well. Her swaying motion took a little piece of Jack's heart.
"Hey, Bella."
"Hey yourself, handsome." She blushed a little being so forward. It was still odd for her, but she was becoming a little more comfortable with it. "What have you been up too?"
"Just walking around enjoying the morning waiting for you." He flirted. He leaned in and bumped her shoulder. After hesitating for a second, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "That girl from yesterday came up to me a little while ago."
"Who?"
"I don't remember her name." Jack tried to think. "She was wearing a red shirt. We spoke to her in the hall. We have gym with her."
"Wendy?" She asked cautiously.
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know her name."
"Blonde hair?"
"Yeah. That's her. Red shirt and blonde hair. A little shorter than you."
"Wendy." Elizabeth stated with a tad bit of jealousy. Wendy was a gorgeous, popular girl in school. She has dated a few guys. Honestly, she could date anyone she wanted. Elizabeth remembered her staring at Jack a few days ago. Suddenly, she became very protective. She didn't want to, but she couldn't stop it now. She knew Wendy stared at Jack a little too much when gym class begun.
"Are you ok?" Jack asked, reaching for her hand.
"What did she want?"
Jack looked at her for a moment. He was seeing a look he hadn't noticed before.
"Well…she wanted to walk around. I told her I was waiting for you. She told me I needed to be careful because you were always around Charles. She honestly thought you two were dating. She warned me to be careful to whom I give my heart too."
"She said all of that?"
Jack nodded his head. The look on her face was growing with intensity.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was curt and accusatory.
"I am telling you. She came up to me when you sent me the pic of you and your father. I took the one with me when she was there."
"Jack, you should have told me." She stated with a touch of fire in her eyes.
"Elizabeth, that was just a few minutes ago. I left her to come here. I am telling you now. What's this about?"
"You don't know her like I do."
"Maybe not, but I'm not with her…I'm with you. I didn't walk around with her. I spoke to her for less than five minutes."
"You still should have told me."
"E-liz-a-beth…" He elongated her name. When he did that, it was always calming, except for today. "I am telling you. I'm not hiding anything from you."
There were a few moments of silence. There was a little bit of tension in the air between them.
"May I ask you a question?"
Elizabeth nodded her head while not looking at him.
"Has Charles texted or called you today?"
Elizabeth quickly looked up. She studied him for a moment. "He's texted a few times."
"Why haven't you told me?"
Elizabeth stared at him for a moment.
"Why are you giving me a hard time about some girl I don't even remember her name when I'm telling you about her and you haven't told me about a guy who has feelings for you?"
"He's a friend."
"Yes, and this Wendy girl isn't even a friend."
"She likes you more than a friend."
"How do you know that? I don't even know who she is. I've literally spoken to her twice for a total of five minutes."
"I know, ok? She wants more than that."
"So does Charles."
Their eyes connected for a few tense moments while silence filled the air. They were beginning to read each other pretty well, but they were having trouble reading the other's facial expression. With each second that passed, the tension was growing.
"What's going on, Elizabeth? Why are you upset with me?"
"Jack, you should have told me about Wendy. She likes you."
"Ok…if I should have told you about Wendy, shouldn't you have told me about Charles?"
Elizabeth only looked at Jack. She didn't say anything. The tension was only growing. The fire in her eyes were raging.
"Yet, you did the exact same thing with a guy who most certainly likes you more than a friend. He's been saying it for over a year now. He aggressively approached me yesterday in the locker room. This Wendy girl just spoke with me, and you are angry I didn't tell you when I am telling you. You didn't tell me about Charles. Were the texts a while ago or recent?"
Elizabeth didn't say anything, but Jack knew that look. "It's been a while, huh?" It wasn't really a question. Jack dropped his gaze to the ground in front of him.
Elizabeth's phone chimed again. It was Charles. He wanted to get together later so they could talk. Elizabeth turned the phone so Jack could see the text. He pierced his lips together as he read the text.
"Well, at least I know about this one." Jack huffed. He was quickly getting frustrated. He didn't understand Elizabeth's attitude. She was upset and he didn't understand it. Charles was more aggressive than Wendy. Jack wasn't even sure if Wendy was interested in him. He didn't even know her name. He did know that Charles was very interested in Elizabeth. Everyone knew that. Jack's phone buzzed. He looked at the ground for a few more seconds before reaching into his pocket for his cell.
He read the text before reading it to Elizabeth. "It's Tom…him and Julie wants to know if we want to meet them for lunch." Jack released her hand. "Evidently there are some food trucks close to some games and bounce houses. Do you want to go?" He didn't understand how things went so wrong after a short period of time. They were happy five minutes ago. Now, there is tension in the air that a sharp knife would struggle to cut through.
Elizabeth missed Jack's touch. She thought back over the last couple of minutes trying to figure out what went wrong. None of this made sense to her. Charles did text earlier in the day, but that's what he's always done. She didn't think anything of it. For some reason, it was different when Wendy showed interest in Jack. She saw how Wendy looked at Jack the other day at school. There was no doubt that Wendy was interested in Jack. Elizabeth knew it.
"What do you think?"
"It's lunch time. We might as well go." He solemnly stated. "Are the food trucks that way?" He pointed to the left.
She nodded her head in the other direction. She took a deep breath before asking her question. "Jack…what's going on?"
"I'm not too sure…You're mad at me, and I don't understand why. Yet, you are doing the same thing with Charles, and you are completely ok with it."
Usually when they walked together, they would hold hands and walk close enough to touch their shoulders. This time, they didn't hold hands, nor did they touch shoulders. There was a small distance between them.
…
"What do you think?" William stated as he and Tom looked over the crowd.
"This is impressive. Do you always do everything over the top?"
"We try to make this nice. It's a small way to show our associates that we appreciate them."
"You do that very well William." Tom looked over the crowd. "Is there anything you need?"
"Do you know where my wife is?"
"The last few times I saw her, she was with my wife. I think there is something between them."
"I agree." William thought for a moment. If I would attempt a guess, I would say it has something to do with your oldest son and my middle daughter."
"From what Jack stated, he met Elizabeth at the beach and then at the school. That would make it a happen chance."
"True, but I still think they are up to something." William stated.
"I agree with you…I just don't know what."
"Here they come. You want to ask?"
"Not on your life, William."
"Maybe you need to use those detective skills you possess."
Both men laughed as their spouse walked up. Grace and Charlette thought their men was up to something.
…
During the walk to meet Julie and Tom and during their lunch, the young couple was quiet. There was no physical contact between them, nor words were spoken. While they ate, they mostly listened to Tom and Julie talk about their day. They rarely looked at each other. They didn't hold hands except for the last few minutes of lunch. Even then, it didn't feel like the other times they held hands. They had already finished eating when she slowly reached for his hand. Jack gently took it. Tom and Julie noticed something was completely off between Jack and Elizabeth. During lunch, they didn't speak ten words to each other.
During a late nigh gab session with Julie, Elizabeth couldn't keep from saying that she loved the fact that she and Jack always talked. Julie sat back and noticed that her sister and Jack weren't talking. They didn't even look at each other very much.
"Hey sis, I need to use the restroom. Come with me?"
Elizabeth looked toward Jack. She slightly grinned and motioned toward Julie. He nodded his head that he understood. He let out a long breath after Elizabeth stood to leave.
"So…what's going on?" Julie asked as they walked into the restroom.
Elizabeth sighed. "I don't know…" Her voice trailed off. "Julie…I think I may have done something wrong…" Elizabeth began from the beginning. She started with texts from Charles and then her texting Jack. She shared what Wendy did and that he didn't even know her name. Elizabeth also shared her feelings toward Wendy. She shared her whole conversation with Jack.
Julie nodded her head in agreement. Elizabeth quickly noticed her little sisters know it all grin.
"What?"
"Well, Bethie, you big goof." Julie stated as she shook her head.
"What did I do wrong?"
"You think Wendy has a thing for Jack."
"Yes, I do. I know she does."
"You're upset that he didn't tell you, but he did tell you. Just five minutes after it happened. Plus, he texted you back while he was talking to her."
"True. So…?"
"How can someone so smart be so dumb…?" Julie giggled. Why didn't you tell Jack that Charles texted you, you did the very thing you're upset that Jack did. However, he really didn't do it. He told you. Why didn't you tell him about Charles' texts?"
"It's just Charles."
"And it was just Wendy?"
"She has a thing for him. I know it. I knew it when she stared at him the other day."
"And Charles has a thing for you. Wendy didn't ask Jack out, but Charles just asked you to join him tonight. Bethie…that's a date!"
Elizabeth leaned against the sink with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was lost in thought.
"Good grief, Bethie. You're upset that another girl likes Jack and he spoke to her for a couple of minutes. Yet, you're perfectly ok with being best friends with someone who most certainly has feelings for you. He just asked you to spend the evening with him and you are probably going to go with him like you have always done. Jack told you about his conversation with Wendy, but you didn't tell him about your texting with Charles." Julie huffed. She fixed a stray piece of hair over her ear. "Maybe you should slow this down and really examine your feelings toward Jack and Charles."
"I don't have any problems with my feeling toward Jack and Charles. I never dated Charles and I have never wanted to." She stood with her voice rising in determination. "I have wanted to date Jack since we first met. I don't want to step back from this with Jack."
"If you're not confused with your feelings toward them, then you need to step back because you don't know what it means to date someone. You're in way over your head. You are about to create a division you will not be able to fix."
"How would you know that?" Elizabeth challenged.
"Elizabeth, you are being jealous over something that you are assuming is a problem. Jack doesn't have the history with this Wendy girl that you do have with Charles. You're upset that he spoke with Wendy…but you are perfectly ok with speaking with Charles. Elizabeth, you can't have it both ways. You can't be that type of girl."
Elizabeth stared at her little sister. She didn't say anything.
"Are you going with Charles tonight?"
"I think I need to."
"If you do, you will cause a lot of issues in your relationship with Jack. And I'm not sure if you can overcome those issues."
"And how do you know that?"
"You're a smart girl Elizabeth, you need to figure that out." Julie gave her a smile as she turned to walk out of the bathroom.
…
Jack and Tom had the same type of conversation while the girls were gone. Jack was frustrated. He didn't know why Elizabeth was upset with him. He didn't feel like he did anything wrong. However, he has never been in a relationship. Maybe he shouldn't have spoken to Wendy. But Elizabeth was talking to a guy, and she didn't tell him. "Maybe I should be upset at her?" He whispered to himself. He was beginning to think maybe he wasn't ready for a relationship. He certainly was thinking Elizabeth wasn't ready. He just didn't know what happened and he didn't know how to fix it. Tom saw Jack's frustration when he rubbed his face with both hands.
"It'll be alright Jack. I honestly think it's because she has never been in a relationship before. She just doesn't know. I think she may have gotten jealous."
"But Tom, I didn't do anything wrong. I told her about that girl when I had the first opportunity. She didn't tell me about her friend who clearly has feelings for her. He's told that to everyone in Hamilton."
"That's the not being in a relationship before problem."
"Maybe I should step back and allow Elizabeth to figure things out? Maybe we jumped into this relationship too fast." Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "Everyone is surprised that she is dating…everyone is shocked that she isn't dating Charles." He paused for a few seconds. "Maybe she needs to relook at her feelings with Charles."
"Do you want to back away?"
"No!" Jack answered quickly. "I do not, but I'm not sure Elizabeth is ready for a relationship or…maybe a relationship with me."
Jack's phone buzzed with a call. He turned his attention to his cell. It was his father calling.
"Hey Pa. What's up?"
Tom watched intently to the one sided conversation.
"Sure. I'm on my way now. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Hey Tom. I need to go and see Pa. Would you mind telling Elizabeth where I am when she comes back."
"Why don't you wait to tell her yourself?"
"When do you deep Pa waiting? He asked me to come now."
"Why don't you just text her?"
"Evidently that only works for Charles." Jack's frown was unmistakable. The tone in his voice was a little weak. Jack stood from the table. He chuckled. "When did I take dating advice from my little brother who longest relationship was seven days." Jack chuckled.
"Eight days!" Tom corrected his oldest brother. "At least I have been in a relationship."
"True. Hey, what's up with you and Julie?"
"Two flirts hanging out." He shrugged his shoulders. "You and Elizabeth?"
"I'm not certain on her end anymore."
"And your end?"
"I'm in, but…"
"I get it older brother."
…
"Hey." Julie's cheerful voice rang out.
"Hey you. Took you two long enough."
Elizabeth looked around and didn't see Jack.
"Well, you know girls when they go to the bathroom." Julie flirted. "We needed to talk." She glanced toward her sister.
"Yeah…so did Jack."
"Where is he?" Elizabeth asked.
"Dad called him. He asked if Jack could come and see him."
"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked. Her voice was shaky.
"Yeah. Dad called a couple of minutes ago." Tom stated. He saw the look on Elizabeth's and Julie's face. "He doesn't understand what happened. He told you about that girl and you didn't tell him about that Charles fella. Charles is attracted to you, and you think Wendy is attracted to Jack. She didn't ask him out tonight, but Charles did ask you. You're mad because he didn't tell you exactly when it happened. Yet, you didn't tell him about Charles and probably wasn't going to tell him." If nothing else, Tom was blunt.
"It wasn't a date!"
"Elizabeth…when a guy that has chased you for over a year asks you to meet him tonight so you can talk and have dinner, it's a date. You may not consider it one, but I guarantee you that Charles sees it much more than just friends." Tom air quoted the word 'friends'. "You're upset because he didn't tell you and you think it's perfectly ok when you didn't tell him. It's one sided. Elizabeth, you can't be that way."
"Charles and I have never dated."
"Maybe so, but that girl and Jack haven't either. They don't have the history you and Charles have. I would also say that you thought about joining Charles this evening. From my understanding, you are with him a lot. Everyone says it."
"Is he ok?" Julie asked.
"He says he is, but I think he's questioning if he needs to step back and let Elizabeth and Charles figure things out together."
"Really?" Elizabeth questioned.
"Yeah, he's thinking that he may need to step back and let you figure out your feelings about Charles."
"Is that what he wants to do?"
"He said he didn't, but he thinks maybe you're not ready for a relationship…or maybe a relationship with him."
Elizabeth's hand flew to cover her mouth. She gasped at the thought of Jack stepping back. That wasn't what she wanted.
"Where did he go?"
"Dad asked him to meet him by the jump houses for the kids. I don't know if they are staying there or not."
"Thanks." Elizabeth stated as she turned to head in that direction.
"What do you think?" Julie asked as her sister walked away.
"I think he loves her but hasn't admitted that to himself yet. He doesn't know why Elizabeth was so upset. Especially when she didn't tell him about Charles. He's wondering if he should be mad about that. He's also wondering if she does have feelings for that Charles guy."
"I've wondered that too. They have always been good friends. He wanted to date her, but she always said they didn't. They have spent a lot of time together, but they never held hands or kissed that I know of. She usually tells me everything."
"What do you think?"
"I know Elizabeth is in love with Jack. She's like Jack, she hasn't allowed herself to think that yet. She hasn't dated. She's not sure what she's doing."
"He doesn't either."
…
When Jack met up with his father, Thomas and William wanted to take him to the courts to play ball with some of the kids. Their parents were associates with Thatcher Shipping. They varied in age. Tom thought it would be good for Jack and the kids for him to join them. He could either play with them or help them with their techniques. Jack has always enjoyed doing both. William was interested to see how Jack played. He heard Elizabeth talk a little about Jack playing. He wanted to see it for himself.
Jack was out with the older teens. They were on the half court basketball court. They seemed to be around Jack's age or maybe a little younger. It was an intense game. William and Tom sat on a small row of benches watching. Tom tried to catch all the games he could, but with his schedule as a detective, it changed a lot, and he did miss a few games.
"I believe Jack is better than what I have heard." William stated with a bit of surprise.
"It's kind of funny, no one in our family has any athletic ability. Jack isn't the most athletic, the tallest, or the fastest, but he tries the hardest. He never gives up. That's what makes him so good. He just doesn't quit. He is that way with everything in his life, sports, schoolwork…everything."
"That's a great trait to have."
"He gets that from his mother."
They watched as Jack stole the ball and drippled the ball between his legs and moved to the right. With one quick step, he drove to the basket. Just before the tall guy came to him, he bounced passed the ball to the guy on the other side for an easy layup.
"Wow! Tom, that was awesome."
"It was."
"He makes it look so easy."
"He does. I don't know how he does it. He just does."
Elizabeth rounded the corner just when Jack stole the ball and made his move. She really didn't know what it was, but it looked impressive. She also noticed that Jack didn't have a shirt on. No one on his team did, but the only one she noticed was Jack. After looking at him for a moment, she also noticed he didn't have a smile on his face. He looked happy enough talking with the other guys between plays, but he was just on this side of happiness. She also saw an intense look on his face when playing.
Elizabeth noticed that not only did Jack play against the other guys, but he would give them advice on what they did wrong. She thought that was odd. "Doesn't most players want to win the game and not help the opponent?" She asked herself. She continued to watch only Jack. She was intently watching his every move. She could tell their time eariler took some joy away from him.
As she watched him while leaning against a light pole, she noticed that he hadn't looked in her direction at all. As a matter of fact, he didn't look beyond the court. She remembered when they were at the court at the center. He wouldn't stop looking in her direction. She was wondering if he hadn't seen her or if he was avoiding her a little.
Elizabeth noticed her father and Mr. T sitting on a small set of bleachers. They waved for her to come over. She slowly walked in their direction. She sat down in front of her father. The words from Jack's younger brother were weighing in her mind. She watched for a few more minutes as Jack and the other fellas played. She noticed the one kid from the center was there. He said something to Jack, and he looked in her direction. That was the first time she noticed Jack didn't smile or smirk at her. He only looked at her for a moment and then turned his attention back to the game. The last time he was on a basketball court watching her, he caught an elbow to his chin because he only paid attention to her. Today, he looked at her for a matter of a second or two. She uncomfortably adjusted herself on the bleachers. The fact that Jack didn't smile at her or look at her for more than a second hit her square in the chest. Jack has stolen her breath countless times, but this was the first time he knocked it out of her. She wasn't the only one who noticed. Her father and Tom noticed it too.
William and Tom looked at each other. Tom got up and walked toward a water stand to get them some water. He knew father and daughter needed to talk.
"Hey…you ok?" William asked.
"I'm not too sure."
"What's up?" He asked as they continued to watch the game, and Jack in particular. He placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.
Elizabeth began telling her father everything. From Charles texting her and her not telling Jack to Wendy and everything in between. She also told her father everything her and Jack discussed. As she watched Jack, she noticed he would quickly glance in her direction but mostly kept his attention on the court. When their eyes did meet, there wasn't a smile.
William turned his attention toward Jack and watched him for a few moments. He noticed no smiles when he looked at Elizabeth, but he did have a little bit of joy when playing.
"Elizabeth Marie, you know I love you…" When her father would use her name, she knew she was in trouble or did something wrong. "…but you messed up here."
"What did I do wrong?"
"You're jealous and instead of just asking Jack, you assumed the worst in this Wendy girl."
"I'm not jealous."
"Elizabeth Marie..." He stated in a warning tone. "I have known you your whole life. I know you. You are new at this dating thing, and you are jealous because you feel this girl likes Jack. She may certainly like him in an inappropriate way, but you handled this completely wrong. He texted you while he was talking to the girl. He told you about it as soon as he saw you. Which was what…five to ten minutes later?"
"Yeah, about five minutes."
"Then you have been texting with Charles all morning. Yet, you never said anything to him about it."
"He's a friend."
"If you say that one more time Bethie, I'm going to throw something at you. You know he likes you more than friendship. I had thought for months that you were dating him. He texts you and you text him and you don't tell Jack. Yet, he told you about some girl that he doesn't even know, and you lost it on him because he told you five minutes later. You were the one who didn't say anything about a crush texting you. Maybe Wendy does like Jack, but everyone knows Charles likes you. Now, he asked you to meet him tonight to talk. When are you meeting him?"
"Who?"
"Elizabeth Marie!" William warned his middle daughter.
"I seriously thought about it. He said he wanted to talk, and he needs to understand."
"Charles does understand. It's you who doesn't understand. Jack just spoke to a girl who approached him, and you lost it. Jack doesn't know if she likes him or not. She just walked up to him. Yet, you are going out with someone who certainly likes you. Elizabeth, how does that make any sense?"
"It's not a date."
"Only to you dear. How many people have told you that they thought you were dating Charles?"
"Several."
"Dear, ever wonder why so many people thought so?"
Many people have told her that. However, her father just has a way of explaining things in a way that she clearly understands. She was beginning to see where she messed up.
"They think so because you act like it. Now you text Charles all morning and do not tell Jack. Yet got upset with him when he spoke to someone for five minutes. You can't do the very same thing and then get upset at Jack for doing what you did. It wasn't the same thing. Wendy and Jack aren't friends nor does half of Hamilton think you two dated for the last two years."
"I messed this up in a big way…didn't I?"
"With the way he's not looking in this direction very often, I would say so. And rightfully so."
"Really?"
"Elizabeth, I'm going to be honest with you. If I was dating you for a couple of days and you acted this way, I wouldn't be looking over here to you at all." Elizabeth dropped her head. "You can't be a jealous girlfriend and then do the very thing that you yell at him about. Learn from this mistake. You haven't dated before, but you can't act that way and expect him to be happy or even stay around. I wouldn't."
Elizabeth dropped her head.
"Now, if I remember what it means to be a teenager in love, I will say that you still have a shot at this if you admit to your mistake and correct it."
"You think?"
"If it was me, I wouldn't even look in your direction. However, he is still stealing glances here."
"He isn't smiling."
"No, he isn't…but he's still looking. That accounts for something."
…
William walked over to Tom by the vendor. Tom was curious about what was going on, but he understood that was a father and daughter talk.
"Everything ok?"
"Elizabeth made a huge mistake. I believe she is finally understanding what she did wrong."
"Did Jack do something wrong?" Tom squared his shoulders. He didn't know Elizabeth very well, but what he did know was that he liked her very much. The more he was around her, the more he liked her. He also liked her with his oldest son. Tom was ready to pounce on Jack if he hurt this precious young lady.
"No, Tom. He didn't. This comes from Elizabeth's inexperience in dating. She got jealous with no cause. Then she did the very same thing and thought it was ok."
"Oh boy…" Tom shook his head.
"Yeah." William sighed.
"Yeah, we've all been there. Charlette about had my head…"
"Grace did have my head." William chuckled.
After twenty minutes, the game ended when Jack hit the winning shot. He stayed on the court a little longer than Elizabeth thought he would. He was talking to a couple of guys. They were the only ones left on the court. She felt he was avoiding her.
Jack finally made his way over to his father. After taking a bottled water from him, he took a long drink from it. Elizabeth watched Jack walk to his father. It kind of hurt her a little bit that he went to his father first. Elizabeth stood and slowly made her way to where the three men were standing after watching Tom and Jack speak. When she was about halfway there, she noticed Jack turn and walk in her direction after putting his shirt on. He met her a few feet from their fathers. He didn't look up when he stopped walking.
"Jack."
"Elizabeth." They stated at the same time.
They awkwardly stood in front of each other and then looked at each other. They wanted to say something, but they just weren't sure what. Elizabeth thought she may have pushed them across a line that they couldn't recover from. She was scared he may walk away from her like her father stated. Jack was confused. He didn't understand any of it. It just didn't make sense to him, none of it. He was also questioning her relationship with Charles. With her actions at the school when Charles walked up to them on the steps when she released his hand and then this morning, he didn't know what to think.
"Jack, I want to apologize for what I did earlier. I'm sorry."
Jack nodded his head. "Elizabeth…I'm confused. What happened?"
"Do you want to walk away from me?" She quicky asked. Her nerves were running rampantly.
"No. I didn't break my no dating rule for a three day fling." He stated slowly. She caught the reference. "What happened? What's going on?" He asked again.
Elizabeth shifted from foot to foot in her nervousness. She glanced at Jack's face but didn't make eye contact. She focused on his chin. The few seconds they didn't speak seemed like an eternity in their minds. The tension in the air could be felt by William and Tom who were standing fifteen yards away.
"Jack…are you walking away from me?" She whispered again.
In a soft voice that she was barely able to hear even though she was about two feet away from him, he spoke. "I don't want to step back, but I'm thinking I may need to so you can truly figure out what you want. I don't know if you know your heart regarding me and Charles."