Never Again

Part Thirty Five

                “So how did you know where I was?” Erin asked as Jack negotiated the quiet streets, making for his City apartment.

Jack manoeuvred his car across a bridge over the Thames then turned left towards the suburb that housed his second home, “I went to your parents, they told me you were here.”

She glanced across, “really?”

He nodded, slowing to pull into the underground car park, “your father admitted he was wrong about me...” Stopping the car he turned to her, “I didn’t want to stay away, you have to know that. Every day I contemplated getting into my car and driving to theirs, then blasting into the house no matter what defence they put up.”

                “Really?” his words were like an aphrodisiac, pleasure coursed through her veins. He’d missed her, that was such a good sign. Then she fully digested his words. “So what changed? Why did you come today of all days?”

Jack sighed, then finished the journey into the garage, he’d hoped to have more positive news before he spoke to her, but neither his agent nor his lawyer had got back to him. “I’ll explain over dinner, let’s order some food before I pass out!”

Erin opened a bottle of wine as he rooted around in the kitchen drawer for a takeaway menu, and as she poured the fruity Spanish red, he phoned an order. Erin shuddered at the way he automatically knew what to order, they were so in tune with each other, they were so compatible as friends, it was his inability to commit any further than just friends that was the sticking point. As much as Erin loved their friendship, the easiness between them, she knew that it wasn’t enough, that ultimately it...he would break her heart. But she had to tell him that, make him understand, because either way she may lose him, but at least he’d know how she felt, and why she couldn’t settle for anything casual anymore. For her Jack Reilly was all or nothing.

She moved into the lounge as Jack hung up, but his phone rang almost immediately, perching against the kitchen counter he took the call as he watched her leave the room. But within seconds he was tense, he turned away so that she couldn’t see his face but she knew that he was talking animatedly into the phone.

Slumping back into the chair she sighed, there was a huge part of Jack that she knew nothing about; she almost felt that her Jack was a million miles from the World famous footballer that partied as hard as he played.

Erin sensed him at the door before she saw him, and when she looked up she almost flinched at the pained expression on his face. The phone call hadn’t been good news.

                “Erin...” it was even said in a scary manner and Erin couldn’t voice a reply.  “There’s so much I want to say to you, we really need to talk...but...” God she hated that but! “I got a call this morning about an article that’s looking like being in the papers tomorrow.”

Erin felt sick, heat rose up to engulf her face as she feared the room was starting to spin, anchoring herself firmly to the arms of the chair she shook her head gently, needing clarity, “he did it!”

Jack had prepared himself for all sorts of responses to his news, but the last he expected was complacency and resignation. “You knew?”

She laughed, “What that my moronic ex-husband has been trying to blackmail me? That he’s selling some sort of character assassination to the highest paying tabloid? Yep, I knew he’d threatened it. I wouldn’t pay him, and I doubt there’s a word of truth in it...”