The Secrets That Tore Us Apart

10

"Has Jack tried to contact you again?" Hannah asked when had Emma called her to ask about a math problem.

"Once" Emma replied.

"Do you want to hear him out?" 

"If he has a good reason for ghosting me, but after all I've heard, his reason was probably that he cheated. Do you know how many times he "went on trips" with his family? And some weekends he had to "help his sister at her work". I think he might have cheated on me all year" tears fell down Emma's face as she finally put words to her worst fears. 

"Hopefully he didn't" Hannah sighted, by the way she sounded Emma wondered if Hannah knew anything. If Nathan had told her anything. But Emma let that go because she didn't feel like talking about it. 

Hannah helped Emma understand the math problem and they hung up soon after that. When Emma looked at her phone she noticed a new text. It was from Jack.

Jack:
"I am genuinely sorry about
how you found out about my
summer, if it's any consolation
you don't know the whole truth
yet. I would like to tell you, if
you'd listen. You don't have to
respond to this text and I will
not try to talk to you in school
this week. I will be at our spot
after school on Friday. If you don't
show up, I will do my best in moving
on with my life without you"

Emma read the text over and over again. She brought her phone with her to the bathroom and read it while she brushed her teeth. She brought it with her to bed and read it instead of reading her novel. 

She wondered what Jack had meant when he wrote that she didn't know the whole truth yet. 

Were there more girls?

She quickly pushed the thought aside, didn't want to ruin her, now slightly better mood.

Emma tried to sleep, but couldn't. Her mind wandered back down memory lane again.

"Come on Emma, it's not that cold" Jack had shouted smiling.

"You're right. It's freezing" Emma was stood on the beach watching Jack walk further and further into the ice cold ocean water.

He turned around and screamed over the wind. "I'll warm you"

Emma took a deep breath and walked slowly into the water and felt her whole body tense up as the cold water hit her bare skin. She was wearing her white bikini that her mum had gotten her for her birthday and Jack was wearing some blue swim shorts. 

When Jack noticed that Emma was actually getting into the water he opened his arms so that he could embrace her when she got to him. She smiled at him and begun to walk a bit faster. When she reached his arms she clung onto him so that he almost lost his balance. But his strong body, along with the water, held them both up. 

That was until Jack decided to fall backwards, making both of them go under the water. When they came up for air, Emma squeaked and said in a fake angry voice. "If I get sick I'm blaming you" 

"If you get sick, I'll be there everyday to take care of you" Jack grinned and Emma kissed him. 

When Emma and Jack got out of the water, they quickly dried themselves and got dressed. Then they ran towards Jack's car and got inside just as the rain started to pour. Jack made sure the heat was on in their seats and in the car before he grabbed both of Emma's hands and held them in his. 

Things like this always made her melt. The little things.

Jack turned on the radio and it played a love song that Emma would keep as number one in her "Love"-playlist on Spotify, in memory of this moment.

Emma did get sick after that dip in the ocean, and Jack was there and took care of her. He brought her her favorite tea, he let her decide every movie they watched and he played with the ends of her hair when she fell asleep with her head on his lap. He didn't move an inch until she woke up.

Emma's alarm clock woke her up on Monday morning. She dragged herself out of bed and made herself ready for school. Mostly mentally.

Hannah picked her up and drover her to school. In the parking lot Emma showed Hannah the text she had received from Jack the night before.

"Are you going to go?" Hannah asked.

"I've got five days to figure that out" Emma replied.