Ice Skates & Guitar Strings

Chapter 9- Chocolate and Truths

“Dang that was good.” I sighed finishing off the rest of my meal.
            “For some reason I knew you would like it.” Jack chuckled wiping his mouth, allowing both of us to breath air again instead of burgers and fries. I took this time just to look at him; I never really noticed much about him until now. Like how the multiple piercings were really intimidating but really complimented him. How his hair was so silver, there’s no way it was natural. His strong shoulders and his tattoos that could be seen through his plain white shirt. A small scar on his right cheek, long healed and barely noticeable on his pale skin.
            “You’re staring.” He smirked.
            “Sorry.” I blushed looking back down. Molly came to us with the check and I reached for it the same time as Jack.
            “No.” I said sternly.
            “Elsa-“
            “No. This is why I’m here tonight.” I reminded him, taking the bill before he could do anything. I handed the money to Molly, making sure to leave a generous tip.
            “No change.” I smiled at her.
            “You should bring her here more often.” She teased. Jack just chuckled and put on his leather jacket.
            “We’ll see.” He replied as he stood up.
            “Have a good night you two.” She winked before walking away. Jack just rolled his eyes as I felt yet another blush come to my cheeks. We walked out of the diner and back into his car.
            “Where to?” I asked fastening my seatbelt.  
            “I’ve got a few ideas.” He smiled pulling out of the parking lot.
            “None of them include getting me killed right?”
            “Maybe.” He shrugged. “Depends on if we get caught.” I actually wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not. Jack drove us to an area of a public park… I think. Specifically, he took us to an ice rink with a beautiful water fountain right at the edge. I was surprised to see that there weren’t any people there, considering the somewhat early hour and romantic scenery.
            “Afraid of skating Elsa?” he chuckled climbing out of the car.
            “No. Actually I love skating.” I stated as I climbed out of the car. As I walked beside him I saw the corners of his mouth twitch to hide a smile. We walked up to the rental stand to get our skates.
            “Wait, where’s the rental guy?” I asked. Jack just reached in and grabbed our skate size.
            “Not here. The rink’s closed.”
            “Jack!”
            “Live a little Elsa.” He chuckled as he handed me my skates. We quickly put them on and put our shoes on the stand; hopefully nobody would take them.
            “Ready?” he asked.
            “All set.” I replied. He held his hand out for me to take, and I did before I could start overthinking it. Once he pulled me onto the ice, I could feel all of my nerves tense in anticipation. He brought me closer to him and wrapped and arm around my waist.
            “Relax.” He murmured in my ear. “You’re over thinking it.”
            “I think I have a right to.” I said trying to keep my voice straight. I tried to skate away from him, his grip on my hand tightened. He pulled me in and twirled me into his chest. The next thing I knew, we were skating/ dancing around the rink. I wasn’t surprised that Jack could skate, rather I was surprised that he would even initiate the dance.
            No matter, it felt nice, familiar almost. The wind flowing in my hair, the cold air caressing my body. The only thing that was different was someone holding my hands and keeping my body against them.
            “You okay there?” Jack asked bringing us to a stop.
            “Yeah.” I breathed looking into his eyes. His deep blue eyes looked into mine and the familiar feeling in my stomach came back. I was suddenly drawn to him as his hands held me closer.
            “Thank you, for tonight Jack.” I snapped myself out of that trance.
            “You should thank yourself.” He smirked as he let me go. “You’re the one who wanted to do this.”
            “Dinner… not this part right here.” I remembered. Actually now that I think about it, I didn’t even initiate dinner. Jack pursed his lips and completely ignored what I said.
            “Are you ready to go home?” he asked.
            “Erm… I guess.” I said. Who was I kidding, I didn’t want this night to end, but then a thought came to mind.
            “Actually I wanted to try that bakery everyone kept talking about.”
            “Ambrosia bakes?”
            “Yeah that one.” I nodded, skating circles around him. He followed me… which then turned into a game of tag on the ice.
            “I’m surprised you haven’t flipped out since what we’re doing is basically illegal.” He laughed as he chased me. I had forgotten that we broke into this place, but with all the fun I was having I could care less.
************
            “Shouldn’t we get out of here?” I asked still skating away from him.
            “Not until I catch you.” He challenged picking up his pace. He chased me until he caught up with me, and carried me off the rink... in his arms.
            “Jack put me down!”
            “Yes mi ’lady.” He chuckled setting me down on the counter of the rental stand. He began untying my skates for me, giving me a little flutter in the pit of my stomach.
            “Okay there, I can put on my shoes.” I said lightly pushing him away with my foot. He ignored me and still slid my boots on my feet. I didn’t even realize he had changed into his own shoes already.
            “Should we go?” I asked trying to push myself off the counter, but he stopped me.
            “Hold on.” He placed his hands on either side of me and looked into my eyes. “I want to try something.”
            The tension in the air shifted into something. My heart was pounding and my muscles started to tense. It took me until he leaned in closer for me to realize that the tension had shifted into desire. His lips pressed against my cheek, sparking something inside of me. My arms snaked behind him, gripping his shoulders to hold him closer as he kissed the corner of my mouth. Right when our lips brushed together-
            “Hey!” a voice boomed. “You can’t be here!” I barely flinched when Jack pulled me off the counter and started running. We ran so fast I felt like my legs were going to fly off, despite that Jack never let go of my hand. As we got closer to the parking lot we slowed, but my heart and veins had pumped adrenaline all over my body.
            “I still can’t believe we did that.” I laughed as we walked to the parking lot.
            “You’ve never done anything illegal, have you?” he asked in a playful voice as we reached his car. “Not even on accident?”
            “Never. Unless you count taking an abnormal amount of free samples from a demo stand.” Wait… did I really just say that?
            “No that doesn’t count.” He laughed as we got inside the car and drove off before the key holder could catch us. I’ve never felt this alive before, and it felt good.
            “So where am I taking you?” he asked as we stopped at a red light.
            “I thought we agreed on Ambrosia Bakes.”
            “We did, I just wanted to make sure you were still up for it. I thought you’d want to go home after what happened.” He explained.
            “To tell you the truth Jack, I’m having a great time.” I smiled. “I didn’t think I would.
            “I can say the same with you.” He agreed. In fact, the air that was filled with tension and awkward silences was now filled with laughs and comfort… but after that incident there was something else in the air. I can’t really out my finger on it. My mind started doing its magic which made me wonder… what happens to us on Monday?
************
            “Everyone’s been telling me how great this place is.” I said as Jack opened the door.
            “Well yeah it is pretty great.” He smirked as we walked in. it was a cute little bakery the looked similar to any café really… actually it looked like the inside of Central Perk from FRIENDS. The only difference was a fireplace in the corner with a small coffee table and chairs right by it. There was a good amount of people,, so Jack and I just took the first empty table for two people. Almost right after we sat down a waitress came to see us.
            “Hi there! Welcome to Ambrosia Bakes, my name is Tiffany and I’ll be your server today.” Her smile twitched when she glance at Jack, probably judging me for being here with him.
            “Do you need some time with a menu? Or are you ready?” she asked us.
            “She’s never been here before.” Jack spoke up.
            “So a Milky Way Cake?” she asked.
            “Yes please.” I said still flipping through the menu of desserts. “And a slice of red velvet too please.”
            “Both great choices. I’ll be right back with your order.” Tiffany smiled before walking away. Jack gave me an astonished expression.
            “Red velvet too?” he snorted.
            “Says the guy who ordered an extra burger and fries after he finished his first.” I challenged.
            “Fine.” He smiled. “But why red velvet?”
            “Well the fact is I’ve grown to like it, especially red velvet cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory.” I answered.
            “Is that the truth too?” What?
            “A fact is the truth.”
            “Not necessarily.” He shook his head. “A fact isn’t the same as the truth. A truth can be a fact yes, but a fact isn’t always the truth.” As always, he left me confused.
            “Do explain.” I urged.
            “I can only do so with an example.” He said leaning back. I didn’t change my expression, I wanted to know what he meant.
            “Okay.” He sighed. “Say you saw a little boy playing with a Barbie rather than a Transformer action figure. What would the fact be?”
            “I- um… What? What kind of example is that?
            “A good one.” He smirked. “What would the facts be?”
            “Uh… That the boy is playing with a Barbie; a toy meant for girls.” I stated.
            “Exactly.”
            “But what would the truth be?”
            “We don’t know, and we never know until we ask the little boy why he’s doing so.” He explained. “You see the fact is the little boy is playing with a toy meant for girls. The truth could be he likes the Barbie better, or he can’t afford a Transformers action figure, or he wants to have a female protagonist in the little world he creates in his imagination.” He finished with a smirk on his face, and I probably had a stupid expression on mine.
            “Too deep for you?” he asked.
            “No actually.” I scoffed. “It’s probably one of the few things I’ve heard from you that I actually understand.” Something in my mind suddenly clicked. ‘He’s killed someone before…’ Maybe that’s the fact but the truth has more meaning. I know my mind won’t stop thinking about it, but it’s too early for me to be asking those kinds of questions.
            “Here you are.” Tiffany came in placing two very large pieces of cake in front of us.
            “And here’s some water to wash it down.” She said placing two glasses on the table. “Enjoy you two.”
            “Thank you.” I said trying not to drool. Jack noticed and pushed a chocolate cake towards me.
            “go ahead.” He urged. It looked seriously mouth-watering. Chocolate cake with chocolate mousse between each of the five layers, caramel on the top and chocolate chips covering the entire outside of the slice.
            “So this is Milky Way?” I asked myself as I dipped my fork in the slice. Jack just stared me down as I was about to take my first bite.
            “You’re staring.” I quoted.
            “You’ll know why soon enough.” I shook my head at his response and took the bite.
            I thought I was taking a bite of a chocolate cake, but what I put on my tongue was a complete surprise. The light mousse melted and caressed my tongue. Everything mixed together into one exquisite flavour and swirled all over my mouth into what seemed like a vortex of deliciousness taking over me.
            “Holy shit.” I moaned after my first bite. I covered my mouth after the unexpected swear.
            “Yeah, that’s the general reaction.” Jack chuckled taking a bite.
            “I didn’t think I would swear though.”
            “Nobody ever does.” He smiled. “Some things just make you bring out your true self…”
************
            “I still can’t believe you’ve never been here.” Jack said to me as we exited the bakery. I held a second slice of cake in the take out box as we walked to his car.
            “I haven’t been anywhere to be completely honest.” I spoke. “Just in my dorm.”
            “Seriously? It’s basically tradition to get something from Ambrosia Bakes the moment you step on campus.”
            “Well… I did it now. And I can see why it’s tradition.” I smiled remembering the delectable taste of Milky Way. The wind blew and the cold seeped through my cardigan sending shivers down my spine.
            “Cold?” he asked me.
            “Just a little. The cold never bothered me anyway.” I answered. Jack frowned and shrugged off his jacket leaving him in his hoodie. He draped the leather around my shoulders and it instantly began to warm me up.
            “Won’t you get cold?” I questioned. Jack draped his arm around my shoulders and we kept walking.
            “I have a high tolerance to the cold.” He said. “Don’t even worry about it.” I don’t know what happened, but I suddenly felt comfortable enough to lean into him. His grip on me tightened as we walked closer to his car.
            “Are you ready to go home?” he asked. I checked my phone. It was only 11, I could stay a little while longer.
            “Maybe I could stay out for a little bit.” I shrugged
            No I shouldn’t. I should get home since I have classes tomorrow.
            Live a little Elsa, class doesn’t start until 9:30.
            “Do you have somewhere in mind?” I asked.
            “I’ve got some ideas.” He said opening the door for me. I stepped into the car, not letting my thoughts ruin my decision. I was having a surprisingly nice time with Jack… and the nicest times were when I was breaking the rules.
            “Have you ben to The Bean yet?” he asked once he started the car.
            “Once, but there were way too many tourists.”
            “Okay good. This should be fun then.”
            “But isn’t it closed right now?”
            “Yep.”
            “Won’t we get caught?”
            “Nope.”
            “How do you know?” Jack looked at me and smiled.
            “Because I know people.” He laughed. “Just trust me Elsa.”
            Wait, what does he mean by ‘he knows people’?
            As he drove to out next destination, I started to get nervous. What was he planning? What if this night was planned to be like this from the start? Like he intended us to go out for this long.
            As we reached the Bean, Jack parked the car. There was nobody at the site, the lights were shining on it though.
            “Wait here.” He instructed getting out of the car. He walked towards the site, but completely disappeared. As a precaution I locked the doors in case this really was his plan. I reached into my purse to make sure I still had my mace in there and I turned up the music a little bit so I could calm down.
            “Wanna unlock the door?” Jack shouted from outside the car. I swear I nearly hit my head on the ceiling because he startled me pretty badly. He laughed as I pressed the key to unlock the door.
            “Come out.” he said as he turned off his engine.
            “What are we doing here Jack?” I asked taking off my seatbelt.
            “Being adventurous.” He answered shutting the door. I hesitated, but my legs forced me to climb out of the car. The cold air hit me, so I put my arms in Jack’s jacket and followed him to the Bean. When we were right in front of it, I actually was shocked to see what I saw.
            The metal structure looked like a giant morphed mirror up close, without the crowding tourists to suffocate you when you look at it.
            “Come on.” He gestured for me to follow him. He took me to a side of the Bean where the security guard stood.
            “A part of me thought you were lying Jack.” The guard said.
            “Not a chance Jo.” Jack snorted.
            “Well have fun you two.” He winked before leaving us alone.
            “Lying about what Jack?” I asked.
            “Binging a girl with me.” He said walking closer to the structure.
            “Why are we here?” I asked walking closer to him.
            “To show you some perspective.” He answered holding his hand out for me to take. With some hesitation, I placed my hand in his cold one. He pulled me close, but still held my hand.
            “Why did you hate my guts?” he asked looking deep into my eyes.
            “You were such a jerk to me.” I stated like it was obvious. “And you’re unpredictable.”
            “Are you scared of me?” I thought about my answer, but I already knew deep inside.
            “No.” I shook my head.
            “Not even with the things people are saying about me.” He added.
            “No, because I don’t know what people are saying about you.” I spoke the truth. “And I don’t want to know what they’re saying about you.” He looked at me with an amused expression.
            “And why is that? Ordinary people would want to know those little details about another.” He pointed out. I took both of his hands in mine and pursed my lips.
            “I guess I’m not ordinary then. I try not to judge people based on their past, because I wouldn’t want them to judge me based on mine.” I answered. My heart was beating so loud in my ears, and I had trouble keeping my breaths even.
            Jack held me closer so our bodies were almost touching.
            “You’re right. You’re not ordinary.” He said pressing his body to mine. “You’re extraordinary.”
            The unfamiliar feeling filled the air between us like at the rink. My heart was beating faster and my breaths quickened. Nobody has ever said such beautiful words to me. I tried to think of something to say, but only one thing came up.
            “You said before that there’s a difference between fact and truth. Well the fact is I know that the things people say about you make you seem like one of the worst human beings alive. The truth is, even though I knew those things I don’t believe them to be the whole truth. I believe you are a better person than everyone makes you out to be.” I said.
            At the same time, something clicked and we both leaned in. Jack pressed his lips against mine, and I kissed him back. I let go of his hands so I could wrap my arms around his neck to pull him closer, kiss him deeper. His hands squeezed at my hips like he didn’t want to let me go.
            Something within me changed during that kiss; it flourished throughout my entire body. I can’t explain my emotions because so many were coming to my heart all t once, but one emotion I could definitely point out was happiness…

Hey guys!! I'm sooo sorry for not posting in a long while. School is slowly killing me, like since it's close to the end of the semester things are getting hectic. Therefore i made this chapter the longest one i could. Well at least theres a bright side.... THE SEQUEL IS COMING NEXT WEEK!!!!! OMG i still cant believe it;s almost here because it seems like only a few days ago i finished the first book. I hope you guys stick with me through this book and the sequel; hopefully i'll make it as good as the first if not better. See you all next week! Luv Ya! Happy Reading ;)