CHANGES
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Jack? Are you there? Please, pick up,
Jack. We need to talk." Rose's pained voice filtered through the answering
machine.
Jack merely sat, staring at it, his heart
broken and his mind a million miles away. How could he have done this to her?
She deserved nothing but the best and yet, he had done the unforgivable. He had
slept with another woman. There was no way in hell she would forgive him, and
even if by some miracle she did, he was dead as soon as Joseph heard about it.
So don't tell her, his mind suddenly urged.
Could he do that? Could he look her in the
eye and pretend nothing had happened? Did he really have the guts to lie to her
like that? As his gaze drifted towards the fire mantle and the faces of Rose
and Amanda stared back at him, forever frozen in the smiling, happy scene, he
knew. He had to. If he didn't, not only would he lose Rose, she would leave and
take his daughter with her.
"Please forgive me, God," he
whispered into the empty apartment as he made his decision.
*****
"Thanks for everything," Rose said,
hugging her brother tightly.
Frankie grinned and nodded. "My
pleasure. Tell Jack I said hi."
"I will. Tell Uncle Frankie bye,"
she instructed the preoccupied toddler.
Amanda glanced up from her seat in the car
and smiled brightly. "Bye!" she squeaked, waving wildly.
"Bye, buttercup. You be good for
Mom." Frankie waved back. Amanda just laughed.
"I'll call you when we get home,"
Rose said, getting into the car.
"Okay. Drive carefully."
"Bye!"
*****
Nearly three hours later, Rose crossed the
border into Massachusetts, listening to the radio while Amanda slept soundly in
the back seat. Biting her lip, she pulled into a gas station to use the pay phone.
For one reason or another, she was afraid to go home until she got hold of
Jack. After digging out some change, she dialed the home number.
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
Rose was about to hang up when Jack's
hesitant voice picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Jack."
An awkward silence followed, neither sure
what to say. Finally, the both spoke at once.
"I'm sorry."
On both ends, tentative smiles appeared on
their faces.
"Where are you?" Jack asked softly.
"About an hour or so away."
"Where'd you go?"
"Frankie's. Where have you been?"
Jack froze. It was an innocent, appropriate
question, but not one he was completely ready to answer. "I...I headed up
to Canada." Vague, but true.
"Oh. To drink?"
"That. And clear my head."
"Are we okay?" Rose questioned,
holding her breath while waiting for his answer.
There was a deep inhale on the other end, but
ultimately a choked, "Yes," was uttered.
Relief coursed through Rose's veins and a
smile played with the corners of her mouth. "Good. I'm gonna go now. We'll
be home soon."
"Okay," Jack said, and almost as an
afterthought, "I love you, Rose."
"I love you, too," Rose replied
before hanging up.
*****
Later that night, after Amanda was in bed and
Jack was sitting in the kitchen, working on a report for school, Rose wandered
in and sat down across from him. Jack glanced up from the computer, his breath
catching in his throat by the yearning look in her emerald eyes.
"What?" he asked, it coming out low
and raspy.
Rose tucked a strand of hair behind one ear
and smiled slightly. "Are you almost done?"
Jack looked from the computer screen, to Rose
and back again before nodding. "Almost."
"I'll wait for you in our room,
then," she said meaningfully. Casting him a seductive glance, she got up and
slowly headed out of the kitchen, stopping to kiss him leisurely. Once she
disappeared down the hall, Jack sucked in his breath. He could do this. He
loved Rose and there was no better feeling in the world then having their
bodies molded together as one. Besides, she wouldn't be able to tell, right?
*****
"Mmm," Rose murmured contentedly,
her head laying on Jack's bare chest. No matter how much it hurt when they
fought, the making up part made it seem almost worthwhile. Especially tonight.
Jack had taken extra care to make everything as perfect as possible, loving her
in every way.
"Let's not fight anymore, okay?"
Jack whispered, one hand entwined in her silken hair.
Rose tilted her head up so she could see his
face, nodding with a smile. "Only if we can make up more often."
Chuckling, Jack pressed his lips to hers.
"Deal."