My Immortal

They reached the beach that Jo had in mind. She shut off the engine and waited for Zacky to get off. When he did she felt lonely and alone, but taking a deep breath she kicked the kick stand and got off too. They placed their helmets on the bike and Zacky could only follow Jo.

They found a spot. “So, why are we here?” Zacky asked. Jo was watching the waves crash into the shore.

“We’re here to talk,” Jo said reaching into her pocket and taking out a pack of smokes.

“We could of talked at the hotel,” Zacky said, watching her light up a cigarette she offered the pack to him but he shook his head no.

“It’s hard being a parent isn’t it?” Jo said, she took a long drag and let the nicotine have it’s effect. “You always worry, how is he? Who is he talking to? Does he need help?”

“Jo,” Zacky said his voice warning like. He never did like her comments.

“Zacky?” She turned and looked at him, an amused smirk across her face.

“Why did you leave?” Zacky said. She took a deep breath and let out an audible ahhh.

“I didn’t think I could do it,” Jo said.

“Do what?” Zacky asked. Jo took out the papers from the bag and handed them to him. He looked at them and he froze. Across the top read, Adoption papers. “You we’re going to give him up?”

“Yeah, I thought I could,” Jo said in a sad voice remembering what she would of missed if she had, what Zacky has missed.

“What made you stop?” This wasn’t Vengeance speaking, it was Zacky her best friend who cared about her, even when she didn’t deserve it.

“I slipped into a coma before signing the papers, James being my first pregnancy made me have complications, Roxy and Steph kept James safe till I woke up,” Jo said finishing her cigarette.

“I loved you,” Zacky said putting the papers down.

“No you didn’t,” Jo said trying not to look at him.

“How can you say that?” He was getting angry.

“You got married six months later, that’s how I can say it,” it was her turn. When she had found out about his wedding it had sliced her in half. She wasn’t about to tell him the news made her go into premature labour.

“It was a mistake,” he said remembering the haste wedding, the fights with the band, the hatful words. The nights spent at Jo’s grave side drinking bottle after bottle of JD.

“We all make mistakes,” Jo said.

“How could you leave, up and leave, lie to us?” Zacky continued his question.

“Do you think it was easy? I had plans I wanted to finish my degree, then get a job. I never wanted a kid, but here comes Zacky all caring about poor little Jo, and her heart being broken. But wait he has a girlfriend. And what else she’s the exact opposite of Jo.”

“Do you think I could of spent my life asking if you are with me for me or for the fact that I got pregnant? Do you think it’s easy for me to see James looking up at me with your eyes? He’s like you, in so many ways, and that’s why I love him. But I also have to do what’s best for him,” her voice quivered at the end.

“What are you talking about?” Zacky asked. She stood up and walked towards the water. She could hear Zacky call out her name. She reached the waves and let the water soak her feet. Zacky came up behind her and turned her around.

“You can take him,” Jo said. A cool facade was in place.

“What?”

“You can give him something I can’t, a father, I’m signing over custody rights as soon as I talk to the lawyers,” Jo said taking a deep breath her insides hurting her.

“What happens if I say I don’t want him?” Zacky asked, he wanted to grab hold of her and shake her. Get some sort of reaction out of her.

“I’d say you’re lying,” Jo said looking him straight in the eyes. “He stopped me from having a life, I want to live me life. I want to go out and party, get shit faced and not worry about what will happen when I get home.”

Her voice didn’t shake she sounded cold but full of emotion hatred. Zacky misunderstood it for hatred towards James but it was hatred towards herself. “You’re lying,” Zacky said.

“Am I really? You don’t know the first thing about me, you never did,” Jo said getting out of his grasp and walking to the bike. Her phone vibrated and she read a text message saying they were gone back to the house, all of them.

Zacky followed in silence and they rode to the house.