Coffee Shop Soundtrack

“What do you mean you can’t go out tonight?” Jack sighed into the receiver as Blair cancelled on him for the third time in a row.

“I’m sorry alright” she almost whispered into the phone.

“I just miss you, why can’t you come out?”

Blair bit down on her lip; trying to find her way out of it “I’m sick” she lied quickly.

“Oh, do you want me to come over?”

“No no no no no, I don’t want you to get sick either” she said quickly “I’ll see you around
okay?” Blair said, without even waiting for Jack’s reply she slammed the phone down, she couldn’t bear to hear his voice.

It’s been like this ever since the day Nick returned. Blair hasn’t known what to do, she’s tried to divide up her time between both Nick and Jack, but then there was the irreplaceable feeling of guilt that was beginning to consume her. She tried to tell herself it wasn’t her fault, but it was all in vain. She was married, why did she have to go and enter a relationship with another man, and not only enter a relationship with another man, but to fall in love with him.

War changed people and Nick had changed. Of course, there was still the Nick that she remembered, the one who loved Ava Gardener and scrabble, but he was different at the same time. He had lost that spark, that shine that he used to have, just like Zack he shrieked and cried at loud noises. He was violent, towards anything and everything, before Nick left, they decided that they would start a family if he got back, he now hated children. But he was still Nick and she couldn’t leave him.

“Hey Blair, love, can you get me a beer?” Nick yelled out from his regular spot on the couch, he was in one of his better moods today but Blair knew that as night fell he would change.

“Sure Nick.”

He smiled up at her “I am so lucky to have you, still here,” his words were slightly slurred as he spoke “Y’know, while I was slaving away in those damn trenches, I was sure you’d be with another man but I came back” tears were beginning to well in his eyes “you were still here, like death is the only thing that’ll keep us apart.” Nick broke down, he now had his face in his palms and tears rolling down his cheeks, it was the first time he had opened up since returning. “I love you babe, and I know I get difficult, but that’s not me i-i-it’s just somethin’ I can’t put words to, but I don’t mean to hurt you a-and I don’t no, don’t cry!” Nick began to get worked up as he noticed her crying too “I don’t want you to cry okay, I love you, the thought of you was the only thing that kept me alive, when we ran out of food f-for days a-and when we fought for months on end. Do you remember Jimmy?”

“What about him?” Blair asked nestling her body in his on the couch. Jimmy was one of Nick’s best friends; he was called up two months after Nick.

“I-I” Nick shook again “I- I saw him die”

“Oh Nick” she gave him a reassuring kiss.

“But he didn’t die” Nick turned away from her kiss “He got blown apart.”

Nick had never spoken about his time on the front line even though Blair encouraged him to tell her. But now she wished she hadn’t. They had all grown up together, Nick, Aaron, Jimmy, Kate, Sue and Blair and the last thing she wanted to hear was that an old friend was brutally murdered.

“I know he’s back” Jack pulled her roughly into a secluded ally way of the main street.

“Get off me” Blair hissed pulling her wrist from his grip.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack said quietly, putting his hands in his pocket “I-I didn’t mean to grab you so hard b-b-”

“What are you talking about” she snapped.

“Nick’s back, your husband” Jack said simply, “Why didn’t you let me know?”

“I-I don’t know I just... I don’t want to lose you but I can’t leave him” Blair whispered putting
her arms around his middle.

“Do you love him?” Jack asked, I monotone disguising the emotion which would usually be in his voice.

“Y-yes”

Jack sighed loudly and began to push Blair off him.

“But I love you too” she said quickly “I can’t, I don’t – I just-”

“Listen to me Blair, people are going to talk.”

“So-”

“So how do you think I feel when you’re in love win me, but with your husband?”

“I’m sorry” she hissed.

“I don’t care okay...well, I do but still, I love you okay, I want you for me and just for me okay!
Call it selfish but I don’t give a fuck. I want you just for me, not to share with some other guy even if he had you first.”

“Jack” Blair cried “I can’t leave him now, I have to take care of him, you know what the war had done to them all.”

“I don’t care okay! You’re either with him or with me!”

“Jack, people are going to talk if I-”

“Then we’ll leave” he cut her off quickly “We’ll get out of here, just pack up and go, we could move to Hollywood, or New York, Mai-”

“I can’t leave him Jack!”

“Yes you can!” he yelled “Just pack up and go! If you’re in love with me you will.”

“Don’t start all that with me” Blair snapped.

“Start what?”

“Don’t you dare start to try and make me feel guilty over being there for my husband.”

Jack just rolled his eyes “If you love me as much as you do than you’ll be at the coffee shop at four, in the morning, on Sunday, bring the stuff you want a-and we’ll leave.”

“Stop being stupid Jack.”

“I’m not, make up your mind.”

The sun rose over a misty city on the Monday, at four am. Jack sat outside the front of the store, his hands stuffed in her pockets frosty air clouding his breath. He was waiting for her. He and Blair would leave today, then he’d go back to get Zack, Jack couldn’t leave him, not in the state he was in right now.

The clock ticked over to four ten, four twenty and then four thirty. Jack sighed and kick the front bricking, all these months, nothing, everything was nothing. He glanced down the street, his heart rising as he saw a small slender figure walking towards him. She was blonde however, and Blair was a chestnut brown. As the time ticked past five thirty Jack gave up. Punctuality had always been important to Blair, she’d never be late anywhere and if she was she would never be this late. Cursing once more he left, storming up the side walk and into his old beat up car.

Down the road, just within sight Blair sat in a dark car, it’s windows tinted so nobody could see in. She arrived at three twenty two and sat in the car, he bags were packed, she was ready to go. She saw him arrive, wait and leave.

She was going to leave today, she really would. However, if she was to leave Jack, he’d be fine without her, and Nick well, he’d die. Her decision was made there.

Nick needed her more than Jack ever would, she couldn’t leave him now, she couldn’t leave him ever.