Letters From Jack
Excuse
She glanced at the clock in her living room and allowed a smile to curve into her lips. It was bit after six at night, and she was hoping Jack stopped by soon. She had started dinner already. She was fixing home made Chili, and cheese sandwiches. She was hoping he liked it, but if he didn't, she would gladly fix him something else. She stirred the pot of Chili, and then walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She turned the television on, and switched it to a music channel.
She swayed her hips to the beat as she fixed the sandwiches. She didn't realize Jack had already let himself in her apartment with a credit card. He smirked as he watched her small little hips move back and forth as she prepared dinner. He cleared his throat, and watched her turn around. Her eyes widened, and her face was of total shock.
He smiled, "Hi honey, I'm home."
She closed her eyes and shook her head as a small giggle escaped her lips. "Jack, I'm going to kill you." She scolded him.
He chuckled, and then walked around to the stove and picked up the topper to the pot of Chili. He looked down in it, and then breathed in the scent, "Smells good."
"Thanks. I wasn't sure if you'd eat Chili or not."
"I'll eat anything."
She finished the sandwiches, and then got them a bowl. She watched as he took a seat on the stool. She joined him by taking a seat in the stool directly across from him. "I saw you yesterday." She said, dipping her sandwich into chili.
"You did?"
"Mhm. I was in the park taking a jog."
He nodded his head, "I had some work to deal with yesterday."
"Why are you in this. . . business?" She asked.
He looked at her and sighed. "It's just what I've chose to do in life."
"But why? I'm sure there were other things you could do in life, Jack."
He groaned, "Zoe, whose going to hire a guy with these scars on his face?" He asked.
She looked at his face and frowned. He didn't attempt to cover them up, so she could see how jagged and uneven they were. To a normal person they might even seem scary.
"You can't use the scars as an excuse."
"Well, they are my excuse."
"That's a stupid excuse."
He sighed, "Look, things have changed since we were kids."
"Apparently so. I bet the old Jack would have never settled for this life."
He breathed in, "Look, Zoey. You don't know the old Jack." He snapped, "You have no memories. The only way you know the old me is by those damned letters. If you think for one second that you know me, or what I'm about then you're wrong."
She was stunned that he would say that to her. She had thought they were getting things back to the way they once were. Tears started to form in her eyes, and he closed his eyes. He hadn't felt bad for hurting someones feelings in a long time. He never cared about anyone but himself, but he was feeling bad for snapping at the young beautiful woman in front of him.
"I'm sorry. . ." He apologized.
"What happened to you?" She whispered.
He looked at her and sighed. This was a story he hadn't told anyone but his grandmother. No one knew the honest story behind his past. No one knew the real reason why he had those scars.
"I don't think you're prepared for it."
"I am."
"It's not a good story, Zoey."
"Tell me Jack, what happened. Who gave you those scars?" She pleaded with him.
"Let's go have a seat, and I'll tell you." He whispered, not knowing if he should in fact tell her the truth or not.
He trusted her more than anything. He knew she wouldn't go running to the cops or tabloids with any information about him. Zoey was just not that type of person, she had never been that type of person. She was no snitch. She was the woman he fell in love with so many years ago. The woman he still loved to this very day. The woman who he was so weak in front of. The woman who he would die for.
They took a seat on the couch much like they did so many nights ago. She looked at him, and he knew that tonight would be the night he shared a part of him. Tonight he would reveal the truth behind the scars for the first time. Not even his grandmother knew the whole truth. She had knew parts of it, but not the whole story.
"Zoey, you got to promise me something before I tell you this story. . ."
"What's that Jack?"
"You cannot blame yourself."
She swayed her hips to the beat as she fixed the sandwiches. She didn't realize Jack had already let himself in her apartment with a credit card. He smirked as he watched her small little hips move back and forth as she prepared dinner. He cleared his throat, and watched her turn around. Her eyes widened, and her face was of total shock.
He smiled, "Hi honey, I'm home."
She closed her eyes and shook her head as a small giggle escaped her lips. "Jack, I'm going to kill you." She scolded him.
He chuckled, and then walked around to the stove and picked up the topper to the pot of Chili. He looked down in it, and then breathed in the scent, "Smells good."
"Thanks. I wasn't sure if you'd eat Chili or not."
"I'll eat anything."
She finished the sandwiches, and then got them a bowl. She watched as he took a seat on the stool. She joined him by taking a seat in the stool directly across from him. "I saw you yesterday." She said, dipping her sandwich into chili.
"You did?"
"Mhm. I was in the park taking a jog."
He nodded his head, "I had some work to deal with yesterday."
"Why are you in this. . . business?" She asked.
He looked at her and sighed. "It's just what I've chose to do in life."
"But why? I'm sure there were other things you could do in life, Jack."
He groaned, "Zoe, whose going to hire a guy with these scars on his face?" He asked.
She looked at his face and frowned. He didn't attempt to cover them up, so she could see how jagged and uneven they were. To a normal person they might even seem scary.
"You can't use the scars as an excuse."
"Well, they are my excuse."
"That's a stupid excuse."
He sighed, "Look, things have changed since we were kids."
"Apparently so. I bet the old Jack would have never settled for this life."
He breathed in, "Look, Zoey. You don't know the old Jack." He snapped, "You have no memories. The only way you know the old me is by those damned letters. If you think for one second that you know me, or what I'm about then you're wrong."
She was stunned that he would say that to her. She had thought they were getting things back to the way they once were. Tears started to form in her eyes, and he closed his eyes. He hadn't felt bad for hurting someones feelings in a long time. He never cared about anyone but himself, but he was feeling bad for snapping at the young beautiful woman in front of him.
"I'm sorry. . ." He apologized.
"What happened to you?" She whispered.
He looked at her and sighed. This was a story he hadn't told anyone but his grandmother. No one knew the honest story behind his past. No one knew the real reason why he had those scars.
"I don't think you're prepared for it."
"I am."
"It's not a good story, Zoey."
"Tell me Jack, what happened. Who gave you those scars?" She pleaded with him.
"Let's go have a seat, and I'll tell you." He whispered, not knowing if he should in fact tell her the truth or not.
He trusted her more than anything. He knew she wouldn't go running to the cops or tabloids with any information about him. Zoey was just not that type of person, she had never been that type of person. She was no snitch. She was the woman he fell in love with so many years ago. The woman he still loved to this very day. The woman who he was so weak in front of. The woman who he would die for.
They took a seat on the couch much like they did so many nights ago. She looked at him, and he knew that tonight would be the night he shared a part of him. Tonight he would reveal the truth behind the scars for the first time. Not even his grandmother knew the whole truth. She had knew parts of it, but not the whole story.
"Zoey, you got to promise me something before I tell you this story. . ."
"What's that Jack?"
"You cannot blame yourself."
♠ ♠ ♠
