Status: finished ; )
Thankful for You
And I Like The Way We Play
Ivory had never been so uncomfortable in her life. Not even her parents could make her feel so nauseated and uneasy. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and stared out the passenger window. There was hardly any snow left on the ground and Ivory was already missing it dreadfully.
“Are you hungry?” Jack took a slide glance at her. She was biting her bottom lip as she shook her head. He’d expected her to be nervous, but this was a bit overboard. Her anxiety was starting to creep into him and make him tense. “You want to go straight to the theater, and then maybe catch a bite afterward?”
Ivory had to clear her throat before she could answer. “Sure,” she muttered and laced her fingers on her lap. The rest of the short drive was quiet, besides Jack’s grumbling about finding a parking space. He held her hand as they walked into the busy theater. Jack had decided on taking her out of town so there was no chance of the awkward run in with anybody. Here there were nameless faces and she liked it that way.
“Want something to drink?” Jack squeezed her hand as they stood in the concession line.
“An Icee?” She asked more than answered. Ivory had never really been on an official date. Her previous boyfriend didn’t treat her so well. Having Jack pay for everything made her edgy.
“That’s it?” Jack raised his eyebrows and she nodded. He sighed, wishing she would lighten up some. He ordered and paid, the awkward silence settling once again.
Ivory fell asleep during the movie. Jack didn’t mind, he found it a bit cute and enjoyed the warmth of her head on his shoulder. Ivory jolted awake just before the credits started rolling. Her cheeks flushed as she straightened up and checked to make sure she hadn’t drooled on him. He chuckled and asked if she was ready to go. She nodded.
He held her hand again in the car, pulling into an Arby’s parking lot. “I figured you just shrug if I asked you where you wanted to eat, so I picked for you.” Jack smiled over at her.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, feeling that it was obvious she hadn’t done this much.
“Sorry?” Jack’s smile immediately disappeared as he shifted his whole body to face her. “There is absolutely nothing you should be sorry for, beautiful.”
“I can’t do this. I can’t date you.” Ivory pleaded and even she could hear the hysteria in her voice.
“Okay, calm down.” Jack instructed, reaching his hand over toward hers. Ivory jerked her hand away and pressed her body against the door.
“I can’t, I just can’t,” she shook her head fiercely and tears were begging to pour out.
“Alright, it’s fine Ivory. It’s fine. We can go in here and have dinner as just friends. I promise.” Seeing her like this was hurting him as well. She was always so quiet and controlled; this almost didn’t seem like her.
“Just friends?” Ivory repeated and bit her bottom lip. Jack nodded cautiously, afraid to upset her more. It was quiet while Ivory mulled the thought over in her head. Friends is what they were to begin with, and that wasn’t so bad. Finally she pushed herself out of the car and Jack followed completely bewildered.
He’d seen her uncomfortable and irritable, and even annoyed, but this was different. There was a fear in her eyes that he couldn’t place.Something was wrong.
Ivory steadied her breathing and tried controlling her feelings as Jack ordered for both of them again. Surprisingly he’d ordered her favorite and she was ever so thankful as they sat down at the table. The tense air that had surrounded them the whole night just vanished. It was just Jack and Ivory having dinner, casually and without strings.
“So, is there a chance that you’ll tell me why you freaked out?” He was still wary from the scene in the car, but his curiosity was too great to ignore. He wanted to protect her from ever having to see that panic in her eyes again.
“Jack,” Ivory sounded desperate as she stared down at the food in front of her. She hated the fact that she’d lost control of herself, but then she figured he did at least deserve to know why. “It’s a long story,” she warned, but both of them knew it was more of a stalling technique.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got all night.” Jack reassured her, not wanting to push her. He carefully took a curly fry and placed it in his mouth, watching her face change expressions every second.
“My last relationship didn’t end so well.” Ivory started and then her stomach lurched as memories of her old boyfriend resurfaced. She snuck a look at Jack and saw him patiently waiting for the rest of the story as he ate his fries. It almost made her want to giggle. “He cheated on me. He degraded me. He made me think I was insane whenever I accused him of said cheating. And he lied to me, a lot.” Ivory took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts. She’d never actually told anybody the details of her relationship with Neal. It was just too hard to deal with.
Jack was fighting his protective side. It was the feeling he got when guys hit on Audree, except it was ten times that. He couldn’t believe someone could hurt the girl in front of him intentionally. He just couldn’t imagine it.
“The sad thing is I was still in love with him when he dumped me.” She admitted and kept her eyes on her straw, figuring that was the safest place to stare at the moment. “A part of me still loves him too.” She bit her bottom lip as tears pooled in her eyes. “And when he left, he left me alone. I don’t get along with many people, as you’ve probably guessed. So I’ve kept to myself since then, till you came around.” Here she couldn’t help but snort. Jack had really brought her out of her shell since the first time he’d walked into the bookstore, but she was still holding on to it. “And I just can’t date you. I’m not ready.” It sounded lame, she knew. But there wasn’t much else she could say.
Jack swallowed. Now he knew. It wasn’t embarrassment that showed when he’d wrap his arm around her and she wasn’t faking sick when Alex would cling to her. He could see it, looking at her now with new eyes. She was fragile and broken. “I understand.” His voice was comforting and firm.
Ivory dared herself to lift her eyes to his, and when she did, things changed. Jack was no longer an immature teenager lusting after her. He was determined to help her,fix her, and he’d wait forever for her if he had to. He could see she was more than worth it. Ivory saw the change in his eyes, in his posture, in everything about him. She was scared, but happy too. She didn’t know where things would end, or how they would end, but she suddenly felt like it would be okay.
“So, was it just me or did the graphics in that movie suck balls?” Jack made a disgusted face and Ivory laughed.
“Are you hungry?” Jack took a slide glance at her. She was biting her bottom lip as she shook her head. He’d expected her to be nervous, but this was a bit overboard. Her anxiety was starting to creep into him and make him tense. “You want to go straight to the theater, and then maybe catch a bite afterward?”
Ivory had to clear her throat before she could answer. “Sure,” she muttered and laced her fingers on her lap. The rest of the short drive was quiet, besides Jack’s grumbling about finding a parking space. He held her hand as they walked into the busy theater. Jack had decided on taking her out of town so there was no chance of the awkward run in with anybody. Here there were nameless faces and she liked it that way.
“Want something to drink?” Jack squeezed her hand as they stood in the concession line.
“An Icee?” She asked more than answered. Ivory had never really been on an official date. Her previous boyfriend didn’t treat her so well. Having Jack pay for everything made her edgy.
“That’s it?” Jack raised his eyebrows and she nodded. He sighed, wishing she would lighten up some. He ordered and paid, the awkward silence settling once again.
Ivory fell asleep during the movie. Jack didn’t mind, he found it a bit cute and enjoyed the warmth of her head on his shoulder. Ivory jolted awake just before the credits started rolling. Her cheeks flushed as she straightened up and checked to make sure she hadn’t drooled on him. He chuckled and asked if she was ready to go. She nodded.
He held her hand again in the car, pulling into an Arby’s parking lot. “I figured you just shrug if I asked you where you wanted to eat, so I picked for you.” Jack smiled over at her.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered, feeling that it was obvious she hadn’t done this much.
“Sorry?” Jack’s smile immediately disappeared as he shifted his whole body to face her. “There is absolutely nothing you should be sorry for, beautiful.”
“I can’t do this. I can’t date you.” Ivory pleaded and even she could hear the hysteria in her voice.
“Okay, calm down.” Jack instructed, reaching his hand over toward hers. Ivory jerked her hand away and pressed her body against the door.
“I can’t, I just can’t,” she shook her head fiercely and tears were begging to pour out.
“Alright, it’s fine Ivory. It’s fine. We can go in here and have dinner as just friends. I promise.” Seeing her like this was hurting him as well. She was always so quiet and controlled; this almost didn’t seem like her.
“Just friends?” Ivory repeated and bit her bottom lip. Jack nodded cautiously, afraid to upset her more. It was quiet while Ivory mulled the thought over in her head. Friends is what they were to begin with, and that wasn’t so bad. Finally she pushed herself out of the car and Jack followed completely bewildered.
He’d seen her uncomfortable and irritable, and even annoyed, but this was different. There was a fear in her eyes that he couldn’t place.Something was wrong.
Ivory steadied her breathing and tried controlling her feelings as Jack ordered for both of them again. Surprisingly he’d ordered her favorite and she was ever so thankful as they sat down at the table. The tense air that had surrounded them the whole night just vanished. It was just Jack and Ivory having dinner, casually and without strings.
“So, is there a chance that you’ll tell me why you freaked out?” He was still wary from the scene in the car, but his curiosity was too great to ignore. He wanted to protect her from ever having to see that panic in her eyes again.
“Jack,” Ivory sounded desperate as she stared down at the food in front of her. She hated the fact that she’d lost control of herself, but then she figured he did at least deserve to know why. “It’s a long story,” she warned, but both of them knew it was more of a stalling technique.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve got all night.” Jack reassured her, not wanting to push her. He carefully took a curly fry and placed it in his mouth, watching her face change expressions every second.
“My last relationship didn’t end so well.” Ivory started and then her stomach lurched as memories of her old boyfriend resurfaced. She snuck a look at Jack and saw him patiently waiting for the rest of the story as he ate his fries. It almost made her want to giggle. “He cheated on me. He degraded me. He made me think I was insane whenever I accused him of said cheating. And he lied to me, a lot.” Ivory took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts. She’d never actually told anybody the details of her relationship with Neal. It was just too hard to deal with.
Jack was fighting his protective side. It was the feeling he got when guys hit on Audree, except it was ten times that. He couldn’t believe someone could hurt the girl in front of him intentionally. He just couldn’t imagine it.
“The sad thing is I was still in love with him when he dumped me.” She admitted and kept her eyes on her straw, figuring that was the safest place to stare at the moment. “A part of me still loves him too.” She bit her bottom lip as tears pooled in her eyes. “And when he left, he left me alone. I don’t get along with many people, as you’ve probably guessed. So I’ve kept to myself since then, till you came around.” Here she couldn’t help but snort. Jack had really brought her out of her shell since the first time he’d walked into the bookstore, but she was still holding on to it. “And I just can’t date you. I’m not ready.” It sounded lame, she knew. But there wasn’t much else she could say.
Jack swallowed. Now he knew. It wasn’t embarrassment that showed when he’d wrap his arm around her and she wasn’t faking sick when Alex would cling to her. He could see it, looking at her now with new eyes. She was fragile and broken. “I understand.” His voice was comforting and firm.
Ivory dared herself to lift her eyes to his, and when she did, things changed. Jack was no longer an immature teenager lusting after her. He was determined to help her,fix her, and he’d wait forever for her if he had to. He could see she was more than worth it. Ivory saw the change in his eyes, in his posture, in everything about him. She was scared, but happy too. She didn’t know where things would end, or how they would end, but she suddenly felt like it would be okay.
“So, was it just me or did the graphics in that movie suck balls?” Jack made a disgusted face and Ivory laughed.
♠ ♠ ♠
sorry for all of you expecting the perfect date : ) but as you can recall, the future is not so pleasant for Jack and Ivory so it's only logic that the date (their first real attempt at making themselves a couple) would go disastrous. But it's still a good chapter; a little insight to Ivy's problems as well as the present-family problems. Have no fear, Jack will save her! lol, only a few chapters left X DxooxEmber