Time Bomb

The flight to Vancouver from Baltimore was long, even longer when you were traveling with somebody who refused to speak to you. Jack had tried everything in hopes of Riley speaking to him, but the more he tried the less she seemed to care. Yes, Jack had made a mistake and he’d informed Josh of this the previous evening when he’d phoned to tell him Zack had found Riley. Jack left out the details that when Zack had found her, she was drunk.

Currently Jack was sitting in the waiting room of the Vancouver General Hospital; a nurse walked by and gave him a sympathetic smile, Jack only nodded in return. Upon arrival from the airport, Riley had been told that her mother had been moved from the ICU unit and was now resting on another floor. Her car accident had left the car completely useless and her mother with a few crushed ribs and a partly deflated lung. Hearing the news, Jack had felt like shit, he had kept things from Riley that he never should have and now she was making him pay.

Rather harshly Riley had informed her boyfriend, she used the term loosely at the moment, he could stay with somebody else or find a hotel because she wasn’t allowing him to stay at home with her. She wanted and needed space from Jack, until she could figure out whether or not he really was worth it. Zack’s advice had played over and over in her mind, Jack would never intentionally hurt her and he always had Riley’s best interest at heart.

Why did he do what he’d done?

Josh had told him to, was Jack now Josh’s puppet? Was that why he’d taken Riley to Baltimore? Or was he really into her and genuinely wanting to help her, like he’d said?

Riley didn’t know what to think anymore.

A knock on the door jolted Riley, as a nurse popped her head in telling the younger girl it was time to leave. Riley nodded and glanced at her mother, she was fragile and sleeping. She’d been asleep the entire time Riley had been in the room, not that it mattered all Riley needed was to be there. Leaving the room, Riley saw Jack still sitting on the chair where she’d last left him.

“How is she?” Jack asked quietly.

Riley shrugged, what did he care? “Did you find a place to stay?”

“Yeah, Josh is going to put me up for a few days.” Jack answered, standing up. Reaching for Riley’s arm, she pulled away. “Are you sure you’re okay to be alone?”

“Scared I might get drunk again?” Riley asked in a cold tone.

“No, but I am scared if you’re alone then you’ll be miserable. Riles, you need support more now than...”

“Just leave me alone. I’m going to get a cab home, enjoy your sleepover with Josh.” Riley bitterly answered reaching for her cell phone and walking away down the hall.

Maybe it was the silence, maybe it was the fact of being alone, Riley wasn’t entirely sure but what she was sure of is that she didn’t sleep. Arriving home from the hospital, she needed to unwind. It had been tempting to march upstairs and dig out the hidden bottle of vodka in her closet, instead she left the bottle where it was tucked away and poured herself into bed. Tossing and turning all night, it seemed as though the morning was never going to come.

Curling up in her blankets, Riley inhaled the scent that she had known all of her life. Slowly exhaling she blinked, tears threatening to fall as they brimmed her eyes. As good as it was to be in her room; Riley had become accustom to Jack’s room, to Jack’s house. She had felt foolish looking for a glass in her own home and not being able to find one. Jack’s house had somehow become home. Sniffling, Riley wiped her eyes and huddled down further under her blanket, Jack Barakat should be the furthest thing from her mind.

Feeling a little unwanted and knowing better than to show up where he wasn’t wanted, Jack kept his distance from Riley. Not have contact had ate away at Jack; he had called a few times only to get an automated voice mail, which were never returned. Josh has seen her at the hospital, informing his temporary roommate that Riley was indeed alive and appearing sober, a relief to Jack.

Four days since Jack had last seen his girlfriend, if he could still call her that. In the bigger picture, Jack understood why Riley would be mad at him and yet he still felt the whole thing had somehow managed to get blown into something bigger. More than anything he wanted to see her, to hold her and tell her how things would all work out in the end.

Jack currently found himself standing at the front door of a modest home in a quiet Vancouver neighbourhood. Josh had armed him with directions and the advice to not back down. The house was easy enough to find, the rest of the instructions were going to be the difficult part for Jack. Seeing Riley made his stomach flutter and his heart jump, the logical side of him warned him not to expect great things.

“Hey.” Jack said shyly as the door swung open to reveal the familiar dark haired figure.

“Why are you here?” Riley asked, her words cold a ice.

Ducking his head, Jack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Josh thought maybe, it was about time I stopped being a pussy and come over here.”

There he went again with the Josh bullshit. Groaning, Riley leaned against the door frame her eyes narrowing in on Jack.

“Do you do everything Josh tells you? Are you my boyfriend of his fucking puppet Jack?” Riley asked crossing her arms across her chest and staring him down.

The words came harsher than Riley had wanted, yet it made her happy she hadn’t held back on Jack. Jack Barakat had become Josh Ramsay’s puppet; if she didn’t end it now then it was a vicious cycle that would just continue on and on, claiming Riley as the fool. Be damned if she was allowing some punk and her idiot cousin make her look like the fool.

“No, Riley, it’s not like that. I love you and it hurts me to see you...” Jack began his desperate plea. Looking desperate was not one of Jack’s favourite plays; if it would get Riley to listen he didn’t care.

“You love me?” Riley asked shaking her head. “Jack, if you loved me you would have told me no matter what Josh told you to do!”

“God damn it, Riley!” Jack shouted at her. “I made a mistake and I am sorry.”

Shaking her head, Riley laughed a dry, humourless laugh. Grabbing the edge of the door, she gave Jack an icy stare, almost daring him to speak again. Taking a step closer to Riley and the door, Jack reached out to touch her arm. He had never snapped at Riley, in the moment it had come out and in the same second regret flooded the man on the front step.

“Don’t touch me.” Riley jerked back.

“I am sorry. I don’t want us to argue. I was an asshole and I should have never listened to Josh. I know it was wrong of me to agree to it. We should have been upfront and you have every right to hate me.” Jack explained, taking a step back to where he’d been on the step and sagging his shoulders.

This was classic!

Was this seriously taking place? Did Jack think he could just show up, spew some lines about how he was an ass and Riley would just forgive him? If that was Josh’s master plan it needed some work. Riley really hated the two of them in the current moment and just wanted them to leave her be.

There were enough things on her plate without Jack trying to save face and Josh trying to push her. It seemed every time she saw Josh while visiting her mother, all he did was tell her what a mistake it would be the walk away from Jack. Of course Josh felt it was wrong of her, he was the one using Jack as his minion.

“I get that you’re saying “sorry”, however I’m not sure you really mean it, Jack. If you were sorry, you’d be using a lot more than a damn word.” Riley replied firmly. “I need some time, alone time.”

“C-can I call you tomorrow?” Jack asked timidly.

She wasn’t. She wouldn’t!

“Feel free to go home whenever you want. I’ll send for my things in Baltimore, thanks for what you’ve done but I think it’s time I start to figure things out on my own.” Riley answered quietly. Taking a step back into the house she shut the door with a thud, in Jack’s face.

She had just shut him out. Worse, Jack was pretty sure she had just broke up with him.