Bad Bets (Bad News Series Book 3) *Under Major Edit*

Chapter 35

The Answers - part 3

Jack had decided that he needed to meet this unknown son of his. It had been eating at him for the past two weeks and the more he sat around, the guiltier he felt.

Jess had gone ahead with what Jay suggested and she and Steph were now living in an apartment with the kids.

Jack had fort with everything he had to get Jess not to do it, but she refused to listen. He had also begged and pleaded her about the kids, but again she was too stubborn to hear a word he was saying.

He wanted them with him that went without saying. He also wanted her at home with him but neither of the wants were working out too well.

The past two weeks had consisted of him trying over and over to get Jess to talk to him. Pleading her for his forgiveness and he had also been fighting the battle to get time with the children.

It had been difficult for them, getting in a state over what was going on. Confused as to why their mum and dad were fighting and why they weren't living at home.

Jess would occasionally agree to Jack having them, but deciding to go about it in a spiteful way as it was her only method of coping. Every time he pretty much pleaded to spend time with them, she would bring up the son he had never known he had.

She was hurting, that's all it was. But Jess didn't know how to deal with this kind of hurt so instead she just shut down, turning into the bitch character she had well figured out.

It wasn't surprising considering she had been playing it pretty much all of her life.

Regardless of all of that, Jack had managed to get her to speak to him, as he needed to warn her of what he was about to do.

They had sat in her living room and he had tried to explain why he was doing it and what was going to happen.

"I just need to know he's alright, Jess. I feel responsible. He has a screw up of a mum." He sighed, yet she didn't have much to say in return.

She was angry. That was clear.

As Jack pulled up at the park he had arranged to meet Jasmine, he paused, remaining in his seat for a few minutes, the nerves bursting through him.

When he finally got out, he repositioned the hat on his head before wandering over to where he saw Jasmine in the distance.

She was sat smoking on a bench while the boy was stood with a football, keeping himself entertained as he kicked it about.

"Oi!" Jasmine called over to him when she noticed Jack. "Come and say hello to my friend, he's come to see you."

Jack shook his head, rolling his eyes automatically at her approach to this but nevertheless tried to play along.

"Hey man, I'm Jack." He smiled, looking down at the shy boy. "What's your name?"

He watched as he looked over to Jasmine, unsure of what to do.

"You can speak to him." She held out her hands like he was stupid.

"I'm... um... Kian." He looked down to the floor.

"You like football?" Jack urged his head to the ball, trying to ease in the conversation.

Kian nodded.

"I'm not very good though."

"Show me. You looked like you were having fun." Jack stood back, giving him the space he needed.

Kian then began trying to kick the ball about, before attempting to do some kick up's but only managing two, before looking to Jack and shrugging his shoulders.

Jack tucked his phone and keys into his pocket before holding out his hand.

"Mind if I show you something that might help?" He asked and Kian was quick to throw over the ball.

Placing it onto his foot, he then began to mirror what Kian had done, before giving him a few tips on how to improve his technique. It was such a simple gesture but the boy watched on in pure fascination, like he had never been given this sort of attention before.

"What happened to it?" Jack spun the ball around in his hand, looking at all the holes and ripped off bits of material. "It looks a bit destroyed, dude."

"I got it for my fourth birthday. Mummy couldn't get me another one." His face suddenly dropped as did his voice when he spoke.

Pausing, Jack refrained himself from the need to swear over and over, kick up a fuss and make Jasmine realise how selfish she was. She was vile and it was sickening to see.

"I have an idea, wait there." Jack finally replied, before jogging over to his car and pulling open the boot.

He then grabbed the football he kept in there for whenever he took Ellie and Harvey to the park, taking it back over to Kian, he held it out.

"How about we do swaps? You can have this brand new one and I'll have this old thing."

The smile that spread across Kian's face was unmissable, yet he reluctantly held out his hands to take it, looking back to Jasmine for permission who was paying no attention at all.

"Thank you." He grinned, before feeling unsure if whether to hug Jack or not.

He decided not to and just took a couple of steps back.

"You're welcome. Now you keep practising alright?" He smiled before placing his cap onto Kian's head and making his way over to Jasmine.

She looked up at him as he arrived, stubbing out her cigarette and closing her magazine.

Her eyes widened with satisfaction as he dug into his pocket and pulled out some cash, ranging to about five hundred pounds.

"Instead of being selfish and spending all your money on drugs, how about your buy your poor son some clothes Jazmine, they don't fit him. "

And with that he left, all different emotions running through him.

Right now all he wanted to do was go home and have Jess waiting there for him. To be able to lay back on the sofa, with her head on his lap as they talked about pointless things. However unfortunately that wasn't going to be the case.

♥ 

Another little something to thiiiiink about!
The next chapter will be up tonight too and idkk what you will think of it sooooo...

It comes away from the Jack/Jasmine situation and focuses on something else pretty important!!