Who You Say I Am (A Jai Courtney Fanfic)

Chapter 65-Jai

Jai

I escort Megan up to my room. I fail at trying to make a fire for us but she steps in. She definitely knows what she's doing. We sit back on the red couch and watch the fire catching. I lazily play with her hand as we sit side by side. She's staring at the fire.
"Everything okay?" I ask.
"I guess so," she sighs.
"Is it the article?" I question.
"It shouldn't get to me but it does. I'm sorry you're getting dragged into this mess—my mess," she says.
"No worries. I'm here for you," I tell here.
She smiles at me but it's forced. I push a stray hair out of her face and can't help but caress her cheek.
"Jai?" she asks.
I hum a reply.
"What do you do when something like that happens to you?" she asks me. I think she's referring to the paper.
I sit back and sigh. "I try to ignore it and not let it get to me. Not everyone is going to like what you do or believe your side of the story. I figure that I know the truth and I don't care what they think," I shrug.
"Yeah, that's probably best," she nods looking to me. "It still hurts, though."
"Yeah," I nod in agreement. I look her over and realize that I planned this whole thing out—bringing her back here and telling her how I feel about her. Now, I realize that she's just had something else happen with the bogan and it's not the right time. I'll just be there for her instead and bide my time.
We sit in silence together watching the bush tv and it's nice. I really do enjoy her company. It's not awkward at all. I'm not feeling like getting my phone out or turning on a tv—even though this room has none. We just keep each other company for a while.
"What would you like to do now that you're here in town?" she asks breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" I ask caressing her cheek.
"I don't know," she shrugs. "Isn't this like your vacation? Would you like me to show you around town to all the little touristy type places?"
I smile and nod. "Yes, I would like that."
She smiles back and it's genuine.
"I got some brochures," I tell her bringing them out and setting them before us on the small ottoman.
"Oh, I didn't even think of this place," she says in surprise. "They have horse drawn carriage rides through the park on Valentine's Day for members."
"That sounds nice. Are you a member?" I question.
"My parents are," she nods. "The restaurant there is good, too."
"It sounds like I have a date for Valentine's Day," I grin.
She frowns.
"What's the matter?" I ask.
"That was supposed to be my wedding day," she says softly.
"Good thing you got out of that," I blurt.
She nods staring off. "Yeah, I'm glad," she agrees. "That was close."
"It was," I concur.
She sighs heavily. "So what else?" she looks through the others. "Do you have any paper?"
"I do," I nod and take my notebook and biro out of my pocket and hand them to her.
She flips through it and laughs. "Getting ready?" she asks seeing several pages of my signature.
"You never know," I grin.
She turns to a clean page and writes out a schedule. She puts the date in of the hockey game which is a week from Friday. She adds Valentine's Day next Saturday. She writes in meeting with her grandad tomorrow and the next week. Church is added in and she writes the times she has to be there and Wednesdays, too. "I'll open up and make the coffee those Sundays. You can either sleep in or come with me," she offers on those days.
"I'll pick you up," I insist.
She smiles and we decide the tentative plans for the next two weeks. She takes a picture with her phone and then adjusts the color since it didn't come out too well. She frowns.
"Your camera is terrible," I agree. I take a picture and text it to her. "Maybe it's time for a new phone," I suggest but she waves my recommendation away.
Her phone rings and she answers. "Hi, Mom," she says. "Yeah, we're coming over... I'll let him know... Alright. Bye." She looks to me. "Dinner," she says. "Did you want to leave?"
"Should we put the fire out?" I ask since I've never had a wood burner before.
"That depends on who you ask," she tells me.
"What would you do?" I question.
"Out of respect for the hotel and history here, I'd probably put it out. If it were my room, I don't care if people say nowadays that you shouldn't sleep with a fire going. I would keep it burning all night. But I'd also clean the chimney frequently so it wouldn't catch on fire," she says and I nod.
"You've really thought that through," I point out.
"I've read books where that was the only heat source. Some were cleaned regularly, others weren't and they suffered the consequences," she explains. I watch as she separates the couple small logs. She takes a bucket that the fire starter was in and fills it up from my tub and extinguishes the fire. I think I agree with her. I might like to watch it all night.
"You want to go?" she asks approaching me.
"Sure," I nod grabbing my coat. I help her put hers on and she thanks me.
We step outside and it's snowing lightly but the wind is fierce. It reminds me of Chicago but it wasn't this cold when we filmed.
"Feels like spring," Megan laughs.
"Spring?" I question surprised as we walk to the 4WD. "I thought it got warm here in spring."
"I'm talking about the wind. Spring comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," she says shrugging.
I think I've heard of a similar phrase. I open her door and rush around to get in. "I see why you felt bad about being on the beach," I laugh.
"This is nothing. I hear everyone had to stay in their homes for a couple days because they got snowed in while we were down there," she says.
"That's crazy," I say starting the ignition. I don't think getting snowed in would be too bad but it'd be terrible to be stuck at the hotel for that long.
I drive in the wind and snow surprised how much it blows the 4WD around.
"Are you used to this?" I ask laughing.
"This is nothing," she says. "Icy roads are worse and when it's snowing more. I've driven in whiteouts before where you can't see in front of you. You might want to put your headlights on."
I turn them on and that helps a bit since it is getting darker.
"I don't know how people can live in Alaska or Russia," I comment.
"They need those daylight balanced lights," she says.
"Yeah, I didn't think about the lack of sunlight," I nod. I pull into her driveway and park behind her car. She smiles at me and climbs out. She walks calmly to her front door and I follow in the wind and snow. 
"Hi Mom, Dad," she greets her parents.  They're sitting in the living room watching something about home improvement on pay tv. 
"Hi sweetheart, Jai," her dad says.  I greet him. 
"Dinner is on the stove.  You have cleanup duty when you're done," Hannah says. 
"That's fine.  Thanks for making dinner," Megan says taking off her coat and hanging it on the hook. 
"How's the weather?" her mum asks. 
"The snow isn't sticking.  It's just a couple flurries.  It's windy, though," she answers taking my coat.  I watch as she steps over to a cabinet and opens it. 
"What are you looking for?" Hannah asks her. 
"Priceless," she replies.  "Jai hasn't seen it."
"Oi vey," Hannah says.  "That's a tough movie to watch.  It always makes me think of that mega church that moved to a bigger building.  At least that operation got shut down."
"Yeah.  Didn't they just squat at that building?" Megan asks grabbing a film. 
"I don't think the building would've been rented out for those purposes," Hannah says. 
Megan nods and walks toward the kitchen.  I follow.  I grab some crockery, cups, and spoons out for us. 
"Thank you," she says softly.  She dishes us each out a bowl. 
"Should I get us something to drink?" I offer. 
"Sure.  You pick," she says. 
I pour us some milk and we sit together.  I look at the film's cover on the bench and turn it over.  It actually sounds decent.  Megan passes me some sort of twisted knot looking roll.  I take a bite and I've got to say that her mother could open up a shop.  The stew is just as good and I feel like I'm eating at a fancy restaurant with home-cooked delicacies. 
"Does your mum always cook like this?" I ask. 
"We'll probably have leftovers some time this week but, yeah, she usually cooks.  I help sometimes when I'm home.  On occasion we'll eat out.  Rarely when she's not feeling well, we'll have some sort of quick freezer to oven kind of meal," she explains.  "What about you?" she asks me. 
"I cook sometimes.  Often the freezer type stuff or takeaway," I reply. 
"How about growing up?" she asks.  "Did your mom ever cook?"
"She was a school teacher so she worked a lot.  She made dinner but it was usually prepackaged kind of stuff," I say. 
She nods and we eat in silence.  I help load the dishwasher while she puts the tucker in the fridge.  She hand washes some of the crockery and sets it out to dry. 
"Come on," she says as we walk downstairs.  I follow her down and the lights were off this time.  Her brother isn't down here and we're alone.  I smile at that.  She sets up the film and sits with me as it starts.  I put my arm around her and she leans closer to me.  "What did your mum mean earlier?" I ask. 
"An abandoned church building was used for human trafficking," she explains softly.  "I think the police busted in on them and closed down the operation."
"That kind of stuff happens here?" I question shocked. 
"That kind of stuff happens everywhere," she tells me. 
"I didn't know that," I tell her completely surprised. 
"Yeah... that's a hard truth," she says. 
I focus in on the film and it is both horrible and beautiful.  By the time the credits run, it's getting late.  Megan walks me to the door and I hug her goodnight.  I kiss her head and look forward to seeing her on the morrow. 
I climb into the 4WD and crank up the heater.  This is so weird.  It's summer back home and hot in LA.  Everything is so backwards here for me—the climate, the measurements, the driving.  I do feel like I'm getting more used to it though.  I put it in reverse and back out steering to my hotel.  I make it back quickly and I am grateful for such a close place since it's really just down the road. 
I enter my hotel room and notice the spent fire.  That was pretty nice... and peaceful.  I think I'd like to have one of those at my next house.  But then it'd probably be too hot in the climate I'm used to.  I get ready for bed and brush my teeth.  I laugh at how impressed Megan was at my dunny.  It is pretty funny and kind of fascinating the way things used to be.  I smile at how I've got a date for Valentine's Day with her.  That place looks fascinating.  I finish up and grab the brochure looking over the park.  It's pretty interesting.  I glance at my list and I'm really excited about spending so much time with her.  She's very organized.  I'm usually the type that doesn't plan too much out but this is kind of nice.  I set everything down and climb into this massive antique bed.  I flip the switch off and lay down.  I hear a howling, whistling sort of noise and I think she's right.  It's just the wind.