Love Games

Twenty - seven: A tense conversation in the car

"Jack," I say as I close the door and lean back in my seat, feeling the tension ease.

"You're safe now," he says reassuringly as we drive off. His words ring hollow, but I try to accept them anyway.

The silence in the car is heavy and tense, slowly eating away at my nerves.

"Where are we going?" I finally ask, trying to break the nightmarish atmosphere.

"To safety," Jack replies coolly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Suddenly, as if breaking through the wall between us, he asks me: "Why were you there? Why did you run from the bar?" His voice was unusually sharp, which surprised me.

I took a deep breath, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to flood my eyes. "I couldn't stand to see the others hanging around your neck. The way you laugh at them as if I don't exist," I blurt out, my voice breaking under the weight of my despair.

A single tear slides down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away as I look out of the window. The road ahead of us winds through a dense landscape of trees, but the feeling of anxiety remains. Jack says nothing, his eyes fixed on the road, one hand gripping the steering wheel.

A few moments later, I work up the courage to ask: "Was that you?"

"No," he replies coldly, without looking at me.

His answer calms me a little, but I already suspect the truth.

Emma told me he was there the whole time.

"What did you see?" He asks seriously, his voice sounding almost accusatory as he looks in my direction for a moment.

"Too much," I answer quietly. My thoughts return to that moment on the beach when everything broke down.

"I was walking along the beach when I heard someone calling me. I thought it was you. I desperately wanted it to be you. But as he got closer and closer, I realised it was Dave". My words become increasingly fragmented, my voice shaking as I try to articulate the next few moments.

"I saw a shadow at the bar, I went to warn Dave... and then I heard a shot. Dave collapsed a few metres in front of me. I turned and ran as fast as my legs would carry me.

I relive the moment, his scream still echoing in my head.

Silence falls between us again, this time heavy and burdened by his confession.

I feel the tightness in my chest begin to ease, even though the tension between us is still in the air.

The car glides along, my heart pounding as I wait for Jack to speak.

His silence is like a wall of ice between us.

Finally, I hear his deep breath and feel his hand tighten on the wheel. "I can't change what happened," he says softly, but his voice remains hard. "But what you did was not the answer."

His words hit me like a blow. "I didn't know what to do," I whisper. "I just... I couldn't take it anymore."

Jack nods slowly, but says nothing. His eyes narrow as he focuses on the road ahead of us. "I should have protected you sooner," he finally admits, his voice almost cracking.

I look at him, confused. "Protected me? From what?"

His face scrunches, his expression hard. "From everything. From me, from this world that is too cruel to leave you untouched."

Silence falls between us again, this time heavy and burdened by his confession.

I feel the tightness in my chest begin to ease, though the tension between us still hangs in the air.