Meet Me in the Forest

Chapter 1: Jack

Sun streamed through the broken blinds, casting the shadows back to their corners of the room. It's too bad the shadows in Jack's mind couldn't follow them. Unlike the house, his mind was full of shadowed hallways and cobwebs he couldn't shake loose.

Loosening the girl's grip around his waist, Jack sat up and checked the time on his watch. Eight-fifteen in the morning. If he didn't hurry, Kaitlin would have his head for being late. He shoved a toothbrush in his mouth, threw on a sweater and pants that smelled decent enough, and shook the girl awake. He couldn't for the life of him remember her name but that was the whiskey talking, and he doubted he would care all that much.

"I'm going to be late, you have to hit the road now."

The girl scoffed, pushing the hair from her face as she stretched. "Good morning, yes I would love a cup of coffee."

Jack shoved ten dollars into her tank top. "There's a Dunkin' down the road, go nuts."

"I see why you're getting divorced." She took her time pulling on her clothes, likely to be spiteful which he was used to, and carried her shoes into the living room.

"It wasn't for lack of trying. Text you later?" He pecked her cheek as he ushered her out the door and sprinted for his car. He had five minutes to get to the attorney's office and thankfully it was a four minute drive.

Kaitlin was waiting for him on the steps, texting someone with a huge grin on her face. His chest felt tight and his stomach twisted; she hasn't looked at him like that in a long time. He couldn't even remember the last time she said 'I love you'.

"Glad to see you made it this time. Did you not sleep last night?" Genuine concern pinched her face but it didn't touch her eyes.

"Careful, Kaitlin. You might make me believe you care about me. Let's go inside and get this over with." 

Kaitlin followed him inside, any ounce of feeling she might have had evaporated. A twinge of guilt flushed his face but he couldn't take it back. Jack tried hard to be everything Kaitlin needed in a husband and a best friend, but when he got laid off and he needed her, things began falling apart. Jack took his share of the blame but too much had been said and done to fix it now. 

As they sat at the table across from the lawyer, Kaitlin was sure to pick a chair far from him. He longed to wrap his arms around her again, feel her face nuzzle into his neck or feel her soft lips leave kisses along his jaw. He wanted to see her laugh and smile like when she was texting, to know she was only his again. Jack wanted Kaitlin to be happy.

"Well, since neither of you are contesting the conditions set out in your divorce agreement, this will go smoothly from here on out. You will both split your financial assets and Mrs. Ferguson will retain her house that she bought during the separation. If there are no other issues, both of you can sign these papers."

Kaitlin slid the papers in front of her, quickly scribbling her signature. Her mouth was downturned and she didn't bother looking at Jack when she shoved them his way. He stared at her a moment longer, hoping she would look his way even just once, but when she didn't he signed his name. The attorney offered a bittersweet smile.

"It will take a few weeks to process and then you will receive copies in the mail." She shook both their hands and left them in the small office, the gravity of what they did settling on Jack's shoulders.

Jack wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn't get his jaw to work. As Kaitlin was turning to leave, he finally blurted out, "I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean for it to come to this."

"I'm sorry too, Jack," she sighed, "but this was a long time coming. I wish things had been different."

Jack let her leave. There was nothing in that moment that could've made anything better. He had been waiting his whole life for a woman like Kaitlin to come into his life and then he took her for granted and spoiled it. 

His phone chimed in his pocket, breaking him from his dark thoughts. He pushed the building door open and was hit with a gust of chilled wind as he read the incoming text.

It was Murphy, his best friend since high school. "Hey man, hope you're doing well. Listen, the four of us are getting together for a camping trip like old times, and it wouldn't be right if all of us weren't there. Can you make it?"

There was an emoticon of crossed fingers below the message, raising a chuckle. Did he really want to go camping though? It was unseasonably cold, and he didn't have any gear. And after being laid off, Jack had to take whatever odd jobs he could find to make ends meet. He wasn't sure he could take off with money so tight. But he hasn't seen any of his friends since college, save an occasional Facebook post here and there. 

Jack decided to throw caution to the wind and typed out a quick reply, setting his car GPS for the nearest sporting goods store.