Never Again

Part Twenty One

Jack was aware that he was snorting as he paced the small lounge of Erin’s tiny home. She was pale, nervous, and he tried to remember that she was more vulnerable than normal, that he shouldn’t start shouting and balling at her. But he was livid. Only an hour ago his life was starting to look better, for the first time in ages.

He’d had a great game of golf with Scott, beaten him by five strokes, suddenly feeling back to his usual self. It was with euphoria that he’d tailed Scott home with the intention of buying dinner for his two best mates.

He was still grinning when he’d walked into their house but as she spotted him, Danni had turned as white as a sheet, and he was instantly suspicious. As he watched her across the kitchen she could barely meet his eye. When Scott went to check on the twins, he turned to her.

                “What’s up Dan? You can barely look at me. You’re hiding something.”

She tried to shrug it off, but Danni wasn’t a liar, it wasn’t in her nature, with a bit of pestering, she started to cave, “look this is isn’t my place...”

He raised an eyebrow, “it’s obviously something to do with me, so now it is your business to tell me. Spill Dan!”

For a moment he’d thought she was going to cry, then she took a deep breath, winning some sort of internal battle and composed herself to say, “I saw Erin today.”

He sighed with relief, as great as it was to hear Erin’s name, to see the image of her conjure up in his mind, for a moment he’d thought she was going to give him really grave news. “Is that all? You had me worried! How was she? Looking well? I should’ve made more effort with her, I told you that!”

It was all they’d talked about when they’d spent five days in Dubai together, over every meal or chat by the pool, all conversations had turned back to how he had made wrong decisions when it came to her, both Danni and Scott were aware of how he felt about her.

                “You should call her.” Danni offered, once again her eyes unable to meet hers.

Suddenly Jack realised there was more to this meeting than met the eye, “why? Is she ill? You sound serious!”

Danni squirmed but at that exact moment Scott entered the room, “who’s being serious? You Danielle?” As he laughed he picked up on the tension in the room, “what is it?” He looked between the two, suddenly anxious himself. “Was your sister ok this afternoon? Is the baby ok?” He turned to Jack, “I told you Dan’s sister Isabelle is pregnant, she spent all afternoon in the broody clinic with her!”

Danni grimaced, “Yep, Isabelle’s fine, the baby’s fine.”

Jack looked at her; the pleasure at becoming an aunty was being outweighed by something else. Guilt? He felt sick, and gulping he ignored Scott asking, “where did you see her Dan?”

Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath, “the hospital. I saw her in the hospital.”

Jack chose his words wisely, “is she ill?”

She shook her head, “she’s pregnant Jack, Erin was in antenatal clinic!”

Jack had felt the ground swirl under his feet, this was history repeating itself, and he had to fight the nausea, the hot flush threatening him. Looking between his friends, he could barely focus, but regardless he started for the door.

Scott’s arm tried to restrain him, “Jack, don’t run off. Just calm down mate.”

                “Calm down?” He boomed glad of the anger that took over from the fear, “the bitch! Have I got the words ‘Dinner Ticket’ tattooed on my forehead? I’ll kill her!”