My Heart and Other Black Holes (My Heart #1)

Chapter 42

The new year. Hazel had just hit 1 million subscribers. Rowan still wasn't talking to her family. Her and Jack were going strong – well, mostly. Since her fallout with her sister, Rowan had been acting unnecessarily angry towards Jack when he tried to help her.

He wanted her to talk to Zoe again – he hated knowing that it was his fault everything had fallen apart. Jack also tried to get Rowan to talk about their baby but she was having none of it.

Rowan had invited Annie and her husband Mike over for the New Year to explain who she really was to her. But it was already the 8th and they still hadn't arrived. Rowan was actually quite pissed off.

There was a knock at the door. Rowan opened it and scowled when she saw Mike. But no Annie, only Mike.

"Where's Annie? You were meant to arrive a week ago," Rowan asked Mike angrily once she had closed the door.

"Annie's dead," Mike said simply.

"What?"

"She was diagnosed with stomach cancer and passed away a few days ago," Mike explained.

"No..." Rowan whispered. "You're lying!"

"I'm not lying," he replied.

"You are! Why wouldn't she tell me?" Rowan yelled.

"She didn't want you to worry," Mike said pathetically. Rowan didn't know what to say. She was standing in front of Mike, staring at him. He was getting blurry from the tears in her eyes. He looked like a lost puppy standing there; not knowing what to say or what to do.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she whispered.

"Annie asked me not to," Mike replied.

"Don't you dare say her name! Don't you dare!" Rowan screamed at him. Jack, who had heard the yelling from next door, came to investigate. He had let himself in.

"She was my wife! We were a family! You were nothing to her," Mike yelled back.

"Get out! Get out of my house!" Rowan cried. Mike just stared at her. Rowan ran up to Mike and hit him weakly in the chest. "GET OUT!" she screamed, tears cascading down her face.

From behind her, Jack walked up and put his arms around her waist, pulling her gently into him. He didn't know why she was so upset but knew it was something to do with this guy. "Rowan?" he asked softly.

"No!" she yelled, hitting Jack now. He pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. Mike backed away as Rowan sobbed into her boyfriend's chest.

"Her friend... her friend passed away," he explained to Jack. At these words, Rowan started crying even more. Mike left the house; knowing he wasn't welcome.

Jack felt Rowan's legs give way and lifted her into his arms effortlessly. "Ro, I've got you," he whispered in her ear. She didn't even register that she'd heard him. She just kept sobbing into his chest. Jack carried her into her bedroom and laid her onto her bed. He lay next to her and pulled her shaking body close to him, kissing her forehead. "I've got you Ro, you're going to be okay," he said softly into her hair.

Rowan rolled even closer to Jack so that she was now practically on him; curled into a tight ball. She sobbed into his chest, her whole heart aching from the loss of her best friend. "She's gone. Annie's gone and I didn't even get to say goodbye," Rowan wept into Jack.

He had his arm around her; comforting her, but didn't say anything.

About thirty minutes later, Rowan had pretty much stopped crying but the two of them were still laying close together. There was a loud knock on Rowan's front door and she tensed up.

Jack rubbed her back softly. "I'll get that," he offered. Rowan nodded weakly despite not wanting him to leave her alone.