I Don't Want To Fall In Love -- Jack Barakat Fan Fiction

XIII. The Apology

I saw Jack walk into the Starbucks first, looking around before spotting me.  He rushed over and slid into the booth next to me, wrapping his arms around me. 

"I'm sorry, Maxie, I really am," he said quietly.  I was stiff in his arms, not sure how to react to him.  Whether to yell at him for leaving or to forgive him.  "Come on, Maxie, say something," he said quietly, pulling me closer.

I sniffed, finally leaning into him and wrapping my arms around him too.  "Why were you ignoring me?" I asked, my voice shaking. 

"Don't even worry about that, okay, don't even think about that," Jack said reassuringly.  "Come on, let's get out of here and then you can tell me what happened."

I nodded my head, and he took my hand and led me towards the exit.

He dragged me towards his car, making sure I was in before going around the car and getting into the drivers seat.  He started the car and made his way back towards him.

"I thought Alex was picking me up," I mumbled, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah, well, he was until I heard.  Before he could explain too much to me I was already out the door." He shrugged, looking over at me.  I refused to look at him right now.  I guess I didn't really have a right to be upset, but it was just hard to understand guys right now.  I was way too used to being in an all-girl environment.

The rest of the car ride was silent as Jack drove.  He would occasionally glance in my direction, but I just continued to stare out the window.  Everything was just tinkering in my head right now.  From the shock of myself actually blowing up at my mom and the fact Jack had just returned.  It didn't seem like much, but it did to me.

Jack pulled to the side of the road, and looked over at me and then getting out of the car.  I didn't move until he opened my car door, too.

"We're here," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the car. He had driven me to the secluded beach he had taken me the last time I was upset.  "Come on," he said, tugging at me to follow him.  We sat down just above the waters reach.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" He asked.  I continued to look out in front of us.  The sun had just recently slipped down beneath the horizon, but there were still streaks of light poking out.

"It's really not that big of a deal, I just needed an escape." I shrugged.

"Maxie, look at me," he said.  I slowly turned my head.  "You're red eyes say differently.  Come on, you can tell me.  I know I was being a dick and left, but I'm still here.  I just needed some time to cool off, is all."

"You seemed to be fine with Alex pretty fast," I mentioned.

He paused, not answering.  I could tell he was hiding something from me, but I didn't have the nerve to ask what.  "I really was going to come visit you today.  It was my first time seeing Alex in a while, and I came to make amends.  Then I was going to go over to your house to see how you were doing..." He trailed off, chewing at the bottom of his lip.