The Past In The Present

Chapter 20

As another week went by, Jacob found how time no longer seemed to move on. Everything blurred into one constant, day and night having no separation to him.

He sat in the kitchen nursing the hot mug of coffee as he stared down into it aimlessly. The house was silent and it was something Jacob still wasn't used to, despite it having been this way for a month now.

Glancing to the side he picked up his phone as he ran a hand over his face tiredly. There was a message from Connie that he'd been refusing to open for almost a week now. He wasn't sure why, but it just made it easier for him to have no contact with her at all.

Sighing he considered opening it before a knock at the front door snapped all his attention up. Simba was soon up from where he had been laying, running forwards to the door. As he began barking Jacob followed behind pulling the door open quickly to see Chris and Maxine standing on the door step.

"Ah Jacob, love you're okay." Jacob was taken aback as Max hugged him tightly, slowly embracing her in return as Chris looked to him from a little further back. "Nice of you to let us know you're alive." Jacob clenched his jaw knowing that there would be hostility towards him for not keeping in touch with anyone.

Letting them inside, he walked back to the kitchen turning the kettle on once more. Chris noticed the patched up glass beside the back door before seeing the card that still rest on the floor beside the back door. Moving his eyes back towards Jacob he noticed his posture, tired, exhausted.

"So when you going to let your wife know that you're alive?" "Don't-" "Well while you're here throwing your fists into things she's crying on just about everyone's shoulder because her husband isn't there to support her or her children." Jacob threw down his hand onto the side as his anger boiled.

Maxine glared at Chris who knew he was pushing Jacob intentionally. "Chris-" "No Maxine, he needs to see how broken his family is right now. He can't keep feeling sorry for himself like this." Jacob turned round to face them as he eyed Chris. "You think I wouldn't be with them if I could be? I can't risk killing them-" "And answering a text message would do that would it?"

Jacob dropped his gaze running a hand across his forehead as he sighed once again. "I thought no contact would be easier for us both. I know she's safe with you and Charlie, she has people around her who'll help her. That was my view." Maxine stepped over to the side taking his place to finish making their drinks.

Jacob sunk down on one of the kitchen chairs as he picked his phone up, unsure still whether to open it or not. Chris moved to sit opposite him, seeing the pain and conflict within him. "You promise to protect her. You're doing that, but don't lose her because of it." Maxine placed a mug down before Chris then sat the other side of Jacob.

Maxine looked to Jacob as he unlocked his phone, a small smile crossing his face. "She misses you... They all do." He continued to smile at the image she had sent him earlier that week of the girls asleep beside each other, Holly's arm wrapped around her sister.

Looking up to Maxine as she placed a hand on his arm he smiled slightly. "Tell me she's okay, she's not shutting everyone out?" "She's trying love, you know her... But we're getting through to her slowly. What about you?" Jacob pulled a face before shrugging. "There's been nothing else since... I suppose that's good but I'm just waiting for it to happen."

Maxine squeezed his arm gently as he rest a hand on top of hers. As he did her phone began ringing, only to see Connie's name appear on her phone. "She didn't know we were coming here today-" "And she can't. Please." She didn't like lying to her but nodded and stood up beginning to move towards the other room.

"Hello love everything okay?" "I was just wandering if you'd help me out tonight with the girls. I've got a meeting which is running later than I wanted and normally I'd get Jacob to get the girls but-" "Calm down love... I'll get the girls from school and keep hold of them for you. Need me to give them dinner tonight?" She heard Connie sighing on the other end of the phone, imagining her standing outside the hospital leant against the wall with her hand running over her forehead. "If you could-" "Of course love, and as soon as you're here I'll be making something for you too-" "No Max-" "Uh, uh, uh... No buts Connie. I'll see you later."

Jacob remained in the kitchen wishing there were something he could say or do to finish this and let everything go back to normal. "What do you need me to do?" Jacob looked up at Chris across the kitchen as he now leant against the counter. "No-" "You don't get to call the shots like that anymore Masters. This is the real world. What do you need?" "A name."

Chris nodded as Jacob showed him a picture from his phone. "I need to know what name he's going by now and where I can find him. If someone's trying to hurt my family, he'll know about it." Chris looked at the photo again before nodding as Jacob slipped his phone away with Max's return.

Looking across the room Jacob forced a small smile. "How is she?" "Stressed, she's got a lot of work. She's asked me to get the girls from school tonight, which means you get to become that great chef again." Chris rolled his eyes as he walked back towards his seat seeing Jacob's smirk. "The girls love you don't they?" "What can I say..." "Here he goes again." Maxine rolled her eyes causing Jacob to smirk before they all continued chatting.

As the hour ticked on, Chris and Max moved towards the front door. "Stay in touch love, don't forget you've still got us-" "I won't Max." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he embraced her gently. "Maybe you could give her a call? Just this once?" Jacob didn't answer as she stood back up placing a warm hand to his arm.

Before they left, Chris turned back to Jacob. "Don't do anything stupid Masters, you're not untouchable out here." He nodded as they both disappeared down the driveway as he pushed the door closed.

Wandering into the living room he sunk down onto the sofa as Simba curled into his side. Running a hand across the dogs back Jacob sighed as he dropped his head backwards. Thinking about everything they'd said he thought of his daughters laughing with Chris, glad that they had someone making them smile while he couldn't. It was Connie he worried about, that he missed the most. The companionship, the person he vowed to never leave.

Getting up quickly, he moved to the kitchen picking up his phone. Looking to the image she had sent him, he smiled running a thumb over their faces. Hovering over her name he fought with himself with whether or not to call her. Eventually he closed his phone throwing it back down to the side as he disappeared from the room.