The Date

Chapter 36

Kate Four months later

So that's it. That's a happy ending. Boy meets girl, girl and boy hate each other, boy kisses girl and the rest is history. This is where the happy ever after comes in... but that wasn't life. That wasn't mine and Jakes life.

September was here, as was Jake's rugby season, which meant him travelling a lot and us being apart. I would go with him mostly and watch him at work. I didn't like it, seeing him get hit to the ground like a rock.

It was such a violent sport. He would come home with cuts and bruises all over his body. I was the one that had to be gentle with him. He quite enjoyed me playing nursemaid to him, REALLY enjoyed it so I remember I giggled thinking back to the many nights now that we had spent together.

He had taught me so much about what being a couple is all about.

He knew my body better than I knew myself.

Things with his family hadn't become any better. I tried to talk through Lilly about getting Jake and his mother to talk but she thought it was Jake that should apologise to their mother.

I knew from his pride and stubbornness that, that was something he wouldn't do. He would never admit he was wrong in an argument, which is something I had learned in a hard way.

We argued a lot. Mainly about me wanting to work at Millie's and go back to school. He didn't like me working so much but he got over that one and 'allowed' me to work.

The press was another issue that I didn't expect. They were everywhere, always taking snaps of us walking out of restaurants and laying in the park together. I started to get used to it now I don't read what they write about us. To start with I would get so upset about what they wrote about me and the rumours that were going around. It drove me near crazy but Jake told me to stop reading them as they are mostly filled with lies but it was hard to stop. I know they weren't true and the ones that were Jake didn't care about so I didn't care about either.

All press, work and arguments aside Jake and I were happy. That was I think we were happy until we came here to Ireland. I finally told him about my scars and what happened to me as a child. I've never seen a person angrier in my life. "I'll kill him," he said over and over again as I told him everything. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do but I found this weight lift from within me as soon as the words left my mouth. He was cut up about it and I knew it affected him more than he first let on because he started treating me differently. He became overprotective and overbearing more so than what he first was but the worst of all was what he was like in public.

We went out for dinner one night and a few people that knew Jake came over to us. Jake completely pushed me aside and didn't even introduce me to his friends.

Was he ashamed of me? Why didn't he want to introduce me?

This starting happening ever since I told him and Tina and Bill and my birth parents. We went to the game after-parties and other business events and he acted the same way. I never really notice if he did it before but he did it all the time it was starting to get to me. Unless someone else introduced themselves Jake just left me out of the conversation... as though I was just some girl on his arm. It was then that my insecurities took over like a large angry monster.

We were driving home that night in his car and I hadn't spoken to him since he blanked me in front of his friends.

"What's wrong?" he sighed heavily as he had finally had enough of the silent treatment, I was just getting started.

"Why would anything be wrong?" I say avoiding him looking out at the window.

"Because you haven't said more than two words to me since we left the restaurant," he said angrily and when I didn't respond he just groaned pulling his hands through his hair. He didn't have a clue what he was doing.