"Where did we go wrong?" Jess mumbled under her breath as her eyes were set on the road ahead of them.
After packing up their things the following day, they had eventually got into the car and headed for the airport ready to start their holiday. Although the atmosphere was still incredibly tense, Jack wasn't ready to back down and had managed to figure things out at the garage so he could still take Jess away.
"What do you mean?" Jack quickly turned his head to look at her with a frown adorning his face.
"Something must have been wrong between us if you felt the need to talk to some other girl... if she was the one you found comfort in."
Taking a deep breath, Jack continued to look blankly ahead as he tried to piece together a response that he hoped would get through to Jess. He was full of so much guilt yet he knew that it wouldn't be easy to persuade her of that.
After minutes had ticked by and he still hadn't said anything, Jess thought he wasn't even going to respond. However, immediately taking her by surprise, he pulled the car up into one of the side roads before bringing it to a stop.
"Get out the car." Jack ordered taking Jess by surprise.
When she just stared at him as though he was insane, Jack let out an aggravated sigh before unbuckling his own seat belt and pushing his car door open.
"Jess, get out of the car."
"What the fuck? No! Don't tell me what to do!" Jess bit back with just as much rage as Jack was portraying.
Therefore, he suddenly reached over to Jess and unbuckled her seatbelt too. Then getting out of the car, he charged around to her side before pulling open her door and holding his hand out towards her.
"Please just get out of the damn car." He repeated again, placing emphasis on the 'please'.
Although she looked reluctant because she didn't want to give in, Jess finally did however, she didn't take Jack's outstretched hand and instead just got out for herself.
Slamming the door shut on purpose, she watched Jack's face scrunch up in annoyance as his whole body tensed. She knew how much he hated when she did that but he was also trying his hardest to keep himself composed.
"I'm out of the car!" Jess huffed as she made a drama of it, throwing her hands out to her sides. "So what do you want? What was your crazy idea-" She began to say before Jack took a step forward and grasped hold of her arms, preventing her from throwing them about anymore.
"Listen to me." He instructed and although she was angry, Jess didn't say anything and just looked into his eyes. "Just hear me out..."
"I'm listening" She bit as she shrugged out of his hold but Jack then took her hands instead, while keeping her close.
"They were just texts, that's it. They were fucking stupid of me but they meant absolutely nothing. It was refreshing to talk about something other than you being sick. I was going crazy with worry and-"
"So instead of talking to me you go to some other girl? I'm your wife, Jack!" Jess exasperated, feeling not only the frustration build in her but tears too.
She didn't want to cry. She couldn't allow herself to but everything about this situation felt overwhelmingly heartbreaking to her.
"I realise how fucked up that is now but at the time I felt like I couldn't. All I wanted to do was look after you and make sure you were okay... as much as you fucking hate thinking you were fragile but I didn't want to stress you out anymore."
Silence crept up between them both for a moment as neither said a word. Jack was right, Jess hated anyone seeing her as fragile and that's exactly what everyone had done when she was sick.
Out of everyone though, she had hoped that her own husband would be able to treat her with a bit more understanding but instead he had chosen to go running to some other girl instead.
"Did you ever meet up with her?" Jess asked carefully and you could hear the break in her voice.
"What?"
"Did you ever go and see her? Like was it more than texts?"
While Jack was looking at Jess in disbelief, she held a face of pure seriousness. She wasn't playing around.
"No of course I didn't! I haven't been cheating on you if that what you're thinking."
Jack hadn't expected that to be Jess' assumption but it was becoming clear that it could be a concern. She was piling everything up in her head and it now seemed to be the only thing that made sense.
"We've been together for a long time, Jack. Things could have changed when I was sick... and it's not impossible because look at Sophie and Aaron! He did it to her."
Running his hands over his face in aggravation, Jack glimpsed out at the road of passing cars before back to Jess. Reaching out to cup her face so he could hold her attention, the tension and pure desire was evident in Jack.
"I love you, so so much Jess. I always will." He began and there was a sudden darkness blazing over his eyes. "You don't realise how much I do... I could never imagine being with anyone else."
As Jess remained silent, Jack gently ran his thumbs over the soft skin of her face. He was so desperate to get through to her at this point however, he was running short of hope when he noticed the hurt across her features.
"You can look through my phone again if you still don't believe me. You can ask her or the guys; they'll tell you I've been at work. Please baby, you need to know I wouldn't do that."
"It's not that I think you're cheating..." Jess finally whispered and the exhaustion was evident in her voice. "...I just, I don't know. It just hurt knowing you were texting her behind my back when you could have spoken to me about it. I already felt like things were distant between us when I was ill so knowing that now just adds to it."
Letting his hand drop from her cheek, Jack grasped hold of Jess' hands before urging her closer to him. Lifting them up to his mouth, he pressed his lips gently to her knuckles.
"I love you now as much as I did when we got married. Time makes no difference... or if anything I love you more. I fuck up, I say and do stupid shit some times but I'd never want to hurt you." Jack began breathlessly as he was desperate to get this out while he had her attention. "I should have spoken to you, I know that... I just didn't want to stress you out even more and she just happened to be there. It's not an excuse, I know..."
Looking up at Jack with tears rimming her eyes, Jess knew how far this had all been taken. A few simple text messages and the fact that Jack kept choosing his work over everything just exaggerated her pain more.
"When it comes to my job, I know I work too much, I know I get caught up sometimes and I'm so sorry."
"I'm just terrified of losing you..." Jess trailed off, finally giving in to her vulnerability. "That's why I kick up such a fuss over something so minor. I worried when I was ill that you would find someone more interesting and you wouldn't want to wait around for me to get better. I know that sounds stupid but it's a possibility."
Looking at Jess with saddened eyes, Jack felt her pain and intense worry. He saw a woman he knew to be so strong, showing her more vulnerable and scared little girl side who very rarely allowed herself to come through.
She had grown up in such an unpredictable lifestyle so she had never known who was going to stick around and how long for. She had been neglected by her own mother and father and although the gang had been her family for so long, it was still not predictable.
She had needed that security and to know that she had a family unit that would never leave. That's something she had been blessed with after meeting Jack and being accepted so lovingly by his family. Then when they went onto build their own family together, it had cemented that feeling even more.
However, even though that was the case, Jess still had that vulnerable little girl inside of her who was terrified of losing those she cared about. She was still scared that one day the family she had been apart of for so long would suddenly disappear and leave her with absolutely nothing all over again.
"I'm never going to leave you Jess, ever." Jack began as he held their hands so tightly to his chest. "It doesn't matter how much we argue or what shit happens between us, I couldn't live without you."
Letting go of her hand, Jack then reached over to brush the tears from under her eyes. Then running his fingers down the soft skin of her cheek, his thumb then brushed gently over her lips.
"I love you, so fucking much it hurts."
Catching Jess gaze, Jack admired her big brown eyes staring back at him with a desperation that gave him all of the conformation he needed to do what he had been dying to do.
Closing the gap between them, his lips brushed gently over hers before he took it that bit further and kissed her. Jess didn't waste anytime in returning the favour as her hands found their way to the back of his neck, trailing over the shaved hair.
"I love you too." She mumbled against his lips as they briefly pulled away before securing to one another once again.
The kiss then began to get heated as they both expressed every ounce of love they felt for each other. No more words were needed. This was enough to make those feelings crystal clear.
However, the moment was soon cut short when the realisation of where they currently were hit them. The sound of a horn was heard from a car alongside some voices shouting words of praise and encouragement out the window as they passed.
Smiling into the kiss, they both reluctantly pulled apart as they watched the car roar past. Then as Jack looked back over to Jess, they both broke into laughter which was the most beautiful sound from the pair after everything that had happened.
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