Chapter 4
978 Words
Jack's Pov
"Can you believe we are married?" Emma exclaimed eyes shining and spinning around in our hotel room.
Impossible not to smile as she was so excited. "I think it was a dream", I said hugging her.
We'd just returned from honeymoon and had been booked into this really posh resort right next to the sea. The sound of the surf came through the door and window left open onto the balcony. Perfect. Or it should have been, anyway.
Onto this 'relaxed' position Emma fell onto the bed, her golden hair fanned out on the pillow. "What a beautiful wedding that was, did you see how happy everyone was for us?"
I joined her and started stroking her hair, which was smooth to the touch. "It was beautiful. You were beautiful.
She smiled back and stared at me. "You do not look bad at all yourself, Mr. Smith. "
We laughed and for a while, I even stopped thinking about everything that was going on, it was just me and Emma and the freedom to begin a new life as we wanted to.
"You know," I whispered and delicately touched her face with my fingertip, "I never knew that you are sweet, beautiful.
Emma smiled wider, "Sweeter than Sara?
I stiffened for a second but Emma did not look up at me so I continued. "I think so, " I said and straight away tamped down the niggle of conscience that tried to rise to the surface."
"I still can't believe that we are together, " Emma said blissfully. This is just like a fairytale.
I smiled in agreement, my mind slipping away somewhere. Fairy tale or soap opera, which was this?
"What is it?" Emma asked as my mind flew away.
I shook my head. "Oh, nothing just pondering over how blessed I am. "
She seemed good with that answer and leaned back into me, "Did you see my dad at the wedding? He looked so awkward.
I pursed my lips remembering Emma's dad's disgruntled face the whole wedding. "Yeah, I saw that; is he still sore about… Do you know?
Emma rolled her eyes. "He's just being dramatic. He'll get over it."
"I don't know," I said hesitantly. "He looked bothered. Maybe he's concerned about Sara."
The minute I said her name, I knew I shouldn't have. Emma's expression darkened.
"Sara, Sara, Sara," she muttered. "Why does anybody always care what happens to her? She made her own choices."
I felt racked by pangs of guilt. Had Sara truly made her own decisions? Or had we influenced her to do our bidding?
"I wonder where she is now," I said, more to myself. "If she's all right."
Emma sat up in bed, looking at me accusingly. "Seriously, Jack? We're on our honeymoon, and you're thinking about my sister?"
"Stepsister," I replied, before cringing under Emma's hurt look.
"Whatever," she snapped. "The point is, Sara's not part of our lives anymore. She chose to leave."
I wanted to argue, to point out that we hadn't exactly given Sara much choice. But I didn't want to fight, not here, not now.
"You're right," I said instead, tugging Emma back into my arms. "I'm sorry. Let's not talk about her anymore."
Emma leaned back against me but I felt a tightness in her that wasn't there before. "Good," she said. "This is our time. Just us."
I nodded, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. But as Emma chattered on with our plans for the week, my mind kept wandering.
Where was Sara now? Was she all right? Did she have anybody to lean on, like I did with Emma?
This guilt that I had suppressed all these months now welled up inside me. We'd hurt her-badly-and for what? A whirlwind romance that already felt like one built upon shaky grounds?
"Jack?" Emma's voice cut through my thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"
I screwed my eyes tight and kept concentrating on her face. Her face looked irritable; the furrows in her brow deepened.
"Sorry," I muttered. "I'm just tired from the flight, I guess."
Emma's face ironed out. "Oh, poor baby. Why don't you take a nap? I'll go down to the pool for a bit."
I nodded, glad for an excuse. I lay back on the bed, my eyes closing, and listened to Emma get ready for the pool.
But it did not come. Instead, visions of Sara flashed into my head: her smile, her laughter, that hurt in her eyes when she had caught me with Emma.
What had I done?
It was the creaking of the door that made me shudder; it snapped me out of my reverie. Emma was gone, leaving me with my guilt and regret.
I sat up, running a hand through my hair. This was supposed to be the best time of my life where was the feeling of completeness? Of happiness?
I went out onto the balcony and stared at the ocean, stretched before me. Big, it made me feel small, and unimportant.
Somewhere out there, Sara kept on living her life with us, not with me. And for the first time since this mess started, I wondered if I'd made an awful mistake.
But it was too late now. I had made my choice, for better or worse. All I could do was live with it.
I turned back to the room, my eyes falling once more on my phone. I could call Sara; ask her how she was, and apologize.
But I didn't. Instead, I leaned over and picked up the room service menu. Maybe a drink or something would make the nagging little voice in the back of my head shut up and leave me in peace.
I mean, I was on my honeymoon. Wasn't I supposed to be happy?
Wasn't I?
- Writer
