Chapter 10 #2
Mrs. Zarin’s face darkened and the look in her eyes made Jenna think of a lioness protecting her cubs. “Then we deal with it and I remind Chief Cunningham that I know his mother’s phone number.”
Jenna blinked in surprise. She was not expecting that answer. Over Mrs. Zarin’s shoulder, she saw Mr. Zarin stand and pick up Lilly. He was coming towards them.
In a hurried voice, she leaned close to ask, “I need to know. Are you serious about taking in Jack and Lilly? Does this change your decision at all?”
Mrs. Zarin looked surprised at Jenna’s intrusive questions but still answered. “If anything, this solidifies it.”
Jenna let out a grateful sigh. “Well, if you’re looking for more kids to adopt, I’m volunteering myself.”
Mrs. Zarin laughed as Mr. Zarin reached them with Lilly.
She looked to her husband, who put his hand at the small of her back like it was the most natural gesture in the world.
Jenna thought of how Jack did that to her, and thought Mrs. Zarin had a point.
While they were not related, Mr. Zarin and Jack were cut from the same cloth.
“Timothy just came out. The doctors are ready to see us.”
It took Jenna a moment to recall that Timothy was Chief Cunningham’s first name. With the familiarity Mr. Zarin used it and how Mrs. Zarin claimed to know his mother, Jenna could only assume the two of them knew the Chief on a personal level.
“Can I come?” Jenna asked, worried they’d say ‘no’.
Mrs. Zarin took her hand. “Pretty sure you and Lilly are the ones he’s going to want to see first. Let’s go.”
The diagnosis was worse than they expected, but nothing time wouldn’t heal fully.
Jack had a broken nasal bone and deviated septum, a ruptured cornea in his left eye, a concussion, split lip, three loose teeth, a sprained shoulder, and two bruised ribs.
His chest was wrapped to help support his ribs, gauze was taped under his nose, his arm was in a sling, and a bandage was taped over his eye.
Due to his ruptured cornea, the doctors wanted to keep him for the next two to three days. They were hesitant to do surgery because of Jack’s age and wanted to wait to see if surgery was necessary.
The first thing out of Jack’s mouth upon seeing them enter his room was begging Mr. and Mrs. Zarin to take care of Lilly until he was out of the hospital and could figure out where they could go next.
Mrs. Zarin walked up to his bed, kissed him gently on the forehead, and called him a dumbass. Then she fluffed his pillow like a mom would.
Mr. Zarin gently put Lilly at the foot of Jack’s bed. His legs were really the only part of him that didn’t hurt right now. With his arm in a sling and his face battered to hell, it was the best place for her.
“Are you okay, Jackie?”
“I will be, Lillypad. I need you to be good for Mr. and Mrs. Zarin while I’m here for a few days.” His voice was low and didn’t sound like himself. “Where’s Jenna?”
Mr. and Mrs. Zarin turned towards the doorway in unison. Jack’s good eye landed on Jenna, who was hanging back as if she wasn’t sure she was welcome.
“Don’t make me get out of this bed to get to you,” Jack warned her.
Jenna’s chin trembled as she came inside. “Jack, I am so sorry! My mom—”
“Is a bitch,” Jack finished for her. “Yeah, I know. I’m just grateful you didn’t inherit that trait because I wouldn’t want to be saddled with that for the rest of my life.”
The sound that came out of her was a mixture of a sob and a laugh. “You forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive, Jen. I told you that. I’ll keep telling you that. Now get over here and kiss me. My pride’s wounded and I plan on milking the hell outta this.”
That time she laughed. Jenna went around the bed to his right side, opposite of where Mrs. Zarin was standing. Looking down at him, she frowned. He could see tear tracks on her cheeks and felt awful that he couldn’t clean them away. “I don’t know where to kiss you. I don’t want to hurt you more.”
Feeling something at his feet, Jack glanced down the length of his body to where Lilly was poking his feet. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing if this hurts. If it doesn’t, Jenna can kiss you here.”
Everyone laughed, even Jack. Though his turned into a hiss of pain very quickly. “Lillypad, don’t make me laugh! It hurts.” He smiled at his sister to let her know that he wasn’t mad at her for her joke.
Mr. Zarin grabbed a visitor’s chair from the window. He brought it over for his wife to sit on Jack’s left side. Then he went into the hall and came back with another chair for Jenna on Jack’s right side. She sat and took his hand.
Jack couldn’t ask Jenna about what happened to the sock of money with the Zarins around, but he desperately wanted to know. As if sensing what was on his mind, she squeezed his hand to reassure him. That was good enough for him for now.
A knock on the door drew their attention to Chief Cunningham. The Chief of Police had been in and out of Jack’s room since he’d regained consciousness. Jack’s heart rate spiked, which unfortunately showed on the monitor. He had an IV and a lot of wires attached to him, too.
Mr. Zarin moved to place himself between the Chief and Jack’s bed. He crossed his arms over his chest and there was a defining protectiveness to his stance. “Timothy.”
The Chief looked relaxed but not happy as he came into the room. He nodded to the Zarins. “Arnold, Daphne.” Then he looked at Lilly. “You must be Lilly.” He held out his hand to the little girl. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Chief Cunningham.”
Lilly’s hand was dwarfed by the massive policeman’s. “Are you going to arrest my brother?”
Jenna stiffened next to Jack at Lilly’s bold question.
There was a definite pause where everyone seemed to be holding their breath before Chief Cunningham answered, “No.”
Lilly dropped her hand. “Good. Then I like you.”
Cunningham chuckled, shaking his big belly.
“Good to know I have your approval. I want you to know I spoke with your father.” This time it was Jack’s turn to stiffen.
His shoulder and ribs protested at the involuntary action.
Jenna squeezed his hand as the Chief turned his attention to Jack.
“He’s still the piece of work he was in high school. ”
Jack got the distinct impression that the Chief wanted to use different words to describe his father but censored them for Lilly’s sake. The Chief looked older than his dad, which made Jack think that they hadn’t gone to school together.
“I knew your mom too.” The Chief put his hands in his uniform pockets as he stared down at Jack with knowledgeable eyes. “Are you anything like her, son?”
Jack knew in an instant to what the man was referring.
With Mrs. Scanlon’s accusation about him dealing drugs, he should have expected it.
But he appreciated the Chief’s discretion.
Lilly knew nothing about the baggie of white powder their mom had come back for the day she’d returned for her things and abandoned her kids.
If Jack had his way, Lilly would never know.
“No, sir,” Jack answered as sincerely as he could in his condition.
The Chief nodded once. “Good. I’m sorry to say I didn’t realize how bad it was at your father’s, Jack.
You were so good at taking care of yourself and your sister that the two of you stayed below my radar.
I’m proud of you for that,” the man added, not breaking eye contact with Jack. “But I also owe you an apology for it.”
Not knowing how else to respond to that, Jack answered, “It’s okay.”
“It’s not,” the Chief insisted, “but that’s a talk for another time.” He looked to Mr. and Mrs. Zarin. “Is this what you want? To stay with them? You have other options.”
Jack’s good eye volleyed between the couple.
Mrs. Zarin looked like she was holding her breath.
It was the understanding in Mr. Zarin’s eyes that was the deciding factor.
Like he was silently trying to tell Jack that no matter what he decided, he had his support.
There was no pleading on his or his wife’s behalf.
Jack looked to the Chief of Police. “Yes. I want us to stay with them.”
Cunningham nodded once. “Now, legally, I can’t allow that.
Your father still has rights and that’s a whole other process to strip them.
However,” he added pointedly, “as far as I am concerned, Mr. and Mrs. Zarin are merely babysitting the two of you this weekend. So long as you stay out of trouble and I don’t have to get your father involved in any future situations, I don’t need to get the law involved. Are you understanding me, son?”
Jack nodded carefully, his head not appreciating the movement. “Yes, sir.”
Mrs. Zarin let out a breath next to him. He couldn’t see her with her being on his bad side, but he imagined her sagging in relief.
“All accusations against you have been dropped. Mr. Scanlon’s lawyer was able to convince Mrs. Scanlon that it was not worth pursuing without raising certain of her own actions to light.”
“Can we still press charges against her?” Mr. Zarin asked.
“You can,” the Chief hedged, “but she’s holding to her story of her bodyguards acting in defense of her. At this point,” he gave Jack an apologetic look, “it’s a he-said, she-said situation. I’m not sure it’s worth the battle.”
Jenna’s grip on Jack’s hand tightened. “I’ll testify.”
“You didn’t witness that actual altercation, Ms. Scanlon,” the Chief said gently.
“In fact, what you did witness might harm Jack.” Jack assumed the man was referring to Jack tackling the first bodyguard.
“In my professional opinion, and I have informed Mrs. Scanlon of the same, I am suggesting both sides drop the entire affair. Neither of you press charges against either and both of you get to walk away.”
Mr. Zarin spoke up again. “That is Jack’s choice, but I suggest only doing so if the Scanlons agree to pay Jack’s hospital bills.”
“That will be between the two of you,” Cunningham said sternly, “but, off the record, I agree.”
Jack sagged in relief against his pillow. Opening his eye, he shifted carefully to look at Jenna. Her hazel eyes were already on him. “Are you okay with that?”
She nodded. “My parents have more lawyers than you can imagine, Jack. If you can walk away from this, make the deal.”
Jack moved his head slowly back to Cunningham. “I’ll drop the charges if she will.”
“Good.” The Chief looked relieved by the news.
Then he straightened. “Now, the two of you,” he pointed between Jack and Jenna.
“I need the two of you to understand that I sympathize with your plight. I was young and in love once too, but these types of relationships rarely last. I know it might hurt now, and that sucks, but I need both of you to think about your futures.”
“Jenna is my future,” Jack announced without hesitation.
“I admire your determination, son, but I’m not sure it’s wise.
The Scanlons can bring down a lot of hurt on you—and I’m not talking about the physical kind.
You are in a precarious living situation.
If the wrong people are informed, I’ll be forced to remove you from the Zarins.
I won’t be happy about it, but that’s the law.
You can’t change who your parents are any more than Ms. Scanlon can. ”
Fear spiked Jack’s heart rate. Was he risking Lilly’s safety and the chance to have a good home to be with Jenna?
Two years, three months, and three days. That was how many days until he was eighteen. But Jenna was three months and five days younger than him. He knew time would not change his feelings.
Jenna was his.
Was it better for them to wait until they could legally be together no matter what her parents said?
As if sensing where Jack’s thoughts were, Jenna leaned down so her face was right next to his on the pillow.
“You know that song Ain’t No Mountain High Enough?
” Jack nodded. “I don’t think I understood the lyrics before I met you.
I thought it was about the distance between the two lovers.
But it’s not. At least, for me it’s not.
For me, it’s about being so entirely connected to your person’s soul that there is no distance.
” She carefully moved his hair at his temples.
“You’re my person, Jack Duncan. Be it now or in fifty years.
So if you need me to walk out that door,” she nodded her head towards the door to his hospital room without looking at it, “to protect your sister, then I will.
And I will count the days until my parents can no longer tell me who I can or cannot love so that I can walk back into your arms and we can spend eternity together.
“But,” she added swiftly, “if you choose to hold my hand, to stand with me, I swear to you the battle will be worth it. I will fight every day to be with you—and that’s a vow that extends well past our eighteenth birthdays.”
The entire world faded away. There was no pain, no morphine drip, no hospital or audience. There was just her and him. Jenna and Jack.
He wanted so badly to pull her against himself. To be able to hold her and kiss her. More than that, he wanted to be able to have a legal claim on her that superseded everyone else’s, not just a verbal declaration.
“Marry me.”
Jenna’s breath caught. “We’re fifteen, Jack. We can’t get married.”
“I’m not asking you to marry me right now. I’m asking you to marry me on May 4, 1987.” Her eighteenth birthday. It would add to his countdown, but it would be worth it.
Her chin trembled. “It’s a Tuesday.”
“We can skip school. Will you marry me?”
She nodded, gently leaning her forehead against his. “Yes, Jack, I will.”
He pressed his head against hers as much as he dared. “I’d rather fight this battle with you than know a day without you, Jenna. Two years isn’t that long when compared with forever, and that’s how long I want with you.”
He felt her lips twitch against his cheek. “I want that too.”
“We’ll figure the rest out. It might not be easy, but I swear to you, Jenna, I won’t stop fighting for you.”
“Same,” she vowed.
Unfortunately, their first battle came sooner than either of them expected.
Jenna stayed as long as she could at the hospital with him, but eventually visiting hours ended and she had to leave.
Mrs. Zarin drove her home. Mr. Zarin was remaining in the hospital overnight with Jack so Mrs. Zarin and Lilly could go home to sleep.
Jenna walked through the front door with the intent to head up to her room without speaking to either of her parents. But her father’s deep baritone summoned her to his office down the hall.
There, he informed her that she was leaving Port Townsend. She was being sent to the top ranked boarding school in the United States in Groton, Massachusetts.
She was leaving in three days.