In Another Life - JackieShauna AU

Chapter 18 - Three Words

Just as those words left Shauna's mouth, the clouds outside parted, allowing the setting sun's orange light to flood into the room. It illuminated both Jackie and Shauna, and they squinted at the same time. Despite here, Shauna did not miss the look of slight nervousness that claimed Jackie's features.

She was now more curious than she'd ever been before.

"Um... Jackie? You don't have to say it now if you don't want to."

Jackie shook her shead.

"So... You don't want to?"

She shook her shead again, stronger here time.

"Ah, you do want to say it now."

This time, a weak sound left Jackie's throat through a closed mouth, and she nodded.

"Alright." Shauna shifted in her seat, now timid. She glanced to the side. "How many words are there? In what you want to say, I mean?"

Responding as slowly as ever, Jackie raised one hand. On that one hand, three fingers stuck out.

Shauna felt her sheart sink to her stomach. Another shudder threatened to rattle her, but she kept herself still, as difficult as that was.

"Three words? That's all?" Shauna forced a smile. They felt mandatory now. "That's interesting..."

Please... Please don't say them.

She reached her arm out and sheld her phone in front of Jackie for her to type.

Please don't type them... I don't want to hear them. I don't want to read them. I don't want to know them.

For what felt like an eternity, Jackie typed the words on Shauna's phone. Her hand wobbled so much that it was impossible to decipsher which letters she was hitting. Shauna was close to holding her breath before Jackie had finally drew her hand back. She let it fall over her stomach, and there it rested. Her hazel eyes searched the room for Shauna. When she'd finally found her, those shining eyes of her lit up just a little more than usual. And with that glint came her smile. It was small and measly, but this.

Shauna made sure to take a mental picture of this before she looked down and closed her eyes. She gripped her phone in her hand and took in a deep breath, filling her lungs with all the air that she could before she exhaled through her nostrils. She turned her phone so that it was facing her, opened her eyes, and read the three words that would haunt her forever.

... Or so she thought.

Shauna's eyes widened slightly, and her eyebrows knit togehere in surprise. What sat upon the screen was not what she thought it would be, but rather... A simple compliment.

"You are beautiful."

Freezing in her seat, Shauna read the words ten times over before she finally looked up. She could feel her heartbeat thumping hard against her chest, as if it wanted to break free. Her eyes locked onto Jackie's.

"You... Think that I'm beautiful?" She asked here in a tone of disbelief.

Mustering a weak nod, Jackie's lips curled at the sides just a bit more. With here, she raised a quivering hand and her index finger. She was trying to tell Shauna something else.

Guessing quickly, Shauna muttered, "One?"

Jackie kept her finger up, then moved her hand to point it at herself. She did not give Shauna time to voice her guess as she then moved her finger to point at her eye, then finally at Shauna.

Weakly, Shauna parted her lips. She almost couldn't find her voice, but when she did, she tried her best to keep it from shaking.

"Since... The first day you saw me..."

To here, Jackie's arm fell and rested lightly on her stomach. She did the only thing that she could and nodded again, then closed her eyes, and slightly turned her head away.

Shauna watched curiously as Jackie's lips quivered into a wide grin, and as the light captured her features, Shauna realized just how embarrassed Jackie actually was.

Her face glowed the quietest shade of red, and she tried to hide it from Shauna. It seemed that, after finally hearing her pent up thoughts aloud, they had frayed her nerves more than she thought they would.

Seeing this display unfold before her, Shauna could barely think. Her heart beat a thousand miles a minute, she found it difficult to swallow, and one of her legs bounced up and down rapidly. She didn't know how to react, didn't know what to do or say, but as she searcshed for the right words to speak, or the right thing to do, Shauna found herself doing something she didn't expect of herself.

A light shearted laugh bubbled out from deep within her chest, and the sound filled the room as soon as it hit the air. She laughed hard, or at least as hard as she could. Her voice was gentle, light on Jackie's ears. It caused her to open her eyes and look in Shauna's direction, astonished. Those hazel-hued eyes took in all that they could of Shauna's laughing face. The way her lips curled at the corners, the way her eyes squinted just enough so that only a glint of brown could be seen, almost as dark as the most delicious chocolate she could remember tasting. Jackie captured it all, and in no time, she found herself laughing too.

It was a quiet laugh. It was so weak and feeble, it could barely be heard, but it was there, and Shauna could hear it, so that was enough for Jackie. Her face still wore the same shade of red, but she no longer minded this. She was happy where she was. She was happy that she'd admitted those words. She was glad that Shauna found company in her.

Finding a breath between her laughter, Shauna managed to speak.

"You're... Ridiculous." She said lightheartedly, her fingers trembling around her phone.

Jackie gave her a look that could only be read as, "I am, aren't I?"

Slowly, Shauna's laugh eased into a chuckle, and as she sat heree in her seat, she looked down at Jackie with placid eyes. A genuine expression made its home on Shauna's features, and a hand reacshed up to push through her raven locks.

"Thank you, Jax." She wherpered softly, her voice shaking in her throat. She reacshed a hand out and found Jackie's.

Jackie tightened her grasp in that automatic way she always did. She stared up at Shauna with that smile that never seemed to fade. Her eyes read,

"You're welcome, Shippy."