An Honest Kiss

Chapter 14

Jack reached for her the look on his face inscrutable.

"I deserved to be loved, I deserved to have the fantasy if not from you then from someone who loved me."

"Don't you see Ray, that's why I left?  I had no idea that you loved me, and I wanted you to find the person who you would love and in return love you. I wanted to give you that chance. Not have you be weighed down in what I thought would be a loveless marriage that you were trapped into by your father."

A loveless marriage. He just admitted that he never loved her. She felt her heart shatter all over again. It must have shown on her face because Jack reached for her.

"Rachel, you misunderstood-,"

"Jack! We have a serious emergency over here." Sally's voice rang urgently across the ward.

Jack cursed under his breath and then with one last look at her he took off in the direction of the raised voices.

Rachel curled up on her side and let sleep take her again. She had always known the truth but to hear him say it aloud to her was almost unbearable.

She was awakened by a gentle pressure on her shoulder.  A little confused after being awakened from such a deep sleep she looked around her hurriedly, and her eyes eventually landed on Addie who was smiling down at her kindly

"It's time for breakfast. Do you think you can make it to the cafeteria?"

Rachel rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Yes." Her mouth felt as if it was full of cotton. She suddenly remembered it was Addie's first day yesterday, and that would give her something else to focus on instead of the stares they were sure to get as they crossed the compound.

"How was your first day?" Rachel asked as she changed into the clothes that Addie had brought her.

"It was good, busy, but good."

They moved towards the door and Rachel held up her hand blocking the sunlight as it hit her. "I feel like a vampire."

"You look like one.  I don't think that I've ever seen anyone so pale before."

Rachel didn't know what to say to that so she remained silent.

"You want the gossip?"

Rachel sighed. "Go ahead, hit me with it."

"They're all saying that you faked the attack. That you wanted to get Jack's attention so the whole thing was an act."

"I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Addie asked confused.

"I thought they couldn't think anything worse about me." Rachel gave a grim smile.

"Jack is sending you home today."

Addie pushed open the door to the full cafeteria

"Why?" Rachel should be surprised, but she wasn't, she was still numb from whatever Jack had given her.

"He didn't say.  He just told Paul to be ready to drive you to the airport after breakfast."

The room grew deadly silent as they entered. All eyes were on her, she could feel them as they followed her to the line. She kept her head held high as everyone remained silent.

Jack entered the room from the back and took in the scene.  The only sound was the clacking of Addie and Rachel's trays as they moved down the buffet. Feeling his eyes on her she turned to look at him. Their eyes met and Jack's were searching, unable to take it anymore she set her tray aside moved towards the exit.