World's Apart

The Last Time

What is he doing here? 

Ali walks slowly towards him. Her heels click along the hard flooring sending a sharp echo across the room. Jack turns instinctively and their eyes meet. Jack stands immediately and awkwardly shifts on his feet unsure of whether to walk towards her on not.

He goes to speak but Ali speaks first.

"What are you doing here?" her voice echos around the big empty lounge. The bar at the far end of the room was unoccupied.

"I needed to see you," he takes a step towards her "Will you have a drink with me?" he gestures to the arm chair he was just sitting at.

"I have to get back to work-" Ali starts and Jacks face falls "So only one," she adds as she walks to the armchair across from him. She slides off her coat and smooths the wrinkles from her pink and red dress. She takes a seat, crossing her legs and Jack slides a crystal glass towards her a she sits down nervously.

"So how's work?" Jack breaks the awkward silence.

Ali nods "As fun as writing letters to dead soldiers families can be,"

Jack chuckles "Ahh right,"

Ali smiles then and takes a sip of her drink.

"I err wanted to talk to you," Jack says looking up at her from cast down eyes. His fingers nervously fiddle with the rim of his glass.

"We talked two days ago," she said. Ali watched Jack squirm uncomfortably. He knew what he had to tell her but he was procrastinating.

"We did," he says happily "But err this is...well something new has...has happened," he rubs the back of his neck and swigs his drink.

"You're nervous," Ali watches him curiously "Just tell me Jack,"

He fumbles with his words "I'm...I...I'm going to. I mean I'm getting mar- I'm having a ba-" he groans in frustration grabbing at his blonde hair.

There's a silence between them and Ali regards the struggling man before her. Even in his frustration he was beautiful. The lines on his forehead were etched deep and his brow was furrowed above his bright blue eyes. He scratched at his scruffy beard and their eyes met. His face softened, his eyes fixed upon hers.

"You're going to marry her," Ali says to him.

Her eyes are still trained on his. As the words leave her lips the feeling is surreal. Ali's heart aches as Jack nods slowly.

"Yes," his voice cracks. "How did you know?"

A single slow tear rolls down Ali's cheek "Woman's intuition," she forces a chuckle as she wipes the tear away.

"It was the right thing to do," Ali mumbles sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"I know she's pregnant Jack," Ali says as she sips at her drink.

Jack narrows his eyes and then widens them in realisation. "How can you know all of this?"

Ali stays quiet. Her eyes turn away from him as she looks at the diamond crystal pattern on her glass.

"Unless you were there..." his head shoots up and he stares at her "You were there yesterday," he says more certain now.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ali says flatly.

Jack leans forward in the arm chair. His arms resting on his knees as leans towards her "The photo of you in my room was knocked over when I got back. It was you wasn't it? Why?"