World's Apart

The Love Of Two Hearts

Ali hated her...

...and yet, when Erica turned her head to make sure Ali was still following, the small defeated smile she offered melted Ali to the core.

Ali mentally scolded herself. All the months she'd spent loathing this woman, all the time wasted thinking about them together. She couldn't crack now, Ali wanted Erica to know how much suffering she'd caused. In fact, no she didn't, Ali wanted Erica to see how amazing her life had become. Sure Erica might now have Jack but Ali had an amazingly kind and caring husband, a fabulous house, a great job, a loving family- all be it slightly crazy and of course a beautiful baby on the way. Ali smirked smuggly but then cringed at her superficial thoughts.

The bottom line was Erica had hurt Ali and in all these months Ali had never truly gotten over that.

"You hurt me," Ali blurts.

The words cut through the air quick and sharp and Erica stopped walking. Holding her breath she turns to face Ali.

"I know I did," she nods "There's nothing I can say to you that will make you forgive me or forget but..."she hesitates then gestures to the old wooden bench beside them.

"... Will you sit?" Erica asks quietly.

Ali says nothing but takes a seat beside Erica and waits for her to continue.

There was a long awkward silence between them. Erica opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.

Nothing.

"Well aren't you going to say something?" Ali breaks the silence.

"I err...I never expected you to actually sit," Erica half smiles.

A laugh escapes Ali and Erica let's out a nervous laugh too. The tension around them easing slightly.

"Why don't you just start from the beginning and I'll just listen I guess," Ali says evenly.

"Alright," Erica inhales deeply "Alright,"

"It was in the autumn last year when I first met him, Jack," Erica began "He'd just finished his mile and a half run and had twisted his ankle,"

"He was funny," Erica smiles at the memory "He kept muddling up his words and I remember thinking how... sweet he was," she sighs. "He got leave after that, he just needed to rest-"

"I remember," Ali says flatly "He had a week at home and it was great, better than ever really," she thinks back to the party in the village hall and their first night together in the woodcutters cottage.

"I know he thought so too," Erica reassures "When I saw him again, it was at a pub just after he'd returned from leave. He was missing you terribly. I was about to walk home but he offered to walk me back to base,"

Ali nods slowly and knowingly "Typical Jack,"

"He was, is, a kind man," Erica corrects herself.

Alis heart lurches but she waves Erica to continue.

"He was an enigma. A complete mystery to me. I saw him as this wonderful man, funny, beautiful, kind... But I knew he had you and I knew how much he cared for you,"

Ali bit her lip, words of hate just inches from spewing out. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for Erica to proceed.

"I'd see him around the base and I'd long for him to look at me, to talk to me, to... anything but he never did. He hardly noticed me, until New Year,"

Ali's stomach flipped.

"I won't go into details... You have probably imagined the worst over the last few months-"