"Minx! How are you? You're beautiful!"
"Hi, I'm good. How are you?" I smiled as he gave me a hug and I felt swallowed by him as I forgot how big he was compared to me.
"I'm doing well, come inside!" Jack smiled.
I nodded and followed him inside.
"So... what's this all about?" I asked him nervously.
"I've just missed you. I know what we had was short and scandalous, but I've missed you. I fought it back for a few years, scolding myself whenever I thought about you, but I can't do that anymore. I know you and Joe are together, but I miss how open we were with each other, how instantaneously comfortable we were with each other, just everything."
"Okay? And what do you expect me to do? I have everything right now. I have my four kids and Joe. Do you expect me to up and leave all of that for you? An affair I had seven years ago? I enjoyed what we had, but you have to realise that it was all very wrong and I have to live with that regret that I continuously cheated on my husband after assuring him otherwise. We've built trust between us again and I don't think I can throw that away."
"Oh, uhm," Jack stuttered, taken back by my assertiveness.
"I'm sorry Jack, I really am. I had feelings for you, a lot of feelings, but I can't do this all over again."
"Did you ever love me?" Jack asked.
"What?"
"Did you ever love me?" He reiterated.
"Jack, love is such a strong word. I love Joe. I love my kids. I don't think I ever loved you. Infatuated? Maybe, but that's not the same thing, that's based off lust rather than putting someone else's happiness before your own and building together. What we had was a fling where I got a bit tangled in feelings, but it should've never gotten to that point, I'm sorry for that. But no, I never loved you."
"But Minx..." Jack said quietly.
"Jack, you're honestly a great guy, you're caring, sweet, handsome, you should have no problem getting yourself a good girl out there. But that girl is not me, so I need you to move on. That was seven years ago. You're capable of finding a girl and settling down with her."
I don't know why I seemed to be fueling his ego or self esteem. He just seems so disappointed. He really, really, must've gotten caught up in his feelings if he thought I would be able to get up and leave everything I have for him.
I did have feelings for him, at one point, I may have been able to say I loved him, but I would never tell him that, I don't want to give him a hope that there's still any there, because there isn't.
Going back to what I said about at one point I may have been able to say I loved him. To clarify, it would've been a false sense of love. The kind of "I love you" that's exchanged by 13 year-old's. As much as you want to believe it could be true, it most likely isn't . Infatuation is most definitely more of the correct word. However, at the time I would've thought it was an adolescent love. But anyway, it was infatuation solely because the premise on which we met, it was a hook-up. I let it grow into something it wasn't. I let him around my kids and confided things to him that I shouldn't have told him. Yes, I regret it, but I can't take back what happened.
I grabbed my bag and keys and got up to leave.
"Minx, wait, please... Can we at least be friends?" Jack stuttered.
"Jack, I don't think that'd be a good idea... for you," I explained, "If what you just said is true, then it'll just hurt you for us to be friends, and also I don't think it would be a good idea, for the sake of Joe, for us to be friends," I shook my head.
"I understand. Well it was at least nice to see you again, and get more closure, if anything," Jack nodded, walking with me to the door.
"Jack, you are a good guy. You deserve a good girl, just go out there and find her. She's out there somewhere," I smiled.
"May I?" Jack asked, opening his arms for a hug.
I nodded and gave him a hug before walking back out to the car and driving away.
I contemplated heading home, but then remembered I had to go to the market to get food to make the kids' lunches for the rest of the week. We had just managed to make them lunches today as I forgot we were running low.
I pulled into the market's car park and went inside.
Getting a trolley, I wandered around, getting what I could remember we needed. I also shot Joe a text asking him if he remembered anything we needed getting. After filling up the trolley, I paid, loaded up the car, and headed home to unpack it all and put it away.
Days like this get quite boring because Joe is off at work and now the kids are old enough to not need me as much and they are in school. When they are at home, the older ones are mostly in their rooms or hanging out with friends or their partners. The younger two still don't mind hanging out with their ol' mum as much! Ha ha.
I had a little bit of time before going to pick them up from school so I did a bit of editing for Joe before going and picking them up.
I was getting ready to go pick them up when my phone rang and I saw it was the school calling. I quickly glanced at the time before answering to make sure I wasn't running late. Seeing as I was good on time, I answered the call.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Mrs. Sugg, this is Headmaster Dunn. We are calling to inform you that your daughter, Ava, was sent to the nurses' office earlier this afternoon but has since been taken in an ambulance to Evelina London Children's Hospital-"
"Wait, what?!" I said confused.
"She's has suffered some injuries she disclosed to us today. There's only so much I can tell you, but-"
"Only so much you can tell me?! I'm her mother!" I said.
"I understand. I'm just the messenger."
"No, you are the headmaster, you are responsible for my daughter while she is attending your school! You said Evelina London Children's Hospital?" I said grabbing my keys.
"Yes, I-"
I hung up the phone after she said yes. I don't have anything else I want to hear from her. I grabbed my bag and dialed Joe before running to the car and driving to the hospital.
I dialed Joe three times, back to back. That's our code that it's an emergency for whenever he's busy, filming, interviews, meetings, whatever.
"What's happening?" Joe asked immediately as he answered.
"Ava's been taken to the hospital," I said, "Headmaster said she's suffered injuries. I don't know what, where, how bad. The f.ucking headmaster wouldn't tell me a d.amn thing! I'm heading over there right now."
"Okay, okay, do we know why?" Joe asked rushed, "Zoe, can we use your car, it'll be quicker than waiting for the next train. Ava's at the hospital."
"No, I'll find out when I get there," I said, "Come on bloody lights!" I yelled.
The lights finally changed and I sped off driving.
"Minxie, I need you to be careful, don't get into a car accident. Ava will be okay," Joe said calmly.
"Joe! We don't know that!" I cried, "I'm pulling into the car park now."
I parked up and ran inside.
"Good afternoon missus, how can I help you?" The lady at the reception asked.
"Ava Sugg, my daughter, where is she?" I asked quickly, wiping tears away.
She typed away on her computer, scrolled for a some seconds.
"Please," I said quietly, tapping my hand on the counter.
"It looks as if he is in the emergency centre right now, that will be straight down the corridor to the right, follow the red signs," She said.
I nodded and started following her directions. Once I made it to the emergency centre, I had to stop at another reception to be taken back to where she is.
"I'm sorry ma'am, visitors aren't allowed in emergency," The young lady smiled falsely.
"I am not a f.ucking visitor, I am here for my daughter," I said, smiling a sweet fake smile.
"Name?"
"My daughter is Ava Sugg, I am Minx Sugg."
"Right this way," She huffed, getting up from her chair and leading me down another corridor.
There were police around coming in and out of a room that we seemed to be walking towards. This doesn't look good. My head starts spinning.
"Dr. Cornell, Mrs. Sugg is here for her daughter, you said you wanted to speak to anyone for Ava Sugg," The receptionist lady said.
"Hi Mrs. Sugg," Dr. Cornell said.
"I don't have time for this, where is my daughter, what happened to her?" I said angrily.
"Come in here with me, I'll explain what's going on and then we can go see her. It's very important I talk to you prior though," He said calmly.
"What the h.ell is going on?! Why are so many police here?! Please," I cried.
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