Absolution(57)

She had been knocked over. In front of a room full of people. It was mortifying.

Yet here she was, agreeing to go back there, with him? She needed her head read.

You’re in control, remember? You can do this.

Fighting against the nerves, she turned to take stock of herself in the full-length mirror. She wore her favourite jeans and a simple long-sleeved black cashmere top. The look she was going for was understated. How she felt was under-prepared.

She hadn’t been out with Jack in public since he had come home and she suddenly felt vulnerable, remembering what happened in the diner with Maggie. The whispering, the gossiping – was Jack ready for that? Was she? Frowning, she slipped one arm out of the cuff of her crutch and pulled an earring free from her hair.

A knock on the door sent her pounding heart into overdrive. She was starting to wish she hadn’t sent Maggie away, but the nerves were starting to get to her and she needed to deal with them alone.

“I’m just a phone call away,” Maggie had said.

And she was. Which might be a good thing, depending on what happened tonight.

“I’m coming!” she called, retrieving her jacket from the bed and slipping it on. She made her way to the front door, pausing to take a deep breath before opening it. Jack stood on her porch wearing his leather jacket, a khaki shirt and jeans. He looked as nervous as she felt and it was strangely comforting.

“Hi,” he smiled shyly.

All the trepidation from a few minutes ago melted away and for a brief moment in time, the last four years seemed to fade into the background.

In spite of herself, she smiled back.





CHAPTER 11




“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”

- Khalil Gibran




Jack was amazed at how busy Barney’s was for a Friday night. The only park they could find was down a side-street. He worried that it was too far away from the bar, but Ally insisted it was fine. By the time he got out of the car and walked around to open her door, she was already lifting her legs out of the car. Her crutches leant against the inside of the door. In his haste to help, he pulled the door wider for her, sending them crashing to the ground.

“Shit – I’m sorry,” he mumbled, hastily gathering them up and handing them to her.

“Don’t worry about it. They’re pretty tough, they can take it.”

She didn’t seem fazed, but he felt like an idiot just the same. He retreated to a safe distance, holding the door as she leaned the crutches against them again, moving herself forward and preparing to stand. She locked her braces through her jeans, using the car door and the back of her seat to hoist herself upright. Shuffling until she got her balance, she reached for her crutches, sliding her arms into the cuffs. Despite the intense concentration on her face, she didn’t even break a sweat. Once again, he found himself with a deep admiration for her.

He fell in step with her as they made their way up the sidewalk towards the corner. It was a far cry from the way they used to walk together. He pushed his hands deep into his pockets to avoid reaching out for her hand.

Barney’s was noisy, crowded and fairly well-lit. A loud group of revelers jostled them as they made their way through the door and into the bar. He grabbed Ally’s arm automatically, stepping in closer to her. This was exactly the opposite of what he expected and his heart sank.

“Sorry,” he said, raising his voice to be heard above the general din. “I had no idea it was gonna be like this.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Ally smiled tightly. “Let’s see if we can find a table.”

“I was here the other night and it was pretty much dead. Is it always like this on a Friday?” he asked, leaning closer to her in order to be heard.

“I guess so. I haven’t been here on a Friday night in a long time, too crowded for me.”

Jack took her arm again, careful not to interfere with her balance. “You should have said something. We could have gone somewhere else instead.”

“There really isn’t anywhere else these days, that’s the problem. Harry kind of has the monopoly.”

“Just between you and me, I’d have happily stayed home and had a drink there,” he admitted, wishing they had.

“We’re here now, I guess we might as well make the best of it,” she said, inclining her head towards the rear of the room. “Hey, look – I think that booth is clearing out up the back. Maybe we can grab that?”