When Does Love End? Ch. 04

Jack excused himself to Henry and got up, moving back and around the tables so it looked as if he had also just arrived.

"Hello Deb's." He said rather stiffly as they came face to face.

"Hello Jack." Debbie seemed to be equally as uncomfortable, "How are you?"

Finding a spare table, they sat down as Mrs Williams came out to take their order.

"Yeah, I'm ok, how about you?" he finally replied after the café owner had departed.

"Not too bad thanks." she said coolly, adding quickly "I'm sorry about your mother Jack. I always liked her."

"Thanks." He responded quietly staring into his coffee cup, "So what happened with Peter."

Debbie frowned, "That's ancient history Jack. Do we really have to go there?"

"Not to me it isn't. I still don't know why it happened."

"Ok. I guess I at least owe you an explanation." She said softly, "There never was a job. When we got to London and he made it crystal clear that all he wanted was me in his bed."

"So, I guess you stayed with him then?" he asked sullenly, "When did the two of you split up?"

"We didn't." it was her turn to stare at her coffee, "I was never with him. As soon as he realised that I wasn't ever going to sleep with him he didn't want anything more to do with me."

"But you didn't come back." Jack said angrily.

"I got a job and tried to get by. I couldn't come back. I was embarrassed and I felt completely humiliated." Debbie admitted to him, "And the way we parted, I thought you... you hated me."

He didn't answer, just sat and looked up at her the hurt in his eyes clear for her to see.

"Then when I finally gave in and came home you had gone and no one knew where." She finished quietly.

"You really expected me to wait around for you just in case you changed your mind?" Jack finally spoke again, this time with a look of complete astonishment on his face.

"I... hoped that... maybe" she started to say

"You broke my fucking heart Debbie what did you think I was going to do?" Jack cut her off angrily, "You went off with another man and never said a word."

"I know and I'm... so sorry." She muttered without looking up, "If I could go back and change things I would."

"Of course, you would. And now you're fucking that neanderthal arsehole?" Jack knew he shouldn't have said it the moment the words left his lips.

She glared at him, "That's none of your business."

"I'm sorry you're right it's not. I should go. This was a mistake" He stood up and turned to leave.

Just then a figure shoved into him slamming his injured thigh against the table edge and causing him to double over in obvious agony.

"Ahhhh.... Fuck!"

"Jack...."

"Where the fuck did you go last night bitch?" an obviously very drunk Franco grabbed Debbie by the arm, yanking her up out of her seat, "No one walks out on me like that. Especially not a fucking little scrubber like you."

"Well, I'm glad I did." She stared across at Jack, who was holding his leg obviously in a great deal of pain, as she confronted the aggressive Franco, "What do you want?"

"You promised me cunt. You don't just fucking disappear and leave me waiting there like some sort of idiot." He tightened his grip on her arm, her skin whitening under the pressure.

"Just the thought of being with you makes me feel sick. Now get the fuck off me and leave me alone."

"No way, you fucking owe me. We're gonna go to my place where you're gonna make it up to me and be real fucking nice." He almost spat into her face.

Debbie struggled to free herself from his grip as he started to drag her away, "Let go of me. I'm not going anywhere with you."

A sneering Franco grabbed her by the throat and pressed his face even closer to hers, "You're gonna do what your fucking...."

He never finished the sentence as hand pulled him forcefully back away from her.

"The lady said she didn't want to go with you." Jack stood squarely in front of him.

"Fuck off arsehole this is none of your fucking business. This bitch owes me and now I'm gonna collect." Franco declared scornfully and took a swing at him.

Blocking the punch with his left arm was easy enough but it sent another wave of pain through Jack's shoulder. However, it wasn't enough to stop his right-hand jabbing forwards and connecting with Franco's chin.

One punch was enough and the drunken Italian went crashing backwards knocking over a table and spilling its contents over the pavement as he hit the floor.

"If you ever come near her again, I'll break both your fucking arms. That's a promise. Understand? Arsehole!" He loomed threateningly over the prostrate Italian.

"Y... yeah... I... I... get it. You're welcome to the frigid bitch." Franco spat out as he got slowly to his feet and stumbled away with his tail well and truly between his legs, "She's just another little slut."

"Jack... are you..." Debbie stepped towards him.

"Goodbye Debbie. I knew that I should never have come back." He grimaced, "Tell your boyfriend that I'm sorry but he needs to learn how to treat a lady."

Biting his lower lip against the throbbing in his thigh and arm Jack turned and limped away.

"Jack... please..." she whispered, the tears starting to flow, as she stood and watched him walk away.

"You really should go after him before he packs up and goes back to the hospital and the girl there."

She turned around to look at the old man who had just spoken to her.

"Hospital?" she asked bewildered, "What hospital? What girl? What's wrong with him."

"He's here to convalesce." The old soldier told her, "Amongst other things."

"What? Why? Convalesce? I don't understand." She sat down heavily and stared at Henry.

"He was pretty badly wounded in Afghanistan on his last tour of duty, I reckon he almost died judging by what he told me." The old man explained, "Won a medal for it as well. He's home on leave to convalesce before he goes back overseas."

"He... he's the soldier.... the... the one that was on the news?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, he is." He confirmed, "But what they didn't say was that he really wanted to die there with his two comrades."

"He... he wanted to die?" Debbie queried, her voice trembling.

"He told me he wanted to that's for sure."

Debbie turned pale and put her hand to her mouth visibly stunned by what she had just heard, "I... I... didn't know any of this."

"And, for what it's worth, the other girl isn't important to him. It's you he's still crazy about." Henry added with a wry smile.

~~~~~~~~ Chapter twenty-one ~~~~~~~~~~

Limping as fast as he could, with his thigh aching badly, Jack headed back to the Royal Oak, his mind now made up. He would check out and head back to the rehab unit before deciding where to go from there.

Getting to his room he scrabbled in his bag searching for the pain killers the doctors had prescribed. Crashing into the table had really hurt his injured thigh and the blow to his arm hadn't made things feel any better.

Swallowing two of the pills with a glass of water he leant on the basin and stood for a moment staring at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes had a haunted look about them and he knew the only thing he could do now was to get as far away from her as possible.

Finally, he pushed himself upright and started moving again, throwing his kitbag onto the bed and starting to gather up his clothes. Tossing a few things into his holdall he tried to focus on what he was going to do now rather than what had just happened at the cafe.

If that was the sort of life she wanted now, with a cretin like that, then all he could do was leave her to it. It was clear that she didn't want him, that much was certain.

He hadn't done very much packing before he stopped and slumped down on the bed. Staring at his half empty bag he could feel the tears pricking his eyes and tried to blink them away.

There was no way he could deny it anymore. She had broken his heart once and he had tried to lock the hurt away but now, seeing her again like this, it had all come rushing back to him. The pain was still as real and raw as it had been back then.

He had no idea how long he sat there just gazing into space when a loud rapping brought him out of his trance.

Slowly he pushed himself up off the bed and made for the door hoping that it wasn't the cute receptionist Jane trying to get him to take her out again.

"Can I come in Jack?" He opened the door to find a distraught Debbie standing in front of him, "Please. We need to talk."

"Be my guest but I really don't think we have anything to talk about anymore."

She could see the look in his eyes and it brought a lump to her throat.

"Please Jack." Her voice was almost a whisper.

"Sure." He stared past her looking along the hallway, "Is your boyfriend coming?"

"Thanks, and just to make it clear he isn't my boyfriend." She stepped into the room and looked around, "I'm not with anyone. Certainly not an arsehole like him."

"As you said it's nothing to do with me."

"You're... you're leaving?" she gazed at the open, half filled, bag on the bed.

"I can't stay here. It... I..." he stumbled over his words, "I need to go."

"Please Jack we have to talk."

"About what Debbie. What's the point you've obviously moved on and I haven't."

"Aren't you seeing anyone?" she asked him hesitantly, dreading that he would tell her he was.

He shook his head, "No."

"Jackson...." She took a step towards him, a sense of relief washing over her that he was single.

"What do you want Debbie?" he shrugged her away, "I'm still in love with you! Is that what you came to hear? To gloat and rub it in."

"I want to know why were you in the hospital? The old man at the café told me." Debbie's voice was filled with concern.

He sighed and started to gather up his things, "As you said to me it's none of your business."

She stared at him for a moment and then the tears really started to flow as she wept uncontrollably, "You could have been killed and I would never have known."

"Debbie, I didn't mean...."

"I'm not with anyone because I'm still in love with you to." She whispered between sobs, "And for what it's worth I never slept with Peter or with Franco."

"I... I..." he looked at her feeling totally helpless.

She wiped her eyes smudging her make-up, "Oh, I was supposed to sleep with that creep last night. Claire suggested I do it to get back on the bike so to speak but after seeing you I... I just couldn't go through with it."

"Well, you certainly didn't waste any time after coming back from London. You obviously slept with someone. I saw you earlier." He told her cynically.

"Earlier? When?" she asked wiping her eyes, a puzzled expression on her face.

"With your mum and your daughter, was it? You certainly didn't waste any time when you came home."

"Yes, she's my daughter." She stared at him as if considering what more she should say.

"And who's the father? Who did you turn to after coming home?" Jack snapped angrily, "I was hardly gone and you...."

"I didn't turn to anyone. I've never slept with anyone apart from you." Debbie stared him directly in the eyes.

Jack looked at her almost uncomprehendingly "W... what."

"Just to make it absolutely clear to you, yes she's my daughter but she's named after her father, her name's Abigail.... Abigail Maitland."

Jack stood and stared at her as she confirmed what he had been thinking about what he had just been told.

"When I found out I was pregnant I came back from London but you had gone." She continued.

"I... I... I'm her father?"

"I should go. I'm sorry." Still crying Debbie turned for the door, "Forget what I just said."

She never got that far before Jack had caught up with her and pulled her back against him. Holding her tightly in his arms.

"How can I forget that? I... we... we have a daughter?"

"Yes Jack... we made her."

Automatically her arms encircled his neck as she gazed up at him.

For a long moment neither of them spoke, they simply stared into each other's eyes, their breathing shallow and their hearts thudding rapidly almost in unison.

"Deb's...." He finally broke the silence that had descended over them.

Pulling him down to her she tipped her mouth up to accept his lips in their first passionate kiss in a very long time.

"Oh Jack.... I..." she murmured into his mouth.

"I love you Debbie. I always have." He told her between kisses.

"I love you to." she declared kissing him back.

For several minutes they just held each other their mouths locked together letting their feelings finally have a free rein.

"I want you Jack." She eventually gasped breathlessly.

Gazing up into his eyes as he held her, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt pushing it back off his shoulders before stopping to stare at the reddened scar marking his left arm.

"Is this it?" she whispered, her eyes wide, as her finger traced the outline of the puckered scarring of the healed wound.

"That was where I was shot yes. The other one is on my thigh, from the explosion."

"You... you really could have been killed." Her eyes reflected the sudden panic she felt.

"But I wasn't." he pulled her to him his lips finding hers again.

Undoing her top, he slipped it off her so her modest tits were displayed, barely covered by the lacy white bra she had on. Almost immediately his hand found her firm soft mounds and gently cupped them.

This time there was no nausea and no revulsion.

This time Debbie wanted her man to touch her, to take her.

She fumbled at his zip, opening his jeans and pushing them down, she let her fingers trace the outline of his substantial bulge. Releasing her breasts, he gently guided her onto the bed, kissing her again as he laid her back.

"I want to... to see the other...where you were..." she stammered and slid down his body, her finger-tip tracing along the long red scar tissue on his left thigh.

Jack watched her as she looked back up into his eyes and whispered, "I want you... so much... but it's been a long time.... and... I... I might disappoint you."

"You could never disappoint me. Just holding you is more than I ever dreamed I'd do again."

Then without waiting for him to say anything more she stood up and unfastened her bra, removing it to bare her firm pert breasts, The hardening nipples were already jutting out prominently from the dark puckering areola as she started to undress.

Her hands dropped to her jeans and she quickly unzipped them, easing them, along with her panties, down her long legs before kicking them aside.

Naked she came back to the bed pulling his mouth to hers and letting his hands find her aching tits, rolling the sensitive nubs and moulding them into his palm.

"I want you inside me.... Please.... I want you so much!" Debbie laid back pulling him on top of her as her legs spread wide.

Jack smiled and kicked off his jeans before rolling on top of her and pressing the head of his engorged cock into her slit,

"I want you to Deb's."

"Oh god Jack...its been so long... fuck me, please... please...I need you." Debbie arched her back as she felt herself being opened up by his thick hard shaft.

"Ahhh... yes... Oh fuck... yesssssssssss!" he groaned, slowly easing his full length into her.

Pulling back, he drove into her again, every inch of his rock-hard prick splitting her pussy apart and filling her completely.

"Yes, oh yes... Jack.... Oh Jack.... don't stop... please." Beneath his thrusting form Debbie squirmed and bucked, as the long dormant sensations built rapidly inside her.

Their coupling was both fast and passionate as they both gave release to their pent-up emotions. Jack slamming his cock into Debbie's compliant body as she completely surrendered herself to him.

The ancient bed creaked under them, its springs protesting with every stroke of his cock into her willing form while she writhed in ecstasy pressing her body against his, her nails raking his back.

"Oh god... I'm.... I'm... I'm cuuummmmiiiiiiinnnnggggggg." Debbie shuddered, her body stiffening and then jerking violently in the throes of her climax, her fingers twisting in the bedsheet as her orgasm totally overwhelmed her,

"Yessssssssssssssssssss!" Jack buried his hardness in her one last time as he ejaculated, his body spasming almost uncontrollably, filling her with his speed.

Laying together in the afterglow of their mating Debbie rested her head on Jack's chest, her blonde hair fanned out across him, as he wrapped an arm about her shoulders.

"I'd forgotten how good sex is." She giggled tracing her fingers along the scar on his thigh again.

"Maybe we should try it again? Just to be sure?" he suggested, his hand lightly fondling her firm pert tit.

"Mmmmm that sounds like a really good idea." Her fingers slid up to encircle his limp cock as her body moved down his until she was able to take him in her mouth.

"Ummmmm... Gnnnhhmmmm.... Hhhhmmmmm!" her slurping sucking sounds were muffled by his shaft rapidly swelling and forcing her jaws further apart.

"Oh shit, Deb." He gasped, his hand reaching down to grasp her blonde hair as his head fell back.

Giggling she slipped her lips off of his cock and knelt up to straddle him, her hand grasping his hardness and guiding his cockhead into her slit.

"Fuck... oh fuck... it's so.... so... big!" she groaned as she slowly impaled herself on his erection.

Their second union took a lot longer and it was nearly an hour, and several orgasms for Debbie later that the two of them lay back perspiring and breathless.

Snuggled in against him Debbie bit her lip, "So, where do we go now Jack?"

"I guess that's up to you. All I know is I'm never going to stop loving you."

"And Abigail?"

"She's part of you and part of me to. But I guess it's about what you want for her." He told her honestly.

"She's been my whole world Jack and if you aren't going to be there, in her life..." she left the sentence trail off unfinished and gazed at him questioningly.

"If you think for one minute I don't want to be part of my daughter's life then you don't know me at all." He tipped her face up and looked into her eyes.

"That's exactly what I knew you would say but I had to ask." Debbie smiled up at him happily, "Do you want to meet her?"

"Silly question."

Debbie pushed herself up off the bed and started to scrabble around for her clothes, "Now where did my knickers go?"

"Personally, I prefer you without them," he grinned from the bed.

"Pervert!" glancing at him she smiled as she started to get dressed, "Just give me a couple of hours to talk to her and then come to the flat."

~~~~~~~~ Chapter twenty-two ~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later an extremely nervous Jack Maitland stood outside Debbie's front door where he paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, before he knocked firmly.

"Hello Jack." Christine Randall opened the door to him, "It's lovely to see you again."

"Hello Mrs Randall, it's nice to see you to." he said to Debbie's mother, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

Although he spoke to the older woman his eyes were totally focused on the small blonde child ahead of him standing clinging to her mother's leg and staring at him with huge rounded eyes.

"Hello, you must be Abigail?" he stepped towards her and dropped onto his knees so he was at eye level with her.

Somewhere behind him Jack was aware of Debbie's mother sniffling as he gazed into the cutest bluest eyes he had ever seen.

"Say hello Abigail." Debbie prompted the three-year-old but got no response from the wide-eyed little girl.

Undeterred Jack continued, holding out the cuddly giraffe he had bought on his way over, "This is my friend Gina."

Abigail stared at toy with interest.

"I need to find someone to take care of her. I can't take her home with me, it's against the rules. Do you think you could find someone to look after her for me?" He continued.