Secret Santa Fic for Velvetwhip - Certain Truths - Jack/Grace
Title: Certain Truths
Author: M. Elizabeth Ravensblood
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jack/Grace
Summary: Set during the episode of Cycle of Violence. On the evening of an awards banquet, Grace is having a rough night in which she encounters Jack and learns certain truths about her marriage and about herself as well.
Author's Notes This is for the lovely velvetwhip. I hope you'll enjoy!
Grace forced a smile on her face as Chloe and her friend, Amy spun in circles on the dance floor, darting in and out between herself and the other guests at the American Association of Women in Law Enforcement's banquet honoring Sam. The pair of little girls were bored and it was becoming more evident by the moment that Sam and her date weren't exactly keeping an eye on them. Rick was watching Sam closely as Bailey cut in and Sam was basking in the attention. It was a struggle to maintain the indulgent expression as the girls careless pushed past her and George, nearly sending them into another couple. He offered to get them a glass of champagne and left her alone on the edge of the dance floor.
She supposed she ought to feel more kindly disposed to Sam; but it was hard to feel generous. The evening before, Bailey called her up and asked her to leave Morgan home because Sam not only had a date, but he was bringing his daughter and she still wanted to have both Angel and Chloe. Sam's extra three guests meant Grace, John and George were put on the spot and could hardly refuse their boss when he requested they leave their dates at home. John's ongoing flirtation with Angel made it relatively painless for him to go stag, but George and Grace were far from thrilled.
Tonight would have been the first date night they'd had since before Jason was born over five months ago. Not that they'd gone out much when she was expecting him. Ever since the night Jack had invaded their home and made an attempt on Morgan's life, things hadn't been right between them. For a few days after the attack, she and Morgan had been in shock and clung to each other. Desperate for the comfort of physical contact with one another, they'd made love repeatedly and conceived Jason in one of those early days after the incident. But then, things shifted between them.
Morgan became increasingly withdrawn and eventually almost hostile. During the start of her second trimester, they'd had a terrible fight and he finally admitted that he blamed her for bringing Jack into their lives. Instead of celebrating and enjoying her pregnancy, they'd spent most of it in therapy. Grace struggled between wanting to make her marriage work and anger both at Morgan for blaming her for something so far beyond her control and at Jack for bringing the troubles to her doorstep in the first place. Things weren't perfect, but Morgan was trying harder since Jason had been born.
Grace had hoped that they could turn the banquet into a date. She'd made arrangements with Morgan's mother to take Jason for the night and booked them a suite at the hotel where the banquet was being held. When she broke their date and suggested he could wait for her in the room, he'd sulked. She'd tried to cajole him into giving it a shot but he made a snide remark about not wanting to be a target for the psycho that followed her co-worker. Perhaps he hadn't meant it, but the remark had stung and she told him he could watch Jason or take him to his mother's but that she was going to stay at the hotel and take a night away.
His almost dying had been terrifying, but damn it, it had been more than a year since the incident and every time she thought they were making progress, he'd throw Jack's escapade in her face. Morgan seemed perfectly capable of staying out late with friends and leaving her to care for Jason on her own - apparently he wasn't so scared that he was concerned for his wife and child. It was almost like Jack became an excuse for Morgan. Anytime, he didn't want to go somewhere or wanted to get his way, he would bring up the incident.
Perhaps her marriage was beyond saving and Morgan's latest episode was the icing on the cake; but tonight she wasn't ready to think about it, Grace decided and pushed the thought away as George approached with a pair of champagne glasses. Gratefully she accepted and took a sip. She was about to ask George if he'd like to find a place to sit when Amy chased Chloe across the dance floor and she slammed into Grace, spilling the contents of her glass down her front. Chloe jumped back and her eyes went wide as the glass shattered on the floor.
"Grace, I'm so sorry!" Sam exclaimed, pulling away from Bailey on the dance floor and rushing to her side.
"No problem," Grace replied and smiled politely despite the freezing cold seeping through her dress and undergarments.
"Let me get some napkins," George chimed in and ran off to see what he could find.
"Chloe, apologize to Grace and then come with me, we need to have a little talk," Sam said.
Chloe looked chagrined and apologized as her mother instructed, then followed her mother.
A moment later, Bailey joined Grace. "Little accident?"
"Something like that."
"Did Sam seem okay to you? I'm worried about her. Interviewing Sharon Lesher must have taken a lot out of her."
"I can only imagine how hard it was for her."
"Especially after poor Coop-"
"Here we go," George called out as he returned with a hand full of napkins. Handing half to Grace, he began to dab at one side of her dress. "Well, that's $500 down the drain."
Looking down, she saw the silk crepe was starting to pucker and no dry cleaner would be able to salvage it. If her boss and Sam's biggest cheerleader hadn't been by their side, she would have readily agreed with George. Instead, she said weakly, "Accidents happen."
"Do you think I should check on, Sam?"
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I think I'll repair to the ladies room and try to fix this," Grace begged off and walked away.
"Of course, Gracie. George, I swear to God, if I ever get my hands on that damn SOB Jack..."
As quickly as she could, Grace left Bailey to his tirade. She felt guilty about leaving her poor friend and coworker to listen to their boss give an endless litany of "poor Sam" and the violence he would do to Jack. Although he was sincere and meant well, she couldn't listen to his frettings tonight. The entire evening had been a giant disappointment before it even began and now with her dress ruined, it was a total washout.
Outside the ballroom, Grace decided to bypass the ladies room and to go to her suite. She had spent enough time at the banquet that no one would be offended and with the exception of George, it was unlikely she would be missed. In the hallway, she hesitated briefly. The one set of elevators was outside the ballroom on the opposite side and she didn't want to risk being noticed. There was a second bank of elevators on the opposite side of the hotel and she could reach them quickly if she cut across the hotel's courtyard.
The courtyard had walkways curving around a large fountain in the center. Boxwood topiaries and lush curling ivy mingled with rose bushes gave it a romantic air. Grace walked past the fountain, then paused to sit on a bench. She didn't want George to worry about her, so she pulled her cellphone out and texted him that she was calling it a night. A moment later it beeped and she smiled at his teasing complaint about deserting him and leaving him to listen to the boss rambling on about their favorite blonde.
Laughing, she texted back saying softly as she did so, "Bailey's a bright guy, but I swear to God, his IQ drops a good 50 points every time little Miss Perfect is around."
Grace was about to put her phone away when a voice started her and caused her to drop it..
"Now that's the first truly intelligent thing I've heard all evening."
Her body froze and her heart began to pound. She knew that voice. Every agent at the VCTF knew it. Jack. Jack with his velvet sinister tone that seemed to crawl inside and invade one's soul. There were more than two hundred officers and agents nearby, but with the music and the noise of the party, it was unlikely they would hear her.
"You're welcome to try, Grace."
"Try what?"
"Scream, of course. It's unnecessary, but you're welcome to give it a try."
She was still weighing her options and scanning the darkness nervously when she heard the metallic flip of a zippo opening, saw the sudden flicker of flame give the briefest bit of illumination, and the scent of lighter fluid briefly flared up then was diminished by the faint aroma of smoke. Almost hypnotized by the glowing tip of the cigarette, like a mouse before a cobra, she struggled to stand up. The smoke plumed lightly in the night's breeze and she smelled the garden's roses all around them. Adrenalin coursing through her, every nerve in her body was in over drive.
"There are several ways this could go. You could scream, hope that someone happens to be near enough to hear and that all the righteous members of Bailey Malone's merry band of men descend on me, kill me and that I'm drug off to the underworld; though I must warn you it's highly unlikely. The next option is for me to slit your throat before the sound has the opportunity to leave your lovely mouth which I'd hate to do and wasn't on the agenda for this evening. Or we could simply enjoy a bit of polite conversation, exchange a few truths then part ways and both be the better for it. Personally, I prefer the latter, though I leave the decision to you."
"Depends on how polite you expect me to be," Grace muttered under her breath and sat down.
Her voice must have carried because Jack's laugh suddenly filled the courtyard.
"Sit back down. Don't tell me you're upset about my little experiment."
"Experiment!" she snapped. "You tried to kill my husband!"
"Nonsense," Jack dismissed her words airily. "I merely set up a situation in which you decided whether he lived or died. I timed it down to the second. I did you a favor, Grace. Not my fault you didn't take advantage of it. Morgan's weak-"
"He is not weak!"
"Oh please, he's even weaker in mind than he is in flesh."
"What, you're going to tell me how he begged for his life?"
"Hardly. I tend to find that one of the more boring aspects of my creations. Each victim has their own special variation and yet they're all the same. A pointless plea for a life that was never worth living. My kills are very carefully considered and I never eliminate any one the world would be better off for. I'm doing a public service, really."
"The world wouldn't be better off without Morgan."
"You certainly would be. Think of all those late nights he works, Grace. All those long coffees with George where you discussed hiring a private investigator last year. Don't you imagine I know everything there is to know about every agent at the VCTF and everyone in their lives as well? From Morgan and Rich to the latest skirt Grant's chasing, I know everything. Sometimes a person is better off alone."
Angrily, Grace shot back, "I doubt Sam would agree."
Instantly, a wave of panic washed over her. He was a cold blooded killer, quite possibly insane and here she was antagonizing him about the object of his obsession.
"Ah yes, Samantha," Jack purred her name.
It was both terrifying and incredibly intimate as he spoke her name. Grace had heard recordings of Jack's voice here and there, certainly enough that it was instantly recognizable to her; but none of the recordings had captured the raw sensuality he imbued Sam's given name with.
"So beautifully untouchable and yet-" he trailed off caught up in some private thought. His reverie broke and he took a drag off his cigarette before continuing in a much lighter tone, "Such a very foolish girl. One would think she'd learned her lesson with Tom and Coop. Perhaps the third lesson will be the charm."
"He's just a friend. She isn't any more interested in Rick than-"
"Than she is in Malone or Grant? Of course. But it doesn't make her little infidelities any less irritating. Don't you feel irritated, Grace?"
Warily, she watched the ember of his cigarette and asked, "With Sam?"
"Samantha may be the center of my universe, but I suspect you're tired of her being the center of yours. Tonight you and your coworkers had to leave your escorts at home. Tomorrow, who knows? You know I'll never give up until she's mine. Imagine all the hassle I'll have to cause you and all the other good agents until then."
"You've caused plenty of trouble for me already, thank you!"
"Have I now?" he asked in amusement.
Irritated, she reminded him, "Morgan."
"You'd be better off without him. He's unfaithful."
"He is not! And if he is, it's not him. He's traumatized," Grace protested. Maybe Morgan was cheating, but she didn't want to hear from Jack of all people. "It's your fault my marriage is falling apart!"
"How convenient for him. The big bad serial killer scared him and now he has an excuse for every thing wrong in his life. Unfortunately, he began the affair with his secretary three months before my little late night visit."
Grace's shoulders slumped as he spoke. She could remember around that time how Morgan had started working late more and more often. He'd blamed it on quarterly tax filings and a couple of new clients that had complicated situations with back taxes. At the time she'd accepted it because his job did have times when he was busier, but it never really let up after that. Before that when she would have an overnight assignment, Morgan would urge her to call and tell her he missed her. Since that time, he would often miss her calls when she was on overnight assignments and claim he'd fallen asleep.
"Would you please leave me alone?" she implored softly.
"They say the truth sets us free, but it isn't the easy or pleasant ones. It's the ugly and difficult ones," Jack told her and stubbed his cigarette out.
His face was obscured in the darkness, but Grace could feel him watching her from the shadows.
"Then I'm free. I've had enough truth for one night. Please go."
When he didn't move, she stood up to leave. Instantly he was behind her and she gasped in shock at the sudden closeness.
"Not yet. There are a few more truths you need to hear."
"Fine," she replied with an air of resignation.
"You may be tempted to blame your husband's cheating on the long hours of your job or any number of factors, but the truth is no one is forced to cheat. There's a point when things are falling apart and the writing starts to appear on the wall when either one of you can stop and tell the other you want to start again before it's too late. In your heart, I think you checked out of your marriage a long time ago."
His words filled her ears and she closed her eyes as she reluctantly admitted, "Maybe."
"So why didn't you leave?"
Grace opened her eyes and fought the urge to cry. "He was my first."
There was a wealth of meaning in those four words. They had grown up together and experienced so much of the start of life together that she felt guilty whenever she thought of leaving him. And then there was the idea of trying to date someone else and starting all over. Would another man want her the way he had? Would he make her feel the way Morgan had in the beginning? Not that she'd felt that thrill in a long time, but she'd held onto the sentiment of it for a long time.
"You can't dwell in the past, Grace."
The sound of his voice as he said her name was like a caress and it sent a shiver down her spine. It didn't have the same possessive tone that it had earlier when he'd said Sam's name; but it was almost erotic nonetheless.
"I don't know if I can-"
"Start over? But you can and you will."
"Will I?"
"You will," Jack promised in a sibilant tone.
Grace's breath caught as he turned her around and captured her mouth with his before she had time to think or react. All she could do is cling to him as his mouth caressed hers. It was a slow deep kiss that seemed to steal her breath away. Nearly two decades with Morgan seemed to crumble in a single moment in Jack's arms. When he lifted his face from hers, he eased her towards the bench she'd occupied earlier and she sank down on it.
"One day, we'll have another conversation and you will tell me many truths. Truths about yourself, your friends and my Samantha. Tonight, I'll take my leave and allow you to take in the full scope of the truths I've given you tonight."
Grace felt him fade into the shadows and shivered as she realized the last truth Jack had left her with. After meeting Jack, she didn't know where her life would take her, but she knew it would never be the same...
Author: M. Elizabeth Ravensblood
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jack/Grace
Summary: Set during the episode of Cycle of Violence. On the evening of an awards banquet, Grace is having a rough night in which she encounters Jack and learns certain truths about her marriage and about herself as well.
Author's Notes This is for the lovely velvetwhip. I hope you'll enjoy!
Grace forced a smile on her face as Chloe and her friend, Amy spun in circles on the dance floor, darting in and out between herself and the other guests at the American Association of Women in Law Enforcement's banquet honoring Sam. The pair of little girls were bored and it was becoming more evident by the moment that Sam and her date weren't exactly keeping an eye on them. Rick was watching Sam closely as Bailey cut in and Sam was basking in the attention. It was a struggle to maintain the indulgent expression as the girls careless pushed past her and George, nearly sending them into another couple. He offered to get them a glass of champagne and left her alone on the edge of the dance floor.
She supposed she ought to feel more kindly disposed to Sam; but it was hard to feel generous. The evening before, Bailey called her up and asked her to leave Morgan home because Sam not only had a date, but he was bringing his daughter and she still wanted to have both Angel and Chloe. Sam's extra three guests meant Grace, John and George were put on the spot and could hardly refuse their boss when he requested they leave their dates at home. John's ongoing flirtation with Angel made it relatively painless for him to go stag, but George and Grace were far from thrilled.
Tonight would have been the first date night they'd had since before Jason was born over five months ago. Not that they'd gone out much when she was expecting him. Ever since the night Jack had invaded their home and made an attempt on Morgan's life, things hadn't been right between them. For a few days after the attack, she and Morgan had been in shock and clung to each other. Desperate for the comfort of physical contact with one another, they'd made love repeatedly and conceived Jason in one of those early days after the incident. But then, things shifted between them.
Morgan became increasingly withdrawn and eventually almost hostile. During the start of her second trimester, they'd had a terrible fight and he finally admitted that he blamed her for bringing Jack into their lives. Instead of celebrating and enjoying her pregnancy, they'd spent most of it in therapy. Grace struggled between wanting to make her marriage work and anger both at Morgan for blaming her for something so far beyond her control and at Jack for bringing the troubles to her doorstep in the first place. Things weren't perfect, but Morgan was trying harder since Jason had been born.
Grace had hoped that they could turn the banquet into a date. She'd made arrangements with Morgan's mother to take Jason for the night and booked them a suite at the hotel where the banquet was being held. When she broke their date and suggested he could wait for her in the room, he'd sulked. She'd tried to cajole him into giving it a shot but he made a snide remark about not wanting to be a target for the psycho that followed her co-worker. Perhaps he hadn't meant it, but the remark had stung and she told him he could watch Jason or take him to his mother's but that she was going to stay at the hotel and take a night away.
His almost dying had been terrifying, but damn it, it had been more than a year since the incident and every time she thought they were making progress, he'd throw Jack's escapade in her face. Morgan seemed perfectly capable of staying out late with friends and leaving her to care for Jason on her own - apparently he wasn't so scared that he was concerned for his wife and child. It was almost like Jack became an excuse for Morgan. Anytime, he didn't want to go somewhere or wanted to get his way, he would bring up the incident.
Perhaps her marriage was beyond saving and Morgan's latest episode was the icing on the cake; but tonight she wasn't ready to think about it, Grace decided and pushed the thought away as George approached with a pair of champagne glasses. Gratefully she accepted and took a sip. She was about to ask George if he'd like to find a place to sit when Amy chased Chloe across the dance floor and she slammed into Grace, spilling the contents of her glass down her front. Chloe jumped back and her eyes went wide as the glass shattered on the floor.
"Grace, I'm so sorry!" Sam exclaimed, pulling away from Bailey on the dance floor and rushing to her side.
"No problem," Grace replied and smiled politely despite the freezing cold seeping through her dress and undergarments.
"Let me get some napkins," George chimed in and ran off to see what he could find.
"Chloe, apologize to Grace and then come with me, we need to have a little talk," Sam said.
Chloe looked chagrined and apologized as her mother instructed, then followed her mother.
A moment later, Bailey joined Grace. "Little accident?"
"Something like that."
"Did Sam seem okay to you? I'm worried about her. Interviewing Sharon Lesher must have taken a lot out of her."
"I can only imagine how hard it was for her."
"Especially after poor Coop-"
"Here we go," George called out as he returned with a hand full of napkins. Handing half to Grace, he began to dab at one side of her dress. "Well, that's $500 down the drain."
Looking down, she saw the silk crepe was starting to pucker and no dry cleaner would be able to salvage it. If her boss and Sam's biggest cheerleader hadn't been by their side, she would have readily agreed with George. Instead, she said weakly, "Accidents happen."
"Do you think I should check on, Sam?"
"Excuse me, gentlemen, I think I'll repair to the ladies room and try to fix this," Grace begged off and walked away.
"Of course, Gracie. George, I swear to God, if I ever get my hands on that damn SOB Jack..."
As quickly as she could, Grace left Bailey to his tirade. She felt guilty about leaving her poor friend and coworker to listen to their boss give an endless litany of "poor Sam" and the violence he would do to Jack. Although he was sincere and meant well, she couldn't listen to his frettings tonight. The entire evening had been a giant disappointment before it even began and now with her dress ruined, it was a total washout.
Outside the ballroom, Grace decided to bypass the ladies room and to go to her suite. She had spent enough time at the banquet that no one would be offended and with the exception of George, it was unlikely she would be missed. In the hallway, she hesitated briefly. The one set of elevators was outside the ballroom on the opposite side and she didn't want to risk being noticed. There was a second bank of elevators on the opposite side of the hotel and she could reach them quickly if she cut across the hotel's courtyard.
The courtyard had walkways curving around a large fountain in the center. Boxwood topiaries and lush curling ivy mingled with rose bushes gave it a romantic air. Grace walked past the fountain, then paused to sit on a bench. She didn't want George to worry about her, so she pulled her cellphone out and texted him that she was calling it a night. A moment later it beeped and she smiled at his teasing complaint about deserting him and leaving him to listen to the boss rambling on about their favorite blonde.
Laughing, she texted back saying softly as she did so, "Bailey's a bright guy, but I swear to God, his IQ drops a good 50 points every time little Miss Perfect is around."
Grace was about to put her phone away when a voice started her and caused her to drop it..
"Now that's the first truly intelligent thing I've heard all evening."
Her body froze and her heart began to pound. She knew that voice. Every agent at the VCTF knew it. Jack. Jack with his velvet sinister tone that seemed to crawl inside and invade one's soul. There were more than two hundred officers and agents nearby, but with the music and the noise of the party, it was unlikely they would hear her.
"You're welcome to try, Grace."
"Try what?"
"Scream, of course. It's unnecessary, but you're welcome to give it a try."
She was still weighing her options and scanning the darkness nervously when she heard the metallic flip of a zippo opening, saw the sudden flicker of flame give the briefest bit of illumination, and the scent of lighter fluid briefly flared up then was diminished by the faint aroma of smoke. Almost hypnotized by the glowing tip of the cigarette, like a mouse before a cobra, she struggled to stand up. The smoke plumed lightly in the night's breeze and she smelled the garden's roses all around them. Adrenalin coursing through her, every nerve in her body was in over drive.
"There are several ways this could go. You could scream, hope that someone happens to be near enough to hear and that all the righteous members of Bailey Malone's merry band of men descend on me, kill me and that I'm drug off to the underworld; though I must warn you it's highly unlikely. The next option is for me to slit your throat before the sound has the opportunity to leave your lovely mouth which I'd hate to do and wasn't on the agenda for this evening. Or we could simply enjoy a bit of polite conversation, exchange a few truths then part ways and both be the better for it. Personally, I prefer the latter, though I leave the decision to you."
"Depends on how polite you expect me to be," Grace muttered under her breath and sat down.
Her voice must have carried because Jack's laugh suddenly filled the courtyard.
"Sit back down. Don't tell me you're upset about my little experiment."
"Experiment!" she snapped. "You tried to kill my husband!"
"Nonsense," Jack dismissed her words airily. "I merely set up a situation in which you decided whether he lived or died. I timed it down to the second. I did you a favor, Grace. Not my fault you didn't take advantage of it. Morgan's weak-"
"He is not weak!"
"Oh please, he's even weaker in mind than he is in flesh."
"What, you're going to tell me how he begged for his life?"
"Hardly. I tend to find that one of the more boring aspects of my creations. Each victim has their own special variation and yet they're all the same. A pointless plea for a life that was never worth living. My kills are very carefully considered and I never eliminate any one the world would be better off for. I'm doing a public service, really."
"The world wouldn't be better off without Morgan."
"You certainly would be. Think of all those late nights he works, Grace. All those long coffees with George where you discussed hiring a private investigator last year. Don't you imagine I know everything there is to know about every agent at the VCTF and everyone in their lives as well? From Morgan and Rich to the latest skirt Grant's chasing, I know everything. Sometimes a person is better off alone."
Angrily, Grace shot back, "I doubt Sam would agree."
Instantly, a wave of panic washed over her. He was a cold blooded killer, quite possibly insane and here she was antagonizing him about the object of his obsession.
"Ah yes, Samantha," Jack purred her name.
It was both terrifying and incredibly intimate as he spoke her name. Grace had heard recordings of Jack's voice here and there, certainly enough that it was instantly recognizable to her; but none of the recordings had captured the raw sensuality he imbued Sam's given name with.
"So beautifully untouchable and yet-" he trailed off caught up in some private thought. His reverie broke and he took a drag off his cigarette before continuing in a much lighter tone, "Such a very foolish girl. One would think she'd learned her lesson with Tom and Coop. Perhaps the third lesson will be the charm."
"He's just a friend. She isn't any more interested in Rick than-"
"Than she is in Malone or Grant? Of course. But it doesn't make her little infidelities any less irritating. Don't you feel irritated, Grace?"
Warily, she watched the ember of his cigarette and asked, "With Sam?"
"Samantha may be the center of my universe, but I suspect you're tired of her being the center of yours. Tonight you and your coworkers had to leave your escorts at home. Tomorrow, who knows? You know I'll never give up until she's mine. Imagine all the hassle I'll have to cause you and all the other good agents until then."
"You've caused plenty of trouble for me already, thank you!"
"Have I now?" he asked in amusement.
Irritated, she reminded him, "Morgan."
"You'd be better off without him. He's unfaithful."
"He is not! And if he is, it's not him. He's traumatized," Grace protested. Maybe Morgan was cheating, but she didn't want to hear from Jack of all people. "It's your fault my marriage is falling apart!"
"How convenient for him. The big bad serial killer scared him and now he has an excuse for every thing wrong in his life. Unfortunately, he began the affair with his secretary three months before my little late night visit."
Grace's shoulders slumped as he spoke. She could remember around that time how Morgan had started working late more and more often. He'd blamed it on quarterly tax filings and a couple of new clients that had complicated situations with back taxes. At the time she'd accepted it because his job did have times when he was busier, but it never really let up after that. Before that when she would have an overnight assignment, Morgan would urge her to call and tell her he missed her. Since that time, he would often miss her calls when she was on overnight assignments and claim he'd fallen asleep.
"Would you please leave me alone?" she implored softly.
"They say the truth sets us free, but it isn't the easy or pleasant ones. It's the ugly and difficult ones," Jack told her and stubbed his cigarette out.
His face was obscured in the darkness, but Grace could feel him watching her from the shadows.
"Then I'm free. I've had enough truth for one night. Please go."
When he didn't move, she stood up to leave. Instantly he was behind her and she gasped in shock at the sudden closeness.
"Not yet. There are a few more truths you need to hear."
"Fine," she replied with an air of resignation.
"You may be tempted to blame your husband's cheating on the long hours of your job or any number of factors, but the truth is no one is forced to cheat. There's a point when things are falling apart and the writing starts to appear on the wall when either one of you can stop and tell the other you want to start again before it's too late. In your heart, I think you checked out of your marriage a long time ago."
His words filled her ears and she closed her eyes as she reluctantly admitted, "Maybe."
"So why didn't you leave?"
Grace opened her eyes and fought the urge to cry. "He was my first."
There was a wealth of meaning in those four words. They had grown up together and experienced so much of the start of life together that she felt guilty whenever she thought of leaving him. And then there was the idea of trying to date someone else and starting all over. Would another man want her the way he had? Would he make her feel the way Morgan had in the beginning? Not that she'd felt that thrill in a long time, but she'd held onto the sentiment of it for a long time.
"You can't dwell in the past, Grace."
The sound of his voice as he said her name was like a caress and it sent a shiver down her spine. It didn't have the same possessive tone that it had earlier when he'd said Sam's name; but it was almost erotic nonetheless.
"I don't know if I can-"
"Start over? But you can and you will."
"Will I?"
"You will," Jack promised in a sibilant tone.
Grace's breath caught as he turned her around and captured her mouth with his before she had time to think or react. All she could do is cling to him as his mouth caressed hers. It was a slow deep kiss that seemed to steal her breath away. Nearly two decades with Morgan seemed to crumble in a single moment in Jack's arms. When he lifted his face from hers, he eased her towards the bench she'd occupied earlier and she sank down on it.
"One day, we'll have another conversation and you will tell me many truths. Truths about yourself, your friends and my Samantha. Tonight, I'll take my leave and allow you to take in the full scope of the truths I've given you tonight."
Grace felt him fade into the shadows and shivered as she realized the last truth Jack had left her with. After meeting Jack, she didn't know where her life would take her, but she knew it would never be the same...