So this is it. The final chapter. Part of me wanted to draw this out forever, wanting to detail every step in Jake and Sammie's love affair but I have neither the patience or the skill to do so. I wanted them to find their Happily Ever After however much it pained me to let them go.
To everyone who has read this story, who has commented and favourited, I cannot thank you enough. It's a solitary obsession, trying to be a writer, and your messages have made me think maybe I'm not that bad at it. I truly hope that I haven't let you down here, that it ended how you wanted it to. Although... I do have an epilogue and if anyone is interested I could be persuaded to post it!
Cate xx
*****
Breakfast was difficult. Jake mainlined coffee desperately worried about Sammie and missing her warmth next to him. Olivia ate two of the Cafe's Special Number One's and speared his fried bread off his plate, gorging herself and filling the silence. Rosie just glared. At Olivia. At him.
This was a nightmare, unparalleled, Jake thought of all the things he'd wanted in his life, and he had to admit that a child was high on his list. But with Sammie. Rosie's bombshell had left him reeling but he was confident they would overcome it. There were lots of children out there who needed a loving family and Jake was confident enough in himself to accept that it didn't take sperm to become a father. Any child would be lucky beyond words to have Sammie as a mother and he would be honoured to raise another life in the warmth of her love.
Watching Olivia chew, Jake wondered if maybe she was telling the truth. Sure, the last few months they'd barely had sex, barely kissed, but Reno. That one weekend, he'd drank too much tequila and as Olivia had entered their cabana, hair wet from the pool, no makeup and smiling adoringly at him, he'd seen Sammie.
He'd fucked her hard, pushing her further than ever before, melding his body into hers, elating in her cries of pleasure. Even finding out the condom had broken hadn't diminished his lust, he'd simply slid another on and taken her again, from behind where their physical differences weren't so apparent.
And here she was, carrying the physical manifestation of that one crazy weekend. Jake sipped his cold coffee, watching her and wondering what she wanted. He knew Olivia well enough to know that motherhood wasn't on her list... but what? Maybe she'd give him the child to raise, maybe Sammie would accept to raise it with him?
Rosie speared a mushroom on her fork and chewed, staring at Olivia,
"So what now? You expect him to marry you?"
Olivia scoffed,
"No! But I do expect him to take responsibility for his child."
Rosie snorted,
"Every word you've ever uttered has been a lie. Why should we believe you now?"
Olivia rubbed her burgeoning stomach in response and Rosie rolled her eyes,
"He's happy now Olivia. He has Sammie and I can tell you, she is the best woman in the world. If you hurt that, I swear to God..."
Olivia took a drag of her juice, and stared at Jake,
"I don't want you back Jake. Even I accept that that wouldn't work out. I have dreams, so do you... but this, " she rubbed her stomach again, "This we all have to deal with."
Jake stared at her,
"Why did you keep it? You never wanted kids so... I don't understand..."
Olivia shrugged,
"I don't know Jake. I really don't. I thought about it. Even booked the appointment, but when it came time.. I just couldn't do it. I may not be mother material but you are destined to be a father. I just couldn't."
Jake reached for her hand and Rosie gagged, glaring at Olivia as she headed off to pay the bill.
...
Back at the flat, Jake headed straight to Sammie's room, needing to hold her in his arms. Finding her bed empty, he blinding wandered the space searching and as each room came up empty, his tension swelled.
"Sammie?"
He stood in the lounge, his body tense as he called her name. Olivia was in the bathroom doing lord knows what and as he screamed her name again, Rosie ran out of her room, her phone in her hand. She held him, squeezing him tightly,
"She's gone Jake..."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
He crumpled to the floor, pulling Rosie down with him, tears spilling from his eyes as he heaved air into his lungs. Rosie rubbed his back, rocking him in her arms like a child,
"It's not forever Jake. She'll come back but she needs time. You have to understand that?"
"I love her... Rosie, I love her!"
Rosie cradled him in her arms, sssshing his angst away and trying to comfort him,
"And she loves you Jake, I know she does. She always has. But if she needs time, you have to give it to her. You have to!"
Jake held his sister, wondering if life would ever be the same again.
...
Sammie sat on the hotel bed, blinking at the screen. For some godforsaken reason she was in Manchester. She just had to get away and this was the furthest she could go without changing trains. She'd texted Rosie and Sophia, telling them she was okay but needed space. Rosie had been understanding, Sophia less so. Obviously she had spoken to Rosie as her next text expressed,
"I can have both of them killed."
Sammie laughed, the empty husk of a woman lost at sea,
"No need hun, but thank you."
"You okay? Need me to get you drunk?"
Sammie shuddered as she held her phone in her hands, no question, Sophia would drop everything to join her but she needed to do this alone, too much of her life, she'd been reliant on Richard to bolster her through petty emergencies and now, at the toughest crossroads of her life, Sammie finally felt strong enough to shoulder the responsibility alone,
"I'm okay hun. I'll be in touch soon."
"You'd better xx"
A baby. The one thing she couldn't give him. The one thing Sammie wanted most in the world. For years she and Richard had tried, both of them undergoing rigorous tests and finding out that Sammie couldn't conceive. She'd often wondered if that was the reason he'd jilted her, but chose to focus beyond it. Bringing a child into that relationship would have been atrocious and she was glad it had never happened. But Jake, Sammie thought back to her dream of a child with his eyes and sobbed, it was only when you realised what you couldn't have that you realised how much you wanted it.
...
"Where is she?!"
Rosie glared at him,
"I don't know Jake, but honestly, even if I did, I'm not sure I'd tell you!"
"Fuck you! You're my sister, you owe me!"
"And she's my best friend! Fuck you buddy, she's done nothing wrong here, you're the one with the super-powered penis!"
Jake hissed, Rosie may know something but he knew she wouldn't budge,
"I just want to make sure she's okay Rosie! Surely you understand that?!"
"She's fine Jake. Trust me. Let her be. Focus on your baby mama!"
Rosie glared at Olivia, asleep on the couch, a picture of serenity. Jake hated her but couldn't ignore the idea that his child grew within her, however much he believed otherwise. As long as there was a chance...
Rosie siddled over to him,
"If you have any doubts Jake, air them now! I don't believe a word she says and if you let me, I'll find out the truth."
He stared at Rosie, her face more serious than he'd ever seen,
"You think she's lying...?"
Rosie sneered,
"I don't think she'd know the truth if it came up and smacked her in the face. She's driven off my best friend and by proxy broken your heart. If she's lying, I will wait until she's had that baby and fuck her right up!"
Jake stared down at Olivia, once the entity around which he revolved,
"Do it Rosie. Do whatever you have to."
...
Sammie stared at her reflection, so different from herself yet so much the same. She'd cracked, texting Rosie and asking how Jake was and Rosie's one word response had splayed her,
"Broken"
She didn't know why she'd ran and hated herself for it. She should have stayed, supported him in his time of need, but faced with Olivia and the baby she could never bear him, Sammie had cracked. Now, standing in the ultraviolet light of the chain hotel bathroom, her reasons for running didn't seem so strong. So what. So she couldn't have kids, it wasn't the end of the world. And more than that, Jake was facing a huge moment in his life and she should be beside him, not causing him added aggravation. Sammie stared at her reflection one last time and shook her head,
"Man up Lady. Let's go home."
...
Unlocking the door to the flat Sammie feared the worst, tears, screaming, recriminations. Instead she found silence. No Rosie, no Olivia, no Jake.
For hours on the train home, she'd gone through every scenario, each one much the same and not one ending in her home alone. She went to his room and found his bed neatly made, hers was much the same. Dazed Sammie entered the kitchen, wondering if maybe she'd dreamt it. Her battery had died hours ago and Sammie had been relieved. Jake's texts pleading with her to come home had filled her heart with joy and sadness but she couldn't bring herself to reply, not knowing what to say. As her phone went into hibernation, she'd been pleased, glad that the decision was out of her hands. Now however, the lack of communication and the silence in the flat were beginning to drive her crazy.
Finding her charger, she stared at the tiny screen, willing it into life. Flicking her eyes around her room ,she almost missed it at first but sure enough, there was a note on her dresser mirror. Rushing forward she recognised Rosie's swirly penmanship,
"She's in labour. UCL. Come quickly. He needs you x"
Sammie ran, grabbing her bag and headed out into the street.
...
"DRUGGGS!! Give me the fucking drugs!!"
Jake stared at his ex, stripped of her makeup and dressed in a hospital gown. She looked terrified and vulnerable and despite himself, he reached for her,
"Back off buddy!"
