Learning To Trust Again

The next day Jake and Rebecca walked back into the hospital again. Todd had called his sister that morning and asked her to call Jake and get him to visit him again. Rebecca didn’t tell her brother that a call wasn’t necessary, that Jake was so close he could hear Todd’s request for himself. Jake had shrugged and nodded in reply before pulling his fiancé into his arms as she hung up and Todd was forgotten for a while.

Walking into his hospital room, Rebecca smiled at her little brother. She was too happy to hold a grudge today and not mentioning their last meeting asked in a bright voice ‘how are you feeling?’

Staring at her hand in Jake’s before meeting her gaze, Todd said with a frown ‘not too bad.’

‘Good. Now you wanted to see Jake.’

‘Can you give us a minute?’ her brother asked her.

Curious but not interested in pushing the issue Rebecca nodded her agreement ‘okay.’

But before she moved away Todd grabbed her hand ‘sorry about yesterday’ he muttered.

‘You’re lucky I’m in a forgiving mood today’ she said smiling at him ‘forget about it.’

Then reaching up to give Jake a quick kiss she said ‘see you soon.’

He winked at her and said ‘count on it.’ His eyes followed her until she was out the door. Then turning back to Todd as Rebecca moved out of sight, Jake crossed his arms and waited for the younger man to speak.

‘I guess I need to apologise to you too’ Todd said with a discernable lack of warmth or sincerity.

‘Up to you, I don’t need it’ Jake said.

Surprised, expecting the other man to want to force an apology and to be ready to enjoy the spectacle Todd just looked up at him, puzzled.

‘The only thing that matters to me is Rebecca’ Jake said ‘as long as she’s happy, I’m happy. The rest I don’t care about.’ Then his expression turning hard he added ‘but if you ever attack her like that again, you’ll have me to answer to.’ And resuming his former easy tone and manner as if the warning he’d just issued hadn’t happened, he continued ‘now you wanted to see me?’