JENNY Chapter 3 (new)

The next morning Jenny awoke to find Pete cooking breakfast. She sat on the coach his dressing gown tied loosely around her body, he sat down handing her a plate. She glanced at her watch knowing her parents would have arrived home.

"Do I have to go back?" her voice now filled with fear.

"I've told you, I'll be with you, so stop worrying." She picked at the food trembling finally pushing the plate away, walking silently into the bedroom. He sighed, pausing before joining her holding her gently.

"Pete." she paused sitting on the bed. "I really like being with you, this could be the last time I see you." Silent tears rolled down her face, he hugged her gently silently thinking about losing her.

"It will work out Jen." he whispered stroking her hair. "Your parents can't stop us, we have something special, don't we?" she nodded hugging him not wanting to release him. The thought of never holding her again troubled him.

"I'll take you home when you’re ready." She reluctantly walked into the bathroom turning on the shower leaving Pete thinking. He walked into the bathroom pausing before opening the shower door making her laugh as the water soaked his clothes, he held her gently pausing before kissing her, she struggled to pull the sodden t-shirt from his body kissing his chest, he pinned her against the wall making love to her, holding her close her tears blending with the warm water.

"Do you really think, I would let anyone come between us?" he whispered hugging her, she shook her head silently. They quickly dressed Jenny sat inspecting her foot.

"You won't need the bandage on now does it feel better?" she nodded silently, he sat beside her drying her hair. They walked to the bike, she paused before climbing on turning toward him removing his sunglasses.

"You can do this Jen, you told Caroline." he paused. "I'm not losing you." She gripped him tight, the thoughts of their first meeting, the first kiss filled her thoughts. They arrived at her house she trembled has her father opened the door, the look of disappointment clearly on his face. Pete held her hand gently walking toward the door.

"Just remember what I told you, believe in yourself." he whispered, Jenny’s father blocked the entrance with his hand.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to invite your friend inside. We have a very serious matter to discuss."

"I'll talk outside then." she stated gripping Pete’s hand nervously.

"Caroline has phoned your mother this morning, what she was told was hard to believe, but, I can see with my own eyes." he sighed. "I just hope it’s not too late to make you see sense." he expected her to go inside but she stood adamant next to Pete.

"I will discuss this with you and mum, but Pete comes too, It concerns him." she trembled expecting her father to shout but he stepped aside allowing them to enter.

"You've won the first round." Pete whispered sitting beside her sliding his sunglasses inside his jeans. Jenny attempted to hug her mum but she walked away crying.

"Jennifer, how could you do this to us." she sat down drying her eyes.

"What have I done, you have listened to Caroline, and believed her." she stated annoyed. "But, you haven’t asked me have you." her father sat deep in thought his hands firmly clasped  together.

"Did you get drunk last night, so drunk that you let." he paused unable to ask her.

"Father I went out on Friday with Caroline, I had two drinks and that is the truth." she paused. "I met Pete on Friday at the pub, I stayed with him Friday night and last night. We didn't have a drink last night unless you’re counting coffee, Pete hasn’t forced me to do anything." Her father studied them silently he knew she had never lied to him.

"Rose I think it’s time we had a pot of tea, Jennifer would you help your mother." he studied Pete closely.

"You probably think we are over protective, but she has had a very sheltered life." he paused sitting forward. "Imagine you had a daughter, you would naturally want the best for her wouldn’t you." Pete nodded in agreement. "You wouldn’t want her dating someone that could only offer her a life of benefits, scrimping and scraping to survive." Pete lit a cigarette annoyed.

"Do you think that is the only thing I can offer her. I have a full time job, in fact I start work at 2am. I own the flat I live in, and you can ask Jenny it’s a little more than a squat." he glanced at the door hoping Jenny would walk in. "I think you should listen to Jenny, she knows what she wants. I can only assure you, I will look after her and I would never hurt her." Pete stated.

He glanced at his daughter as she walked into the room carrying a tray. It seemed only yesterday that he held her, bouncing her on his knee as she laughed, but now the boisterous child had turned into a beautiful young woman.

"I acted in haste, and I may have misjudged you Pete, for that I apologise. I honestly don't know what to do Jennifer." he paused glancing at her. "If I do nothing and you get hurt, I would never forgive myself. If I forbid you to see Pete again, I think you will and that will lead to lies and deceit, so." he paused for a few minutes. "I've decided, to let you decide and I hope I am doing the right thing." She hugged her father crying, kissing Pete he wiped her tears away.

"Pete would you like to stay for dinner." her father asked. Pete glanced at his watch.

"I would like that thanks, but I can't stay too late. I have to get some sleep before work." Jenny helped her mother prepare dinner.

"What does he do for a living, it must be something interesting if he starts work at 2am." Jenny thought for a few minutes.

"He said he would tell me in a few weeks, but I think he works at the hospital." her mother began to get curious.

"You must have some idea." Jenny shrugged returning to the lounge.

"Mum just asked me what you do for a living." he held her gently around the waist.

"What did you tell her." she glanced at her father.

"I don't exactly know and that is the truth he won't tell me, will you." he shook his head.

"No, not yet my job ruined my last relationship. I want you know everything but not yet." They finished the meal he held her gently walking to the bike, she hugged him.

"I'm really going to miss you, I wanted you to know you made my birthday great." He kissed her not wanting to release her.

"I'll phone you tomorrow after work, we can decide what to do this weekend." he climbed on the bike as he spoke. "I think your father will let you stay, but I have something to do first." he kissed her goodbye before riding into the distance. She sighed returning to help her mother with the dishes.

"He seems to be a very nice man, not exactly what your father and I had planned but!" she smiled sitting her down. "Jennifer you must follow your heart, if you make a mistake and you will, It will make you a stronger person." They talked about her relationship.

"Have you thought about contraception, I know it’s a subject we wouldn’t normally discuss." she paused. "To be honest I think you should think about it, have you?" Jenny lit a cigarette surprising her mother.

"Jennifer please, we respect your relationship, but smoking." she stated shocked. Jenny put the cigarette out respecting her mother’s wishes. "It’s a filthy habit."

"Mum I've never lied to you, but you have to except I have a life too. I have always taken your advice and I promise, I will discuss it with Pete." she silently thought about him holding her, but now she felt alone.

"What’s the matter Jennifer." her mother sat beside her wiping her tears away.

"I really miss him mum, I know that sounds silly." her mother hugged her gently. "He made my birthday so special."

"I'm sure he will phone you tomorrow, if he's working so early all week he will be exhausted."

"Can I stay at his flat next weekend. I know, I don't need your permission but I would like it."

"I think you should ask your father, why don't you talk to him." Jenny dried her face walking into the lounge, she sat quietly on the floral coach her father silently studied his paper occasionally tapping his pipe on the ash tray.

"Dad can we talk." she whispered wanting his advice, he folded his newspaper.

"I just wanted to thank you for." she paused unable to find the words wishing Pete was beside her.

"You are growing up Jennifer, I accept that I would have preferred you to marry a good catholic boy." he paused emptying his pipe. "For some strange reason, I like Pete, I don't know why"

"He takes care of me dad look." she pulled the trainer off showing him her foot. "He took me to the hospital he insisted."

"That looks infected, what did the hospital say."

"Pretty much the same, I'll tell Pete when he phones me it didn't look that bad this morning, it’s probably nothing." she paused. "Dad can I stay at Pete’s next weekend." her father filled his pipe silently not wanting to discuss it.

"Dad, I don't need your permission, but I want it, It’s important to Me." she paused. "I'm not asking you to agree to pre-marital sex!"

"Jennifer!" he snapped shocked by his daughters words.

"I love him dad, I am missing him so much it hurts." tears rolled down her cheeks. "When I was a child you promised you would help Me." he hugged her close tears filling his eyes.

"You will always be my little girl, I've protected you for 18 years." he wiped his tears away. "I just don't want you to get hurt." he searched for his tissues gently wiping her eyes. "You can stay with him, If you wish." she hugged her father crying.

"I love you and mum so much, I didn't want to hurt you like this. I'm sorry dad."

"You are starting your own journey now, and yes you will make mistakes, we all do. But!, I mean this Jennifer, enjoy your life, and who knows If Pete is the right one." he smiled tapping her hand.

"Dad, I have to tell you something." she picked the newspaper up as she spoke glancing at the picture of Cassandra, she sat beside her father handing him the newspaper.

"I am a witness to her murder, we both watched her suffer before he killed her." she paused. "I hadn’t known her very long but she helped Me." a silent tear ran down her face. "Cassandra was Pete’s ex-girlfriend but they split but remained good friends. I suppose, we both needed a shoulder to cry on." she thought back to the barn. "We informed the police she didn't deserve to die like that." her father comforted her silently.

"I will say a prayer for her tonight at mass, I suggest you do the same." he paused for a few minutes. "We will ask for you both to be strong through this ordeal, it might not mean anything to Pete, but it will make you feel better." she nodded silently. "Would you like to talk about her." he lit his pipe.

"Caroline called and we went to the village pub, Pete and his friends arrived a few minutes later, Caroline started to tease Me." she paused deciding to tell him everything. "I ran into the toilets to get away from her, I met Pete in the corridor he just wished me happy birthday. I returned to Caroline, she wouldn't stop laughing at me. I just wanted to get away so I sat in the garden that was the start of my relationship I think."

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want too, but if it helps, I'll listen."

"He wanted to know why I didn't tell her to shut-up then he decided I should have some fun so we went for a ride, it was great. We had a straw fight then." she paused thinking about him. "He kissed me."

"I suppose Caroline didn't like that." he sighed

"No, she is really jealous that’s why she told mum, we all stayed at the old church, Cassandra wanted to teach Caroline a lesson." her mother walked in carrying a tray.

"I'm not disturbing you, I thought you both would like a drink before Mass." she placed the tray beside them returning to the kitchen.

"Cassandra told me to walk over to Pete and kiss him, so I did." she filled the cups as she spoke. "Later that night we were all asleep and a crowd of people chanting for Satan started fighting with Pete’s friends." she knew she would have to tell him about the room they shared.

"Most of Pete’s friends ran but they caught Cassandra. We stayed in another room so they didn't know we witnessed It." she waited for his reaction but he listened patiently wanting to help her.

"They tore her clothes off, beat her." she started to cry thinking about Cassandra screaming, her father held her comforting her gently.

"They drugged her, she was too weak covered in bruises." she wiped her face. "They raped her, all of them and then they slit her throat." she cried holding her father close.

"Pete doesn't trust Caroline he made that clear." she quickly composed herself. "You know what happened now." she glanced at her father he looked troubled.

"Pete tried to break the planks off the windows to get me away from them but he couldn’t."

"It must have been terrible to witness a murder is tragic but if the victim was a friend and Pete’s ex-girlfriend." he paused unable to finish, shocked. "How did it effect Pete."

"He wanted to go for a ride, he was crying, he wanted to bring me home but I wouldn't let him." she fumbled with Pete’s cigarettes wanting one but respecting her parents’ wishes.

"I made Pete really angry, I walked away from him, I knew he wouldn't leave me, that’s how I cut my foot." they finished their drinks, her father didn't comment like she expected, he listened and comforted her.

"You know when I want to hide something from your mother, I find the greenhouse a welcome solution." he smiled hugging her gently. "Just leave the door open a little." she looked at him shocked as he returned to his chair.

She stood at the greenhouse door gazing at the stars, the same stars she had looked at with Pete laying beside her, she could almost hear his voice, quickly putting the cigarette out hearing her mother’s voice.

They walked to the church Jenny felt uncomfortable as she greeted Father McKinley quickly taking her place beside her mother not wanting to hold a conversation. She knelt saying a small prayer for Cassandra. Longing for the service to end wanting to escape before Father McKinley engaged into yet another conversation. They arrived home Jenny’s mobile phone spun on the stained fire surround.

"It’s from Pete, he says goodnight for me, good morning for him."

"Why don't you give him a call before you go to bed." her father stated, she ran up the stairs quickly dialling his number.

"I thought you might call are you missing me." Pete whispered, she explained the conversation she had with her father finally telling him about her foot.

"I've got to go Jen, I'll come and see you when I finish work, it should be lunchtime when I get to your house."

"I wish, I could kiss you goodnight." the thought of his lip touching hers filled her thoughts. "I'll see you tomorrow." she held her phone close her father walked into the room. "Pete will be here tomorrow after work, I told him about my foot." she whispered not wanting to disturb her mother.

"I think, I know what Pete’s profession is, but it wouldn’t be fair to tell you." he walked towards the door. "I'm sure he will tell you when the time is right." she looked puzzled. "You have all the clues just put them together." he said kissing her goodnight.

She sat quietly thinking about her father’s statement he had worked out Pete’s profession after meeting him once, was it that obvious. She had spent the weekend with him, clues she thought. What clues, he worked at the hospital that much he had admitted. She cast the thoughts from her mind climbing into bed.

She awoke early the next morning in pain limping badly crying, her father walked into the bedroom holding her gently concerned glancing at her foot now swollen the area around the wound had formed into a puss filled hard blister.

"I will get your mother to phone the doctor that needs lancing." he comforted her as he spoke. Rose phoned the doctor requesting an appointment.

"They have no appointments until Friday, I have to phone them early Friday morning." she stated worried about her daughter. "Do you think we should take her to the hospital?" he shook his head.

"I think she will see a doctor before Friday Rose, trust Me." he smiled reassuring his wife. Jenny limped into the room her eyes red and tear stained.

"I can't get you an appointment until Friday Jennifer." her mother sighed sitting beside her. "I could give you some painkillers but I don't know if it would help." Jenny shook her head wanting the pain to go.

"I think you will feel better soon Jennifer." her father glanced at his watch as he spoke. Rose handed her a cup of tea but she refused crying.

"We can't leave her like this Bill she is suffering." she wiped Jenny’s tears away. "I will take her to the hospital."

"I don't want to go, just leave me alone." she grabbed the cushion close crying. "I'm sorry mum but it’s killing me." The familiar sound of Pete’s bike interrupted her.  "I don't want Pete to see me like this."

"I'll let Pete in, it will give you time to dry your face." her father walked to the door letting Pete in. "Jennifer has a problem, her foot is badly swollen but we can't get her an appointment until Friday." he paused his hand resting on the lounge door. "She is stubborn like her mother, she won't go to hospital." he sat on the stairs thinking.

"Why don't you want her to know you are a doctor Pete." he paused. "I have to give her time to tidy herself up, she doesn't want you to see that she has been crying." Pete sighed sitting beside Bill.

"How did you work out I was a doctor, I didn't want Jenny to know because it broke up my last relationship."

"With Cassandra?" he said lighting his pipe. "Yes, I know about her Jennifer told me about her last night." he silently thought for a few minutes. "Pete if you ever want to talk, I'm a good listener, and I don't think Jennifer does know."

"Cassie ended our relationship because she hated the hours I worked." he sighed lighting a cigarette.

"I thought Pete was here." Jenny gasped trying to sit up.

"He will be here in a few minutes your father is talking to him." she wiped her face, Pete and her father walked into the room.

"I thought you missed me, I don't even get a hug." Pete stood in front of her.

"You give me a kiss, I can't move." she gasped, Rose moved allowing him to sit down.

"Rose I think we should give them a few minutes don't you." they walked into the kitchen, Pete held her  close kissing her.

"I've really missed you." he whispered holding her gently, she flinched as he held her. "Let me look at that foot." tears rolled down her face as he examined the it.

"I know it hurts, have you been taking those antibiotics." she shook her head, he sighed removing his jacket.

"I'm not going to hospital again, so don't even suggest It." she stated adamant not to go.

"Ok I won't take you to hospital." he walked into the kitchen silently, quickly filling a small bowl turning to face Bill. "Have you got a new razor blade?" he asked politely. "She's refusing to go to the hospital again." Rose looked worried as he handed him the blade, he quickly returned to Jenny placing the things on the side.

"Calm down Rose, he wouldn’t hurt her." Bill insisted.

"Lay down, I'll stop your foot hurting you." he pushed her back gently as he spoke kissing her. "I'm not going to lie to you it will hurt but the pain should go pretty quick." she sat up worried.

"Tell mum, I will go to hospital." she cried, he knelt beside her.

"You don't need to go to hospital, well not now anyway. So lay down and relax." he sighed as she sat up again refusing to show him her foot. Bill walked into the room.

"Dad tell mum I will go to hospital." tears rolled down her face her father sat beside her comforting her.

"I could take you to hospital Jen, but they wouldn't do anything different. I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you, I would just prefer a doctor to do It." she snapped, he pulled her towards him gently kissing her neck.

"You still haven't worked out what I do have you?" he whispered, she looked at him shocked. He held her foot gently wiping it, quickly lancing it making her cry.

"Its over it will stop hurting soon I promise." he hugged her gently. "I'll take these out." he quickly washed the dish throwing the blade away. Bill walked in standing beside him.

"We were talking last night Jennifer and myself, she got upset because she was missing you that much, I wouldn’t worry about the hours you work, I don't think that will bother her, do you?" he quickly filled the kettle.

"I hope it doesn’t because I really like her a lot, I know we haven’t known each other that long." he paused thinking back to the day he met her. "We have something special." Bill handed him a mug of coffee.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, I'm sure Jennifer would want you too." Bill noticed how worried Pete looked. "I know Rose isn't a great chef but surely it can't be that bad." Pete shook his head lighting a cigarette.

"I would like to stay for dinner, my friend texted me last night he's going out with Caroline, he's worried because she is determined to split me and Jenny up. She will do anything she's infatuated with me," he paused. "But to be honest, I think she is a nasty hurtful bitch, I want Jen to stay away from her.

"We have never really liked the girl, in fact she has caused problems for Jennifer since they were children." Bill sighed thinking about the day he had sent her away. "It broke my heart the day I put her on the train to London." They returned to the lounge Jenny lay asleep clutching the cushion. Pete stroked her hair away from her face, she opened her eyes.

"I was having a really nice dream." she mumbled snuggling back into the cushion.

"Do you know where she put the antibiotics the hospital gave her?"

"I don't, I haven’t seen them unless." he paused handing her bag to Pete. "She can be so stubborn sometimes." Pete put the bag beside him shaking her.

"Come on wake-up, you need to take your antibiotics." he held her gently she sat up cuddling into him. "Take your tablets first." he insisted.

"I don't know where they are, I'll take them later." she mumbled closing her eyes.

"No, you will take them now, where are they." he sat her up .

"Probably in my bag." she snapped, he handed her the bag watching her search finally revealing the brown tablet bottle handing it to him, he shook two onto his hand handing them to her.

"It says I have to take one twice a day." she stated.

"You need them Jen, and to be honest I think I would know." he handed her his coffee, she reluctantly swallowed the tablets cuddling into him falling asleep.

She slept for about an hour stretching surprised to find herself in his arms.

"I've just been dreaming about you." she kissed him relieved to be in his arms once more.

"I have to discuss something with you." he turned her to face him. "I will be really busy for the rest of the week, but I promise, I will be here on Friday about 12," he paused thinking she would object. "I will phone you every day."

"I know you have to work Pete, but I'm warning you." she paused looking at him. "You better make up all the time I've missed you this weekend." she smiled hugging him.

"Will you promise to do something for me Jen." Pete asked quietly making Rose curious. "I want you to stay away from Caroline." she knew he was serious, finally agreeing to his request. They finished the meal returning to the lounge, he held her gently.

"I have to go Jen." he kissed her, teasing her. "I wish you could come with Me." he whispered holding her close. "But, I have to get some sleep, I'll see you on Friday." she walked to the bike with him, "I'll phone you later." he kissed her before leaving.