style doesn't matter when your lying on your back

[jack edward riley]

Jack wasn't a cheap guy, he was just the kind of guy who rather do it himself (in a non-dirty way), especially when your car breaks down and it wasn't your car in the first place, but your uncles. Not to mention a professional wants 800 bucks to put on a new belt and put oil in the tank. Jack took off his white dress shirt he was wearing and pulled down the red wifebeater he had on. His tattoo glistened in the sun. He felt better about wearing shirts that showed his arms now, since he had actually built up a lot more muscle in the last months. He was headed to go for a run on the beach when the car started smoking and he decided to just park it outside the front of The Orchid. The pier was pretty packed with people today. Jack was now under the hood leaning over making sure the belt was on right. Bon Jovi music came through the stereo and seemed muffled by the engines roar. Jack touched a hot coil with the back of his hand and hissed as he pulled it away quickly he cut it on a rough edge. He held his hand in his other and leaned back against the front of his car. He stood there putting pressure on his throbbing hand and then decided he had to finish what he started. He shook the pain off and got down and lay on his back, he had to check that there was a plug under the car, that wasn't clogged, and could let the heat the engine made out. He lye under the car and prodded around, cursing from the pain in his hand.

[ava louise riley]

It had been about a week since Ava and Jack had had sex and about the same amount of time since Ava and Blake had decided to take a trial separation. Yes, she'd gone home and been honest with her husband, which was probably one of the best things she could've done. Of course, he was angry, recalling the first time she'd ever told him she'd cheated on him, which had been with Lucas years ago. Would she ever learn? She knew her heart was conflicted and until she got past it, she wouldn't. He didn't deserve that.

Since it had been Blake's apartment before hers, she'd left temporarily and was staying with Rachel who was the other person other than Jack and Blake to know what had happened, unless Jack had told someone. The living arrangement was hardly ideal though and needing some space, she'd decided to go for a run with Prince, the couple's dog for company. That lead her, by chance, to the Orchid.

Which lead her to see Jack. They hadn't spoken since that day, despite her promise to talk later. It had been too hard for her to say what she knew she needed too. Taking a deep breath, she walked over, her hands in her pockets. "Bon Jovi, huh? Guess you have better taste in music than I thought.." she teased, trying to break the ice.

[jack edward riley]

Her voice made him jump back in a bit of surprise, he was so used to the sound of the music and the car that when something else interjected it pulled him from his own thoughts. He pulled back making sure not to hit his head and looked over to see where the voice had come from.
He didn't expect to see her here. It had be unspoken but he had thought the plan was to avoid each other the best they could.

In the week that past his bandages were removed,except for a knee brace, and he could once again see though it was very blurry and a strain.Even though he tried to avoid her both physically and mentally but he found his thoughts going to her and how guilty he felt about Blake, whether he knew it yet or not. He felt like it was an eternity long standing there looking at her before he directed his attention to the dog at her side.

" Yeah well people will surprise ya." He said looking back at her before reaching inside the passengers side to grab a rag from the front seat in which he wiped away the grease from his hands.

[ava louise riley]

He looked good...his old self if that were possible, the guy she'd always known. He seemed healthy and she guessed by the fact he was fixing a car, that he could see again. Well, that and he was looking at her clearly. She couldn't help, but smile at just the sight of him.

"Yeah, I guess they can." She said with a nod, looking from him to the ground and back as she nodded some more. Silence fell between them, then she sighed and spoke again. "So I've been staying at Rachel's.." she said, not elaborating much since she didn't know many of the details, like how long she'd be there. "Prince seems to like it...I guess its a space thing." she said with a small laugh, again to kill any awkwardness. Rachel lived in a mansion which was a step up from the apartment. "I don't know what's going on with her and Lance these days...its so up in the air for those two and then there is his and Kennedy's son which makes things messy and.." She realized she was rambling and stopped herself. "And, I guess I never realized how out of touch we'd gotten until lately.." she said, meaning her and Rachel. Anything to keep from the real issue at hand. Them.

[jack edward riley]

He listened to her rambling with a nod and couldn't take his eyes away from hers. He had a feeling she would tell Blake but he still had that feeling that none of this had sunk it yet or even happened. She didn't stay on the topic of her not living with her husband for very long so he thought that he shouldn't as well. There was so much though that he felt the need to tell her." Well at least you have the opportunity now." He said commenting on her last sentence. He leaned back against the car and looked down at his hurt hand and the other one that was rubbing the palm, "I'm sorry Ava" He said simply about the whole subject, he couldn't think of anything else.

[ava louise riley]

Hearing his by pass of her ramble and finally an apology, she shook her head. "Don't be...I mean, it takes two, right?" she said with a weak smile. She knew she was partly to blame for what happened, she could've said no..pulled away, but she hadn't. Because a part of her had wanted it...wanted him. Unsure what to say after that she ran a hand through her hair ,which was full of light waves today, before looking at him again. She absentmindedly ran a finger over the finger where her wedding band usually sat. She'd taken it off two days ago and to be honest, it felt weird not having it against her skin. Even the mark it left was starting to fade away now.."So the bandages are gone, huh?" she said, hating the silence.

[jack edward riley]

"Yeah, Just one more eye check and i'm good to go.They said I might have problems later on in life, but it doesn't really matter." He said turning his attention back to the car to give him something to do so it wasn't so awkward.He adjusted the belt and shut the hood. "You wanna go in, maybe have something to drink?" He asked her as he moved around the drivers side to shut the car off all together.

[ava louise riley]

Ava looked at him as he mentioned a drink. Did he mean drink drink? After all, it was a bar, but was drinking such a good idea? She raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out what he'd meant, then nodded deciding he could babysit himself. She trusted him to do the right thing. "Yeah that sounds good." she said with a smile, nodding before leading the way inside.

When they got inside finally, she took a seat at the bar and turned to him. Though the tension really called for hard liquor, she decided to stick to caffiene as the drug of choice. "I'll just have a coke, thanks." she said to him.

[jack edward riley]

He headed behind the bar and grabbed two glasses from the overhead rack. He filled them with ice and poured her a coke and him a seltzer water. He had been sober for 3 weeks now and he was going to keep it that way. He wasn't heading into the backroom until he had someone clean it out fully as well, just incase anything was back there. He passed her the coke and leaned back against the counter behind the bar, across from her. After a few minutes of silence Jack spoke up, " So do we just not talk about it?" He asked finally having to say something-anything about it.

[ava louise riley]

So there was no running from it and apparently he could see it better than she could. Taking some time to think about a reply, she took a long drink then looked at him again, shaking her head. "I guess it's just..where do we start?" she replied, thinking about it and everything that she'd been thinking about it for the past week. "It happened and people got hurt in the process and we can't change that.." she stated, then looked at him. "He asked me to take it back..Blake did..and I couldn't. I couldn't tell him that it wouldn't happen again and that's what hurt the most."

[jack edward riley]

"So where are we left?" He asked. As he spoke he had gulped down most of his drink.He couldn't breath when she had spoken. He had always been in love with Ava, but this isn't how it was supposed to happen. He had always stood by as the friend and wanted more but was always happy for her when she found it. He just didn't want to stand by anymore and do nothing.

[ava louise riley]

Ava thought again before looking at him. "I guess I need to find out what I want..." she said with a sigh, looking around a bit before looking back at him. "And if I want it with Blake...or with you." She looked down and played with her coke in her hands, nervously. Things in her life lately had been so unsure and that scared her a bit. She was used to having everything so planned out. She wasn't big on risks and those close to her knew this. Yet here she was, risking it all.

[jack edward riley]

He nodded silently finding there was nothing else more he could say to that. He got himself another seltzer. Putting a recovering alcholic behind a bar was a hard thing to do but Jack was trying hard to focus on everything but. He looked over at Ava and the to the fizzing drink in his hand.

[ava louise riley]

When he didn't speak, she got nervous and looked down at her drink too, playing with it a little more. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say..maybe he thought what they'd done was a mistake and there was nothing there..that she was just imagining they had chemistry or whatever had happened...She sighed quietly before having another drink. This was awkward.

Looking up again, she wondered if she should go. Did he want her to go? "You know what, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just assumed you'd want to.." She stood and grabbed her bag, starting for the door, not looking at him.

[jack edward riley]

He made his way around the other side of the bar quickly and stood between her and the door. Back in High School he never got another chance and because of his being an asshole and always leaving he dug his own grave for that one. They were both grown up and mature now, he atleast knew what he wanted now. "I want this." He said motioning between them.