Just a Game

Time to Move On

Alice // chapter forty-three

I drove Mr. Dove to Jace's house with my stomach in knots. He talked about his family a lot, his children he thought he'd lost a long time ago. It was an odd predicament to be in. I was confused, happy, and sad all at the same time. 

Parking the car was the easy part of the stop at Jace's, the hard part was getting myself physically out of the car. Mr. Dove had already gotten out and was questioningly staring at me through the passenger window. I knocked out of my thoughts and killed the engine.

"You alright?" he asked when I came to stand next to him as he stared at the house.

I nodded hastily. "Yeah. Come on."

A few steps later, he stopped me. "Wait, are you sure this is okay? It's crazy what we;re doing."

I turned to give him a reassuring smile. "Of course. He'll be very happy." At least he will be if I leave as soon as possible.

"If you're sure," he nodded, giving me a tight smile.

"Look, don't worry about anything," I tried to coax him, "I will be right beside you to make sure everything goes accordingly."

He breathed in slowly. "Okay. Let's go then."

I walked beside him to the front door, making sure that he didn't pass out on me. He let me ring the doorbell and we stood quietly for a few seconds until someone opened the door. 

"How ca-" Jace's bright voice was stopped abruptly when he saw me. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and black dress pants, his hair wilder than ever. His eyes fixed on me before moving on to the man behind me. It was then that real emotion sparked up in his eyes. Dread. Curiosity. Unsureness. Nervousness. Pain. Anguish.

"Jace," I began, willing myself to speak before he shut down, "I have someone that you may want to meet."

He parted his lips to say something but closed it abruptly. 

"Um, this is Mr. Dove. I'm sure you don't remember much of it all, but um, this is your father," I said slowly, realizing how crazy it all sounds when actually said out loud. Not wanting to speak any longer, I stepped aside, allowing the two men to fully look at each other. 

It was a beautiful moment, to say the least. And that, to be honest, had to be the understatement of the century. There was a dark cloud that lifted itself willingly from above their heads. The sun shone bright and the smile that lit Jace's face was too beautiful. I could see the tears that fell without restraint. It was like a dream had come true and it's existence had been so unexpected that when it's right there, it's a surreal moment. 

"Dad..."Jace trailed off, his voice breaking as he tried to rummage through his emotions that ran through his features with great clarity. 

His father took a step forward, ready for the inevitable hug. "Hey, son."

It was only seconds before Jace broke. He took in Mr. Dove for the hug and he held onto him tighter than I could've imagined. He held on like he was his lifeline. There was a transfer of strength between the two men, who in reality, are just two strangers. 

"How did you find me?" Jace whispered a minute later, surely not trusting his voice to use it to its fullest.

Mr. Dove shook his head with a small smile as they pulled away completely from each other. He turned to give me a larger smile. "It was all her. She nearly knocked my door down looking for me."

Jace blinked. His eyes rose to meet mine. That moment when our eyes connected was one, unlike anything I've ever experienced. It was a reignition of a spark that had gone out long ago. It shocked me back to my senses, back to reality almost. I'd been so focused on their reunion that I wasn't paying much mind to the stinging pain that had returned in my heart. It still hurt to see him. To be this close, but never to touch and never to hold. There was nothing worse. It was a reminder of what I have lost. But then he spoke...to me. And with such kind eyes, too. "Alice, can I talk to you alone for a moment, please?"

Stunned and unable to decipher what cards he was playing, I decided to play along. "Sure."

Turning to smile at his father, he said, "You should go inside until we come back; it's a bit chilly out."

"Thank you, son," Mr. Dove replied with such a sense of gratitude, I almost stayed behind out of guilt. Dear Lord, I was leaving him alone in a house of strangers. 

Nonetheless, Mr. Dove went inside still happy and Jace walked up to my side, standing by me with such a comfort that would suggest we hadn't gone through as much as we have. "How did this happen, Alice?"

I breathed out in relief. It was then that I realized I was afraid his pleasant manner towards me would deteriorate once Mr. Dove was out of sight. But that wasn't what took place. He was still nice, still genuine in his addressing. I guess my loneliness had blinded the true memories of who he really was as a person. "I got a letter from E again, but they, whoever they are, told me about your dad and gave me the address of his home. I drove there as soon as I could."

As I spoke, I saw the tears pooling in his eyes and there was this unmeasurable essence that invaded his eyes. I wanted to say more, to explain myself and perhaps apologize again for the one thing I regret the most, the one thing that still drove me mad in my dreams, the one thing that regardless of his cheating, still made me feel like shit. It was that day in his room when I'd blatantly broken his heart without care. It was a moment I could never forget. Not his eyes. Not his words. And definitely not his tears. I still wanted to apologize for that. But before I could go down our infamous memory lane, he spoke. "You never even hesitated, after all that I've done to you?"

It was a question that took me by surprise, but one I regarded as stupid nonetheless. "I would never hesitate to do the things that would bring joy to the person I care about the most. As soon as I read the letter, the first question in my head was 'how presentable do I look and do I have enough gas'," I chuckled, hearing him laugh quietly at my stupid line of a joke, "There was no question about whether I should be doing this for you. I was going to do it whether what happened months ago took place or not. This means something to you, Jace, and whether you like it or not, that means it also matters to me, too. I care for you; I think you forget that."

He shook his head, his tear finally falling. I couldn't help but to reach and wipe it off. "This is so much more than I could ever ask for. Thank you. Thank you."

I nodded, taking in a shuddering breath. "Absolutely," I whispered and looked deep in his enlightened eyes as I said the next words, "And maybe now, I can peacefully and completely move on."

"What?" His question was abrupt; he was expecting the declaration. His eyes had widened and fear had stricken his striking eyes. 

"It's time to move on, Jace. You did it a long time ago and now, it's time I do so as well," I laughed humorlessly, "Graduation is literally around the corner. I don't want to spend the last of our high school days angry at each other over something that ended a long time ago. I want us to be friends."

God, I hate that word. I hated it more than I hated pickles and tomatoes combined together. 

"Friends?" He tested out the word, the rejection that underlined his tone hidden well by the curiosity he forced to the front. 

I nodded, fearing that if I let myself speak, I would tell him the truth. 

He swallowed hard and gave me the shortest nod. "Sure, why not."

It was an odd thing to be standing right next to him on his porch, watching as he fought with himself about something. Being able to read him again brought a warmth to my cold, hardened heart. It was time it thawed a bit, I guess. 

Before either one of us can speak to break the ice cold silence, a car screeched to a halt in the Graysons' parkway. My head turned abruptly to catch Evelyn jumping out of the driver's seat. She looked erratic, angry and ready to jump down someone's throat. 

Her eyes caught Jace first. "She lied, Jace! She fucking lied to everyone!"

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A/N: Welcome back!! Sorry for the delay but school has been...you know how it is lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you again for reading. Please don't forget to vote and comment; it means a lot!