First And Forever (under reconstruction) (Wattys2018)

Chapter 41: Revelations Ash POV (edited)

(CJ)"We went through the class together, Liam dropped several hints that he liked me throughout the entire year, but I never picked up on his hints. A week before school let out, a creeper went too far." This time it's Landon's turn, "This kid Joel had been hitting on Clair a lot, but she never noticed.
He wanted her, and he wanted her bad. Taking desperate measures, he took a chance and got physical. Clair had her head on a desk, refusing to sing in front of the class for a project. Clair was, and still is, a choir nerd. But back then she was self conscience about her voice, not realizing that her voice is alluring and beautiful. Joel came up behind her when she had her head down, and started massaging her shoulders in the middle of the classroom. She jerked up in alarm, hunching forward. I wanted to punch him so bad, it took every ounce of strength I possessed to NOT punch him.
Clair was a pushover back then, and she didn't believe she was beautiful or that anyone would love her. It took everything in me to not beat Joel to a bloody pulp, but at the time I couldn't, she wasn't mine."

(CJ) "After I got out of the class, my next class period passed without any incidents. In my last class however, shit hit the fan. My friend Greyson had a very steady crush on me the whole year, and that day he took things too far. We had been talking and joking, when he suddenly put half his hand on my thigh, the other half on my...area. I took his hand off, and five starred his cheek. He had a handprint on his cheek for three days after that. Once I left the class, one of Liam's friends who knew what I look like, told me Liam wanted to meet me. When Liam tried to ask me, he was so cute. It made me smile inside when I saw this normally collected and cool country boy stuttering like a fool."

(Landon) "Well Baby, you're a beautiful girl. I was worried you'd want to go out with someone better looking."

(CJ)"You are good looking Soldier, don't deny that!"

Landon laughs, "I was really nervous when I asked, but she just patiently waited for me to get my head together and pop the question. When I asked, the biggest grin stretched across her face, while her eyes sparkled and danced in happiness."

(CJ) "I said Yes obviously, I mean, he's so sweet, caring, and not to mention drop dead gorgeous.
We dated through the rest of the week, and got scolded for PDA on the last day we had the same class together. When our school took us to splashtown for the very last day of middle school, Liam kissed me for the first time. He claimed my first kiss at the bottom of a set of water slides, but it couldn't have been more perfect."

(Landon) "When we were about to leave Splashtown, I pulled her close and told her I loved her. I was worried she would shove me off of her, worried she would tell me it was too soon. It was too soon, but I knew it deep in my gut, I knew she's the girl I'm gonna marry. She still is. Instead of pushing me away, my little Clair surprised me. When I almost pulled away from her, she pulled me closer and told me she loved me too."

(CJ) "When we started high school, things got complicated. We had applied to different schools, and we hardly saw each other. I met a guy in my math class about a week after school started, a guy named Joshua Woods."

(Landon) "Things went downhill from there. A couple weeks into the new school year, I got a call from someone I didn't know, someone who threatened to kill Clair unless I broke up with her. I didn't think, I was so damn terrified. It was made even worse because the guy told me that he had contacts everywhere, and that he could and would get away with killing Clair were things to get to that point. In the depth of my gut wrenching fear, I did what the person wanted, I broke Clair's heart to protect her."

(CJ) "I was confused, and heartbroken. I thought it was my fault. When I got that text, I was a wreck. I ran to my friend's house, unable to tell my parents what happened. I mean, I thought I did something to make him hate me. A few days later, Josh asked me to homecoming. I said yes, but we went as friends. Josh however, took my "as friends" as something else, that became apparent when he gave me a huge ass homecoming mum. At the homecoming game, we ran into Liam."