FLASHBACKS ➳ JACK GILINSKY

Chapter 21 - Marry Me

The reporters asked, and my head was spinning. I didn't want to think about how he could have possibly cheated on me, because I didn't reach his expectations. I didn't want to feel like shit anymore. I didn't even want to hang out with him right now.

There were too many confused emotions.

I didn't want to talk to Jack about the kiss. I didn't want to hear him apologize and pretend that everything was alright. I didn't want to spend the day with him, and end up falling deeper into the hole he wedged into my heart.

I wanted to be with Johnson. Even though, he didn't make me feel the way Jack did, he cared for me. He knew me before all of this fame thing really got started, and after everything, he still supported me. He was aware of my feelings for him, yet he's still okay with being friends with me and just being my shoulder to lean on. I feel bad for not returning his feelings, but he was my friend before all of it. He was the closest to Jack, and he took my side. It made me feel like I didn't do anything wrong at all.

"Ouch!" I cried out when I suddenly got pushed to the ground.

I felt trapped. I couldn't take the questions.

"How are Jack and Avery?"

I cupped my hands over my ears.

"Fans have been asking why you could be in the competition with her when she allegedly broke your heart?"

I didn't want to be reminded of the death threats that came my way, not even a day after we broke up. I didn't want to be reminded of the harsh claims from the people I thought were my fans. I didn't want to be reminded of the day I lost everything.

I felt pain. I felt it everywhere in my body. I felt pain in my back, from people unaware I was on the ground and were trampling me. I felt pain in my hand, and let out a somewhat loud sob when I saw blood trickle down my hand.

"Ellie?" Jack called out. "Ellie, where are you?" He sounded frantic, like he was actually worried about my sudden disappearance. He sounded like he cared for me, which led for me to cry out again. "Ellie!"

Arms wrapped around my body and pulled me up. I was currently being carried out of the crowd of paparazzi, away from everything I had tried so hard the past year to avoid.

"Ellie you're bleeding," he whispered, taking my hand in his.

He wiped the blood away with his shirt. I pulled back from him, not wanting him to walk around with blood stains on his shirt. People are already making hurtful accusations at me, and I didn't really want to give them another reason to start up another rumor. His grip on my hand was tight though, as he rid my hand of blood.

"It's just a little cut," he informed me. "I think you'll be fine."

I pulled away from him, and he looked at me in shock from the force I used. "What are you doing?"

"Checking to see if you were okay," he stated as if it were the obvious thing in the world.

"Why?"

"Because I care for you," I scoffed at his lies once again. "I made a promise to you."

"Which you broke the moment you broke up with me," I reminded him.

He sighed. "That was the biggest mistake of my life."

"And when you decided to date Avery not even that long afterwards," I reminded him again.

"You promised to always love me, so if you love me, you'd give me a second chance. We can both get second chances."

I laughed bitterly at him. "The promises were over the moment you decided to get her initials under the heart."

He looked at me sorrowfully as if he were sorry, as if he regretted hurting me. I wasn't going to buy his fake facade though. He took my hand in his, and rubbed his thumb over the spot the heart used to be.