This Love is Ours

Chapter 37: Familiar Faces

I sit down, and look out in front of me.

Excited people walk on the sidewalk in front of me, and The Bean is visible from where I am.

I exhale, smiling down at my lap.

This city is beautiful.

This park is beautiful.

I sit quietly, peacefully eyeing the park around me, when I suddenly hear a voice behind me.

"Excuse me?"

Deep.

Powerful.

Strong.

Familiar.

I turn around, and my eyes lay upon a young, muscular man, obviously an athlete of some type.

The dirty blonde hair is insanely familiar.

The whole body build is.

And then it hits me.

Jake.

Jake Bryan.

The boy that cheated on Ally before her and I ever even met.

The boy that her and I ran into that one day in Buffalo, when he claimed that Ally was still "his".

My mouth grows dry, and a lump in my throat surfaces.

I immediately stand up, feeling the anger within me rise.

He backs away slightly, his eyes wide, and mouth partly open.

"You." I say, pointing a finger at him.

His eyes are still wide.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, glaring at him, my eyes narrowed.

My hands are in fists, and my muscles are tensed.

He shakes his head in confusion, and then raises his hands slightly.

"I'm not here to cause any harm," He says, quickly.

I narrow my eyes at him.

I can feel my face growing red with anger.

"Then what the fuck are you doing here?" I ask, gritting my teeth.

He swallows hard.

"I'm here for a volleyball tournament this weekend, and I decided to go for a walk. I saw you sitting there, and I immediately recognized you. I.. I-" He stutters.

I swallow hard, gesturing for him to continue.

"I came to apologize." He says, his voice suddenly quiet.

I clench my jaw.

He continues talking.

"For everything. For what I did to the love of your life, for what happened that day in Buffalo, for... for your loss." He trails off, quietly.

For a second, I stare at him, unable to understand what he is saying.

From what I know about Jake Bryan, this seems very unusual.

My muscles suddenly loosen, and I take a deep breath.

I close my eyes letting the feeling of relief wash over me.

My fists loosen at my sides.

There is a long silence.

I stare down at the grass underneath my feet for what seems like forever, when I finally speak again.

"I appreciate it." I stutter out.

My throat begins to grow dry, and I can feel the tears welling behind my eyes.

Jake doesn't stop talking, catching me off-guard with his bluntness.

"I lost her. And she lit up the night-time sky for you because you recognized her as the moon, while I was too busy chasing something else." Jake shakes his head, closing his eyes shut.

He continues.

"The day I ran into you and Ally on campus in Buffalo, I couldn't believe my eyes. And in that moment, I panicked. I lost her. She was more beautiful than the day I had left her. More beautiful than I had ever seen her. And in that moment, I realized I could never have her back. I screwed up, and now, I was being forced to watch her be beautiful and in love with someone else." He finishes.

I look up at Jake, as he swallows hard, staring out into the distance at something.

The reflection of the park sits in his eyes.

His eyes are glossy, and a tear rolls down his cheek.

He looks back up at me, and for a second, I feel the pain he is enduring.

His eyes are so pained, and they speak a story through themselves.

I understand how he feels.

I'm speechless.

I don't know what to say.

A tear escapes my eye, sliding down my cheek.

I wipe it away quickly, sniffling.

Jake clears his throat, swallowing hard, and then our eyes meet once again.

I reach out my hand.

He reaches out his.

And we shake.

His handshake is strong, but slightly shaky.

Powerful, but doubtful.

All at the same time.

"Thank-you, Jake." I say, my voice quiet and my breath shallow.

He nods, but doesn't stop talking.

"I tried so hard to accept the fact that she wasn't in love with me anymore, but I just couldn't." He shakes his head, wiping another tear from his eye.

I clench my jaw, tightly.

Another teardrop rolls down my cheek.

"But you loved her. You loved her so much. And Christ, Jonathan, she loved you. God, she loved you so much more than she could have ever loved me. You loved and treated her in the way she deserved, and for that I am grateful." He says, his lower lip trembling at this point.

He closes his eyes, as a teardrop rolls down his face, and then stains his long-sleeve grey sweatshirt.

I am unsure of how to reply to what Jake has just said.

How do I even respond to that?

I can't.

And so, instead of speaking, a silent teardrop escapes my eye, and rolls down my face quickly.

And in this moment, both Jake and I are shedding quiet, heartfelt tears.

Jake clenches his jaw shut tightly before speaking one last time.

"You were better for her than I ever could have been. And I am so sorry for your loss, because I know that she was the love of your life."