Never Really Over (boyxboy) ✔️

Epilogue

Rye's POV

A lot had happened since that moment Jack broke down, but I never expected any of it to lead to the moment I was curled up in his bed, sobbing my heart out while he was at his new house with his new girlfriend.

~~~

He hadn't spoken to me in weeks. Not just me, but the other boys too. With Brooklyn, it was understandable. He probably felt bad about using him, and it wasn't as if Brook was dying to spend time with the boy who broke his heart.

But that didn't explain why he was avoiding everyone else. He was usually very respectful towards Andy, but now it was like he didn't care one bit.

I could tell he was overthinking and letting everything get to him at once. I'd heard him break down in his room on multiple occasions when he thought he was alone, but I'd never had the courage to check on him.

I knew it wasn't all about me. I wasn't that self absorbed. He was still grieving for his mum and I had no doubt that what had happened with Brooklyn had made him feel like a shit person. It was Jack we were talking about. He was always one to feel things a bit deeper than others.

I had no problem with giving him the space he needed. Of course I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't want to overwhelm him. He needed time to think and the right thing to do was give him that time.

But when he came back to the house one night after texting the group chat to say he had big news, I was scared shitless. What could it be? Maybe he had finally worked out his feelings and wanted to apologise?

Something deep inside me knew that wasn't true, which just made me worry even more.

A million different scenarios flashed through my mind, but nothing could've prepared me for the four words that left his lips the moment he had us all sat down in the living room..

"I'm leaving the band."

Brooklyn was the first to react. "What?"

"I'm sorry." He shrugged, not a hint of remorse laced in his voice.

Thus began the war, Andy getting mad at him while Sonny and Brooklyn tried to convince Jack not to go.

I, on the other hand, couldn't find the energy to speak. It was like he'd reached into my chest, grabbed my heart in his pale hands, and crushed it without a second thought.

All this time I had thought he was getting himself together before he came to me wanting to try things.

But no.

He was leaving us all behind and I couldn't find it in me to support his decision. But it wasn't my place to argue either.

Which is why I left, slipping out of the room in silence while the others were too preoccupied to notice.

I went straight to my room, making sure the door was locked before I broke down.

~~~

It had been a few days since his announcement and the house felt tense, which didn't surprise me one bit. Andy was pissed, Sonny was confused, and Brooklyn was hurt.

I didn't know what to feel. Did I have the right to be hurt? Jack and I were never together. Brooklyn was his ex boyfriend so he would obviously feel devastated over his decision.

Sure, I had fallen for Jack. I had fallen hard. And I knew that, deep down, he had fallen for me too. But if he wasn't willing to admit it, then I really didn't have any right to be hurt over his decision to leave.

Jack wasn't mine. He was never mine.

That was something I'd have to get used to telling myself.