Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter 24 : Part Four

At home, Jacob saw his mother carrying some things. He ran to his mother's side and helped his mom.

"What's inside this?" He asked.

"Just a bunch of our old clothes and blankets that I want to throw away," his mother replied.

Curious if the things inside were still of any use, he put the box and opened it. There were still good clothes and blankets. "Mind if I have 'em?"

"No, not at all. Just don't get them back here," His mother wavered off and went back up the stairs.

Jacob took the box to his car. He drove to the street where he first found Merida. It was always quiet at that part of the street. There, he took out the box and walk towards where a bunch of children were sleeping with only folded boxes to keep them warm.

"Jacob!" One of the children yells that caught the others attention. They started walking towards him. He wonders why these kids are out here, they could've been taken-in in an orphanage.

"Hey, guys! Uhm I brought some blankets and a couple of soft pieces of stuff that you could all use," he told them. "Open the box"

They were all wowed with what's inside. Each one of them taking what they could use and one by one saying thank-you to him.

"Where is Merida?" Lex, a seven-year-old boy asked him.

Lex is the oldest and he has been taking care of the other five youngsters. Jacob once asked why they never went to an orphanage, they answered, 'We created a bond with each other. We don't want someone to cut that off'.

"Oh, we fought. We uhm..." Jacob looked up the sky and smiled painfully. "I was a fool"

Lex didn't say anything and they sat down at the pavement just being quiet. Then suddenly they hear the other kids chattering excitedly.

Jacob's eyes lit up at the sight of Merida smiling at the kids. Lex beamed at Jacob. "Would you look at that, she came." He then ran towards Merida.

Merida as always bought them food. Then they invited her to sit at the blankets he brought. Jacob silently sat beside them just listening. The other kids were more talkative when she's around.

She's going to be a good mother, he thought.

"Yeah, if only we can stay together in one place... We don't want to go to an orphanage," Lex told Merida.

They were laying at the side of the streets now and Merida was waiting for Lex to fall asleep. She raked Lex's hair gently so he'd fall asleep faster and when he did she stopped. "I'll sure get you guys out of here one day," she murmured.

Merida and Jacob continue to sit down the pavement. "Thanks for giving them something to sleep on," she mumbled not looking at him.

"No problem," he replied. "Let's try and give them a proper home."

"How do you suggest we'd do that?"

"Let's get them to an orphanage and maybe one day we'll take them all in together."

"There's no together, Jacob." Merida scoffed. "I don't want to be with a liar like you."

"I didn't know she was going to come earlier. I broke up with her the moment I realized you were who I love. I truly love you, Merida," his voice full of sincerity and his eyes full of sadness. "Please, give me another chance."

Merida nibbles on her bottom lip, holding back her tears. She wants to forgive him but all she can feel is ... pain. The pain of seeing someone you love kissing his ex-girlfriend. The pain when you hold on to his almost perfect promises... it hurts her so bad that her chest started to feel heavy.

"I can't. I'm too broken to even want to miss you," she looks at him with her eyes full of tears. "The moment I saw you with her that night, my chest ached so bad I fell with my notes. But I was hopeful Jacob... I was hopeful that after I played my song, you would appear out of nowhere. Even if I said I was not going to hope for you I still did!"

"Love, I'm sorry. I-I got caught up in that moment. I-I was confused," he groaned, his eyes glistened.

"Confused?" She asked, sniffing. "If you were confused you should've told me. Not leave me there hanging and waiting for you!"

Merida wiped her own tears away and stands up. "I'll get going now."

Jacob didn't follow. He let her go for he could see it all written on her face. He caused her pain and it caused him pain. He bit his bottom lip and messed his hair up.

"Fuck! Just fuck!" He cried in anger and pain. It took him a while to get to his senses and stormed to catch Merida. He should've walked her home at least.

Merida on her way home was crying. She still loves him and it hurts. It hurts listening to his words. Listening and believing to it once is enough. I'm not doing the same mistake, she thought.

Walking in blurry vision, she didn't see a figure had blocked her way and she bumped into him.

"I'm so—"

When she looked up it was Leo. Without any hesitation, she hugged him so tight and cried.

Since earlier, Leo had an eye on her. Not that he's stalking, it's just he didn't trust Will and he ended up well... stalking in some way. Leo hugged Merida and rubs her back.

"It's all going to be okay," he assured her.

Jacob stopped running when he saw Leo hugging Merida. He even met his eye and Jacob looked away feeling another pain.

Merida moves away and looked up at Leo. "Please stay with me. Please love me." The next thing she did was to reach for Leo and kissed him.

Jacob could hardly breathe anymore when he saw her kissed Leo. He slowly turned the other way and walk like a zombie. His heart was heavy, his chest aches and his eyes burned in tears of pain. He stumbled at the sidewalk, sitting there loathing his own self.

"I messed up fucking bad..." he mumbles.