Love, hate and everything in between

~Chapter 29~

I flipped the gun around, facing Troy and fired. I wasn't sure where it shot, but I knew it hit him. I waited for a fire back, but it never came. The police ran over to Troy while James ran over to me. I was sitting on the ground, staring at the circle of officers.

"You scared me!" James shouted at me. "You just held it there like you were going to fire!"

"I had to act like I would do anything, but make it an option to shoot him." I replied, quietly.

"So you hold the gun to your head and scare me to death!"

"Are you mad?"

I look up at him with twinkling eyes and I see a layer of terror and hurt in his eyes. He looks back at me and lightly shakes his head.

"Of course not, baby." He whispers.

He pulls me up and an officer approaches us.

"He isn't dead." The officer says. "We're taking him in. He'll be in jail for a very long time. Do either of you need anything?"

"I don't think so." James answers. "Thanks officer."

The officer nods and Troy is loaded onto the ambulance. His eyes are shut and there's a white towel over him; like he really is dead. But he isn't. A part of me wishes I had killed him, but another part of me is happy I didn't.

"Are you okay?" James asks, turning and holding my face in his hands.

"I think so." I say.

"Did he hurt you?"

"It's over."

"I asked you a question, Brooke. Did he try harassing you again? Did he hurt you?"

"It's nothing like what he had before. I am fine. I'm not hurt."

He nods and pulls me into his arms, laying my head against his chest. There's never been a moment where his arms don't make me feel protected and home.

***********************************

That night we had Logan and Octavia watch the kids at our place. James and I drove down to a hotel for the night just to get away.

"Don't you think we should've been with the kids?" I ask, hesitating as we walk into the room.

"Octavia and Logan are with them. Safe and sound." He said, pulling me back in.

"We don't even have fresh clothes or anything."

"Baby, we'll be here just for tonight. We'll be okay."

I hesitantly nodded and locked the door behind me. I rested my forehead against the cold door, my back to James. He came up and rested his hand on my back.

"It's over." He whispered, rubbing circles on my back. "He's going to jail. He's not coming back."

He might be right and that may be the case, but that doesn't erase the past few years. It doesn't erase anything. It has forever left a sour taste. A sour feeling. It's not something you wake up from and forget.

"Are you listening to me?" He asks, laying a hand on my arm.

The truth was is that I only was half listening. I tried to listen, but it was like all I heard was that gun going off. Over and over again. I closed my eyes tighter and stopped listening all together.

"Brooke!" He shouted.

"Amnesia." I whispered to him.

"What?"

"To forget. Forget about them. Forget what they've done. Forget what I've done. Forget."

"And where would that leave me and you? If Troy never would've showed up, I never would've jumped on it to tell you I loved you."

He was right. Without Blaze, he wouldn't have became my knight in shining armor. Halston could be his wife. Troy wouldn't have showed up with Vanessa and Mark. And James wouldn't have had the chance to tell me he loved me. Without the bad, the good would almost seem pointless. Like it didn't really matter.

He turned me to him and held my face in his hands. I looked at him carefully and clutched his shirt in my hands.

"I love you." I mouthed, with my eyes closed.

I felt him touch my lips with his fingertips. I opened my eyes and he was smiling at me. The corners of his eyes were wet with tears. I quickly put a kiss on his lips which made him perk up with a smile.

"That's it?" He questioned, with a smile.

I let out a small chuckle and he quickly put a short kiss on my lips.

"See it sucks, doesn't it?" He says, raising his eyebrows.

"It does. It leaves you." I reply, tilting my head.

"Remember when we first started dating..how that's all you'd allow?"

"It was a sneak peak of what you'd get once you married me."

"How'd you know I'd ask you to marry me?"

"Because ever since I was a little girl and you kissed me behind that tree, I knew. I knew that no kiss was supposed to feel that way. And I knew there was no way I could move on from a kiss like that."

"I couldn't let you thinking you belonged to anyone but me."

"It never crossed my mind."

He laughed and let his lips lay with mine. He held me tightly against him. I liked his touch. Every touch was a spark of home. He was home. Every single bit of him.

•There's seriously one chapter and an epilogue left. Where has time gone?

So today when I was out, I saw a sign that said "Not all wounds can be seen." and honestly it was the most powerful thing. Because it's true. You think you know someone? Think of someone right now... Do you really know them? What they think and how they do things and what they do. The hardest battles are never seen because they're internal and if that doesn't change what you say to people...I don't know what will..

Updating chapter 30 on the 29th. And an epilogue will be up New Years Eve. Have a good Saturday everybody. •