per·sua·sion

59.

Thank you, guys, for 7k reads, 844 votes, and comments. I recently hit #1 in the true events category. To even reach it is a huge accomplishment. I don't know what else to say. I'm speechless at this point. 💚

This chapter was originally going to be bigger, but by the time I was finished, it would have been three chapters in one, so I'm splitting it into two.

Jessica

After we finished with the cake and opened the presents, most of JJ's friends left, and only family is left.

"I know Jay wants you to stay the night, but you don't have to," Danneel says while bringing the last of the plates into the kitchen as I'm loading the dishwasher for her.

"I can. I don't mind unless you have family plans."

"About that," she starts, and I hold my breath perceiving what's coming next. "You know you don't have to be friends with Alex to be around us. You're family too, and as much as we all love Alex, he's a total asshat; no one would judge you if you cut him loose."

I let go of the breath I had been holding, relief washing over my face. "I thought you were going to tell me to leave or something."

I turn to close the dishwasher and then start it "but don't I owe it to him to stay friends? I mean, he's why I know you guys in the first place. And he has been there for me too. How am I just supposed to forget about that?" I ask, turning back to face her.

She shakes her head "he's abusing the friendship you two have built, and I know deep down you know that. Not only that, but he's banking on us to back him up, but we're not going to."

"And you guys are sure? because—"

"Yes, we are," Jensen cuts in as he walks into the kitchen. "If he wants you in his life, he'll learn to swallow it. Put his big boy pants on. He's twenty-nine years old, for fucksakes! He needs to start acting like it."

I laugh at Jensen's choice of words and Danneel's reaction to the word fucksakes which I'm pretty sure he picked up from me.

Hero

I watch as Jess comes out of the kitchen, goes down the hallway, and back into the guestroom. She made absolutely no eye contact with me, and for the first time since I met her, I have no clue what she's thinking. Hell, I don't even know if we are on the same page at this point, and I feel gutted.

Don't follow me, Hero,

I feel as if I'm in a haze that I can't seem to pull myself out of and before I realize it. I'm standing in front of the guestroom door with my hand on the silver handle.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, but I'm tired of that. I'm
tired of the apologies."

"Don't worry about what he does
he has nothing to do with this."

"No, this is about you and your vast misconception of thinking I want to be with you when I don't. How else can I say it?" Her voice slightly raises, but I know she can handle this, handle him. So I'll let her, but next time he's mine.

"If he breaks my heart, then
he breaks it. He's not the first."