The One That Got Away (Synyster Gates Series: Book 1)

Summer of 1999: Part 6

I know it's kind of thrown at you in this chapter but I hope you enjoy:) 

After realizing how much Brian meant to me, I knew something had to be done. I ran from Zacky's house to Matt's house in a matter of seconds, not even giving my lungs or legs a second to rest. 

Seeing the garage door was wide open, I ran in and was stopped by a speaker sitting right in the center.  "Where's Brian?!" I asked the guys out of breath. As if on cue, Brian came into the garage, slowly closing the door that led into the house, "Brian, I really need to speak to you."

"About what?" He bluntly asked.

"About how I think I'm fall-"

"Wait!" Jimmy interrupted me, "Come on guys, let's give them some privacy. It's the least we can do..."

Zacky, Johnny, Wendt, and Matt got up following Jimmy into the house, leaving Brian and I alone in the garage. 

It was the most awkward silence ever and I wanted to run out of there, but I couldn't. He needed to know my true feelings. 

He continued to make his way towards his guitar and sighed, "What were you saying?"

"That I think I'm falling way harder than I excepted."

"Why are you telling me this now? Summer is almost over."

"But that doesn't mean we have to be Brian. You fill this gaping hole in my heart." I blurted out, realizing that's the most nicest thing I've ever said to anyone. 

He took a towel off a speaker and wiped down his guitar, not showing any emotion, "Well, for the past two weeks you've done a good job at filling it by yourself."

"Brian, I love you." He stopped wiping his strings and looked up at me. The look on his eyes said it all: He was confused and lost. "Shit." I mumbled.

He tore his eyes away from me slowly and that's when I knew I shouldn't have said that. But I couldn't help it-- It was begging to come out. 

"Jackie I don't know what to say."

My heart broke into a million pieces. I was socked in the face. My legs were broken in half. My eyes were clawed out. It was painful...

"I understand..." I lied, walking out of the garage.

I didn't understand... I didn't understand at all. One day he wanted to be with my despite the distance, making it sound like he'd do whatever for me. The next minute, he pushed me to the curb as if I was trash...

-

I'd been looking forward to "Stargazing Night at Central Park" ever since my cousin hit me up with the idea of going. It'd be a great way to distract myself from anything that has to do with Brian. Everyone was going, so I decided it would be a good idea if I went, just to get my mind off things.

The stars lit up the night sky, which was clear for the first time in weeks. I never would have seen such a sight if I would've stood in New York. I closed my eyes for a second to breathe in the semi-clean beach air. The air in New York is always so dull, never as fresh as Cali air.

"Can I lay here?" A voice asked standing beside my blanket. I opened my eyes and saw Brian, hovering over me with a smile on his face. It was a hard task not to return the facial gesture because as everyone knew, his smile is so damn contagious.

"Uh, yeah. I guess." I moved out of the spot and gave him enough space to lay down.

His arm gently brushed against mine, sending chills down my spine. He relaxed on the cover with his arms behind his head, not speaking a word. Dead silent.

"The sky looks beautiful tonight." Brian said in a low voice, "I bet you don't see this alot do you?"

I shook my head, "Nope. First time I've done this."

He was rather quiet as he looked at me. He turned on his side, "I love you too."

My heart started to beat fast out of excitement and I couldn't face him with out smiling. I kept my gaze up at the stars, showing no emotion, when really deep down inside I was screaming with happiness.

"You do?" I asked, smirking a little.

He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side. I smiled at the smell of his cologne-- I missed it dearly. "I'm sorry how I acted yesterday. You caught me by surprise. After a lot of thinking, I came to realize I love you too."

My  once strong smile turned into a weak one, "This sucks."

"Why?" He asked looking down at me, "This is good. We love each other. I mean, isn't it good?"

I nodded, "Well, yeah but I'm leaving in about two weeks..."

His grip tightened around my shoulders, "Two weeks isn't enough to show you how much I love you, but I'm going to try with all of my might, baby."

Brian's POV

Summer was coming to a close and we both agreed that our love may not just be enough to remember each other by. I had this crazy-ass idea to get a tattoo of her name in English: HOPE on my proximal phalanx. Of course it sounded and was cliche, but that's how I felt about her.

When she was watching me get the tattoo, she came to the conclusion that she also wanted a tattoo with my name on it. Brian definitely wouldn't fit on her fingers, so SYN would have to do. 

"You were a trooper in there, Jacks." I told her as we walked through the park. Her arm was lightly linked around my arm, avoiding any hand contact for the sake of the tattoos. 

"It hurt like hell though." She leaned her head on my arm, "Are your fingers okay?"

"Yeah, I just wish I could hold yours in mine." I admitted then removing my arm from her's and placing it over her shoulder, "I love you Jackie."

She stopped in her tracks and looked up at me, wrapping her arms around my waist, "I love you too Brian." She pressed her lips to mine, giving me butterflies. I'd never felt that way about a girl before. It was an amazing feeling, but it was also pretty disappointing.

"Jackie, if one day we come across each other, I want to be with you." I pressed my forehead against her's, "I don't care if I'm with someone else, you're the one I'll choose to be with."

I cupped her perectly shaped face and kissed her perfectly soft lips, sealing the deal I had secretly placed in my head...