LISTEN TO THIS SONG W/ THE CHAPTER!!!
Song: You Can Let Go Now Daddy- Crystal Shawanda
Jaylee pounded her fist against the door, over and over again. To say she was mad was an understatement-- she was raging. No one answered, so she banged on the door once again before it swung open, revealing Adele.
"Jaylee, I--"
"Cut the bullshit, Adele. I know more than what I saw." Adele's eyes grew wide as shock washed over her face. Adele froze in her spot, and Jaylee shoved past her. "Ryan, get the hell down here!"
Jaylee screamed, and Ryan ran down the staircase. His eyes lit up when he saw Jaylee, but all she could feel towards him was disgust. He ruined the only good thing she had. He wasn't her best friend. A best friend wouldn't ruin something like what Jaylee had with Luke.
"Hey, Jaylee. What's up?" Jaylee glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Don't 'Hey Jaylee' me. I know what both of you did." Ryan and Adele shot Jaylee a confused look before Adele smirked. She walked closer to Jaylee until they were face to face, and Adele's old woman perfume wafted up her nose.
"And what exactly did we do?"
"You told Ryan to go into my house and hurt Sam. Then you told him to leave a note for me, just so you could scare me." Jaylee bitterly laughed. "And then the best part? You went off and made out with my boyfriend, just so I would break up with him. All along I thought it was his fault, which it partially was, but it's mostly your fault. Care to explain?"
Adele glanced at Ryan before she sighed. "It was Ryan's idea, but the thing between Luke and I? That had nothing to do with Ryan. I might have gone to Luke, but he didn't stop me, and it was because you couldn't give him what he needed. So, I don't see how I could possibly be at fault here."
Jaylee first faced Ryan, who looked pretty pissed off. She would deal with Adele after.
"Yes, I planned it. I knew by hurting your brother, you would go to Luke, but I thought if Luke cheated on you with your best friend, you would come to me." Ryan walked closer to Jaylee-- so close, it was too uncomfortable for her liking. "But Jaylee, I did it so we could fall in love. I did it for us."
Anger built up inside of Jaylee, and she slapped Ryan as hard as she could. "I would never fall in love with you, bastard!"
Jaylee watched as Ryan's eyes flashed red, so she faced Adele and punched her right in the nose. She let out a scream and held her nose, tears filling her eyes as she glared at Jaylee. Jaylee stormed to their front door and ripped it open, before facing the twins again.
"That's for kissing my boyfriend, bitch." She glared at them once more. "You guys were never my best friends, so I suggest you stay as far away from me as possible."
Jaylee ran out of their front door, making sure to slam it as hard as possible. She hopped in her car and sped out of the driveway, going to the one place she knew she would most likely regret.
She pulled into his driveway, and there he was, sitting on the rocking chair on the front porch. As soon as Luke saw Jaylee's angry (and kind of sad) expression, he stood up, and Jaylee ran into his arms. He pulled her into a tight hug, and Jaylee clung to him. She needed his hug more than anything.
"What's wrong?" Luke whispered, and Jaylee's eyes filled up with tears. He caressed her hair with his hand, holding her closer.
"Ryan. He did it all. He was the reason we broke up. I'm so sorry." Jaylee's voice cracked on the last sentence, and she felt the tears threatening to fall. Luke hooked his fingers under her chin and gently lifted her face to his.
"It was my fault too. I shouldn't have cheated on you." He whispered back, and Jaylee buried her head in his chest, not wanting to move away.
"Then why did you go to her? Why wasn't I enough for you?" She questioned, and Luke's heart squeezed. She thought he didn't want her. Jaylee thought she wasn't enough, when in reality, she was everything he needed. To Luke, Jaylee was oxygen, and without her, he couldn't breathe. She was the air he breathed.
"I don't know, baby." He tilted her face to his again and wiped away her tears. "But what I do know is you have always been enough for me, if not more. You are my everything, Jaylee."
Jaylee buried her head in his chest again, holding him tighter. Luke made her feel warm and protected, even when they weren't together, and that was what she needed-- his warmth and love. To Jaylee, Luke felt like walking into a home and knowing she was safe. She knew she would be okay when she was with him.
Luke felt like home to Jaylee.
And sometimes, home wasn't a house that you lived in; it was two arms and a beating heart, and sometimes, that was all a person needed.
"Look, I don't want to get back together yet, but we can at least be friends for now." Jaylee suggested, gazing into his ocean blue eyes, and Luke nodded, leaning in. His lips press gently against hers, and he lets the kiss linger. Jaylee instantly calmed down, and Luke pulled her closer. She knew if the way she felt then was how it always felt with Luke, then she never wanted to leave his side. She wanted to be with him. They pulled away, and Jaylee walked back to her car.
"I will see you tomorrow." Jaylee waved, and Luke waved back, a small smile playing on his lips. He had missed holding her, and he missed her kiss. He could slowly feel his heart piecing back together, because his girl was finally coming back. Jaylee made her way home, the smile never leaving her face.
***
One week later...
"Jaylee, I don't see why we can't get back together now." Luke groaned, and Jaylee glanced over at him before popping another strawberry in her mouth. She shook her head, swallowing.
"Just because I said I wanted to get back together, doesn't mean it will happen immediately."
Luke rolled his eyes, throwing his hands in the air. "Dammit, Jaylee. There isn't one reason we can't get back together! You are just being a stubborn little bitch!"
Jaylee gasped, staring at him in shock. He had called her a lot of things, and sometimes she deserved it, but she did nothing this time. Was he seriously blaming her for being cautious? He had broken her heart once. He could definitely do it again. Luke was growing impatient. All he wanted was her. He needed her. But she was being stubborn. Jaylee couldn't believe him. He had cheated on her. Did he expect her to fall right back in his arms?
Well, duh. He assumed that was going to happen.
"Last time I checked, you cheated on me. Not one girl would forgive her boyfriend for doing that, so maybe I shouldn't get back together with you." Luke rolled his eyes. Of course Jaylee didn't mean it, but she had to make a point. She didn't want to let him back in again, only for her to get hurt again. Any girl would have felt the same way.
Luke, on the other hand, didn't agree at all. So, he retorted with, "Fine. You know what? I never wanted to get back together. There are plenty of girls I would rather be with."
Jaylee gasped again, and this time, she stood, but not before pouring water all over him. Luke's mouth opened in shock, and he pulled his clothes off his soaked body. He didn't mean a word he had said, but he was mad at her. He just wanted to be with her, and she was pushing him away. Luke glared at her, but she had already stormed out of the lunch room, anger boiling deep within her.
"I hate you, Luke Sullivan!" She screamed, but her head and heart both disagreed.
***
When Jaylee arrived at her house, she noticed Sam standing by his car, his eyes filled with tears.
"What's wrong, bro?" Sam hopped in his car and motioned for her to get in the other side. Jaylee tossed her book bag in the back seat.
"We are going to the hospital." Sam quickly pulled out of the driveway, and Jaylee didn't question him any further. She knew what he meant by the look in his eyes, and she wasn't prepared for the next heartbreak.
When they reached the hospital, Sam and Jaylee ran to their father's room. Their mom saw them and pulled the two in for a quick hug, and then she motioned for them to follow her into the hall. She looked like she had been crying for ages, but she tried to hold a strong face.
"Kids, it's time. I will let each of you have a little bit of time with him, but you have to tell him it's okay." She faced Jaylee, a single tear escaping her eye, "Especially you, Jaylee. You are the only reason he's holding on."
Her mother's voice cracked, and Jaylee nodded. Her eyes swelled with tears, and she hugged her mother once again. Sam was the first to go in while Jaylee and her mom sat in the chairs outside of his room. About five minutes later, Sam walked out, and Jaylee went in. She pulled a chair up to her dad's bed as he laid there asleep.
"Hey, daddy." She whispered, grabbing his frail hand. Her father weakly gripped her hand, but Jaylee could tell he used every ounce of strength he had left. A single tear trickled down her cheek, and she caressed his cold hand with her thumb. "It's going to be hard waking up and not smelling your pancakes anymore. Or you cracking a joke, or even the little family moments we have. I wish I would have went with you to practice softball. I'm going to miss not being able to go fishing with you, or having dad and daughter days. I mean, I'm seventeen, but it's little things like that, dad."
More tears escaped her eyes, cascading down her cheeks. "I wish this was just one of those moments where we would say goodbye, and you would be back the next day. I honestly don't know how the three of us will make it without you, and I don't want you to go." A whole flood of tears fell from Jaylee's eyes, but she didn't try to stop them. She glanced at her dad, who was still lying there, asleep.
"But it's okay, daddy." She pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead, "It's okay."
************************************