Chapter 7 #3
Pushing that thought aside, I reach out, placing my hand on his arm to stop him from turning away any further. He flinches at the contact but doesn't pull back. Instead, he looks down at where my fingers are wrapped around his forearm, then up into my eyes.
"I'm not making this harder," I tell him firmly. "You are."
Meanwhile, I'm trying my best to hide my burning fury.
He raises an eyebrow, surprise flickering across his face. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" I say, feeling my frustration boil over into an even more menacing wave of anger.
"You're the one who decided to leave without even talking to me about it first. You're the one who's willing to throw away what we have because of some misguided sense of honor or whatever.
" I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down before continuing.
"Jake, I love you. And I know you love me too. So why are you doing this?"
He even said to my brother that he loves me. Maybe he thinks that some time away from each other will fix everything, but I know that it would only make things worse.
He looks at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he sighs and pulls away from my hand.
"Because," he murmurs, "it's not just about us, Mia. It's about your family—your brother—and the fact that I promised him I'd never touch you."
I roll my eyes at that, feeling a pang of annoyance mixed with sadness.
"I really thought we were past this," I say.
If I had known he wasn't, I never would have slept with him.
"We've talked about it before, Jake. We're both adults, and Ryan has no right to dictate who I can or can't be with. Did you forget what you said to him?"
He nods, looking down at the floor for a moment before speaking again.
"You're right," he says quietly. "But that doesn't change the fact that I made him a promise, and I feel guilty about breaking it.
What I said to him before was true, but it happened in the heat of the moment.
Now that I'm thinking more clearly, I believe that leaving you temporarily is the best thing I can do for us. "
I shake my head, not wanting to hear this anymore. It's bullshit and he must be crazy. He must have hit his head when he woke up this morning. Regardless, I don't accept it. I don't want it.
"It wasn't just sex," I say softly, stepping closer to him once more and reaching up to cup his cheek in my hand. He leans into the touch briefly before pulling back again.
"No," he agrees. "But it doesn't change the fact that I didn't handle it well. Fuck, I should have said something else. Now, he's coming and he wants to kill me."
I drop my hand, feeling defeated as I realize that there might be no convincing Jake otherwise—not today, at least.
"So what are you going to do?" I ask. "Just leave me here alone while you go off and... what? Figure out how to make miracles happen? Finally make up your mind about your love for me and your friendship with Ryan?"
He looks at me for a long moment, then nods slowly. "I don't know," he says honestly. "But I can't stay here—not with Ryan so angry, not when there's still a chance we could work things out."
I shake my head, fail to hide my smile, and swallow hard, trying to hold back the tears that are threatening to spill over now.
"Okay," I say finally. "If you think that's what's best for both of us.
.. then go. I don't want to see you ever again.
Not until you finally make up your mind.
There's no one more frustrating than you. "
And then, all too soon, he's moves away from me, grabbing his bag from where it's leaning against the counter, and walking towards the front door.
"Jake," I say as he pauses with one hand on the doorknob. He turns to look at me, his expression softening.
"Yes?" he says softly.
"I love you."
He smiles sadly, then opens the door and steps outside without another word. As he walks away from me, I can't help but feel like this might be the last time we ever see each other. And that thought breaks my heart into a thousand tiny pieces.
Fuck this. Fuck his promise. Fuck his confused mind. And fuck Ryan, too.
Even though I remain where I am, watching him go, I know deep down in my soul that Jake is wrong. This isn't about Ryan or our families or any of that. It's about us—about the love and connection that we've shared since that first moment when he walked back into my life.
And I can't let it go without a fight.
I don't waste more time than a few minutes, and so I grab my phone, dialing his number. He picks up after only two rings, and before he can say anything, I start talking.
"Don't," I say sharply. "Don't you dare leave me like this, Jake Morrison."
He hesitates for a moment, then sighs. "Mia—"
"No," I cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. Not right now. Not ever." I pause, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I love you, Jake. And if you walk away from me because you still think you owe Ryan, then you're not the man I thought you were."
He's silent for so long that I think he might have hung up on me, but then finally, he speaks again.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to come back," I say simply. It's not complicated. "Come back here, where we can talk this through without either of us walking away in anger."
There's another long pause before he answers. "You don't know what you're asking, Mia," he says quietly. "This isn't just about us anymore. That's why it's complicated and you don't understand."
"I know what you're thinking right now," I say, tipping up my chin. "But it still is about us—at least, in part. And if we don't fight for what we want, then who will?"
He's silent again, and I can almost see him struggling with his own thoughts and emotions. He knows I'm right. His heart is telling him so.
"Please," I say even though I despise the word, especially in that moment. "Come back to me, Jake."
I hold my breath, waiting for his response. And then, after what feels like an eternity, he sighs and says the words I've been hoping to hear.
"Alright. Fuck. This is most likely a huge mistake, but I'm going to do what you want," he promises. "I'm on my way."
As soon as Jake hangs up the phone, I let out a shaky breath of relief. It's not over—not by a long shot—but at least we're talking again. Now, I just need to figure out how to convince him that leaving isn't the answer—that sticking together is our best chance at making things right with Ryan.
I pace back and forth across the kitchen floor, trying to come up with some sort of plan. Maybe if I can prove to Jake that we're strong enough to face whatever comes next—together—he'll realize that running away isn't the solution.
Plus, he's an adult. He knows that running away is never a good thing.
But before I can think too much about it, the sound of a car pulling up outside catches my attention.
I rush towards the front window, peering out just in time to see Jake's G-Wagon coming to a halt in front of the house.
He jumps out almost immediately, striding up the driveway with purposeful steps.
He's more determined to see me again and possibly make another huge mistake than I thought.
As he approaches the door, I can't help but feel a sense of awe at how quickly he changed his mind—for me. It makes my heart swell with love and gratitude all at once, even though it doesn't change the frustration he makes me feel too.
When he walks through the door a moment later, our eyes meet and hold for what feels like an eternity. Then, slowly, Jake reaches out towards me, wrapping one arm around my waist and pulling me close against him. I can feel his heart pounding in his chest—matching the rhythm of mine.
"Mia," he whispers, kissing my cheek. "I'm sorry."
There's a lot he needs to be sorry for, I think.
"Me too," I whisper back, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips. He responds instantly, deepening the kiss and wrapping both arms around me now as if he never wants to let go.
As Jake pulls back slightly, resting his forehead against mine and looking into my eyes with a soft smile, I know that he feels it too.
"I love you," he whispers. "So much."
I close my eyes briefly, basking in the warmth of his words before opening them again to look up at him. "I love you too," I say softly. "Feels like I'm repeating myself, but I want to say it as many times as it's needed to make sure you understand."
He smiles wider now, pressing another kiss to my lips as if sealing our promise with a physical action.
"But," he says finally, pulling back slightly and looking down into my eyes with a serious expression. "We still have to figure out what we're going to do about Ryan."
I know he's right, but still, it's frustrating. We are both adults. We shouldn't have to worry about what Ryan thinks.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," I say firmly. No point in worrying about that until Ryan is here. "For now, let's just focus on us."