Eavesdropping

When Robbie Ray arrived at the beach that day for a jog he saw something he didn't expect to see and could help but watch. Jackson was sitting against a tree and giving Lily, who was sitting between his legs, a back massage. Robbie Ray knew Lily and Jackson were friends but the intimate nature of their position bothered him. He was within earshot of the pair and began eavesdropping.

"Lily, why are you so tense?" asked Jackson feeling the tension in her neck

"I don't know." She replied

"Lily." He said his tone implying he knew she knew why

"Ok, it's Oliver."

"What did he do?" he said and she smiled

"I love how you automatically take my side."

"Always." He said and smiled back

"He didn't do anything, I just don't feel it anymore," She paused then continued "I'm starting to wonder if I ever did."

"Love him?" Jackson asked surprised

"Romantically, I've always loved him as a friend, it's just maybe that's the only way I loved him, I think maybe I got it wrong." She said feeling bad

"Hey, it's understandable, you didn't know what love felt like, you had nothing to compare to."

"That's true but, two and a half years? You'd think I'd have figured it out before now."

"Maybe you had, maybe you figured it out pretty quickly but, you didn't want to admit to yourself you got it wrong and you definitely didn't want to admit to him you got it wrong."

"Still don't, he's in love with me, to him I'm the one."

"I know, it's hard, but you have remember no one wants to be with someone who doesn't love them back." Jackson said as he watched Lily turn her head away and down.

Seeing the bare white skin of her neck and not thinking he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck. Lily surprised him by not moving away; instead she turned to him, their faces now mere centimetres apart, and looked at him questioningly. He looked at her and seeing her beautiful blue eyes staring back he leaned in and kissed her. Again she surprised him by letting him and not turning away. Once he had kissed her he realised what he was doing and quickly got up and left, leaving her to think about the events of the last five minutes.

Robbie Ray came across another opportunity to eavesdrop on them that evening, except this time he wasn't the only one.

He had just walked out of his bedroom when he heard a knock on the front door. He went down the hall and the stairs to answer it but saw that Jackson already had and was standing face to face with Lily. Robbie Ray took a step back so they wouldn't see him and at the same time noticed Miley and a very sad looking Oliver sitting on the porch intensely watching the pair inside.

"Lily about before, I…" Jackson started

"It's ok, I know, you're sorry and you shouldn't have done it, right?" Jackson just nodded

"Ok then, apology accepted, now, what I came here to tell you, was, about an hour ago, I broke up with Oliver."

She had barely finished the last word when Jackson took her in his arms and kissed her. As they stood there kissing, Robbie Ray looked at Oliver, his face said it all. It was killing him to watch the girl he loved kissing someone else.

"Marry me." Said Jackson causing the three observers to look back to the pair

"What? Jackson, I'm not going anywhere, you don't have to worry."

"I know all that, I'm not worried, I just want to marry you."

"Are you sure, are you sure you're not doing this because you're afraid I'll go back to Oliver, because I won't, I promise."

"Yes, I'm sure, and no I'm not doing it because I'm afraid you'll go back to Oliver, I'm asking you because I want to marry you, so," he got down on one knee "Lily Marie Truscott, will you marry me?"

"Yes."