Deacon holds the ring in his hand as he watches Rayna walk away from him. He feels like he's left so many things unsaid. For a moment, he contemplates running after her and convincing her that love is enough, but then the dull aching in his hand brings him back to reality. Seeing her for the first time since the accident has only brought everything back to the surface. He takes a deep breath, pushes all of his emotions back down, and tosses the ring to the side.
"It means nothing," he tells himself. "Of course we were never going to get married. I screwed that up a long time ago."
Looking back, he realizes that the last few weeks before the accident were only a fantasy. It had felt so right but their mistakes had caught up to them and torn them apart again.
He takes one last look at the site of the accident, turns around, and starts walking home. He barely notices as a car pulls up beside him.
"Get in the car," a female voice calls to him.
He doesn't look up.
"Deacon! You're being ridiculous. Get in the car now."
He thinks about ignoring her but he realizes that there is no use.
He walks over to the passenger side and gets in the car without saying a word.
"Do you know how worried I've been? Why have you been out here so long?" Scarlett asks.
He doesn't answer. He doesn't want to think about the meeting with Rayna any longer.
"Gosh, Deacon! I thought you'd finally decided to take control and get on with your life."
He sighs. He doesn't want to hurt anyone else with his actions. He knows that Scarlett is only trying to help.
"I tried to play," he tells her quietly. "I don't think it will ever be the same again."
Deacon feels the double meaning in his words. He knows he is talking about music but he is also talking about Rayna. He has always loved Rayna and music. They are the only two things in this world that make him feel complete. It hits him hard when he realizes that he may never have either of them in his life again.
"I'm sorry about what happened Deacon but you can't dwell on it. You can't let it consume you," she responds.
"There ain't much hope for me darlin. I've already lost it all," he says sadly.
"No you haven't! You have people who love you, a roof over your head, food to eat, and a life to live. If you're tired of making the same mistakes then do something about it!" she replies.
Deacon pauses for a moment, trying to contain his emotions but he has been pushing them aside for too long.
"You don't get it! It was all for her, Scarlett. All of these years, I was trying to show her that she could trust me. I was trying to get her back. I see what you're saying, Scarlett, I really do, but I just watched the only woman I've ever loved walk away from me for the last time and I'm not sure where to go from here," he says, angry at himself for revealing too much.
"There's only one place you can go, Uncle Deacon. Go up. Move forward. Do it for you."