She had come back. Because she loved him. Because she felt that maybe with some coaxing and explanation on her part he too would figure out his true feelings and let her in. Let her in to him, like he had times before when their relationship was at its peak, but now his clam exterior was shutting once again on the pearl that was himself. But it seemed like just another failed attempt, much like all the others. However, this time felt different, different in that she told herself, if he wouldn't give in to the feelings she knew very well he had for her, she was done. Which is where they were now, down in the basement, the place she had called her home for so very long.
"So that's it then?" she could feel the tears threatening to spill over, but she wouldn't allow them. The only way he could tell for sure that she was breaking down inside was by the glossiness of her eyes, shining brilliantly like mirrors through his own smoky lenses. His own reflection seemed intensified in those spectacular orbs.
"I don't know what else to tell you…" he seemed so unsure, like he wanted to break, but his stupid pride just kept getting in the way. That same pride that cost him his relationship with her so many times before.
"What the hell do you mean you don't know what else to tell me, Steven?" she bit back her choking sobs, looking at him incredulously though the hurt, pain, and sorrow she felt building up in her chest. "You completely misunderstand what Michael and I were doing in that hotel room; you go off for who knows how long in your angered, jealous state; come back knowing full well everyone that loves you is worried sick; and not only did you just come back, oh no…" she broke her eye contact in that instant and threw her arms up in exasperation, "you come back married to a stripper! A stripper, Steven…" she looked at him once more with her incredulous stare.
He stayed silent, watching her rant. His expression was not necessarily Zen as per usual, this time his brows were somewhat furrowed together as if he was just waiting for her to say something to which he could retort full force.
"And I came back…I gave up my job in Chicago to make sure you were alright, so that we could sort out this silly mess and be together…but you came back MARRIED!" she shouted in his face, though he still did not speak. "And here I am again…like an idiot, allowing you to make a final decision." She hushed her tone. "I love you Steven, and I know you did this out of spite-"
"I was drunk." He finally spoke up, interrupting her.
"WHATEVER!" she continued, changing the subject somewhat, "I'm going to New York…they have a job opening over there and, well…" she paused, "I'm not going to leave it…if you still love me…you'll leave that whore that I know for a fact you don't love, and come with me."
"You can't give me an ultimatum again, Jackie!" he finally broke his solemn state and raised his voice to her. "Because that worked so well the first time." he said sarcastically as an afterthought.
"OH! So you want to stay with the tramp?" she asked him through wide eyes.
He didn't answer that question, instead dodged it with another pointed statement. "You can't tell me to leave everything here just so you can have your own fairytale while I'm talking to mice in the freakin' background!" He knew he sounded ridiculous, and selfish in his own way, but he figured if he stopped this relationship here, he wouldn't be hurt…like he always was when it came to people he got too close to…save the Formans.
She dismissed his Cinderella reference. "Leave what? What are you leaving exactly?" she asked, stupefied by his reasoning. "There is nothing here for you except maybe Mr. and Mrs. Forman, and I know for a fact that they would want you to get out of this dinky little town to start your own life!" she huffed, seemingly running out of breath. "You said yourself you wanted to get out of here someday, in fact once you tried it, but your friends and adoptive family held you back, WELL GUESS WHAT?" she shouted once more, "ALL YOUR FRIENDS ARE GONE! They're moving on with their lives! Kelso is in Chicago with Brooke and the baby…Fez is still here, but soon he's gonna open up his own hair salon in Kenosha…even Donna and Eric are patching up their rocky romance…they rented an apartment!..I mean sure it's only like a block away…but still! Point is we're all moving on." She finalized, hoping to get a positive reaction out of him.
"You're right. We are all moving on." He said so carelessly, as if nothing else mattered.
At that moment she stared at him, disbelievingly. "Steven, what are you saying?" Her eyes began to shift from glass, to water.
"Bye, Jackie." He choked out as coldly as he could, ignoring the growing lump in his throat.
With that last fragment of a phrase she spun on her heal to the basement door, but not before Hyde could see a single tear spill over and curve along her flushed cheek as she left…left him for what was probably for good.
…..