A/ N: The very awaited sequel to Stolen! Thanks for the support. Please also check out some of my other one shots! And my on going Harvest Moon story, Molly's Choice!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.
I never thought I would even see Skye again. I moved all the way to Mineral Town for that reason only. I couldn't stand to stay in Forget-Me-Not Valley. I would see him and Lumina together.
Really, I never blamed Lumina for this mess. She didn't even know I bet. Skye may have been a player, but he was always good at keeping secrets. Especially if they were my secrets. But then, I couldn't help but wonder what did he keep from me? I mean if he was so good at keeping my secrets, what were some of his own?
But no matter what the circumstances between us, I fled that night to get away from him, never to be seen again. I didn't want to see them being bonded, being a wedded couple. She was my best friend, and he was my true love. But he would never know. Yes, I had confessed with him, the night before his wedding. He told me that he too loved me, but he gave up on me when I put distance between us. I brought him straight into Lumina's arms. And I knew she was happy, she was one of those fan girls that would never talk about anything else besides there precious "Phantom Skye.:
I didn't even think she knew the real him, only the parts he allowed her to see. Although the say they fell in love and got married, I couldn't stop thinking about how Skye probably told me things he never even told his own wife.
And about his wife, why was he here instead of with her?
He stood at my door, his silver locks glistening in the darkness. His hair dripping from the rain. That only confused me more. He never came out in the rain. Not even when it was my birthday. Not even on New Years. That also got me wondering: did he go out in the rain to see Lumina in my absence? Or was it just his natural thing, and no woman would be able to break it?
My heart clenched as he looked up to meet my stare. He was still painfully handsome, and it hurt to look at him. My eyes snapped to his feet, my bangs covering my face.
"Jill." Skye's voice rang through my ears.
It hurt, even after all of this time, to hear his voice. I didn't want this confrontation. I wasn't ready, and I didn't think I ever would be. I kept quiet as I unlocked my front door and opened it. I didn't even bother to hold it open to ask Skye to come in. I knew he would do it anyway.
It's funny, seeing such a fond memory of your past show up again, only years after it really happened. It's something like déjà-vu. Déjà-vu is almost painful to some people. It reminds you of people that are no longer with you, dead or living.
That's why I didn't look up from the floor. I didn't want this. I wanted to tell myself that
I didn't need him like I needed air to breathe. I wanted to believe I could continue living, and move on. It's funny how I never get what I want.
I heard shuffling and felt his warm hands on my shoulders. I tingled from his touch. The familiar warmth I had long since forgotten about. I felt his stare at my face, and I had to make a choice; to look up or to continue being silent.
Odds were never in my favor, and I was most likely going to be forced into talking either way. I gave in.
I looked up and was mesmerized by his eyes. Violet orbs, filled with depth. I used to always be able to read those eyes- what was in the purple depths, but right now, I didn't know what it was, but something threw me off. It was an emotion I've never seen him have. Maybe it was just time, that I lost my ability.
"Jill, why did you leave? Why!" Skye asked, pain now evident on his face.
I looked away. It was too overwhelming to see him that way. At least my last memory of him was one where he was actually happy. After a few moments of silence, I looked at him and finally spoke to him.
"Because of the pain." I whispered. I knew that if he wasn't so close, he wouldn't have heard me.
The wild look in his eyes vanished as he heard me speak. Almost as if I calmed him down.
"Pain? What pain, Jill?" I muttered, looking away from me.
"The pain from your wedding, the pain from you and Lumina's love."
I didn't want to talk to him. Talking to him about my pain only made it hurt more. He should be with Lumina, not me. I was the useless reject of a best friend. I was unlovable. I was unwanted. I was worthless.
I moved away from his hands, away from his warmth, and sprinted out the door, and back into the rain. My harsh gasps for breath were hidden by the sound of splashing rain. It hid me from what I wanted to get away from.
I climbed a cliff that jutted out into the ocean. It was a wonderful sight if it were sunny. But as it was raining, it was gloomy, and looked like death. I sat towards the edge, careful to not get to closer. As depressed as I was, I didn't want to die. I wouldn't give up a life just because I didn't get what I wanted. Even thought I never got what I wanted…
My knees were bent up against my body as I rested on them. Should I really give him the chance? He had a chance, long ago, but it was always just a goner wasn't it? Wasn't our relationship just all about how it was forbidden? Those late night meetings by the Harvest Tree. Those were all about how no one saw us together?
It was just a big sham, wasn't it?
I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt and stared at my wrists. Scabs. Some of them were new and fresh, just covering the cut. Others became scars, small darker lines on my skin. There was just something about cutting. It let all of your pain release. It was giving yourself pain to let a more powerful pain go away. I loved it. I've told myself countless times that there was no reason, that I wasn't that much affected by it. But sometimes, it just made the pain worse. It made it get stronger.
It was terrible to know that one person caused me this much pain.
I brought the blade out of my pocket. I always kept that razor there in case the pain became unbearable. I looked at my reflection. I seemed to lifeless, so dull. I smirked to myself. I wonder if Skye knows how much I've changed. How I wasn't how I used to be.
I brought the blade towards my skin, piercing the surface. The pain shot through my body. It felt amazing. It made me feel alive. I brought the blade towards my face, looking at myself through its surface. My eyes were wild. They weren't dull or depressed.
They were alive.
I heard him shouting my name, footsteps closing it fast. I didn't bother to move, or to cover up any evidence. I wanted to see his face when he saw what I've done. I heard him stop behind me, his breath deep and hard.
"Jill! Why did you run away!" He asked.
I gave a small, harsh laugh. It was so different than how I just was. I felt alive, the adrenaline from cutting still in my veins. I could only imagine his face. "Well Skye, why don't you come and look at what you've done to me."
His breath slowed as he came closer. In fact I could tell he was barely breathing, probably afraid to see what I've done. When he was right in front of me, his eyes were wide. I smirked as I looked down, seeing blood slowly dripping from my wrist, the blade in my other hand.
"Why….?" He asked; his voice filled with torture.
"You." I said, looking towards the crashing waves.
"You were too good for me. I must be some crazy person, so hell bent on finding some form of happiness. But I've never found any. People here have been so helpful, but it never seemed like they would replace you." I said, my voice getting quieter until I whispered the last part.
Skye didn't answer and I didn't say anything else. We just stayed there, not talking. I heard someone call my name and I knew who could come for me.
Cliff.
Cliff was another one of my good friends. He always wanted the best for me, since he believed I was so much better than this. And I was, at one point. After I moved here, it was awhile until I could really go out into town and be happy and social with people. Cliff, he was well aware of my condition. Of me cutting myself. He had countless attempts to stop me, but they all failed. He accepted me the way I was. He was the closest person I had left.
Cliff stopped when he spotted us, and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He bent down, burying his face in my hair, making me look back. I saw his shaggy brown hair.
I knew why he was here. He wanted to make sure I was okay, that I didn't do anything terrible. That I was still with him.
I have tried to leave before. To move on before I got too attached. I was afraid of getting hurt. Cliff wouldn't let me leave. He was the one who forced me to listen to him. He was always a quiet person, which is probably why I got along with him so easily. But it seemed that I got him to talk, to really express his feelings. I was the only one who knew his deepest secrets, his biggest fear.
And I also knew he was in love with me.
He confessed to me, and he knew that I would never return them until Skye left my desire. And he knew that very well may never happen. But he was happy enough being my best friend.
Best friend. I remember when Skye was my best friend. It truly seemed like ages ago. I looked up, expecting to see him staring at me in shock, but he wasn't there. I pushed Cliff gently off of me and got up off the ground. I turned around in circles, trying to see if he was hiding.
He wasn't.
I never saw Skye after that day on the cliff.
If I would be honest, I would tell you I never got over Skye. He was always perfect, even though I wouldn't have admitted it to him. I mean, he was such a great guy. I lost him to Lumina all those years ago, and he came to find me, to actually beg for forgiveness. He wanted to fix the mess he'd caused.
But I wouldn't be fixed. It was too late for me. I was too deep into depression, into the ever agonizing pain. But I had Cliff with me.
And maybe, just maybe, I would get better one day.