I just wanted to tell you how happy it makes me when I see notifications of new story followers/favorites after posting a new chapter. It almost makes me squeal in delight.And your kind comments always make my day.
THANK YOU!
Him
He didn't know how long he had been sitting in the break room alone, but when he finally rubbed his hands over his face, sighed tiredly and opened his eyes, he wasn't anymore.
Upton was standing in front of him, leaning against the table and looking at him with a sad smile.
"So she's back, huh?"
She tried to sound nonchalant, but it didn't quite work out.
"She's back."
He confirmed softly, tasting the words, trying to figure out what to do with them.
"What do you think about that?"
She sat down next to him, leaning back and looking straight ahead.
What did he think about it?
He was happy that he got to see her again, mad at her, for just turning up and making those wounds bleed that was just about to heal.
And he was confused. So fucking confused why she was here, why she was doing this now, of all times.
He didn't know how to answer the question, so she gave her a shrug and a non-committal "I don't know".
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her shift and then she was looking at him.
" You know, Jay," she began almost hesitantly. "I didn't get to work with Lindsay for long, but I did get to know her a bit."
She paused, waiting for him to look at her. When he did, she continued.
"I think that she's fiercely protective of those she loves and of those she feels she owes it to.
" And I think that's exactly the reason she did what she did. Maybe it wasn't exactly the smartest move, considering what I gathered about her mother, but she thought it was her duty as a daughter."
She let her words sink in and gave him an encouraging smile.
"Think about it." She stood up, gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze, before leaving him alone again.
For a long while, he just stared at nothing, turning the words over in his head and trying to decipher the meaning behind them.
He knew the observations were not wrong.
Erin was fiercely protective of the people close to her.
He also knew that, despite everything, she still felt like it was her job to look out for Bunny.
He didn't get it. He never had. But it hadn't been his place to say something.
Sure, he had tried to talk to her, to make her see that Bunny didn't deserve to be called a mother, but still, in the end, it had been her choice to make.
He shouldn't be judging her. He shouldn't be thinking about her at all.
Over the last few months, he couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't walked out on her if he had stayed with her and confided in her and trusted her, that she wouldn't have left.
Maybe they would still be together. Hell, maybe he really would have proposed. Because he wanted to. God had he wanted to.
He had wanted to go down on one knee long before he got the ring from Will.
The ring. It was still at home. Laying in the bedside drawer.
He didn't have it in him to return it. Sometimes, when he just couldn't sleep or one of his nightmares kept him awake, he just held it between his fingers and stared at it.
It was in those moments that he imagined a different life, happier. Always with her.
How couldn't he? She had been everything. She still was.
Looking at her now, smiling a faint smile that didn't really look genuine, a smile that had a sadness behind it that made his heart clench, he made a decision.
He stood, raking a hand through his hair one last time, before joining the group, standing beside her.
And before he could lose his nerves, he leaned down slightly and whispered "Come over tonight" in her ear.
Her hazel eyes were wide as she looked at him.
When she gave him a faint nod that he almost missed, he felt his heart squeeze with joy.
He really wanted a different life. He wanted happier.
Are you proud of me or what? A new chapter after only two weeks and I didn't even have to force myself to write it. I'm even quite proud of it.
What do you guys think?
PS: Don't forget to comment.
