Description: New Dawson's Creek story that I have been working on. Its based after the series ended, the only character that I own is Caleb and Jake.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the original story and Caleb/Jake.
Authors Note: if this story receives reviews I will update it regularly.
Lost love Found:
Chapter#12
(Joey's pov)
" I'll come, I'm hungry.", chimes in Pacey all but inviting himself. Whoa, he's coming out to breakfast with Jen and I now? Dawson and Jack are going to be there as well. Perfect. This is just my luck! When we walk in together, they're all going to think that we're back with one another when we're not. ….Not just yet we aren't at least. What the hell am I supposed to do? It isn't as though I could ask Pacey not to come, he would only take it the wrong way. Guess I was kind of hoping to take things one step at a time with Pacey, look how well that's going.
" I'm driving.", I reluctantly agree with a smile and a kiss to Pacey's cheek. So what if he comes, if anything we're still friends. Sure Pacey and I haven't really talked all that much in recent years, but that's not to say we aren't still friends. To be honest, the only real reason I'm worried is because of Jen. Once she sees Pacey and I walk in together, she's going to start in with the prying questions. I swear that girl's never learned to simply leave well enough alone. Hell, I have lost track of all the times she has attempted to jump start a conversation either about Pacey or between the two of us. Jen can be very persistent and meddlesome when she wants to be.
" In other words we're going to stall out the entire way?", teases Pacey with a playful smirk before stealing a kiss from me. Frowning to myself, I glance up at him with a scowl. Pacey had better watch it, he's about to get kicked in the shin. I am not that bad at shifting gears. Fine, so maybe it took me a while to get the hang of it. Look who my teachers were though, Dawson and Pacey. It is a wonder that I learned to drive at all with all of their complaints.
" I'll have you know that my shifting gears while driving has improved since high school Witter.", I joke with a light shove and roll of my eyes. It took me a while, but I got the hang of driving stick. Now when I drive, if I'm lucky I don't stall out and even if I do it is only once or twice. That is an improvement on my part compared to when I first started driving. God, I still remember that first drive to see Pacey on his boat when we came back from sailing to the Florida Keys the summer before our senior year. I stalled out so many times; I swore that I was never going to drive stick again.
Following me from Jake's room, Pacey places a hand on my waist," Great so we'll only stall twice hopefully."
Giving Pacey a light slap on the chest, I take hold of his hand," If we're lucky."
….(Caleb's pov)
" Joey.", I acknowledge in a cold gruff tone as her and Pacey emerge from Jake's room. She didn't even waste a second did she? Joey and I get into one fight and she races back to Pacey? I can't believe her! Last night Joey told me that she loved me, that she wanted to be with me. Granted, yes I asked her to leave. At the time, I was upset and angry. It didn't mean that I stopped caring about her though. How could she just walk out here with Pacey and act as though everything is alright? Furthermore how could he just move right in on Joey like this? Pacey is supposed to be my friend!
"…Caleb.", answers Joey in a quiet voice, her eyes cast downward the entire time. I watch as she drops Pacey's hand from her own. Staring at the both of them in disbelief, my blood boils at the sight of his hand resting on Joey's waist. I want nothing more than to punch Pacey in the face right now, but I know it won't change anything. Joey would only grow to hate me if I did. Had I known that asking her to leave last night would result in this? …I never would have let Joey go. This is my fault; I pushed her towards Pacey because I couldn't handle the fact that they had a past together. Joey told me that she loved me, why couldn't I have believed her?
" I can't believe you Joey.", are the only words I'm able to muster up at this point. Joey just gave up on me that easily? Was I not even worth fighting for? If Joey loved me as much as claimed, she would be trying to work things out with me. Instead, she's holding hands with Pacey. ….God I hate him so much right now. He wanted to break Joey and I up. Pacey was never over here, he said so himself the other night. He unintentionally picked a fight between Joey and I, and stupid me just let him. Now Pacey has her and I'm left with a shattered heart.
" You're the one who broke up with me.", reminds Joey with an arched eye brow. What did she expect? I had just found out that the girl I was slowly falling in love with had not only dated one of my close friend, but three. How did Joey honestly expect me to react? Should I have been a little more understanding, yes. But to be fair, when I asked Joey to leave last night it was because I had needed some time to clear my head and think things through. It wasn't because I didn't love her anymore! How can she not feel the least bit guilty? Last night I asked her if she still loved Pacey, she couldn't even give me a straight answer. Joey told me that he had hurt her and Pacey was in her past…she told me that I was the one she wanted to be with, not him. Was that a lie? What could have happened between then and now to make Joey just toss me aside the way that she did?
Tossing the rose I'd bought Joey aside, I look at her with reservation shining in my eyes," So you take Pacey back?"
Unable to meet my gaze, Joey averts her eyes toward the ground,"….We're talking out our differences."
(Pacey's pov)
" Whatever.", mutters Caleb with a shake of his head and frustrated sigh. I almost feel bad for the guy. He knew how I felt about Joey. I made that more than clear to him last night. She has nothing to be ashamed of or feel guilty about. Caleb walked away from Joey; it wasn't the other way around. She went to him last night and like some kind of an idiot he turned Joey away. Did he honestly think that I was going to give her a chance to try and work things out with him? Caleb should have never asked Joey to go last night. That was the worst mistake that could have ever made, especially knowing that I admitted to wanting her back.
" Come on Jo. Jen is waiting for us.", I break in after a minute of silence. I make a point of placing my hands around her waist gently. This action doesn't go unnoticed by Caleb as he regards me with a scowl. He can give me all the dirty looks that he wanted. I'm not going to apologize for taking a chance and making my move on Joey. I shouldn't have to, she was mine long before Caleb ever set eyes on her. If I want to pursue Potter, I'm going to and there isn't a damn thing that he can do to stop me.
" Goodbye Caleb, I'll see you around.", mutters Joey softly. Her eyes meet his briefly before glancing down at the ground. This can't be easy for Joey right now. Once again she's caught in the middle of two friends. It isn't hard to see how remorseful she feels right now. Joey has no reason to though; she hasn't done anything wrong here. Caleb is the one who turned her away; it wasn't the other way around. He let his doubts about the two of them and insecurities about me get in between Joey and him. I made that same mistake years ago and had been kicking myself ever since. The way I see it, it is Caleb's turn to live with the consequences of letting Joey slip through his fingers.
" Don't bother.", dismisses Caleb in a gruff manner. The look on Joey's face at the harshness of his words is killing me right now. Why does he insist on being such a prick to her right now? It isn't Joey's fault that Caleb screwed things up. If he is going to be upset with anyone it should be himself. All Caleb had to do was except that Joey and I had history with one another. He wasn't able to do that though. I'll be damned if I'm going to stand around and allow Caleb to treat Joey so bitterly. If he has a problem, he can take it up with me and leave Potter out of it. It isn't as though she went running back to me. I was the one who went into Jake's room and plead with her for another chance last night. I'm the one Caleb should be heated with, not Joey. ….
