Author's Note: I know, long time no chapters! Hopefully they keep coming and hopefully you all enjoy. As always, Read/Review/Enjoy!

Chapter 21: How to Say Goodbye

"What was mine is not anymore, I'm not sure it ever was."-Anonymous.

It's eerily quiet; a stark contrast to what it was thirty minutes ago when it seemed like World War Three had erupted in my living room. Tyson pummeling Chase Jared trying to break it up and all the while Chase just took it. Didn't throw a single punch. Of course it didn't take too long for Jared to get Tyson off of him long enough to get him into another room and away from Chase, who now sits propped against the front door, his shirt messed up, lip bleeding, and eye nearly swelling shut.

"I didn't mean to hit her," Chase says, and I sigh heavily looking around at the faces of everyone around me.

"I told you so," I mutter, accepting the ice pack that Evy hands me, watching as she hands another one to Chase.

"Yeah right," Tyson growls out, and I roll my eyes at him as he sits next to me, hissing between his teeth as a cool wet rag is pressed to his torn and bloody knuckles.

"Stop it," I say over the ice pack.

"I honestly never meant to hurt her," Chase says and I look at him, really look at him. He looks so broken and lost like he really doesn't know what to do with himself anymore, and it's my fault. I know that. If it wasn't for me, he'd still be Chase Porter the extraordinary doctor who spent his career helping people who need it the most, instead he's here, leaning against my front door, a broken man.

"You all need to go. I need to talk to Chase, alone," I say setting the ice pack aside, my lips numb from the ice pack.

"The fuck if I'm leaving you alone with him," Tyson growls from beside me. It honestly takes everything inside of me to not snap at him as I turn slowly to look at him.

"Last time I checked this is my house. I choose who gets to stay, and who has to go. I need to talk to Chase alone," I say through clenched teeth.

"Uhm, it's our house…" Evy speaks up from the kitchen door way.

"Evy, you are really not helping me here," I say and she smiles slowly as she gathers her purse.

"I was just stating a simple fact," she says hugging me close, and in a hushed voice she whispers in my ear, "I expect a phone call after he leaves."

Jared smiles at me from the door as Evy walks past him and with a simple head nod a thousand words are spoken and I smile back at him. Tyson stares at me, eyes serious and unreadable as he stops with a hand on the door.

"Brae…"

"Ty, I'll be fine. I'll see you later, okay," I say trying to smile for him but I can't seem to bring my lips to curve for him.

XXX

I stare at Chase, and try to find the words. Only I can't. Sure he hurt me, but at the end of the day I'm the one who has done the most injustice. I never should have married him. I was never really his, not the way he wanted me to be, not the way I wanted to be. Tyson had me from the very beginning, and even when I wanted nothing more than to let him go and move on, I never did.

I never could.

"I am so sorry," I say at last, feeling the tears filling my eyes.

"Why are you apologizing Brae, this isn't your fault," Chase asks and shake my head when he puts his hand on mine.

"It is my fault. I loved you Chase," I say taking a deep shaky breath, "But I don't know if I was ever in love with you, and it wasn't fair of me to make you think I was. I messed everything up."

"I knew you weren't, in love with me," he says and I look at him trying to understand.

"How, how did you know?" I stammer, trying to wrap my mind around what he said.

"About a month after you moved in I was trying to find one of my textbooks, so I was searching the closet. I found a box of stuff. Stuff that you kept from Tyson. Little things. Little notes he wrote to you, a napkin with lyrics written on them, movie ticket stubs, pictures…I knew you weren't all the way in love with me, but I was hoping. Every day I was hoping that I would open the closet and that box would be gone. It was never gone. He was never gone…"

"Chase, I…I'm so sorry," I say and he shakes his head a small smile on his lips.

"Don't be. We both made mistakes, just promise me something," he says and I look at him at he sets his hands on my shoulders, squeezing lightly as his eyes search my face, "Promise me you won't settle. If Tyson can't see what he has, if he can't see that you are worth everything, then he doesn't deserve you."

I start crying letting him hug me and I soak up the comfort he's willing to give me. Revel in the beauty that is Chase Porter's soul.

It's never easy to say good bye.

'Don't settle…' Chase's words circle in my head as I clean the house. He's right; I don't even know where I stand with Tyson. We haven't had a moment to just talk. To discuss what both of us want from each other, what both of us expect of each other.

I sit with my back to the door and close my eyes.

I have no idea what to do.

Evy's POV

XXX

"You're worried," Jared's voice is light as he runs his fingers through my hair and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Is it that obvious?" I ask, turning onto my side my legs snaking over his as I bury my face in the crook of his neck.

"It is it to me," he murmurs as his lips press softly to my temple, "What's on your mind beautiful?"

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" I ask tipping my face up so I can see his. I can always tell when Jared is holding something back from me; it's in his eyes and the way he sets his jaw.

"I've known Brae for a while, in fact, it feels like I have known her for my whole life, and if there is anything I know about her it's that she always finds a way to be okay."

"She shouldn't have to be though," I murmur, closing my eyes, "What if…what if she doesn't ever find what we have with someone?"

"What do you mean? She has Tyson…"

"Do you really think Tyson is going to take it seriously this time?" I demand, surprised by the tone of bitterness in my voice.

"Whoa, where is this coming from? I thought you wanted them to be together," he says sitting up slowly and I follow suite until I'm sitting cross-legged with my back against the headboard.

"I did…I do. It's just," I shake my head trying to get my thoughts straight, "I know Brae. I knew when things were wrong when she and Tyson were together. I knew she was, punishing herself, because she didn't fit the role the outside world thought that she should in order to be with him. I don't want her to go through that again. Despite the fact that I think that her and Tyson belong together, she's my family Jared, more than that, she's my best friend, and I don't want to see her losing herself again. Not when she's just starting to get some shadow of who she used to be back."

"Even if she doesn't end up with Tyson or heaven help him if he screws up again, she won't lose herself like she did before. She has you, and me. We won't let it happen. I promise, and you know that if Brae were here listening to the way you're talking she'd threaten to kick your ass. All you're supposed to be worrying about is taking care of yourself and that bun in your oven," he laughs as he places a wide palm over my flat stomach and I smile.

"Yeah, you're right, she'll be okay," I murmur, curling into him and I close my eyes.

I hope.

I sigh as I take a sip of the one cup of coffee I'm allowed a day, and smile. Caffeine is definitely one of my best friends. Especially since I barely slept last night, and what little sleep I got was restless. This is just what I need to make the fog of fatigue roll away. I groan as I stretch, rolling my shoulders. It won't be long now before I leave with Jared for tour, and I can't help but wonder if maybe I should stay.

Keep an eye on Brae.

I shake my head at myself almost laughing as I pluck an apple from the bowl on the counter, running it under water. Jared's right. I really need to stop trying to protect her from everything. I can't stick her in a bubble; I have to let her live her life. Even if it means stumbling and falling, and getting hurt.

My phone signals a new message and I groan setting my morning snack aside, and read the words on the screen, my heart faltering in my chest.

Son. Of. A. Bitch.

Brae's POV

XXX

I open my eyes when I feel movement on my bed and let out a scream when I see Evy leaning over me a serious look on her face.

"Sorry, I'm sorry," Evy says sitting back on the end of my bed as I sit up pressing a hand to my heart trying to get it to stop from galloping out of my chest.

"Jesus Evy," I mutter, raking my fingers through my hair before pulling it up into a messy bun on my head.

"I'm sorry, I've been trying to wake you up for twenty minutes," she says and I sigh looking at the time, my eyes nearly bugging out of my head.

"Why are you waking me up at seven in the morning? Why are you awake at seven in the morning?" I ask and the look on her face tells me something is wrong. Something is really wrong, "Evy? What's the matter, what happened?"

"Charlotte sent me this link this morning," she says slowly handing me her phone and I raise an eyebrow at her before looking at the message on the phone. The picture takes up the whole screen, the horrible proof that he just won't change. It isn't in him to be the person he says he wants to be. I feel the tears, they are all but choking me as I feel my throat closing up, but I swallow them.

"Brae…" Evy's voice is full of sympathy but I shake my head at her.

"No. I'm not…" I stammer, catching my breath, "He isn't going to break me again."

XXX

It took a lot of convincing on my part to get Evy to leave and let me handle the situation on my own, but with Jared backing me one hundred percent she finally relented only after telling me that I had better call her once all was said and done.

I pace nervously, nearly jumping every time I hear a door close, my heart literally feeling like it's leaping into my throat. I fight off the tears, refusing to let them fall. Tears will get me nowhere fast, and do nothing more than give me a headache that will linger all day, not to mention the puffy red-rimmed eyes that can't be hidden no matter how much make up I use.

Three quick raps on the door and before I can turn to make my way to answer Tyson strolls in. Black and blue bruises dance over his left cheek and I feel a fast spurt of guilt and worry for him, but I smother it. Because if I feel anything at all I won't be able to do what I know I need to do.

"Hey," Tyson says happily coming towards me, his arms opening to envelope me but I shake my head holding my hands up to stop him, "Brae…"

"We need to talk," I say cursing the fact that my voice shakes, "Please sit down." He stares at me with those outrageously sexy blue eyes and I motion towards the couch watching as his long legs eat up the floor and he sits. I take a deep breath before following behind him, sitting on the table in front of him.

He looks nervous. He always looks so cute when he's nervous, the way his large hands run up and down his knees and he licks his lips, his hair carelessly pushed out of his face and I almost smile, wishing that I could remember him this way forever.

"Brae, what's going on?" he asks finally, snapping me out of my own thoughts.

"You and Kim made the news," I blurt out and I see him wince slightly before the light seems to dim out of his eyes, "It was a beautiful picture. You two make a beautiful couple."

"Brae…"

"No. Just, listen, okay. I don't know where we stand, or stood, but I, I can't do this Ty. I can't keep playing a supporting role in my own love story Tyson. I wish that I could, but I can't, not even for you. I promised someone who means a great deal to me that I wouldn't settle. I won't settle for anyone who doesn't see what they have, who doesn't see how much I love them, and how much I have to offer them. I can't, and it's killing me because I want nothing more than to kiss you right now, and to tell you that I love you, I am so insanely in love with you and that I will wait for you to do whatever it is that you need to do, but…"my words trail off when he pulls me into him, his mouth covering mine and I sink into it. Sink into him.

XXX

I stare at him in the dark, memorizing his face, locking him away in my memory to be kept safe and sound. As quietly as I can I slip out of bed and get dressed, clutching my purse to my chest and I with a final look at him I slip out of his hotel room. As I walk through the silence of hall I send the message.

It's done.