Confrontation

The silence was unbearable.

All the words I kept inside were building up inside of my throat, choking me to a point where I wanted nothing but to spill it all. The only thing stopping me from speaking up was Lucas, who I was trying my best to avoid looking at. On one hand it felt as if I owed him an explanation for my sudden silence treatment, while on the other I was too mixed up with feelings to be sure I was even thinking straightly.

I wondered if the tenseness in the car was noticeable to Isaac; he looked way too calm to have a lump of repressed feelings blocking his air supplies. All I could catch from his facial expression was the slightest lowering of his eyebrows each time he glanced my way. It shocked me a bit to realize how used I'd gotten to see a frown on his face. So much worry all the time…

"The tank meter is running low."

Isaac's voice, though low and steady, made me jump in my seat. I pretended not to notice the way he scrutinized my face for a long moment, but I failed to keep my expression cool as Lucas replied shortly after.

"So? There should be a tank station around here somewhere."

I felt betrayed by my own feelings when I realized the anger from before had melted away; all I could feel was an odd pinching sensation, as if someone was stabbing me. It hurt.

"I'm not so sure," Isaac said, worry clouding his voice. I knew the reason behind his anxiety, and it was definitely not the lack of tank stations.

He was right, though. All I could see outside was miles and miles of trees and grass.

"Pull over then." Lucas' tone was much calmer.

The car shifted just a second later, but my body didn't crush into the car door like it had the last time we'd turned so quickly. With blood making me warm and healthy, it felt as if I'd never been weak. The only things I had reminding me of how it'd been a few hours ago were weak and unimportant memories.

Both Isaac and Lucas got out as soon as the engine's roar silenced, but I remained in my seat. I pulled my legs up so that I could wind my arms around them and rest my forehead against them, but a knock on the window made me freeze in my motions. My feet found the floor of the car again as I realized it wasn't Isaac standing outside.

I hesitantly pushed my car door open, deliberating on whether or not to slam it into Lucas. Letting my smarter side take over my mind, I went with just simply getting up and closing the door behind me. As I turned to find Isaac, Lucas swiftly took a step to the side so that he was blocking my path. I reluctantly let my eyes trail up to his face, and I was slightly surprised to see the frown on his face.

"You're in my way," I said quietly, though it wasn't meant for only Lucas to hear. Like I'd already figured, Isaac appeared at my side just a second later, instantly catching the warning of my words.

Lucas' eyes narrowed the slightest before he stepped back and I threw a quick glance in his direction before I turned so that my back was facing him. His expression was sour and even though I was quite convinced it wasn't meant for me to see, I could easily notice the way his hands were curled into fists. The image of his anger stayed in the back of my mind as my gaze shifted to Isaac's, which was how I noticed that their facial expressions were nearly identical.

Isaac's eyes lingered just a second too long at his brother's face before they turned to me, giving me a clear sign of where his anger was directed. I stretched up a bit on my toes so that I could meet his gaze directly and also block his view of Lucas.

"What do we do?" I asked, trying to avoid the pair of eyes that were burning holes into the back of my neck.

"I'll go back to the town we were in and find a tank station," Isaac answered, his words coming out so smoothly that I wondered if he'd already figured out his plan in the car.

I felt my eyebrows lower slightly as I said, "I'm coming with you, right?"

The look that flashed across his eyes gave me enough of an answer.

"I'm not staying here with him," I said quietly, though I knew by the sound of a snort behind me, Lucas had still heard my words just as clearly as if I'd spoken loudly.

"Well, he can't go back to that town," Isaac replied calmly, though I could hear that he wasn't nearly as pleased with his plan as he pretended to be. "And do you really think leaving him alone would be a good idea after what happened today?"

Lucas snorted again, and the only thing stopping me from turning around and glaring at him was that Isaac suddenly pulled me close to him in a warm embrace. His lips were at my ear just a beat later and his breath washed down my neck as he spoke again, his voice lower than before.

"Besides, I think you two need to talk," he said, causing me to instinctively shake my head in disagreement. A few puffs of air trickled into my ear as he chuckled, but I barely got the time to react before he was sprinting back the way we'd gotten here.

I stared after him, baffled by his sudden exit and terrified by who I was forced to face.

With reluctant moves I turned on my feet, but without glancing in Lucas' direction, I headed towards the car and the privacy it offered. My hand froze on the handle to the car door, though, when the air swirled familiarly around me and made a few strands of my hair fall into my face. I remained still for a few seconds before I turned to look at Lucas, who had moved much more than I'd thought.

His face was just a few centimetres away from mine, and I pressed myself closer to the car, intimidated by the short distance between us. His gaze was boring into mine, making me both uncomfortable and uncertain about whether or not to glance away from him.

"Talk to me," he said slowly, his eyes not even blinking.

"There's nothing to talk about," I mumbled, wishing he could just take a few steps back.

"Look, I'm sorry, Jessica!" The words sounded odd coming from him, and not only because his tone was beyond exasperated.

My voice was quiet but irritated as I asked, "Do you even know what you're apologizing for?"

His eyebrows furrowed together in a frown as he watched me silently, clearly unable to answer my question.

"That's what I thought," I muttered before I harshly pushed him away from me to be able to get away from the closeness of his face.

Just a second later, though, a strong hand on my shoulder made me slam back against the car.

"Just help me out here a little," Lucas nearly hissed. There was no anger in his gaze, just pure frustration.

I stared at him with wide eyes, paralyzed. He didn't ease his grip on my shoulder as he watched me intensely, obviously not noticing the fear I could feel radiating off of me.

"I thought we were past the grudges," he continued after a long moment of ear-piercing silence. His voice was much calmer than before, but I could still hear the trace of frustration that was left in his tone.

"Well, you thought wrong," I managed to get out.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

If I could've, I would've backed away even further away from him and his suddenly harsh tone.

"I want you to get your hand off of me," I replied as steadily as I could. The fear inside of me was making my voice tremble slightly, though.

His hand remained still where it was, gripping my shoulder as if it was the only thing to hold on to.

"What's the matter with you?" My voice was getting slightly louder, though it still wasn't steady. "You're acting like a total douche."

"I'm acting like a total douche?" he shot back.

"Well, I'm sorry for having a bit of a problem with just accepting the things you've done," I growled, my tone not the slightest apologetic.

"I'm not talking about that," he said, his voice suddenly much quieter than mine.

I stared at him in confusion.

"Everywhere I look, you're right there, kissing him, looking at him like…" His words turned into silence, and a heat of anger flashed through his eyes. I couldn't tell if it was directed towards me or himself.

"Is that what you mean with rubbing it in your face?" I asked. It shocked me to hear how bleak my own voice had turned again.

He didn't say anything, but his silence was enough of an answer to me.

"I'm not trying to do that," I said, my eyebrows lowering slightly over my eyes. "But I can't adjust my life just to make it perfect for you. I'm not going to tip around on my toes."

"I'm not asking you to," he muttered.

"That's exactly what you're doing!"

The anger in his eyes pierced right through me and as it finally weakened, I felt nearly breathless.

"I know you feel something," he said, his voice changing yet again.

What point was there in denying it? It was nothing in comparison to how I felt for Isaac, though, and I knew it would never be. Lucas had hurt me too many times to ever gain my trust. The cuts of his actions were too deep be able to erase.

My thoughts were either clear in my eyes or just able to sense, because Lucas' facial expression darkened before I'd managed to get out an answer.

"I need to hear you say it," he murmured. "Just once."

The words burned in my mouth as I struggled to get them out and I fought against the odd tears that urged to flow down my cheeks as I looked into his now sombre eyes. My mouth opened once, only to be closed again a second later.

Finally, though, I managed to whisper, "I don't love you."

There was just the slightest twitch of the corner of his mouth, but that little sign made it ache inside of me.

"That's all I wanted to hear," he said just as quietly.

And then he was gone, leaving me with nothing but the wind swirling around me.

A shaky breath left my lips as I stared at the empty space in front of me. My shoulder hurt slightly where it had been gripped, but even if I'd wanted to, I couldn't make myself move. I was frozen as I was with my back pressed up against the car and my eyes watching the emptiness. Even the tears stayed still behind my eyelids.

I wasn't sure how long it took for Isaac to return, but it felt like hours had passed when my ears caught the sound of his quick steps. My gaze wandered to the left just as he pulled to a rough stop a foot away from me, and he watched me silently for a long moment. The question was clear in his blue eyes, but I couldn't make myself speak.

As he took the last step that was separating us, I finally managed to pull my stiff body away from the car so that I could crash into his familiar arms. He pressed me tightly to him, and I wondered if he knew how that simple action made my heart warm with comfort. Had he heard my conversation with Lucas, or did he just know my face well enough to know when I was breaking inside?

"What happened?" Isaac asked quietly, making me lean slightly more to my second guess.

The only sound leaving my lips was a soft sigh as his hands started carefully stroking my back. He remained silent, too, for a long moment as he obviously waited for me to answer him. Eventually, though, he leaned back to look at me and his hands moved to cradle my face instead.

"I won't be angry if that's what you think," he said, confusing me to a point where I couldn't keep from frowning.

"Why would I think so?" I asked quietly.

"If anything happened between you…" His voice trailed off into silence and his eyebrows lowered slightly over his eyes before he added, "I wouldn't get angry."

"Nothing happened," I quickly blurted out, desperate to stop his thoughts before they could lead to any further assumptions.

"Then why do you look so guilty?" he asked, his facial expression remaining grave.

Did I? I couldn't feel anything but a weak emptiness inside.

"What happened?" he asked again, before I'd even gathered enough sense to answer his previous question.

If it hadn't been for the fact that his hands kept my face still and his gaze was locked with mine, I would've avoided speaking by turning around. But instead, I just drew in a deep breath and let the words burst out before I could regret them.

"I told him I didn't love him."

Every emotion drained from Isaac's face, and for a long moment he only stared at me with unreadable eyes. My words hung in the air, feeling unreal and yet at the same time so right that I wondered why I hadn't been able to say them before today.

"Was it the truth?" Isaac finally asked, his voice cautious.

I nodded almost hesitantly, unsure if it would be enough of an answer to assure him. He was silent for a short moment and I held my breath while I waited to see what reaction would come from him. The air in my lungs didn't get to leave my body before his lips had suddenly found mine, and I was too stunned to be able to respond to the kiss until he'd leaned back just a few seconds later. His breathy laugh washed over my face as his hands snuck into my hair to keep me close.

"You seem relieved," I managed to get out, though I was very side-tracked by his passionate response.

"Believe me, I am," he replied, sounding nearly exhilarant.

I shook my head in disbelief, though it took me quite an effort to move with his fingers twisted into my hair.

"Are you doubting yourself?" I teased, my tone much warmer than it had been a minute ago.

He laughed quietly again before he placed another soft kiss on my lips, pushing away some of the odd pain inside of me. With his nose brushing lightly against mine and his lips touching mine, all the pain, worry and disturbing thoughts lifted from my chest. Even though I knew they were hovering over me, just waiting for the moment when Isaac's presence wouldn't distract me, it gave me hope of feeling just as whole as I did in the moment.

I had to admit that I felt a bit surprised of how lightly Isaac took his brother's disappearance, though I knew I shouldn't be. He'd made an effort to make things less strained with Lucas, but that effort had been for me and not for himself. His feelings had obviously remained the same, just glowing beneath the surface and waiting to break through again. But with Lucas gone, they seemed to have melted away completely…

The feeling of Isaac's fingers softly curling around the locks of my hair managed to cut off my trail of thought.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to do that," I mumbled as he rested his forehead against mine.

"You weren't sure what you felt," he replied, making it a statement instead of a question.

I didn't know if he was right, so all I said was, "I know for sure what I feel now."

He answered with another one of his gentle kisses, and I could feel how the corners of his lips curved upwards in a smile. As he leaned away, I barely got to see how mysterious that smile was before he suddenly, and very swiftly, let go of me. He spun around, though after grabbing a tight hold of my hand, and tugged me along towards the brightly green area on the east side of the road. I would've followed him even if he hadn't been holding my hand, but my steps were a bit more hesitant than his graceful ones.

The car was far behind us when he finally pulled to a stop, and I uncertainly glanced around myself to see what could be holding his interest. My gaze stopped fluttering around when he turned to me again, though; his smile was still playing on his lips, which made his eyes glitter with excitement, and I felt my own expression fall completely.

I only glanced down at my hand as he slid the ring off of my finger, but the confusion made my eyebrows lower slightly. My eyes slowly wandered up to his face again, and it surprised me to see how much more serious expression was.

"I don't know if this is the right moment for you," he said quietly, almost hesitantly. "All I know is that I've wanted to do this for a very long time, and that I don't want to wait any longer."

I had a tingling feeling in my stomach; a part of my brain was already a step ahead of me with figuring out what was going on. I followed him with my gaze as he knelt down on one knee, and just a second later my mind made the connection. My jaw dropped slightly and I couldn't quite remember how to close it again.

"I don't ever want to be frightened of loosing you again," Isaac continued, his voice softer. "I want to spend every day with you by my side, where no one will be able to take you away from me. And if you let me, I'll do anything to show the world just how much I love you."

"You're making me blush," I mumbled, unable to stop from smiling sheepishly.

His mouth twitched for a moment, but his eyes remained steady and serious as he watched me with an expression I'd never seen before.

"Jessica Moore, will you do me the honour of marrying me?" he finally finished.

I knelt down, too, so that my face was on the same level as his. "Of course I will," I murmured, the smile still intact on my lips.

This time I was already prepared when his lips touched mine again; I quickly locked my arms around his neck before he could slink away like he'd done before, but my precaution was unnecessary. His kiss lasted long enough for me to feel out of breath, and I was quite sure I heard him pull in an unsteady amount of air as he eventually leaned back as far as he could with my arms restraining him.

He effortlessly wormed out of my grip, but before I could start pouting, he grabbed my hand softly. I watched quietly as he slid the ring on again where it had been placed for so long that it felt like a part of me.

"You do know how silly you are, right?" I said teasingly as my gaze met his again. "I'm pretty sure one proposal is good enough for any person."

"Well, this was how my proposal should've been from the beginning," he answered warmly.

I had surprise on my side as I pushed at his shoulders, causing him to land with his back on the soft grass. He managed to pull me with him, though, and the low chuckle that left his lips made me smile again. While I willingly drowned in Isaac's blue eyes, I couldn't fully escape noticing the image of Lucas' hurt face that flashed by in a dark little corner of my mind. It wasn't strong enough to distract me from the happiness that was bubbling inside of me, but neither was it so weak that I could will it to disappear. The fact that it had only been a few minutes ago instead of years since he'd been standing right in front of me felt odd, though I'd already accepted the fact that he was gone.

Because I knew, deep down, that he really was.

So, this chapter took me a lot longer to write than I'd first thought, and I'm deeply sorry if everything just sounds…blah. I've been sitting down by the computer almost every day and trying to form some decent sentences, and well, this short chapter was all I could come up with. Also, I hope you guys don't hate me for the whole Lucas-thing. Trust me, it didn't feel good at all to write that scene…

I do hope that you didn't find everything totally disastrous or too cheesy, though, and it would really warm my heart to see a few reviews ;)