The Garden
L.J. Smith owns The Secret Circle books and CW the TV Series.
This chapter is rated T and has a lot of love and fluff
Faye runs out past the glass doors in the kitchen with tears running down her cheeks when she finally sits down on a garden bench she starts sobbing. Jake sits down next to her, he knows this is not going to be an easy conversation for either of them but he needs to have it with Faye
J: Are you okay Faye?
F: Get lost Jake
J: Don't be that way Faye
F: Just go away I don't want to talk to you
J: Faye why are you crying?
F: Are you a moron? You know why I am crying
J: Talk to me
F: Do you know what a nightmare it is for me to watch you with her, following her dark highness around? She's always a few inches away from you clinging on to you. If I ever did that when we were together you'd freak out, call me clingy then not call me for a week or two.
J: Okay so let's talk about us
F: I don't want to, you're an asshole end of story
J: You know that's not true, not entirely anyway
Faye cracks a smile chuckling in a low tone at Jake's little joke
F: Jake I spent years trying to get your attention, then keep it while you would go out on dates with other girls. You always gave me his crap about not being a (uses her fingers to make inverted commas) relationship sort of guy. You hated guys who were love sick suckers, as you would call them. I gave you my heart, my virginity, my love but you didn't think about any of that you just wanted me when you didn't want to make an effort wooing some other girl to bed.
J: Wow I really was an asshole
F: Yes you were
J: (putting his arm around Faye) I'm sorry I hurt you Faye that was never my intention. I was caught up in my own anger, angst, thirst for revenge, being a teenage guy. I didn't want to get involved with anyone, I just wanted to get laid every other night, hell every night actually if I could get away with it.
F: Stop you don't need to remind me, I was there for some of that. It wasn't great finding one missing earring or a scrunchie from some other girl you slept with the night before
J: Faye I just figured we weren't dating, we were never exclusive even while hooking up so it...( Faye interrupts him)
F: It was fine to just sleep with me then dump me? Then sleep with other women too? What kills me is that after all the lessons I learnt after you after left town, I still came to you when you needed someone. I had no idea at the time I was a filler before you could get with Cassie
J: That was not was I was doing?
F: Really? So you just happened to call me at the same time Cassie started getting closer to Adam?
J: You're right I needed someone then to distract me, I thought you were okay with that. I didn't know how much that hurt you, but I do now. Do you think that was a healthy relationship?
F: Most definitely not, Melissa wanted to kill you for the pain you put me through
J: I'm sure she did, I'm a different person now Faye
F: I know I can see dark princess there has you on a tight leash
J: Faye stop with the caustic remarks, I know you're upset but just think about it, I cared about you was clearly attracted to you but we never hung out, we were never close. We'd hook up then I'd leave to go play soccer with the guys or get drunk. We never had a close relationship, you were too young to know that then but you know that now don't you?
Faye nods her head in agreement
J: Everything you think you know about me was not from me telling you myself but from you trying to get Nick to tell you or from breaking into my room, car, phone, email, iPod when I wasn't there.
F: (in shock then gasps) You knew?
J: Ofcourse I knew Faye I'd have numbers that were deleted from my phone, most of them girls. You especially pissed me off when you deleted some girl's number who was helping me with physics when I had a test the next day
F: (laughing) I guess I was a bitch too
J: (smiling) Faye I'm sorry we were not what you wanted us to be. But we were never in a relationship like Cassie and I are now
F: Some part of me knows you are right it just stings to hear, to see my first everything in love with someone else
J: I'm sure it's not easy but it doesn't have to be this way. I think you have someone who really likes you (angling his head towards the glass door where Greyson is standing)
F: I know you're right
J: No one can take away what we were but I'm with Cassie now that's not going to change
F: You really do love her don't you?
Jake shakes his head lightly in agreement but doesn't say anything, hearing the words might still cut Faye like a knife. She has tears running down her cheeks as she realizes she has to let go of her childhood fantasies of ending up with Jake. He's not being an ass or a prick about it, in fact he's doing the toughest thing by standing there being honest with her. In a surprise move Faye reaches out to hug him.
F: I'm sorry too Jake I won't bring this up again
J: It's okay this needed to surface at some point it had been bubbling for a long time
F: Thank you Jake for being honest. Can I be honest with you?
J: (smirks) Have you ever held back?
F: Don't let Morgana come between you two
J: What? What are you talking about?
F: Morgana, she's obsessed with you
J: Not you too, I get cross questioned all the time about Morgana. We are not having this conversation Faye
F: Jake listen to me, I know you better than you think I do. Morgana is sexy, dark, wicked even she makes no secret she wants you and you're attracted to her
J: What? No... I mean she's attractive yes, she could have any guy she wanted but that has nothing to do with me, I'm not available
F: You can deny it all you want but part of you loves the dark side of Morgana you're intrigued by it. Even if you don't want to admit it, anyone who sees you together knows there is something there
J: No way there is nothing there...we work together that's it
F: You don't have to try to convince me but Morgana puts Cassie on edge. From personally being on the receiving end of that with you, I can tell you that it is the worst feeling in the world when some else is trying to woo the one you love
J: (smiles) Faye can you lay off Cassie? She's been through enough
F: (rolling her eyes) Fine! Can you please get her to back off with the questions about Greyson? The Balcoin sisters are insanely possessive of Greyson
J: Faye everyone loves Greyson, he's just that good guy
F: It was so much easier to date bad guys (nudging him) no one goes on and on threatening to hurt you if you aren't good to them
Faye smiles at Jake knowing he will never be hers, but they still share a special bond. Then she kisses him lightly on the cheek before she walks back inside to see Greyson hanging by the door trying to be cool by not asking her if she's okay. Then in another surprise move she goes closer to Greyson then starts kisses him deeply in front of everyone. Gunther and Adam make an "oooohhhh" sound while Melissa and Diana make some lip smacking sounds to tease them.
Cassie smiles she sees Jake still sitting on the bench outside by himself, she goes over to sit with him. She slowly reaches for his hand then sits in silence with him, she's not great with silences so after thirty seconds she speaks
C: Hey are you okay?
J: Yeah I'm okay, talking to Faye just reminded me of who I use to be, how I use to be, it reminded me of a time when Nick was still alive
C: (she leans her head over his shoulder) How does that make you feel
J: I feel horrible Cassie, he was my only brother and I couldn't protect him. He died (his eyes are glassy now) I could have saved him perhaps if I'd told him about magic, taught him what I know
C: Stop you can't think like that Jake
J: I never even got to say goodbye to him
C: Jake he wouldn't want you to feel this way. I didn't know Nick very well but I know he wouldn't want you to blame yourself or feel guilty for what happened to him
J: (half smile) You know we use to play this game where we would throw pebbles from our garden to yours as kids to try to see who would get the pebbles the furthest from our fence. Ofcourse I always told Nick mine went the furthest because I was older but there was no way to tell for sure which pebbles were mine or which were his
Cassie moves her head from his shoulder to watch him then smiles as Jake reminisces about Nick and him as kids
J: (lightly laughing) He use to buy that story every single time
C: (still smiling but narrowing her eyes) You were mean Jake
J: I miss him so much Cassie
Cassie just holds him without saying a word, she knows nothing she can say will bring Nick back and ease Jake's pain. So she just pulls him closer towards her so his head is now resting on her chest. In an almost maternal protective way she strokes his hair as if to reassure him everything will be okay. They stay there for a few minutes then Jake kisses her lightly on the lips before he suggests they go back inside to their guests.
As they make their way back to the house, Gunther pulls Jake aside to talk to him, he informs Jake his mom Lagertha will be visiting from Norway. She will be in Vancouver next weekend he would very much like Melissa, Cassie and Jake to drive up with him to meet her. Melissa is excited that Gunther invites her but is nervous about meeting Gunther's mom. Having Faye there would help Melissa but put everyone else on edge, besides Gunther really wants Jake there too. Jake says he needs to check with Cassie if they are both free which he suspects they are, they would love to go join him and Melissa. Gunther is happy to hear that then he asks Jake to let him know by Tuesday so his mom can make the reservations for them.
Back in the dining room Diana helps Cassie cut the absolutely delicious cake Isaac bought, it consists of a moist yellow cake center with a layer of chocolate pudding in between topped with heavenly chocolate frosting. Everyone is enjoying their cake then Greyson and Faye inform the group that they collected all the crystals that broke apart from the crystal skull at the witch hunter fight, there are twelve pieces in all they give one to each witch, then Isaac jokes
I: Who knew crystals were witch party favors?
The witches all smile at Isaac knowing they have all come a long way
J: What happens to Morgana and Zar's crystals? Aren't there two extra if I'm doing the math right?
Grey: I can keep it, unless you want to Jake?
J: No thank you Greyson you keep it. That's one less thing I need to worry about, besides Zar would try to kill me if he knew I was holding on to his crystal, you seem to be the only one besides Morgana that he trusts. Keep the other two as well will you?
Grey: Sure no problem
After all the guests leave, Greyson offers to help Jake and Cassie clean up but they insist he goes to spend some time with Faye. Jake tells Cassie about Gunther inviting them, she says she has work scheduled for Friday but can get someone else to cover her shift. She is looking forward to get away with Jake from Chance Harbor, they are both excited to be taking the road trip with Gunther and Melissa. Jake also tells Cassie he is not looking forward to going into work on Monday and handing in his resignation to the head of the history department at the school, now that he's accepted the better position at the university.
J: This is going to suck, Dr. Nioclab's been so good to me
C: Don't worry I'm sure he'll understand it's a better opportunity for you
J: I hope you're right
C: Let's take a nap I'm exhausted and maybe a little buzzed with all those mimosas
J: Yeah a nap sounds great, (smirking) besides you'll need the energy tonight
Cassie blushes but is too tired to quip back, after they've cleaned everything they head upstairs then change into more comfy clothes before they snuggle together in bed and drift off to sleep.
Thank you to all my reviewers and PMs, you really keep me going, I love hearing from you.
By popular demand I'm working on another steamy scene in the next chapter, so for those of you who like Chapter 6 - Jake's Bedroom more magic to come soon!