Jimmy was lost without Cecelia. He didn't know what he should be doing. He didn't know what to think or how to feel. His entire life seemed to slow down and every time he checked his cell or his voicemail on his landline, he was disappointed. He hated that she hadn't called. She had left that evening and not returned. Cecelia had walked away and not come back.

He had tried not to let it bother him too much. He had moved on and taken a couple of cases down at the court, but ultimately his mind always went back to Cecelia. She was the only one he could think of. She was the only thing his mind constantly wanted to think about and he hated it. He wanted to move on. He deserved to move on.

Or maybe this was punishment? Maybe he didn't deserve to move on? He had done some bad things in the past. He had ruined lives and he had almost ended up in jail for a stupid act. He had become a lawyer, but he was messing that up and he didn't even really go to law school. He liked shortcuts. He liked bending the rules. But did that make him a bad person? Did that make him someone unworthy of any shred of happiness?

"You've been moping around here for ages," Chuck informed Jimmy once he had returned home from work. Rebecca had passed Jimmy a bottle of beer and he was now sat on the sofa drinking it while Rebecca held a glass of wine in her fingertips.

She offered Jimmy a sad smile before looking to Chuck. "We've all been there, Chuck," she said.

"Been where?" Chuck enquired, pecking her on the cheek and sitting down besides her on the sofa across from Jimmy. "Jimmy, you were not dating her. You were simply sleeping with her."

Rebecca let herself frown as Jimmy didn't even bother to argue with his brother. "That doesn't matter, Chuck," she said in a slightly scolding tone as he leaned back and draped his arm over the back of the sofa. "Jimmy clearly had feelings for her."

"And you told her and she said she didn't feel the same," Chuck replied and Jimmy had to admit that he was scarcely listening. He didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to talk about Cecelia or think about her. But everyone else clearly had her on their mind. Truth be told, so did Jimmy.

"Bingo," Jimmy muttered and took a swig of the beer. "I don't know why I expected anything different. I mean, have you seen her?"

"I have," Rebecca nodded her head. "Well, I saw her when she was with her ex-husband. Both of them came to a concert of ours and a friend of a friend introduced us. It was only fleeting, but I remember she said she was a journalist from the Journal. I have looked out for her things ever since."

"See!" Jimmy pointed at Rebecca. "She gets it."

"Gets what?" Chuck wondered, biting the bait.

"What is so special about Cecelia," Jimmy said. "She met her once and she still looks out for her work. It's Cecelia…she's just…once you meet her you can't forget her."

"Like you?" Chuck wondered from his brother. "I have to tell you, Jimmy, most people at HHM haven't forgotten who you are. Kim still asks about you too. You know she's now one of our key litigators?"

"I haven't spoken to Kim in a while," Jimmy admitted to his brother. "I used to talk to her quite a bit, actually, but then…well…"

Rebecca managed another small smile for Jimmy. "But then you fell for Cecelia and nothing else seemed to matter?" she asked from him and Jimmy shrugged.

"Something like that," he whispered back.

"We have all been there, Jimmy," Rebecca promised him. "As soon as you fall for someone they are all you think about or the only person you want to talk to. I think it is only when you end up in this predicament when you realise how much you need your family and friends."

Jimmy chuckled and pointed to Rebecca again, but with less enthusiasm than before. "You picked a good one there, Chuck," Jimmy said.

"Don't I know it," Chuck answered, smiling softly to his wife.

"Why don't you call Kim?" Rebecca said, softly urging Jimmy along. "She might want a catch up."

"She is busy on a case tonight," Chuck said. "I saw her in the office and I think she was about to burn the midnight oil."

Rebecca pursed her lips. "Well, a call can't hurt, can it?"

"Guess not," Jimmy replied and finished off his beer before moving to his feet and grabbing his jacket, shrugging into it and then placing his beer down on the coffee table. "Anyway, I'd best get going."

"Yes," Chuck said, sounding slightly too eager and moving to his feet as Rebecca let out a soft sigh, trying to stop herself from snapping at him. "Anyway, Jimmy, drive safe, okay? And try not to let Cecelia get you down. She clearly wasn't the one."

"Clearly," Jimmy echoed and left the house.

Chuck watched him go before heading back into the living room, completely unaware that he was about to embark in a heated row with Rebecca.

….

Driving back to his home/office, Jimmy called Kim but it went straight to voicemail, which was hardly surprising. He left her some long message about how it would be good to catch up and how he hoped she was okay and would call him later on. He finished his message and hung up, tossing his cell onto the passenger seat. It took him ten more minutes to get back to the parking lot. He parked his car and locked it, taking his briefcase and cell with him.

Coming into the salon, he walked through it slowly, wondering if he should have had that one beer or if his thoughts were the ones causing him his headache. Entering the backroom, he was shocked to find that his office was already unlocked. He pushed the door open and the light was already on.

Perched on his desk was Cecelia. Her hands were off the floor and her hands folded into her lap. She looked over to him as he placed his briefcase down and his cell on his desk. He looked to her and nodded his head.

"How did you get in?" Jimmy wondered of her.

"I snuck in," Cecelia said. "Your landlady, if you will, leaves spare keys laying around on the counter in the back. You might want to tell her about that."

"Nothing to rob anyway," Jimmy shrugged ruefully.

"I don't know," Cecelia said. "You've got a pretty old phone in here that could go for a few big bucks in a few years time. People might think it is retro."

Jimmy let his lips quirk slightly upwards at hearing her speak. Clearly this was her attempt at humour. He moved to take a seat on his sofa, his body only a few inches from hers due to the smallness of the office. Placing his hands on his thighs, Jimmy arched a brow and waited for her to speak.

"I'm sorry," Cecelia spoke to him. "I shouldn't have ran out on you the other night."

"I know why you did," Jimmy said. "You had told me what you wanted, Cecelia."

"I know," she said. "I think the only problem was that I didn't know how I felt."

Jimmy's ears seemed to prick upwards then. Nodding his head, he waited with patience for her to finish speaking.

"Jimmy, it took me a long time to move on from Martin. I gave everything up to be with him. I moved here for him…gave up a career…friends…all for him," Cecelia spoke. "I promised myself that I would never do that for another man. I would never toss everything aside simply to do what he wanted. I never resented him when we first moved here. His mother was ill and he wanted to look after her, but then…then when she passed he wouldn't move back. That was when I began to resent him, Jimmy," Cecelia admitted to him. "And then he had the affair and I had nothing left. I hated him. I still detest him. I blame him for ruining so much of my life, but I also blame myself for being so easily led. I should have stuck up for what I wanted."

Cecelia let out a deep breath before glancing to Jimmy. "Jumping to the whims of a man is not something I will ever do again."

"I didn't think you would do that for one second," Jimmy said, his voice honest and truthful.

"I did and it took me a long time to build myself back up to the point where I didn't go to bed crying every night over a man who would rather shack up with Housewife Barbie," Cecelia responded. "I don't want that again, Jimmy."

Jimmy felt himself frown slightly. "Do you think that I would do that to you?"

"Not in the slightest," she said with a firm shake of her head. "But in my mind I worry about everything…falling in love…I fell in love once before and after Martin I swore never to fall again, but here we are, Jimmy. Here we are and I'm doing it once more and it scares me."

"I'm not him, Ce," Jimmy responded.

"I know," she promised him. "But that doesn't make it any less scary for me, Jimmy. It terrifies me to an extent…because I know you are not him. Martin wasn't the cheating bastard I divorced when I first met him either. People change and I don't know what will happen six months from now…a year from now…you might get fed up of me. I might get fed up of you. One of us will end up heartbroken."

Jimmy shook his head. "You don't know that," he informed her. "Cecelia, you can't live in fear of being hurt. Are you not hurting now? Does the thought of not seeing me again not fill you with some slight anguish?"

Cecelia sighed. "Of course it does," she promised him.

"Then live for now," Jimmy urged her and moved to his feet, stepping in between her legs and moving his hands to her face. "Do what makes you happy now and forget worrying over things that may never happen."

"But-"

"-No buts," Jimmy told her. "Just accept this if you want it. Don't be scared, Cecilia. You think that Martin has lost if you close yourself off? It doesn't matter about him…all that matters is that you are happy."

"And I am," Cecelia said in a whisper. "Jimmy, I am happy when I am with you."

Jimmy didn't know if anyone had ever told him that before. He doubted his ex-wife had spoken to him with such adoration before. He let himself beam widely before meeting her lips with his, wondering if this newfound happiness could be kept or if he would do something to ruin it in the future.

…

A/N: Do let me know what you think!