I know this is the shortest chapter ever, but I have a whole bunch of excuses as to why it's been so long and why it's so short. I've made up for it with a hopefully powerful chapter that's very important to the story

Inside Jack's Head

Kim's staring at me with those big brown doe eyes and we're both frozen. Neither of us seem able to speak. How do I explain what I just said?

"Jack," Kim tries, her voice so soft but choking up, "I said that nothing's changed."

"I know you did. Honestly, I was bummed. I would have been destroyed in Books and Beans if I wasn't expecting that answer. But what I mean is… is that I don't care that you said no. I'm still here because above all, I'm your friend, Kim. That's not changing."

"Jack, I think I need to talk to Brett."

"What about?" I ask, taking a step back. "If this has anything to do with me, don't do anything."

"No. This is for me. I need to talk to him about us because when I go a month without seeing him out of school, it makes me wonder if he actually cares about me, you know? And if he doesn't, I need to know."

"Okay," I tell her softly. "I won't ask you how it goes, but if it doesn't go well… don't go back to the knife, okay?"

"Okay," Kim agrees.

"Promise me," I push. Kim chews her lip and shuffles. "Kim," I growl with a goat. If that talk goes the way I'm guessing, I don't want her getting worse. I don't ever want to catch her cutting again.

"Fine," Kim sighs and crosses her arms. I won't budge till she says it. "I promise." There it is.

"When are you talking to him?"

"Today, if I can."

Kim got a hold of Brett and they agreed to meet at the bike path just a couple blocks from my house. Kim just snuck out, and I gave her no hint that she's only getting a three minute head start on me.

It's just about time for me to go, I notice as I look at my black leather banded Timex wrist watch. I've been sitting here by the front window for ten minutes, playing how this is going to go. It's gonna take a lot of control for me to not put him six feet under if he has the wrong answers. I'm already betting he will.

Seeing that it's go time, I pull on my black New Balance shoes and head out the door to get to the bike path before Brett shows up. Kim is always early, so I know even with her lead, I'll still be ahead of Brett.

Yes, I'm spying on Kim, but I feel like I'm not doing a terrible thing here. If this doesn't work out for Kim, I need to be here so I can know how best to help her. I swear that as bad as this looks, I'm doing it for the right reason.

I have just enough time to pull myself into tree, completely unnoticed because I'm a ninja, and also because Kim is pacing back and forth mumbling to herself. It would take a gunshot to get her attention.

I'm not in my tree for five minutes when Brett shows up. He hugs Kim and Kim hugs him back, but doesn't make an attempt to kiss him. My jaw drops and my heart stops for a moment before throwing itself into double time. I know what this is.

"Hey Kim, what's up?" Brett asks calmly. I don't think he knows what's happening here.

"When was the last time we saw each other out of school?" Kim begins the Inquisition.

"Gee, it's been awhile, hasn't it?" Brett asks with a chuckle that sounds a little guilty to me.

"Two months," Kim says, her voice kinda quiet. "Two months," she says again, her head dropping a little this time. "I miss us, Brett. Remember those long summer days our first summers together, when we'd just lay on your kitchen floor, of all places, and talk about everything and nothing? Remember the movie and smoothie dates? What happened?" Kim's voice cracks and a little bit of my heart does, too.

"I miss those, too. I wish we still had that kind of time, Kim." Brett steps closer but Kim takes one step back, her arms holding onto a tree branch above her head. I can see the strain on her forearms. She's squeezing the life out of that poor piece of wood.

"I do have time, Brett. I love you, so I make sure I have time. What about you? Do you just look at your schedule and think, 'hmm, I can fit Kim in here.'" I can't see Kim's face, but I can see her whole body shaking a tiny bit.

"I hate to admit it… but yes," Brett whispers, and my hearing strains to pick it up.

"Are you even interested in me anymore? In us?" I can't see her face, I know a tear is about to roll.

"We're just not working out, Kim," Brett admits. I have to give him credit because he's keeping eye contact with the girl he's breaking the heart of. At least he's doing that.

"Are you even trying?" Kim's composure finally breaks, her voice rising. "So you don't want to try to fix this? We're going to let two years die?"

"I didn't lose interest, Kim. I lost time. I knew I was going to break your heart. I hoped you'd lose interest in me and you'd call it off before you could get hurt." You jackass. You weak, fucking coward! It's taking all of my restraint and training not to come down from this tree and put his ass in the ground.

"So that's it?" Kim asks, her arms wrapped around herself, tugging on the soft yellow fabric of her t-shirt, a slight breeze blowing her golden blonde hair. I can almost see the goosebumps on her skin from here. "We're done?"

*I… I think so. I think that's best for the both of us."

"For you, too, Kim. We're going separate ways, sooner than later. It'll be easier if we do this now."

"Okay," Kim gives in with a gentle, maybe reluctant, nod of her head. They come together for a hug and I watch as Kim's body begins to shake with sobs. I can't help it. I feel tears of my own escape as I watch my best friend's heart fall out of her chest and to the black pavement at her feet. I can't say I don't want her, but I never want her to be hurt. I never want to cause it. Making Kim Crawford cry should be a fucking sin. Hell, maybe it is.