GOOD TO YOU

•xoxoxo•

Disclaimer: Resident Evil CAPCOM | Plot © whitemaigexxvvii | Song © Astrid S.

Summary: [AU] Jessica Sherawat: the girlfriend. Jill Valentine: the best friend. The lines were set but it was still breached and pain is just around the corner. RATED M. Valenfield / Sherafield

•xoxoxo•

Author's Note: Yes! I know I've been gone for a long time! Just know that it wasn't by choice. To all of you who are still waiting for me to update, I can't thank you enough! Further notes below if you are interested in what this author was up to in the past years. Lol! WARNING: This chapter was not proof-read. There will be a lot of mistakes, and I mean a lot!

•xoxoxo•

CHAPTER XI

Wide awake through the daylight
Will you hold me like we're running a yellow light?
Reach for you with my hands tied
Are we dancing like we're burning in paradise?

•xoxoxo•

JILL VALENTINE HAD made a lot of mistakes in her lifetime. She learned to adapt to some of them, she learned to take accountability for most of them, but there were also mistakes she just forgets and repeats multiple times; never truly learning from any of it. Seeing that familiar hateful glint in Jessica's cerulean eyes had pretty much reminded her that she had repeated another one of her mistakes; being complacent. Feeling the woman's hand wrap around her wrist pretty much confirmed her worst fear; a knot of dread forming at the pit of her gut. There were far too many good things happening all at once that she failed to even think about the possibility that something else might go wrong somewhere, and that she'll have to take the fall for it later just because she became too fucking complacent.

To be honest, Jill could just say 'fuck it', and just completely ignore the fact that it has anything to do with her however, her conscience begged to differ.

Let's break this down. It was never really a secret that Catherine wanted nothing to do with Jessica. It was never a secret that the older woman harbored no approval for the woman currently dating her son. It was not a secret that Catharine wanted someone else for him. It was never a secret to anyone. Even before Jill was born, Catharine had decided that she's to be wed to Chris. You can call it old-fashioned, and even Jill didn't take it seriously then, but it is now apparent to her that Catharine is indeed being serious about it. And to rub more salt on open wounds, Catharine is someone Jessica would be calling 'mother-in-law' in the future, and yet this 'mother-in-law' has another woman in mind for her son. That would have stung a lot. Let's also not forget about the fact that Jill could almost pass to be Chris' girlfriend with the way he treats her.

Now that she finally had the chance to list everything down—without any hint of animosity clouding her judgments and now that she's in the stage of making peace with the fact that Chris has other plans with the future of his relationship—Jill finally understood why Jessica had been the way she has back then.

Yes, she's starting to slowly understand that there's no place for her anymore; she never really had in the first place. It was her own mistake for thinking that things might turn out favorable for her when she had that one-sided affair with Chris.

However, even if she didn't have anything to do with Chris and Jessica's relationship, Jill wasn't insensitive enough to not sort things out with Catharine. She owed it to Jessica to at least make the older woman understand, like how she now understands, that her relationship with Chris will forever remain as they are.

Unrequited.

Helping Catharine's view of Jessica turn into something more positive, enough that it will make her accept the approaching engagement announcement, would bring Jill peace of mind knowing that she did something to atone to her sin, even if for a miniscule amount. Jill also intends to never tell Chris or any other living soul, apart from Rebecca, what happened that night. She still intends to keep that secret to her grave, no matter how selfish that might be. Jill believes that it would be to everyone's best interest that she keeps her mouth shut about it.

As Jessica ushers her, in a surprisingly composed manner, to where she thinks Catharine may be, Jill started to mentally prepare herself for what was about to come. She allowed her body to relax under Jessica's grip as they rounded a corner to the living room and finally going up the staircase. She did not dare ask Jessica what she already knows because just by looking at the other woman's face, she can already paint the picture. The moment they both reached the final step of the staircase, they were greeted by none other than Catharine Redfield with a scowl on her face; which swiftly dissipated to relief when their eyes met for the first time in months.

Within seconds, Jill found herself inside a tight hug, warmth from the older woman's body enveloping her, and making her feel so welcomed. "Oh, Jill! You made it!" Catharine exclaimed in excitement, all the while rubbing soothing circles on her back. "I'm so glad that you could make it this time. I was starting to worry that you've forgotten." Catharine pulled away for a fraction to get a good look at her face. Jill resisted the urge to cringe at how much the words wounded her, she instead settled for an apologetic smile.

Jill returned the hug, albeit lacking the same gusto that the older woman demonstrated, feeling a little awkward with Jessica just standing there with a visible scowl on her face.

"I'm sorry I'm a little bit late and couldn't help with the preparations."

Pulling completely away from her, Catharine regarded her with the brightest smile. "Just you being here is enough for me, my dear. I've missed you a lot!"

A groan from a third party interrupted their reunion, and in an instant, both heads were directed to Jessica who in turn raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble and sweet hello's but I got something to end here, right now." Came Jessica's reminder and at that, Jill remembered that her being there was with a purpose.

When Jill turned to face Catharine, the warm smile was long gone and replaced by a dismayed look on her face. Blue eyes glared and Jessica with such hatred that Jill needed a reminder that this was the same woman who raised her alongside her parents; the same woman who seemed incapable of being angry with anyone.

Despite the hateful look being thrown her way, Jessica stood her ground and held her head high. "I know how much you wanted Jill to end up with Chris, Mrs. Redfield," Jessica started before shifting her gaze to Jill. "But what I've always wanted to know was what Jill thinks about all this."

Jill felt like a deer caught in the headlights. She expected that at some point, she would have to give her opinions about things but what she did not expect was for Jessica to be this bold and put her on the spot so quick. Jill knows that this was a conversation long overdue and should've happened months ago but. It was inevitable and yet something she now knows she's not prepared for.

Catharine's gaze shifted from Jessica's to her, and the moment their eyes met yet again, Jill wanted to run away. Again. She could hear her heart hammering inside her ribcage, blood rushing throughout her body, and her mind reeling with too many words that she couldn't dare form any coherent sentences. She opened her mouth, only to close it again. She knows what to say but know not how to say it. Should she be direct and break this woman's heart? Or be vague yet clear that it left things unresolved?

"I don't know where to start." Was what Jill could only muster, with Jessica finally snapping beside her.

"How about you start with what you truly feel about Mrs. Redfield being cupid with you and Chris?" Jessica asked, pointed and clearly no longer in the mood for bullshit.

Jill sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Jessica, please." She then gave the brunette a look of desperation, sending her a signal that she'll handle it before finally looking back at Catharine. "Auntie, I've always adored how you treasured my relationship with Chris. I know you've always wanted for the both of us to sort ourselves out and pursue each other." She took a deep breath and figured that she'd throw in a sliver of truth with what she's about to tell, that way if she happens to look back on this encounter, she was able to at least give up a piece of herself. "I'll admit that there was a part of me before that thought that maybe you were right. That maybe we were just stubborn, and we'll eventually end up together. I've always thought about it and well, I realized that it's not really the case. I love Chris as a brother. Nothing more." Jill ended, whilst resisting the urge to take back everything that she just said.

There was a stern look on Catharine's face before a sigh was released. It was more of disappointment than that of annoyance. "I was hoping this day wouldn't come." Catharine pulled away to put distance between them; the distance feeling like a stab to Jill's already vulnerable heart. "If this is indeed true, I won't force you to my wishes, Jill. You're right. I was hoping that the both of you would just figure it out and end up together, but it saddens me that you're doing this because someone is clearly forcing you." Catharine finished, clearly insinuating that Jessica was the one who wanted the conversation to happen in the first place.

Jessica was ready to defend herself, but Jill raised a hand to stop the brunette. She wanted Catharine to understand that Jessica had little to do with it. Yes, she was being forced but not by someone else. She was forcing herself to say those things, contradictory to what she truly felt because she knows that it's the only way that she could fix the wrong things she did. It hurts, yes, but it's the only way.

"No one is forcing me, Auntie." She reached out, wanting Catharine to look at her but the older woman refused. "Please open yourself to someone else other than me to take care of Chris. You might not want to now, but for what it's worth, all I can do is assure you that Jessica is the only person I trust to do it. I can't be Chris' babysitter forever, Auntie. We're older now to choose who we want to spend our lifetimes with. Chris found his and we should be proud of him."

With this, Catharine melted and finally looked at her. Jill feared that the older woman would be able to reach out into the deepest parts of her soul and see what she was hiding. But she was being sincere when she said that she was proud of Chris for finding the person who would be with him forever. She was being truthful with that, and she hoped that that's the part of her that Catharine would get to see.

Catharine then looked at Jessica, who was standing there with an unreadable expression on her face, with a much softer look this time; finally assessing her for the first time. "Are you really capable of taking care of my son?"

Jessica nodded. "Yes, I am, and I will."

Catherine sighed, defeated. "If Jill vouches for you, then I will back down. My children are my life and I want nothing more than for them to be with the right person. Jill had been that person for my son so I just know that I couldn't lose her to someone who is inadequate. You have a lot to live up to and you will work to top that to ever get my approval, Miss Sherawat." Catharine warned, straightening her back, and finally looking back at Jill.

"I hope you find yours, my dear." It was short but it caused a chill to run up and down Jill's spine. Jill swallowed the vile that rose to her throat, the meaning behind those words stabbing at her, leaving her breathless. She could only muster a small nod before Catharine walked past the both of them and down to where the other was.

For a short moment, none of them dared to speak, the tension hanging thickly like a blanket over them, suffocating and hot.

It was Jessica who broke the awkward silence with a sigh; if it was from relief, Jill couldn't really tell. All Jill wanted at that very moment was to get the whole night over and done with. "It's about time she understands what she's supposed to a year ago."

It was then Jill's turn to sigh. "I'm sure that this time she'll come around. Just… make sure you keep your word, Jessica."

The other woman scoffed at this. "Yeah, thank you for vouching for me, Miss Valentine." She noted, albeit with sarcasm dripping thickly from every word.

Jill tried to pay no mind to it, but she couldn't help rolling her eyes, nonetheless. Somehow, she's starting to understand Jessica's demeanor and she noticed that it doesn't affect her as much as it would have if she was the Jill from 3 weeks ago. "Just so you know, Miss Sherawat, you're the first proper girlfriend Chris ever had. You're the first he's ever brought home, first to meet his family, and the very first person he trusted to meet me." Jill finally disclosed. This is something that she's one hundred percent sure that Chris wouldn't tell her and by how Jessica looked tongue-tied, she was right. The moment Chris introduced Jessica, Jill just knows that he's serious about her so it pained her a lot when they first didn't see eye to eye.

When Jessica remained silent, processing the information, Jill sighed and smiled; nudging the woman slightly to lighten the mood. "So, yeah, you need me to vouch for you. Otherwise, you wouldn't have also dragged me here in the first place." Jill wanted to test the waters by teasing the brunette a little bit to see if she would be met with an intense glare. To her surprise, Jessica just shrugged and gave a small smile.

Is this the start of them finally letting go of all the animosity between them? Is this really all it had to take? Jill wanted to be hopeful yet again. She wanted things to be much better for the both of them and maybe, just maybe, they could start a friendship.

"Let's be honest, her little dream of you being with my fiancé is getting in the way. And if you really are Chris' bestest friend, you would vouch for me." Jessica responded, chuckling a little; shocking Jill a bit more, not fully expecting that Jessica would give a more playful reply.

Jill decided to push her luck a further, mirroring Jessica's small chuckle and teasingly replied, "which I did, so you should thank me." She gauged Jessica's reaction before continuing. She was relieved when Jessica just raised a curious eyebrow, daring her to continue. "Without the sarcasm by the way."

Jessica gave her a look. "Seriously?"

It was her turn to shrug. She's slowly dropping into a laidback conversation with the brunette, but she figured that it's too much for the day and that she shouldn't push her luck any further than she already has. "I mean, at least I'm finally out of the way, right? Anyway, we should probably go back. I left to fetch you and Auntie. It would be weird if we take any longer than we already have."

Jessica nodded in agreement. "Yeah, right. Though I wouldn't find it weird. You're my friend now, right?"

Jill felt her world stop as her brain tried to process what Jessica just said. Are they really already friends? Was it really that simple? As Jessica looked at her expectantly, she knew then that Jessica did not throw that out there just to fuck with her head. They did talk about making things work for the both of them. They did agree to set the past behind them and look towards a much better future.

With a small smile, Jill nodded. "Yeah,"

As Jill was about to usher Jessica back down to where the gathering was, they were then greeted by a pair of brown eyes Jill knows and loves so well; utter shock, and disbelief glistening in those marvelous orbs.

"Please tell me that this isn't a dream." The voice of a confused Chris Redfield filled the space and Jill wanted to scoff.

Ironically Jessica rolled her eyes in tune with when Jill scoffed; further cementing the fact that it seemed like they were already on the same wavelength. Jessica was the first one to speak, all the while giving Chris Redfield a heated kiss—a kiss that made Jill internally cringe. She's seen them like this countless of time already but the emotions she felt then was that of pure vexation but seeing them like this was like drowning in a concoction of sorrow and regret. Jill squashed her emotions down, and just averted her eyes away from the scene; catching herself from falling too far from being saved. She made a mental note that she should be used to this by now.

Yes, she really should.

"You better start believing, Babe. Jill and I are starting to get really close now." Jessica smiled teasingly before turning to face her, waving a hand her; beckoning for her to join them.

Chris stood there dumbfounded, and for a moment, Jill wanted to console him—to reassure him that everything that was happening wasn't a pigment of his imagination. It was indeed too much to take in but and Jill was having a hard time keeping up with Jessica, too. "We should be going, or the night would be wasted. We have an important announcement to make, don't we?" Jessica added, uncontained excitement spilling from her tone, effectively seeping through Jill's skin.

A frown replaced the dumbfounded look on Chris' face, clearly struggling with how many things are happening all at once. It was not new to Jill how Chris' expressions managed to tell her stories; from perplexity to realization, finally catching on with what Jessica was implying. With that said, Jill did not miss how weird Chris' bewilderment was given that she's pretty sure Jessica was only pertaining to one announcement for that day, and she figured that Chris would have known about it. Right?

'I must be overthinking.' Jill opted to not give any further unnecessary meaning to what the hell was that about. Instead, she joined them and smiled, agreeing with Jessica that it's about time for them to join the others. As the three of them made their way to where the rest are, Jessica and Chris continued to bicker. The scene before her made Jill realize that she had failed to see a lot of good things in Jessica. She was only noticing it now, and she finally understood why Chris was enamored by this woman. Jessica was the only other woman who could bring Chris out of his tough and stubborn shell, managing what Jill could do for years.

The three of them stopped in front of the door that leads to the backyard where everyone was. Jessica smiled at her, still managing to baffle her with just how much this woman's attitude towards her changed in mere minutes. She figured that the instant change in Jessica's disposition towards her was because of her aid in making Catharine understand that the trajectory of her relationship with Chris ever going to the direction she wanted was impossible.

"Look shocked, okay?" Jessica winked, pertaining to the fact in which Jill already knew about the proposal. How could she say no to that? She nodded, not wanting to spoil this moment for Jessica who was now far too eager to be her friend.

She's not complaining, though.

Finally opening the door, Jill was once more bombarded by how breath-taking the whole backyard was, momentarily making her forget what just happened. She heard Jessica suck in an astonished breath as well, eyes sparkling at the sight. They then continued to walk in further to where the tent was set up, the fairy lights accentuating the whole place and they were then met by the faces of their families. The food was already laid out atop of the long dining table, wine was already poured, and everyone seemed to have had a conversation going on before they arrived.

Jill found comfort in seeing her parent there with her. She found comfort just by being with them on this important day. She immediately rushed to where the were, and claimed the seat beside the Valentine matriarch while Chris and Jessica took their seats to the right of the head of the Redfield family; Jessica seated directly across from where Claire was seated whilst Chris was seated beside his father and just across his mother. The Redfield matriarch made sure to make it noticeable that she didn't want to acknowledge the arrival of her son and his girlfriend, and in all honesty this made things awkward for Jill. She sighed and tried her hardest to convince herself that Catharine was just trying to digest everything that had happened that day.

A part of Jill, somewhere really deep within her, was happy to know that Catharine is openly rooting for her, but the more sensible part of her—the more grounded one—didn't want to lean into that temptation. It was for the best.

It was for the best.

"What took you so long?" Julia whispered beside her; making it discreet as to not cause any unnecessary attention to be given to them.

She leaned closer to her mother, getting the subtle hint. "I just helped sort out a couple of misunderstanding." Was her brief reply, setting the napkin on top of her lap and pouring herself a glass of wine.

Her mother sighed, sounding a little frustrated. "Does it have anything to do with your aunt?"

Jill wanted to ignore how heated Julia's tone became but she couldn't. She wanted to reassure her mother as soon as possible, and make her feel that it's nothing to worry about—after all, they were able to sort things out, right? Sure, Catharine made it apparent that she's disappointed amongst other things, but Jill's pretty sure she got the message across clearly. Holding her mother's arm, Jill nodded. "But she'll be okay." She whispered back.

Julia sighed and shook her head. "I hope it's not about you and Chris again."

Jill was about to open her mouth to respond but her words died in her throat when James stood up with a huge smile on his face, all the while remaining oblivious to what's been happening. He addressed everyone with a nod before clearing his throat. Jill was thankful for the disruption because at least she had something else to think about.

"Thank you all so much for being here. Though it is a shame that the Burtons aren't here tonight, I am still happy that you gave me this night, as requested."

Jill's father, Dickson, laughed and waived a hand dismissively. "Oh, shut up, James! You're too formal for something that's already a tradition," Dickson said, while they all nodded in agreement.

"I want to thank you as always, though." James replied before casting his gaze towards Jessica, a warmer smile on his face. "Tonight, we are joined by a special person to my son's life for the very first time." He paused, before nodding at Jessica again, and the brunette warmly nodded back. "Welcome, Jessica. I am hoping that you're enjoying your stay so far." He warmly smiled at the brunette, noting that it was indeed the first time she's celebrating Christmas Eve with the Redfields.

"I do, Mr. Redfield. Thank you for having me."

James laughed at that. "Oh, please. Just James is fine, and it's a relief that you're comfortable." He retorted before finally raising his drink for a toast. "With this, you are now a part of the family! Welcome!"

Jessica chuckled and mirrored the gesture. "I'm happy to be here with everyone. It's an honor."

The rest of them followed suit and an echo of glass clinking ensued. Jill noted the hesitation in Catharine but made sure to not comment on it any further. She could only imagine how awkward this would have been if they didn't have the talk that they had a couple of minutes ago. It would have been a different scenario altogether. Instead of remaining silent, Catharine would have had a bitter come back to that, so Jill is thankful that at the very least everything is working out so far.

"Let's enjoy the night, everyone. Come! Let's eat!" James cheered; officially starting the festivity.

They all ate in a comfortable silence, and this made Jill forget about the tension she felt a couple of minutes ago. She was thankful for it, that was until Claire cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention.

"So, Jill. Who was that guy you're with that last time?"

Jill blinked, confused for a while, but immediately understood the question; the whole table stopped what they were doing, and Jill could feel all set of eyes are on her. This instantly made her uncomfortable, she wanted to just vanish. Why does Claire have to ask that out of nowhere? She understood that they never properly talked about the incident at the mall but to bring it up now, in front of this crowd of people, is maybe a bit too much.

"What guy?" Dickson pressed, a mixture of amusement and annoyance could be heard, which prompted Jill to give a sideways glare at Claire before regarding her father with the fakest smile.

"No one." Was her curt and dismissive response before busying herself with a cut of steak. She hoped the evening would run more smoothly now that she was able to sort one of the biggest hurdles of her life but even after that, she still couldn't be given a break. This should've given her a hint by now and surrendered to the futility of it. But how could she? The night is still young, damn it.

"Come to think of it. I thought I saw you earlier being dropped by a dude. Italian?" It was Chris's turn to add oil to the already burning flame. She was stunned, really. He saw them but how come he didn't see her leave with Jessica?

"You have a suitor you're not telling us about, Honey?" It was her mother's turn to exclaim, hurt and confusion evident through every word. "How come you didn't tell me? Your mother?" Adding that last part just to be more dramatic.

Jill was beyond annoyed. Leve it her parents to jump into conclusions. She opened her mouth, getting ready to clear the confusion, but she couldn't even put a word in with her parent bombarding her with overly dramatic questions and the Redfields egging them on. Is it even worth it to clear this shit up at this point?

With her head already throbbing, Jill released a defeated sigh, pinched the bridge of her nose with her left hand, and raised the other; silencing the people around her. She just wants to end this night. Exhauster as fuck, she announced. "Yes. He is my boyfriend."

An explosion of questions blasted her ears. Who? What? When? Where? How? It was getting too much for her. To them, Carlos would be her first boyfriend—much like Jessica was to Chris—and he would be the very first man in Jill's life who would be added to their circle. Of course, everyone would go ballistic. She should have seen that coming from a mile away. Oh, god. How would she explain this to poor Carlos? Sure, he did try to get with her but that was before when he's still dumb with his ways with women, but now that they're friends, Jill doubts Carlos still sees her that way now.

"He was a friend at college. He asked me out, I said yes, and here we are." She opted to give a curt answer to all of the questions, hoping that there won't be any additional questions. But alas, Claire thought it to be the best day to pick on her.

"You said he's just a friend and it wasn't anything 'like that'." The younger woman further mocked Jill by using air quotes and imitating her voice.

"I did say that last time because it's true, Claire. Don't mock me." Jill plainly replied, opting to not add more to it to avoid the situation from further boiling over and out of her grasps.

"Shouldn't we be happy for Jill instead of interrogating her like this?" Surprisingly, Jessica asked, which made the whole table run silent. It was a valid question and Jill almost cried on the spot. She expected Chris to do that for her but having her ex-enemy come to her aid was weird but in a welcomed way.

Jill threw a smile at Jessica, appreciative, and Jessica winked back. She wouldn't have expected this to happen and yet it did.

"You'll meet him eventually," Jill instantly added, hoping that this will continue to silence the crowd and effectively grabbing the opportunity to direct the attention away from her. Jessica had made it clear that she wanted to announce the engagement that night, so she'd use this opening to prompt it. "Besides, I believe there's more to this night than just that." Jill made sure to make it sound as cryptic as she could. As expected, Jessica took the hint.

Standing up, Jessica clapped, finally getting everyone's attention. "I would like to thank you for having me. Please allow me to share something important with all of you." The brunette started. The whole table became silent as they anticipated what Jessica's announcement. As the silence continued to stretch, the tension continued to mount, too.

As for Jill, all she could do is really wait it all out. She watched Catharine—though discreetly—for any sign of annoyance and to her surprise, the Redfield matriarch remained silent but visibly listening, all the while holding her breath.

Jessica cleared her throat, trying to contain her excitement. "As you know, Chris and I had been together for awhile now and we've decided that we…" She purposely trailed off, turning to Chris who looked confused at first before finally understanding what's going on.

He stood up and pulled Jessica close to him by her waist. "Dad, Mom, Claire, and everyone, I'm—I realized that I'm already in that part of my life where I am content with my career and relationship. That said, I've decided to take Jessica's hand in marriage, to spend the rest of my life with her and she said 'yes'. Knowing that she feels the same way, makes me love her all the more. I would like to spend every waking moments with her. I would like your blessing to our marriage."

Finally concluding his speech, the silence continued to follow until started to clap. It took a split second, but the others followed suit. "Congratulations!" Jill applauded.

Jessica nodded at her while Chris smiled. The couple then turned to Claire who congratulated them with a wide smile, reaching over to give them both a hug. If the red head was reluctant, it sure as hell did not show. The couple then turned to James next, who looked at Chris and nodded with a proud smile. And finally, they turned their attention to the Catharine, who in turn shook her head disapprovingly. The display built the tension once more.

"Now, now, Cath. Your son has finally decided to settle down. Don't give them a hard time." James noted, caressing the matriarch's hand; trying to comfort and reassure her.

Catharine rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "At this point, you don't need my approval since I know that no matter what I said, it won't make any difference." Catharine started, remaining firmly on her seat. "You both know my stand on this. Though I've accepted your relationship now, it does not mean I will accept this marriage any time soon. If you want us to continue with this celebration, please don't press me anymore regarding this manner." Catharine ended, her tone with a finality that Chris nor Jessica wanted to challenge any further.

At that point, there was a silent agreement to not press the issue any further. The night continued as if the announcement never happened, and Jill couldn't help but feel that it irked Jessica to her very core. She could tell just by looking at the brunette. The announcement of their engagement ended in a very anti-climatic way. What were they expecting, really? To be honest, Jill saw this coming. She was shocked when Catharine finally yielded but announcing the engagement right after would still be pushing on it too far.

Drowning out the noise around her, Jill reflected on what happened that day and what a whirlwind of events it was. She had her world shattered by a ring, pieced back by Rebecca's support, reinforce by her trip down memory lane with Chris, and further healed by Jessica's budding friendship. Let's not forget about the fact that she gained a boyfriend now—albeit it's a one-sided relationship that she must deal with later down the coming year.

She just hopes Carlos would be down to it.

•xoxoxo•

Every time that I swear it's over
It makes you want me even more
You pull away and I come in closer
And all we ever stay is torn

•xoxoxo•

CHRIS WAS LIVID.

Deep down, he wanted to punch something. He wanted to do something—anything—that would keep him from thinking about that man. That man who dared to even think about getting together with Jill. He wanted to strangle him; wanted nothing more than to see him beat up on the side of a ditch. Was he being toxic? Yes. Was he being selfish for wanting Jill to remain single and available to him while he's engaged to someone else? Yes.

You can call him an asshole for being an asshole, but he couldn't care less, to be honest. He wanted to make sure that if he were to lose his chance to be with Jill forever just because a man got in the way, then that man better be worth it.

He was deep in his thoughts that he almost missed what's happening in front of him. Almost missed the fact that Jessica was already and announcing the engagement even before he could put a word in. This was something that they did not agree on but since he's in desperate need of distraction, instead of being further annoyed, Chris took this opportunity to stand and pull Jessica closer to him. He's now playing a role. A role of someone who's deeply in love with this deceitful woman. He continued to play along. He watched the applause come from everyone. Expect his mother, which was expected.

Jill was the first one to congratulate them. Of course, it would be Jill. She was always supportive. She always has his back. Whenever things are not going right, she'll show him the way and how to properly do things. She's always one step ahead of him so that she'll be able to guide him along the way. No other woman would be able to do that. He knows that, and yet he never dared pursue her.

The reason was obvious to him but he never really wanted to accept it.

He can make up all other excuses but deep down, he knows that he'll never be enough of a man to stand beside Jill and be on equal footing with her. He was never worthy enough for her. Any other reason that he wanted to believe beside those are all bullshit illusions that he came up with because he was a coward to admit that he'll never be enough. His ego won't allow it.

As the night continued, Chris couldn't help but wonder. That Carlos person, was he worthy? Was he really someone worthy enough to stand beside Jill? More worthy than Chris could ever be? It pained him just thinking about it. Should he be more selfish and steal Jill away? He had known Jill for the longest time to know what reels her in. He could use all of her weakness to steal her away.

"I'm really proud of you, Christy." He heard her say in that sweet voice of hers when he excused himself. It seemed like Jill followed him to the kitchen.

He scoffed. "It's nothing to be sappy about, Sandwich." He commented before taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Still. I know Aunt Cathie is still adamant but I'm happy that you stood your ground."

"I know that you talked to her about it, though." Chris wasn't blind to the fact that when Jill volunteered to fetch Jessica and Catharine before the celebration started that evening, she mediated things between his mother and his now fiancée. It's not a secret that Jill had a way of pacifying his mother. If it weren't for her, the announcement would've consisted of him being disowned and the whole party ruined. He could already picture it in his head; broken plates, tears, and commotion from everyone.

Jill shrugged. "I just told her that she shouldn't be so hung up on us ending up together."

Chris looked at her expression; trying to read any tell tales sign that would tell him that she didn't mind if they did end up together. But as expected of someone who's already in love with someone else, he found none. Zero. "I mean, isn't there really any chance that we'll end up together?" He asked in his usual playful tone. Playful as it might have been, he meant the question. He wanted a straight answer albeit he knows he'll never get one.

Jill was stunned and nervously looked around her, making sure no one heard, before casting him a pointed glare. "That's not something you say when you know you're about to get married, Christopher." She chided, in between gritted teeth.

"I was only teasing." He tried laughing it off. "And I wouldn't want to get into an altercation with my best friend's boyfriend." He didn't want to, but he just knows that he couldn't get the disdain off his voice when he said 'boyfriend'. Just the mere thought of it is making his gut churn.

"Speaking of! Why didn't you say anything?"

"About what?"

"About you seeing me with Carlos."

He frowned at this. "Why should I? I don't even know the guy until now; seeing as you didn't bother telling me about him at all." He wanted to make sure that she understood that it was a big deal for him and Jill took the bait. In an instant, the woman he adores so much looked at him with remorse.

"I was meaning to tell you, but things really got so out of hand lately. Claire brought it up and you guys bombarded me. I got pressured into saying it, okay!"

Chris rolled his eyes at this. "Regardless. You should've told me that there's a guy. What did I tell you about guys?"

"That they are a menace." Jill replied and he instantly nodded in agreement. He had always warned her about boys and how they think. He had always nagged her about dating, about he does not approve of potential boys who would usually get too close to her. He has always been her protector from guys who only wanted on thing.

What she added next caught him off guard and broke him out of his thoughts, though. "Except for you."

Chris didn't want to think much of it, but it left him contemplating. Jill surely did view him in a different light than other men; that he's pretty sure about. However, he wouldn't go as far as think that she views him as someone more than a brother figure. But at least that something, right? What if he chose to pursue her? What if he chose to make her his? Will she accept? Chris couldn't help but think about it after that comment. Sure, he could brush it off and think about the fact that it is just her way of teasing him—like she always does. But why should he be an exception from those threatening men?

Why him?

Why not Carlos?

"What about Carlos?" He just had to ask. He's her boyfriend but was does she think about him?

She blinked at him, as if she's trying to think about the question, before finally scoffing at him like the answer to his question was obvious. "What's with that question? Of course, Carlos is special."

Hearing that, Chris found out that he didn't really want to hear that. What was he expecting from that question, even? Now he feels dumb just by asking the question. Instead of drilling and ultimately pissing himself off any further, Chris pushed himself off the counter; wanting to go back and join the others. Looking back at Jill, he smiled. "We'll see about that."

Jill rolled her eyes. "I'll introduce him to you eventually." She said before following him back.

Oh, how he looks forward to the day when he'll be introduced to this guy and make his day uncomfortable.

His life uncomfortable.

•xoxoxo•

You're fighting me off like a firefighter
So tell me why you still get burned
You say you're not, but you're still a liar
Cause I'm the one that you run to first

•xoxoxo•

Author's Note: It's been almost two years since I last updated. I'm sorry! I want to thank everyone who has still stayed with me after the years. I constantly go back to the review section and I'm still at awe at how you guys keep on encouraging me to keep on writing. I just want to let you guys know that it's been difficult for me; especially since I've fallen out of love from the Resident Evil franchise. Knowing this, it's been really challenging for me to get back in the zone and start writing so when I write, it's usually small and far in between. The lack of update about what Jill's been up to, canon-wise, has been heartbreaking for me. I'm still waiting on that day and hopefully, it will come, and then maybe, it will rekindle my interest in Resident Evil again. However, even if that's the case, I want everyone to know that it won't stop me from updating this story, although it's going to be very difficult for me, moving forward. So please continue to bear with me and I want to thank you for continuously encouraging me to keep on writing. This is dedicated to all of my readers! Thank you for your support!

To my IRL friends, thank you for showing me the love that you have for what I do. There aren't a lot of you but just know who knows about this but just know that I enjoy all of your reactions to this fic. Thank you for not judging me. LOL! Ohana, I miss you! Hope to see you soon!

•xoxoxo•

Disclaimer: I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters because CAPCOM owns them! I also do not own the lyrics of the song Hurts so Good, which was featured here. [September 29, 2022 | 2224H]