Chapter 24: Three Challenging Words
Jason slammed the phone back down, picked it up again, and pressed the redial button. The same happened, the phone rang for a while and the message machine played.
"It's me again," Jason said, starting to feel stupid for calling so many times. "I just wanted to talk to you." He was feeling stupider by the minute. "I'll just see you later."
Jason hung up the phone again, and he decided he'd try his luck over at Kelly's with Courtney. Then he could try Sonny.
****
Carly was about to protest about this, but Courtney stopped her.
"I'll be fine, Carly. Besides, you need every second you can to prepare for opening night; I don't want to waste your time," Courtney said as pleasantly as she could. She didn't want to see Brenda at all.
"Okay, Courtney, if you say so." Carly picked up her coat. "I have to get home anyways. I'll see you later, Courtney." She sent a sharp look toward Brenda. "Brenda."
Once Carly had left, Brenda and Courtney stood facing each other in an awkward silence.
****
Jason reached the elevator just in time as someone else stepped off. Carly and him ran right into each other.
"Jesus, Jason. Where are you going so fast?"
'I'm going to Kelly's," Jason said, trying to push past Carly.
"Whoa, slow down. Maybe you should just . . . wait to go to Kelly's," Carly suggested.
"Why?"
"Well, I know that you and Sonny aren't on the best of terms now, and I figured you should work on him before you try to get Courtney," Carly said.
"Why don't you want me going to Kelly's?"
"Because of you and Sonny. . ."
"Why don't you really want me going?"
"Courtney's talking to someone else, and you don't want to see her, trust me."
"Who is it?"
The door opened, and Sonny gestured for Jason to come inside. Jason stared at him.
"Jason. Get in here," he ordered. "We have to talk."
"I can't now," Jason said, shocked at his own words. "I have to go to Kelly's."
He pushed into the elevator.
"Jason!"
He slammed the door close button and pressed the first floor button.
****
"What do you need Brenda?"
"Courtney, there is something that I need to talk to you about," Brenda said, not exactly sure why she was doing this. She could have easily slinked away with the knowledge of how she felt about Courtney to herself, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"Don't worry about it, Brenda," Courtney replied gruffly. "I already know. I have to start my shift."
She started up the stairs, running into another person entering the club. She didn't bother to see who it was; she just kept charging up the stairs to her shift.
Jason looked at Courtney leave, and his eyes traveled downstairs to where Brenda stood, smiling innocently.
"What did you do?" Jason asked, as if he was automatically accusing her of ruining Courtney.
"I didn't get a chance to do anything. Courtney had to start her shift," Brenda said. Jason didn't seem to believer her. "You think that I told her all the 'yummy' details about our night, don't you?"
Jason didn't appear to be amused. To him their night was not, in Brenda's words, yummy.
Brenda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I did. We had a fit of giggles comparing you. You know that thing you did for me, well, Courtney and I were wondering if you-"
"Enough!" Jason stopped her. "I know all that is bull, so why don't you tell me what you really said?"
Brenda sighed. "I said that I needed to talk to her, and she said she had to start her shift. We didn't get to say anything else."
Jason shook his head. "You know, I don't get you. Yesterday you were at my doorstep claiming to love me, and now you are talking nicely to me and joking about this entire situation."
"I didn't joke about the situation," Brenda defended. "I joked about you."
"That wasn't funny."
"Jason, don't be so serious. It makes you boring." Brenda picked up her coat and began to leave. "You're just a stiff."
Brenda grinned.
"Yeah," Jason said. "And you're just one really loud woman."
She laughed and left. Jason couldn't help but feel like how it used to be. Before they were stranded on the island, before Rick captured her, and before they ever kissed.
He had to admit, Brenda wasn't half bad.
****
Courtney dragged herself inside and collapsed on her couch, picking at the loose string on one of her cushions.. She felt her body tugging at her to sleep since she hadn't gotten any last night. She would have fallen asleep if it hadn't been for a knocking on her door.
"Come on in. It's open," she called. She smiled at what Jason would be saying if he knew that she wasn't checking who it was before she opened the door.
"You don't even know who it could be there, It could be someone there to kill you."
Courtney shook the thought from her head.
"You know I like you to check who is at the door before letting them in," a voice said from behind her.
Courtney looked up, and she saw Jason, soaked from the rain outside, standing at her door.
"Jason," she breathed, her heart skipping a beat. All thoughts of hating him vanished. She couldn't even remember what she was upset about.
He cautiously walked toward her. "Courtney," he said apprehensively. "I'm sorry."
Courtney wanted so badly to fling herself into his arms. She was sick of fighting, sick of hating him.
"I know you are."
"I messed up," Jason said. "But I love you. You know that, don't you?"
Courtney nodded. "I do."
Jason took another step toward her. He slowly wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry," his muffled voice said into her hair. "Just please. . ."
He didn't even have to finish his sentence. "On one condition," Courtney said.
"What's that?"
"That I'm allowed to mess up now without us breaking up because I love you too, Jason." She smiled as the two of them pulled apart.
Jason took her hand in his and gave it a gentle kiss.
"Deal."
****
Brenda laid her head on Jax's chest, staring deep into the crackling fire. This was where she wanted to be. She loved Jax with her life, or so she thought.
Though she wouldn't admit it, Jason was there in the back of her head, and there he would remain.
****
Jason gently stroked Courtney's sleeping form as he stared into the meek fire that was still burning in the ashes. This was where he wanted to be. He love Courtney with his life, or so he thought.
Though he wouldn't admit it, Brenda was there in the back of his head, and there she would remain.
****
The opposite of love is not hate, as many people think. The opposite of love is indifference. When you don't care, the love of your life could just be under your nose or drifting though the soft drizzle outside your window. So never hesitate when you get the sensation to speak the three words- simple or challenging,
"I love you."
The End of I Love You?
(See Author's note on next chapter)
