CHAPTER TWENTY TWO - There Was No Moment

The blue water rippled as I moved my left leg in a circular motion. I looked up and could only see a few stars lighting up the dark sky. I shivered as a cold gush of wind rushed by, forming small goosebumps on my bare shoulders.

"Here," Jeff said, taking off his red hoodie. I started to shake my head in objection, but he wouldn't hear any of it. "Really. Take it." He handed it over to me and I gave him a grateful smile before putting it over my halter top.

Right away, I recognized the distinct smell of his cologne. I still remembered it from when he used to hold me close....

"I swear, you're mom's the best cook. Ever," he said, breaking me away from my thoughts. We were alone, sitting by the pool, finishing the two slices of homemade blueberry pie we got for dessert.

"I don't know if the cooking gene runs in the family though," I said with mock regret. He laughed.

"That's a damn shame then." A few moments of silence passed between us, just enough so we could hear crickets chirping nearby.

"So..." I said, breaking the silence. "Where's Britney tonight?"

"Britney who?" I shot him a dirty look and laughed when I saw the goofy grin on his face. "She's... somewhere."

"How... vague." It was his turn to laugh. "I thought you'd much rather be running around with her than having dinner with me and my parents."

"Then you underestimate me," he said, grinning. "The thing is, I don't know if me and Britney really work." I looked at him skeptically.

"You guys both seemed to be working fine in the making out department." He waved my comment away casually.

"Britney's just not the type of girl I can really see myself with. She's not the type you'd want to bring home to your parents. She was a -- a distraction. I'll leave it at that."

"Wow. If I knew you'd be this critical of girls, I don't know if I would've gone out with you in the first place," I teased. He gave me a small smile but looked away and into the distance.

"You were different. You know that," he replied quietly. I didn't know what to say to that, so I sat there, playing with a loose thread on his sweater.

The next few seconds happened so fast that I completely blanked out. Before I knew what was happening, Jeff suddenly turned and he bent down and he kissed me. It was strange how a gesture that was once was so sweet and compelling was now offending and just plain wrong to me.

"Jeff!" I sputtered, turning my head and pushing him away with both my arms.

"Oh God. I'm so sorry," he said, flustered. "I thought we were both caught up in the moment and –"

"There was no moment," I spat, wiping my lips with the back of my palm. "For Christ's sake, Jeff! I just broke up with Byron two days ago!"

"I know, Char," he said weakly. "I know." He slowly let out a deep breath and roughly ran his hands through his hair.

"Then why –"

"I came back for you," he said softly. I furrowed my eyebrows, not completely understanding him. He sighed and closed his eyes, hanging his head, seeming to collect his thoughts. "I don't want to pretend anymore. I haven't stopped thinking about you ever since I moved away. I thought it would be easier just to cut all contact with you, hoping I'd somehow forget the pain of leaving everything behind.

Being so far away from Stoneybrook -- from you -- was so hard. I hoped that over time, I'd just forget that I loved you... but I didn't. Coming back here... I didn't know that I already lost you to my bestfriend..."

I sat there, listening to him in stunned silence. He looked up at me... waiting.

I -- I didn't know what to say. It was surreal. Half of me didn't want to believe the words coming out of his mouth. It made things so much more complicated. I didn't expect this at all.

A/N: THE END!!! muahahaha. wouldn't that be extremely cruel and awful of me?? the plot thickens! I know a few of you are going to be mad, but i'm leaving this as a cliffhanger for now. sorry to say that mid-terms are coming up and this is distracting me. not good considering i'm waay behind in all my classes... sad to say, but i must put being science geek first before writing. :P so, you won't be hearing from me for a while. sorry!! if your desperate, leave your e-mail address if you can't put me on the Author Alert list – i'll give you a shout when i post up new chapters! and hey, it won't hurt and i'll love you guys even MORE if i reach the big 100 reviews!! J xoxo