Getting To Know You
Chapter 6
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Previously: After a confrontation with Jed, Ron took Abbey home and told her he couldn't help her mend her broken heart. Jed followed them and assumed the worst when Abbey invited Ron inside.
Summary: Abbey makes the first move to reconcile with Jed.
Abbey woke up the next morning, feeling even worse than she had the night before. Her fury still present, she also felt a bit of guilt. Jed may have done a terrible thing bringing Veronica to the party, but she knew her dishonesty is what set his plan in motion. Torn between two targets of blame, she refused to call him.
Things weren't much better for Jed. He didn't get a wink of sleep, kept awake by the tossing and turning that came from the unsettled feeling stirring inside him. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her pained face, the tears welling up in her eyes. If he could take away that moment in time, if he could erase what he had done, he'd do it in a second. But he couldn't call her to tell her. She had Ron now and he couldn't forget the tender way he escorted her to her house, the way she touched his hand as if she trusted him completely, the way he put his arm around her and calmed her, just the way she deserved to be treated.
Ron loved her and his only option now was to step back, out of their way.
The weeks that went by didn't quell the hurt on either side. Jed and Abbey hadn't spoken to one another, both resigning themselves to the separation and trying, in vain, to convince themselves this was for the best.
They could fool themselves, but they couldn't fool others.
Knowing how miserable she was without him, Millie urged Abbey to take matters into her own hands. "Just pick up the phone and call him."
"No way."
"Abbey, you're being stubborn."
"And he's vindictive. He wanted to hurt me and he enjoyed every minute of it. Why would I want to be with someone like that?"
"Because deep down you know that isn't true. He was angry. Some people do stupid things when they're angry."
"Well now, I'm angry." She dismissed Millie's explanation without much thought.
"And you're being stupid."
"Millie!"
"Abbey, just pick up the phone and work this thing out. You'll feel so much better."
She figured Millie was probably right, but Abbey still had lingering doubts. "Even if I wanted to, it's too late. It's been more than a month. I don't even know if he's still in New England. And if he is, I doubt he'd want to talk to me."
Abbey had fallen into a depressive hole, sheltering herself from her friends ever since the break-up. It may not have been the end of a long, passionate romance, but inside her heart, she knew Jed was the right person for her and that, somehow, some way, she had let him slip right through her fingers.
At first, she declined Millie's offer to attend the Fourth of July lake party, but after hours of prodding, her friend's persuasion won out. She had grieved for Jed long enough. It was time to rejoin the living and a party was the way to do it.
Arriving at the lake that afternoon, her mind was captivated by only positive thoughts. She had willed herself into surrendering the hurt over losing Jed, convinced that was the only way to move forward and meet someone else. But as she mingled from guest to guest, she caught a glimpse of something that caused her emotions to simmer on the brink of eruption.
It was him.
Jed.
"Oh God. Jed's here," she whispered to Millie.
"Good. Go talk to him."
"No, I can't." Abbey walked around Millie, using her frame as a human shield as she began a trek in the opposite direction.
Her efforts didn't go unnoticed, especially by Jed. He spotted her the second she arrived and kept his eyes glued to her throughout the afternoon. She was as beautiful as always, even more so, if that was possible. Dressed in a purple sundress with flecks of silver flowers, she watched him watching her, her head cocking to the side every so often in an ambiguous gesture that drove Jed crazy with lust.
She glanced across the lake and saw him leaning against a tree, looking so open to conversation. She battled her urge to approach him, eventually relinquishing the stubborn streak that kept her clinging to her pride. She walked slowly, taking several steps then stopping briefly to gauge his reaction in enough time to turn around before being embarrassed by possible rejection. He didn't stop her. In fact, as she got closer, his body language became more inviting. "Hello."
"Don't worry, I'm drink-free," she assured him, reminding him of their last encounter. He cracked a smile, but didn't verbally respond. "It's a beautiful night."
"Yeah."
"The fireworks later are supposed to be spectacular."
"That's what I hear." Jed's smirk was unrelenting, though his frustration was growing. He hated the small talk that veiled the tension between them.
"Well, I'll see you around." Obviously, he wasn't the only one frustrated by the encounter.
"Where are you going?" He followed her as she began to walk away.
"You don't seem to want to talk, so I just figured..."
He gently grabbed her arm to pull her around. "I don't want to talk -- not about the small stuff."
"What do you want to talk about?" She hoped he would say what she wanted to hear.
"About us."
That was the magic phrase, but Abbey pushed a little further. "Is there an us?"
He shrugged, unsure of the answer, and extended his hand. "Will you join me for a walk please?"
She accepted the gesture and stepped up beside him, slipping her palm into his. "It's been a long time."
"I wanted to call you..."
Abbey interrupted him. "Why did you do it, Jed?" Her voice sounded broken, as if she was still fighting the tears. "Why did you bring her to the barbecue?"
"You know why," he answered sincerely.
"Yeah, but I was hoping, I was praying you actually forgot who she was, that it was a weird coincidence. Anything was better than knowing that you brought her there just to hurt me." She took a breath before continuing. "That was really low."
He hung his head in submission, but lifted it a few seconds later with renewed anger. "If we're going to talk about low, Abbey, then let's talk about what you did."
"I didn't mean to hurt you. What you did you did on purpose."
His even strides came to a halt as he stopped to look at her. "Did you come over here just to tell me what a horrible person I am?"
"Partly," she responded as she returned his steely glare.
"And the other part?"
"To tell you what a horrible person I am." Her tone softened slightly. "I should have told you about Ron. But it's not what you think."
"That's what you said."
"Please let me explain," she pleaded.
"Go ahead." Jed held out his arm, inviting her to cradle her hand around her elbow as they continued the stroll.
"Ron's been a very good friend to me and I guess I misunderstood my feelings for him. It wasn't love. It wasn't even a romantic kind of love. It was just…comfortable…and safe." He nodded, assuring her she had his attention. "You, on the other hand, with you, I felt such a spark. It was unbelievable, Jed. From that first night on New Year's Eve and then later in the letters and phone calls…I never felt anything like it."
"If you truly wanted to be with me, you should have broken things off with him."
"You're right and I am so sorry I didn't. I thought you were just a fantasy. I didn't take it seriously, not until you came home for Easter Break. When I saw you again, it was incredible, like a dream come true."
He believed her. Maybe it was the fact that he wanted to believe her, to take her into his arms and make things right between them, he wasn't sure. But he believed her. "Why didn't you tell me about him?"
"The night we met, I was concerned that you'd back off if you knew about me and Ron."
"I would have."
Abbey nodded. "But I didn't want you to. I broke up with Ron. I broke things off you came home for Easter break. I didn't tell you right away because I was afraid of your reaction. I was worried that if I told you that I waited so long to break up with Ron, you wouldn't understand."
"Yeah." He acknowledged that he probably wouldn't have.
"But I did try to tell you."
"When?"
"The day you confronted me. I wanted to tell you I was no longer with Ron. You didn't let me get the words out."
"I shouldn't have accused you and just run off. I should have stayed there and fought it out with you." He looked at her remorsefully. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. You were angry. I don't blame you."
"Not just about that. I'm so sorry for bringing Veronica to the barbecue. She knew what I was doing and she wanted to get under your skin. That's why she came with me. I thought it would make me feel better to see you upset, but it didn't. It was so immature and it tore me apart, Abbey. When I saw what it did to you…I was such a jerk."
"Yeah, you were."
He stopped again, cupping his hands around her cheeks as she faced him. "When I realized how badly I hurt you, I would have done anything. I couldn't stand it."
"It made me really doubt who you are. You took one of my weaknesses and used it against me. I never thought you'd be that vindictive."
That's exactly what he had done, but hearing the words escape her lips was a shocking blow. Disappointed, he dropped his arms to his side. "I'm not like that. I'm not vindictive. I just lost my head. But I swear that isn't me. If you'll give me another chance, I'll prove it to you."
Abbey grinned, ready to give him a break as soon as he answered one more question. "Did you bring a date tonight?"
"No," he replied, understanding the true meaning of her question. "I took Veronica home right after you left that night. I haven't called her or seen her since. I haven't been out with anyone else, Abbey. You're the only one I wanted to be with."
"Good," she said with a more satisfied smile on her face. She leaned in to kiss him, caught by surprise when he pulled away.
"Abbey, don't."
Embarrassed, she stepped back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
"I can't get all emotional about you again."
"I thought we agreed to give each other another chance."
"At friendship." He noticed the immediate change in her expression.
"Oh."
He didn't intend to make her sad, but it was obvious that was exactly what he had done. "Look, I don't want to be the other guy."
"The other guy?"
"Yeah. The other guy in this triangle with you and Ron."
"Me and Ron? Jed, Ron and I broke up. I just told you that." Abbey's brows furrowed in confusion.
"I know, but the night he took you home..."
"He took me home as a friend."
"Come on, Abbey. The way he walked you to your house and put his arms around you, that wasn't friendship. You invited him in."
She was hit with a jolt, one that fed the bit of anger that still lingered in her heart. "What the hell were you doing following us?"
"I wasn't following you. I was worried about you! I drove to your house and I saw him. I saw you. He helped you out of the car and you led him inside."
"Well, nothing happened," she said sharply.
"Supposedly, he was your ex-boyfriend. Why would you invite him inside?"
"Supposedly? Jed, he is my ex-boyfriend and I invited him in because I needed a friend that night, thanks to your stunt. And I'm going to tell you one more time. Nothing happened."
"Okay." His reaction was laced with doubt.
"Fine. You know what, if you don't want to believe me, forget it." She picked up her pace, heading in the opposite direction, away from him.
Jed ran after her, his hands gripping her shoulders as he neared. "Stop, please. I'm sorry. Of course I believe you."
"It didn't feel like it."
"It's my own insecurity rearing its ugly head. It's just…you seem too good to be true." He adopted a gentler voice as his fingers trailed a path up her arm. "You're really done with Ron?"
"I'm really done with Ron." She covered the back of his hands with her palms.
"And do you still want to be with me? Do you still want me?"
"I walked over to you, didn't I? I'm still here, listening."
"Yeah, but what happened just now, that was kind of my second chance," he reminded her.
"And you blew it again," she teased.
"I did. I'm sorry for doubting you. Let me make it up to you."
Abbey held him in suspense for several minutes before softening her features with a smile. "You're a real jackass sometimes, Bartlet."
"Something else you never knew about me."
"I guess I'll just have to get used to it." She rested her head on his shoulder as he swung his arm around her waist. "You know what?"
"What?"
"You're the only one I want to be with too."
TBC