Colin was so shocked she'd answered that he nearly dropped the phone. She didn't say a word, and now that she had picked up he wasn't sure what to say. How do you apologize for this mess?
"Jas?" He whispered, hoping that she could hear him because he was terrified to do anything to cut off the call.
He heard a sniffle and his heart lurched. "Jasmine, can we talk?" He listened as she made a small noise of assent. "Ah, Jas, I don't know where to begin."
She finally spoke and the pain in her voice nearly broke him in two. "What's to say, Colin? You met someone. I knew there was a chance, but I gave you the OK. It hurts, but I'm sure it'll go away. Time heals all, or something right?" She chuckled, but it wasn't funny. Not to her, where she stood leaning against a light pole, nor to him at his apartment sitting on a sofa that felt too big.
"That's not what happened, Jas." He hoped she could hear the sincerity that he was trying for. "She's not-we're not, damn it."
Jasmine wiped a traitorous tear from her cheek. "I'm sorry, Colin, sorry that you seem confused. It's OK, I told you, I get it. I made bad choices, and now here we are. You're free, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." She clicked the END button and put her phone back in her pocket.
Walking on, she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Ending it was the right thing to do. He just was being Colin, hoping that she was alright. Making sure that she wasn't hurt or wouldn't get over it. So she gave him the rest of his release. And when she finally got home, and was safe in her room, she took off his ring. Clinging to it wasn't going to help her move on. He had, and now she had to work past it and look to the future.
COLIN'S APARTMENT
Colin sat looking at the phone in his hand. Rarely destructive, he had the sudden urge to throw it hard against the wall. Watching it shatter would feel satisfying, because it clearly had been culpable in her heart break.
Why had he called? Just because Matt and Joe had called and mentioned she was out? Because Christine had ripped Joe's phone from him and told him just how fucked up it was that he'd destroyed her best friend? Or was it because he really thought that a phone call would fix this fucking disaster?
Groaning he fell back against the sofa. He needed to fix it. He needed to see her and touch her. He wanted to make everything better, but he also knew that he would have to come completely clean with her. He had to admit that he had, for a moment, considered a life without her. A life with the very woman who had answered the phone and helped wreck the future he'd always expected.
Tomorrow was Sunday. He hadn't been home for church and Sunday dinner in months. Maybe he'd make an exception. Go home, go to church and see her. Grovel, beg, plead to get the real girl of his dreams back. Even if it meant that he'd have to face her family and his, plus an entire neighborhood who believed in their relationship.
It was time. Time to make it right.