OH MY GOSH, YOU GUYS! I totally just remembered I forgot to mention the song I used in chapter six…again! This is chapter nine, and it seriously should've already been mentioned. But! Alas, here it is. The song I used for creative purposes only is She (For Liz) by Parachute. I'll put a YouTube link to the song on my profile because if you've never heard it, you MUST listen to it. I think the band is British, but I really have no clue. Do any of you know? If so, let me know in a review!
Anyway, my freaking writer's block for One Night is still with me. I know what I want (slightly) in the next chapter, but I don't know how to write it. So, I hope this story's frequent updates make up for that.
Review :)
It was one of those moments when everything seemed to stop. The world around you, other people, heck, even breathing. Surprisingly, there wasn't any sort of tension in the air. They just stared into each other's eyes, not sure of what to do.
James wanted so badly to pick up where they left off, but he knew he couldn't do that. Even though she hadn't obviously forgotten about him, she had moved on, unlike himself. He was still hooked on her, and wanted her to be there for him again.
On the contrary, Brylee didn't know what the hell she wanted to do. Part of her knew she shouldn't be standing here with all these thoughts of him in her mind, and the other part wanted to, in a way, start over. She wanted him to hold her, and take away all the pain she had inside her from the past eight years of hell she had been living in.
The brunette still hadn't figured out why she had been with Jake so long, and maybe this was the answer. Fate brought these two people back together. Brylee knew that. She believed in fate, and she couldn't ignore that sign.
"I need you to help me," she finally said, her voice a whisper. She looked up at James, and his hazel eyes were looking at her softly, tenderly, and she knew he still cared, deep down, even if he didn't want to admit it aloud.
"With what?" he asked. Brylee looked down and swallowed hard.
"Everything."
The car ride to Brylee's house was quiet, both adults trying to figure things out. James had told Ashley about what happened, and she went home, and her brother left with his ex-lover to help her with whatever she needed. He didn't know what exactly she meant, but he knew he had to help her.
He still cared for her, for her feelings, for everything.
James stepped into Brylee's house behind her, and he felt…awkward. He knew that she was with Jake, and figured he lived here, even though it didn't look like her did. It was clean and perfect, with no signs that a man lived here anywhere.
Brylee, on the other hand, was freaking out on the inside. She didn't know why she brought him here or what she was going to tell him. She missed this guy so much, and knows he was finally here and she was so confused as to what to do. She wanted to tell him everything, just to get it off her chest, but he probably wouldn't care.
"So, uh, what's up?" James asked, walking into the kitchen behind her. She stood by the end of the island, where there were two dark stained wood stools, her back to him. Brylee swallowed, then pulled off her coat and draped it over one of the chairs she was standing next to. For some reason, the brunette woman could hardly keep her composure right now. She knew she was about to lose it, so she had to do this quickly.
"I messed up," she choked out before closing her eyes and swallowing the lump in her throat.
James didn't know what she was talking about. Was he supposed to? He stood there, wondering if she was going to turn around, or if he should just go hold her. It had been so long since the last time something like this happened. And James hadn't once held someone like he held Brylee in his arms that last day they were together.
James took a few steps closer, only about a foot away from her, and then suddenly Brylee turned around. Her breath caught for a moment, and she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him and cry into his chest. She could do that before. Not anymore. Things were different now.
"Messed up what?" His voice was soft and caring, and it made Brylee feel comfortable now. It made her feel safe.
"My life," she said, looking up to the taller man in front of her.
"That can't be true," he said.
She shook her head, and she felt her hands starting to shake. This usually only happened when Jake was around, but the stress and anxiety had gotten too much for the young woman just thinking about him.
"And you started it," Brylee cried out of nowhere. She immediately regretted it as soon as it came out of her mouth, and she brushed past James and went into the living room. She sat down on the couch and hid her face in her hands, mascara running from her eyes to her skin.
James felt horrible, to put it simply. It was one hundred percent true. If he hadn't broken up with her, Jake never could've gotten hold of her and ruin such a beautiful personality. He knew from the second he saw her in the parking lot earlier that something had changed, and this was definitely it. And now he felt responsible to fix it.
He broke her, so wasn't that the only choice he had? To fix her?
And he knew exactly where he had to begin.
He walked over to the living room and sat down next to the one he was still so much in love with, and wrapped his arms around her body.
He missed that sensation of the simplest touch, and now it was back. He felt as though this is where his arms belonged, around this gorgeous woman.
Brylee was shocked at what had just happened, but her body melted into his, and she buried her face in his strong body, and this was the first time in eight fucking years that she felt okay again. No one had held her since the last time James was around. No one was around to dry her tears. She felt safe in his arms, like nothing bad was going to happen. All she wanted was protection.
For a moment, James just let her cry, not even bothered she was making his t-shirt wet with tears and stained with make-up. There was no noise beside her almost silent sobs, and he rubbed his hands up and down her back, hating seeing her cry. It was almost an eerie silence, and it made him feel cold.
He didn't even want to know the things Jake said or did to Brylee. He knew by the way this house felt that horrible things happened inside its walls.
God, how could he have let this happen?
"I'm sorry," he said, breaking the unbearable silence.
The unbearable silence of the moment. Of the past. Of everything.
