Chapter 12: Love

The first time he told her he loved her, they were sixteen. They have been out in front of his house after school, arguing about something inconsequential (as usual). If you had asked their current selves, they would not be able to tell you what exactly they were arguing about. Only that she was mad, and he was exasperated.

"I don't know why you hate me so much!"

"You re so clueless Vortex!" He had shouted back, "I don't hate you. I LOVE YOU!"

She had frozen for the first time in her life and just gaped at him unblinking. He was no better, silent as well, but a slow blush covering his face. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and muttered to her, or rather to the sidewalk, "Just thought you should know."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Jimmy, we just- we can't." They were leaving for college in a few months, both of them going completely across the country. She had played the scenario over and over in her mind for years and several times both of them were so close to crossing that line to no avail. But now the line was crossed, nothing but a blur in the distance. But she couldn't do this, not now. Not with 3,129 miles being between them. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before turning and walking back into her house. She closed the door and sat against the frame, staring up at the celling as tears clouded her vision.

The second time was a little over two years ago. He was home from being a big shot CEO in the Big Apple for the first time since he moved out there. She was home as well and the two of them found themselves in the same room as each other for the first time since being seniors in high school. Awkward didn't even begin to describe it.

"I still love you, you know." This had been on his front porch, while his mother's annual Christmas party went on inside. In lieu of Mrs. Neutron's attempts, they had been studiously ignoring each other all evening while at the same time trying to ignore the undeniable force that seemed to more determined than ever to put them in each other's paths. Feigning a migraine (a transparent excuse she had used since childhood), Cindy had escaped the overwhelming atmosphere, and Jimmy, by heading out to the porch. He had seen her go, and deciding that enough was enough, followed. Although leading with the previously uttered sentence in retrospect, seemed rather daft, considering how well she had responded to his advance the last time.

To her credit, she didn't freeze this time. Instead she simply leaned forward, resting her head in her hands. "Neutron…"

"Don't."

She sighed, here was the moment that she had both wished for and dreaded. "Jimmy-"She started in a tired, broken voice.

He was too far along now, damn it all. He had let her off the hook once before, but no longer. "I still love you. I never stopped."

Silence. A long, uncomfortable silence that reminded both of them of the last time this conversation had taken place. Right as he was about to turn to go back inside and declare the cause worthless she responded. "I still love you as well."

He was pretty sure that being a CEO was the only thing that stopped him from breaking out into a full on happy dance. For now, he simply grinned. "Dinner tomorrow?"

She smiled then. "Sure." He reached out to her and offered her his hand, which she gladly took as they went back inside.

"How much stuff do you have?" He grumbled as he brought in yet another box of, well, probably clothes or shoes based on the trend of the last three boxes and set it down on the floor in the penthouse bedroom.

His fiancée paused to roll her eyes before turning back to the shirt was hanging. "Because you don't have enough room," She responded with as much sarcasm as she could muster, gesturing to his massive walk-in closet.

He didn't give her an actual response apart from another grumble, as he walked back to the living room to grab another box labeled, "Bedroom." They had both taken a long weekend to try and get Cindy settled in The City That Never Sleeps. She had completed her final interview for the District Attorney's position the day before, and now they were focusing on getting her moved in with him. Which would be so much easier if she didn't have so much stuff.

Laying the last box on the bed, he opened it up to help her unpack. As he dug through the various sweaters, he pulled out a very much non-sweater type object. "What is this?"

She walked over to him and seeing what he was holding, smiled. "It's a picture of us from senior prom."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. "I know that. Where'd you get it?"

"Mrs. Folfax took it and gave me a copy right before I went to college."

He was so lost in reminiscing that it took him a moment for the wheels in his head to catch on. "You've had this all this time?"

"Of course."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"And I love you."

They were standing up at the front, waiting to say their vows. She stood in her custom Cassini dress, trying to keep her thoughts on whatever the minister was saying, instead of her handsome soon-to-be-husband.

"I love you." It was so soft that at first she wasn't quite sure that he had said anything at all. But when she looked sideways at him, he was already looking at her, a smile playing on his lips.

"I do." She uttered in response.