After weeks of searching, and failing, to find where to open a new Grooves, Hyde has finally found a good location. It was not far from a freeway, which will help attract clients and it was also surrounded by numerous clubs and bars which was his scene. He was looking at the place with a realtor to finalize the details of signing a lease.
Hyde stands towards the back of the store where a counted was installed and tries to visualize what it will look like when it is finished. Part of him wanted to create an exact replica of the Grooves in Point Place just to have a sense of familiarity hundreds of miles from home. He would be in his comfort zone once again and things would be no different in California as the had been in Point Place.
However, his main purpose now was to prove to Jackie that he was a different person. He wants her to see how much he has grown in their time apart and that he was no longer the jerk who took pleasure in her misery. If he were to duplicate the store in Point Place, it would only show her that he is exactly the same.
"So just have your lawyer look over the lease if you'd like and it can be yours as soon as we process the paperwork" interrupts the realtor who has been going though the documents with Hyde. Hyde nods his head and takes the papers from the man.
"It is a great locale at a great price Mister Hyde. I can guarantee you will have a lot of revenue coming your way if you decide to get it. I would try and hire someone for public relations to spread the word about it or maybe have someone arrange an event, maybe a store opening party."
Once again, Hyde nods. He hadn't thought much about attracting a clientele and wasn't sure he knew how he was going to do that. When he got the store in Point Place, he had Angie who had helped establish the other stores in the chain and was knowledgeable in the business. Now, he was on his own trying to figure out how to manage a business efficiently and how to fix his personal life as well.
He hasn't spoken to Jackie since their kiss at his place and he was worried he might have blown his chances with her. He knew it wasn't his place to kiss her and that she wasn't ready to move down that road with him yet. However, after having had such a good day with her and having her in his apartment, he couldn't help himself. He reveled in the feelings that resurfaced between them as they enjoyed their dinner. Their conversations reminded him of those they had a couple nearly three years ago. That familiarity, that comfort, urged him to kiss her. In retrospect, he realizes how selfish it was for him to put her in that position. He recognizes that the kiss was to fulfill his needs and had not respected hers.
Understanding this now, Hyde decided not to contact her and have her reach him when she was ready to. The problem is that nearly a week has passed and he has not yet heard from her. He's been contemplating going to her apartment and speaking to her there, on her turf, and apologizing for stepping out of line. For the past two days he has been building up the courage to do so, and it was not or never. After his meeting with the realtor, Hyde was going to fix his situation with Jackie.
Over at her apartment, Jackie was sitting nursing a glass of wine trying to figure out how to fill the awkward silence between her and Jason. He has been there for close to half hour and the two have barely spoken a word to each other. Regardless of it being just a few minutes after five in the afternoon, both were on their third glass of wine. Having invited him over, Jackie knows she has to break the silence. The problem is she doesn't know where to start. How does she tell him that she can not reciprocate his feelings for her, partly because she kept struggling with her feelings for Hyde. How would she tell him that she kept going back and forth between giving Hyde a second chance or kicking his ass for intruding back into her life.
If she wanted to keep Jason in her life, maintain his respect, she knew that is not something she can say to him. He would probably think she is stupid for allowing Hyde back into her life, even as just a friend. She could not blame him. It is what she has been thinking every day since the kiss with Steven. She somehow got herself in a position of weakness. She gave him to opportunity to invade her space, to think it okay to kiss her.
Frustrated that despite her best efforts, Steven Hyde is once again holding dangerous cards. Now, she is in her apartment with her best friend who might not want anything to do with her. During her time in California, she has tried as hard as possible not to hurt Jason. She was doing a good job at that until Hyde showed up. Within weeks of his arrival, her favorite relationship was being jeopardized and she is not having it.
"Jackie,' Jason starts, "If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine."
"I do want to talk about Jason. I don't like that we've gone this long without speaking and I want to explain to you what's going on because I hate that I hurt you. It was never my intention to do so."
"You don't owe me any explanations. You're a grown up now. I'm not your father and I'm certainly not your husband so you don't need to justify your actions to me." Immediately, Jackie senses the bitter tone in his voice and knows better than to believe him.
"I know that, but you are my best friend and I do not feel okay with how things went down between us a few days ago and I want to talk to you about it. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, you don't even have to forgive me. I would appreciate it if you just hear me out."
"Sure Jackie, go ahead" Jason replies. Part of him wants to just get up and be over this whole situation. The other part still has hope that she will give them a chance and has realized it in the last few days.
Jackie takes a deep breath and tries to compose her thoughts. She still has no idea what she wants to tell Jason about Steven. Maybe it isn't even a good idea to bring him up and just talk about their friendship.
"I want to apologize for being insensitive the other day. I should have known better than to go to you about this because I know how you feel about me. I was being selfish but I did not go with the intention of hurting you or rubbing it in your face. You are the most important person in my life and I owe you so much and I will never, ever, put him before you. I hate that you're in my life and are everything I ever dreamed for, and for some reason I just can't have those feelings for you. I'm sorry for hurting you and I just want us to be okay. Please, help me make us okay again because I can't live without you in my life."
At this point, Jackie has become emotional and can not physically go on. Her sobs and tears break Jason's heart but he can not bring himself to comfort her. Since they first met, Jason has felt like her protector. He sat with her while she cried about her life in Point Place and how she still loved Hyde even though he hurt her. He guided her through many of the decisions that led her to where she is now and was proud when she became someone completely different from the broken girl he first met. If he could say so himself, he has been Jackie's knight in shining armor from the minute they met. He is everything she has ever told him she wants and yet, he wasn't.
Seeing her cry now, while painful, shows him that he can not be her knight in shining armor when she does not love him back. As selfish as it sounds, he will never be okay being just the best friend. Regardless of everything they have been through, he needed it to be all or nothing. If he couldn't be the guy for her, then whoever that was needs to take over his role as well.
Jason gets up from the couch, walks towards the kitchen and places his glass on the sink. He turns to look at Jackie whose wide, teary eyes are observing him, waiting for his response. Jason simply shakes his head and turns back to the sink. He can hear her sobs begin again and his heart aches more. He has to say something, even if he doesn't want to. Even if she can not give him what he wants, she was still very special to him and he owed her a response.
"Jackie, I understanding why you are upset. Trust me, I have been thinking about this ever since you left my apartment that day. I wish I could tell you that I'm alright with just being your friend, and a few weeks ago I was. As much as I hated it, I chose to be your friend because I wanted you to be a part of my life...I wanted to be a part of your life. But now...now he's back in the picture and I need to be honest, I can not continue to be there for you as long as he's around. I think you of all people can understand that."
It took Jackie mere seconds to understand where he was coming from but once she got it, it made her feel that much worst. Hyde was to Jason what Sam was to Jackie. He is the person Jackie has placed before him (even if she has not actually chosen him). To Jason, Hyde was the person she could see a future with while he was just the person she killed time with. The whole reason she is in California is because she could not handle the thought, the memory, of Hyde having chosen someone else before her. Yet, here she was, asking Jason to stick around when it was clear that she did not see a future with him...that she could not give him what he needed.
Wiping her tears and walking towards him, Jackie begins feeling like a hypocrite.
"I get it. I get it now. I'm sorry. I would never do that to you on purpose. I know how awful it feels and I hate that you feel like this."
"I'm glad you get it, and I know you wouldn't do it intentionally, but it's the position I am in and there is nothing either of us can do anymore" states Jason.
"You're a lot smarter than I am Jason" Jackie says with a sad laugh.
Jason takes her face in his hands and wipes a few tears off her cheek. He nods in agreement and kisses her forehead.
"I'm sorry" she whispers softly as she leans into his chest.
"I know" he responds and runs his fingers through her hair.
Both stay this way for a few minutes, relishing the moment. It is obvious that their relationship is about to take a drastic turn. It isn't as obvious if it would be for the best of not, but so long as they stood still, in her kitchen just like this, neither would need to address that issue yet.
A knock at the door interrupts their intimate moment and forces them to break away from each other. Stepping back, Jackie shoots Jason a small smile before walking to her door to see who the uninvited guest is.
Jackie quickly opens the door and feels as if the wind has been knocked out of her when she sees Steven Hyde standing there, with a bouquet of flowers, smiling innocently. She looks over at Jason who appears as infuriated as he was when she told him she kissed Hyde a few days ago.
"Jackie, can we talk?" asks Hyde.
A/N: DUN DUN DUN! There are only two chapters left in this story so stick around and see what happens next. Thank you to everyone who has been reading the story and everyone who's reviewed it. You have made it extremely fun to keep writing!