The Fighter

Chapter 35

I still didn't know what to say to Jet. "Jet, please stop saying that." I begged quietly. "Mickie, I'm sorry, but you needed to know." "I know that you think that, but I've been thinking about it a lot since you and John broke up." He sighed and I just couldn't believe it still. How could he still love me after all this time? Like John. Like..... Greg. "I've only been with three guys in the three years. I've moved on from you and John. I'm trying to move on from Greg, but somehow I just can't. Yes, I still love you. I still love you very much. But, my heart aches for him. The rest of me doesn't want him anymore. The rest of me wants to stay away from him. I don't need him. I just need to be by myself for a while." I sighed. "I'm not asking you to get back together with me. I just needed you to know how I feel." "I'm glad that you're honest with me. I'm glad that you're always honest with me, and I don't want you to stop. You're a great friend and I trust you with my life. I'm sorry, I hurt you." "Mickie, you could never hurt me. You really couldn't." he smiled to me and I felt better. I looked out the window and watched the scenery pass by. Sometimes I wish that it wasn't so familiar, but there is nowhere else I would rather be.

When I got home, I went to lay down and saw my phone light up. I grabbed it and then went opened the message. It was a text from Gavin. Or at least I thought. The message said:

"I luv you, goodnight Mick.

-Avery"

I smiled and went to bed. When I woke up in the morning Grandma had made breakfast. I went out and sat at the table. Papa was getting ready for work and he sat down at the table. "Did you go see Kyle after the called last night?" he asked grabbing some food. "Yeah, he's okay. Just really sore. He has bruises, but he's going to be okay. They were only keeping him overnight for observation. He text me and said that they're releasing him this afternoon. His uncle is going up to get him. He can't go to calls for about a week. He's upset, but he'll live." I smiled. "Good. Thank God, he's okay." "Me too." I smiled. "Are you going to the station today?" "I might. I'm going with Gavin and Avery to lunch later." "Okay, if you go can you make sure that the hoses are dried and put away?" "Yes sir, I can do that." I nodded. "Good, thank you."

Before lunch, I went up to the station just to check the hoses. Most of them were rolled up and put away, some of them were still hanging from the hose tower. I went up to the hose tower and dropped the last four hoses. I closed the tower door and went back down. I dragged them out and rolled them one hose at a time. I was on the last one when I heard the truck bay door open and I shut. I looked over and it was John. "Hey, sorry I didn't know that you were here." He apologized when he saw me. "It's fine. I was just going to put this hose away and leave anyway. Papa asked me to check on the hoses if I came up." "Yeah, Jet and I did most of them earlier, but he went to work and I went to my dad's." "Okay, well thank you guys. I just did the last few. Chief will be happy that they are all done." "Good, one less thing to do later." He smiled and then we just stood there awkwardly for a minute. "Mickie, I'm sorry for what I did to you. I really am. There's no excuse for the way I acted." "Or the way you act when you're drunk." I chimed in. "Yeah, I know." He agreed. "I forgive you John, but there is no way that you and I will ever get back together again." "I know. Mickie, I know that you didn't really love me. You were with me to try and hide the pain of Greg leaving you." "I know you know. And for that I am sorry. We hurt each other. We always do John. Even before, that's what we did. We're not good together. It would be better for the both of us if we were just friends again." "Me too. You're probably going to need a lot of your friends right now anyway." He hugged me and I pulled back after he said that. "What?" "Oh, you don't know do you?" "Um, no obiously I don't. What's going on?" "Greg is coming back." He told me and I froze. It was the chilling news that I was hoping never to ever hear. "Oh, um. I've got to go. I'm going to be late for lunch with my brother and sister." I pulled myself together and got out of there.

I drove down to the diner and it seemed like a longer drive to the valley than usual. How could he coming back? I pulled in to the parking lot next to my brother's car and went in to meet them. There was a lot running through my head. He was just here the other day and went back to Virginia. He was gone for two months and now after his home visit he's decided that he's coming back? This was not good.

"Mickie!" Avery smiled once she saw me. "Hey squirt." I smiled and gave her a big hug. "Hey Gavin." I gave Gavin a hug too. "So Mickie, what's up? I'm glad you wanted to have lunch but you sounded concerned. Is everything okay?" Gavin asked as soon as I sat. "Yeah, it is. I just wanted to have lunch and talk with both of you." "Okay, what's it about?" Gavin was nervous and honestly I was too. I left one thing out, Yes, I was the one who wanted to have lunch with them. I was the one who text Gavin after Avery sent me that message last night.

"It's about Avery and me. And also, my guardianship over her." I sighed. "What about it?" "You might be right Gavin. I'm thinking about giving it over to you." I sighed.