Attention Runner-Up

Chapter 15

I needed to get my head on right. This trip was supposed to be about stupid fun and yet day one and everything is already falling apart. If day one is any indicator, this is going to be an utter disaster.

I got up off the bed and went to take a shower.

When I was done I called room service for more sheets and went to wait by the bar. I heard sniffling and faint sobbing. I went to investigate and there was Skylar at the top of the stair, freshly showered and crying her eyes out as silently as possible.

I felt my heartbreak all over again.

I slowly climbed up the steps and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"No, you're right. Something is wrong with me. I shouldn't have done that." She buried her head into her knees.

"I'm the one that pressured you into it." I rubbed her back.

"You didn't make me kiss you, you didn't make me lock that door. You didn't make me do anything I didn't want. Jade deserves better than me. Everyone deserves better than me."

"Hey, stop that. You're great. We all have our bad days and weak moments. I've had quite a few these last few months. But you just got to figure out where this is all coming from. Get to the root of the problem. I found my root, now you got to find yours." I said.

"I wanted what I had with Jade to be perfect. Like a Disney movie, we would ride off into the sunset happily ever after. I knew it was going to take work, but I just... I'm tired, Darleen. I'm tired of being the one to carry all of the weight of the relationship. Tired of being the only one who cares. I want to be the one pampered. I want to be the one taken care of. I want... what we had. But with Jade."

"Jade isn't me."

"I know."

"If she's not doing it for you, find someone new."

"How can I? After I worked so hard, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I climbed the mountain; I slayed the dragon. I got the girl. How can I just throw it all away? I do love her, I do."

"I think maybe you want to, but you don't."

"I do." She said more to herself than me.

"Have you tried just talking to her?"

"I have! It just goes in one ear out the other. She takes it so personally. Like I am attacking her. She gets all emotional and bitchy and I just end up feeling like the villain and being the one to apologize. I can't just talk to her, not like I do with you. I just... I don't know what to do."

I could hear new sniffling. Skylar and both turned and there was Jade, watching us, tears streaming down her face.

"Jade!" Skylar quickly got up and ran over to her.

Jade pulled away from her.

"Jade I'm sorry," Skylar cried.

I quickly got up and walked downstairs to give them a moment.

"Jade talk to me," Skylar begged.

I walked over to the bar, but I could still hear them loud and clear.

"Is that really what you think of me?"

Skylar didn't say anything.

"Why didn't you just tell me!? If you felt like I was just pushing you over, then say something!"

"I tried Jade, I tried thousands of times. You never heard me. You would fix it but only for a little bit before we were back where we started. I'm so tired Jade."