Only Her [#Wattys2015]

Chapter 22

"Happy birthday!" They cheered after the birthday song was sung.

"Thanks, guys!" I smiled.

"You're twenty now!" Mom exclaimed.

"Big deal." Henry said.

I glared at Henry and mouthed 'shut up' to him.

A year older now. Older huh?

"Here is your gift." Jake smiled at me."Happy birthday, Jayne."

Jake passed me a box and leaned in to give me a kiss on the lips.

"Thanks." I told him as I opened the box.
My eyes never left it and pain resurfaced in my heart.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Jake grinned."It's a crescent moon as you can see."

"Yeah.." I said as I lifted the necklace before my eyes.

Austin gave me a necklace too. Compared to that..this is..

"Jayne." Mom called me."I think your phone is ringing."

"Oh." I went over and grabbed my phone to a quiet place.

"Clare.." I muttered under my breath as I answered the call.

"Jayne. Meet me at the park now." Clare demanded.

"No." I told her."I don't want to see you."

"Well..you want an explanation right?" Clare said."I know you guys are back together. You found out, didn't you?"

That wasn't a tinge of guilt or remorse in her voice. In fact, it was proud and arrogant.

"I did found out." I replied."How could you do this to me? Weren't we fine when we were friends?"

"That's the problem."

"How is that a problem?" I asked.

"I'll talk to you once I see you." Clare hung up.

I stared at the screen for a moment before rushing out.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked.

"I'll be back real quick. It's nothing!" I ran passed him and out the door.

I had to know. Why she did do all this? What went wrong with our friendship?

I stopped when I saw her from a distance. She knew I was there already and she turned to smile at me.

"Jayne." Clare walked towards me."I'm not gonna apologize."

"You don't have to or it'll be all for nothing." I stated.

"I know that all too well." She smiled."I had fun, you know? Jake is too cute. I didn't even know what he saw in you."

"But didn't you support me? Didn't you encourage me to go for it? What happened to that?"

"I grew out of it." She frowned."I was tired seeing you overshadow me. I was tired of guys liking you. Even Daniel liked you!"

"Clare, Daniel and I were just friends! I liked Jake all along." I told her.

"Please! Don't give me that. Don't tell me you guys never flirted in the past?" Clare said.

"That's it! That's the past but no I didn't flirt with him at all. Why are you so childish? And why did you drag Jake into this?"

"Because you loved him." Clare replied." And because he loved you. It would make perfect sense for me if he were to doubt his own love for you and yours for him."