US

+ p a r t t w o: 8 +

I don't think they expected Jamie to actually say yes to me. I don't think I gave him a choice to.

Holly used to say that I'd picked James as mine the first moment I spotted him. I told her I didn't. That I didn't even know his name.

She said I didn't understand and annoyingly she never explained but she didn't complain about it.

It was Rob that seemed to have an issue with it "Oh come on, Holly. It's like our own children are— You know"

Jamie looked at me the same time I looked at him. The locket still dangled on his neck, and the key dangled from a chain on mine.

And then we smiled.

I barely ever stayed in my room because I was always at Jamie's now. One time, he kept looking at me while I wore his football jacket and when I asked why, he said "I always liked the fact you wore my clothes"

It was funny. I wore his clothes for the longest time when I came to live with him. I kissed him after that and then took a smoke.

He had this super big fan in his room so it was cool to smoke there when Holly and Rob weren't home while he did his homework.

We barely had anything to talk about during times like that except stay quietly. I'd sit on his desk, my cigarette in my hand while he placed one of his hands between my laps, a song playing in the background.

It was on a Sunday when he suddenly decided that he wanted us going out for an actual date.

He had come to the hospital to tell me. It was weird because all the patients knew who he was and they knew who I was and well, I'd just say they seemed too happy to see us together.

It was stuffs like that Jamie liked. People knowing we were together but I wasn't that type and he wasn't really happy about that.

"I don't know, an actual date?"

"That's what boyfriends and girlfriends do"

I didn't blame him. I knew he didn't know what exactly to do. I didn't fit in any category and I was the first person he was dating. I hated chocolates and flowers and poems and basically everything he used to wish to give his partner.

It was one of those reasons why I didn't want to go on a date. I didn't know what he was planning to do. I don't think I was prepared for it "I know that, but come on. It's cool how we're always home. We're literally always together"

"I know, I just—" He closed his eyes for some seconds. He always did that when he knew I would say no to anything he asked but still wanted to try asking anyway "God, please Skye. I just need this"

Why? What's was the whole point of it?

I still agreed.

Holly thought it'd be nice if I dressed up. I didn't think it was necessary and so they appeared, both her and Rob with different clothes "Take a pick"

I chose a red jacket and pants.

"Isn't it funny how my parents fuss over you even though I'm the one they actually gave birth to?" Jamie had asked this when we were leaving the house.

"Perks of dating the son, I guess"

James was already eighteen so he had his license, I was too but I didn't actually have time for it, or was too lazy. Either of the reasons worked fine.

We stopped at some sort of bar. It seemed pretty cool. I thought, nice, we'd just take some drinks and be out, but I should have known Jamie didn't do things like I did.

He put me on a front row seat and the next thing I know, he was on the stage and with a guitar. The guitar I gave him and tapping on a mic "Um, excuse me"

He got their attention. He was pretty so he always got people's attention.

He had mine the most that day anyway.

When he looked at me, all I thought was What was he doing? Was he crazy? I didn't want this but I said nothing "This is actually my first time doing this and I just— Well, I'd just say I'm a bit excited actually. I'm in a relationship with someone who practically makes me happy everyday without doing anything and I just— I just think they deserved to know how much I felt"

I suddenly regretted getting it for him.

He sang a favorite of ours. I can't lose you by Isak Danielson. Nice.

Everyone clapped when he was done. They were looking at him but he didn't seem to care about that. He seemed to care about my reaction.

The happiness in his eyes dimmed when he spotted me anyway.

Maybe he knew that I wasn't totally cool because I didn't clap or because I wasn't smiling or because I didn't look all teary about it.

I wasn't sure how I could tell him that I didn't like all of this because the last time someone went on a platform and confessed something that involved me, I never saw her again.

But that was the last time he ever played publicly for me.