SHE AIN'T LIKE A SISTER NO MORE

Chapter 55 ~ "Please don't cry Jen..."

Okay guys, I know I said 12 votes for the next chapter, but I'm about to go to sleep and we're 2 votes short BUT I love you guys, so here it is.
Grab your tissues maybe?
XOX

JUSTIN

After Ryan received the text from Jen saying she was okay, my anxiety and stress levels calmed down the slightest bit. Ryan read the text out to me. The fact she said she didn't want to hear my voice broke my fucking heart to be honest, but I was able to find comfort in the fact that at least she was okay.
How did we get here?
How did we let ourselves grow this far apart?
When I finally got Ryan in a headlock and grabbed the phone out of his hand and put it on speaker to hear her voice, it sent the most beautiful surge of tingles throughout my entire body.
Fuck, I knew I missed her, but seriously?!

I need to see her. If Ryan knew where she was, I'd beat it out of him. I'd make him tell me, I'd go and smash the door down and hold her.
Just hold her.
Fuck, I think if I ever got my arms around her again, I'd never fucking let her go. I couldn't. There's no way in hell I'd ever let her out of my sight again.
I knew she didn't sound right though even before we heard what went on.
I'll kill that maggot. She must be so scared. Fuck, I just want to hold her. It's my job to protect her. I told Ray I would. I promised a dying man I'd look after his only daughter, and I threw it all away.

His little angel...my angel.
I'm the worlds biggest fucking douchebag!
"Can I stay here tonight bro?" I ask Ryan, who's staring off into the distance.
"Yeah...yeah of course. You don't gotta ask, you know that."
I nod, my eyes drifting back to the front door, as though she's going to walk through it. Magically appear, walk over and curl up in my lap and never leave again.
I've avoided coming to Ryans place for the entire four months. I wanted to have somewhere for her to go and someone to rely on.
Somewhere she wouldn't have to see me.
"You okay bro?" Ryan says quietly, handing me another beer.
I swig the rest of the one I've already got then take the fresh one that Ryan is offering.

"I miss her like fuckin' crazy. I knew I missed her, but I always thought it was part of the process y'know? But I can't live without her man. I knew that the whole time. There's never gonna be anyone else."
"I thought things were alright with Mia?"
"She's an awesome chick. Just not for me though. There's only one girl for me. She's been the only one since the first time I saw her playing in her front yard."

I smile, remembering her in her little yellow sundress. Her hair, even when she was that young, was down past her bum. Remembering her hair, I then drift off into the memory of her mom brushing her hair to go to a party. I was sitting on the sofa. Jen was screaming the place down, tears streaming down her face. I can remember wincing in pain every time the brush ran through her hair, as though I could literally feel her pain.
After a couple of minutes of watching her mum try and get the knots out from her masses her curls, I walked over, sat down next to Jen and held her hand.
The tears stopped immediately.
"When I was 6, I always wanted to protect her. When I was 8 I would have done anything to see her smile. By 10 we were best friends. I used to watch her all the time, and I felt this overwhelming sense of...I dunno. I loved her man, I know that now. Did I think she'd be mine one day? Nah. She was too fuckin' good for me. I was the kid that was always getting in trouble, and I hated that I roped her into it sometimes... her mom made cookies one day, and I convinced her that we should sell them around the neighborhood. She told me that her mom would be really upset because she'd made them for her Daddy, but I told her we could make some money and I'd walk her to the shops to get lollies. She made me promise that I'd get her some sour patch kids." I laugh at the memory of her cute little pouty face looking up at me.
"So we sold all the cookies and I got her two bags of sour patch kids, then we hid behind the back fence and shared them. When we got back to her house, her mom was really angry. I was about to fess up, but she pinched me really hard and told Sue that she ate most of them, then gave some to the neighbors dog. Her mom made her go over to the neighbours house and apologize for giving their puppy half a dozen oatmeal cookies."
I think for a moment, and look up at Ryan. He's smiling back at me, his eyes looking a little wetter than normal.
"I suppose she wanted to protect me as well. She was always covering my ass. Silly girl."
Ryan passes another beer as I feel one lone tear run down my cheek.
"I have to get her back bro. I miss her so fucking much!"