Forever Yours (More Than A Feeling|Sequel)

Six: "Just Stay Away From Him"

I had Grace over hanging out, since Jimmy wasn't going to be able to come over until later because he's in the studio with the guys. We were in the living room, playing Dead Island on Xbox 360, using the pickup trucks to drive around and just run over the zombies instead of actually following any of the missions. 

"Holy fuck, look at the blood!! I LOVE this game!!" Grace yelled out, laughing wildly. 

I gave her a look that questioned whether or not she needed to be sent to a mental hospital. "Grace, calm down. You're acting like Matt during COD."

"Then let's Matt it up!!!" She said, and I just laughed and shook my head. We played Dead Island for a little while longer, and then decided to play Grand Theft Auto. As I was starting to get up, setting the controller down on the couch, Grace caught my right hand and practically pulled me back down, studying it hard. 

"Is that... Jimmy's ring?" She looked up at me with a questioning expression on her face.

"Uh, yeah." I answered kind of awkwardly. I couldn't deny it, obviously. That was in fact, clearly his ring.

She started to smile. "Do you know what this means?"

"Thaaaaat I'm wearing his ring?" I questioned. She gave me a displeased look.

"Yes, but it also means that he still loves yooouuuu!!" She poked my chest playfully. 

I narrowed my eyes at her. "No it doesn't." 

"Yes it does."

"How?"

"Oh c'mon. You wore it while you were dating, every day until you left. Now, he's given it back to you, to wear every day from now on because you're not leaving again." Grace explained, but I found it to be invalid.

"Ok, but we're not dating now and I'm wearing it. That doesn't mean that he loves me, which he doesn't, because he's marrying Aubree. He loves Aubree, not me. Do you understand the words that I'm speaking to you?" I spoke the last sentence in a slow way, like she spoke another language.

"I don't think you're understanding the words I'm speaking to you! I think he's only with Aubree because before you came back, she was the only thing that helped take away the hurt he still felt from the day you left. I'm not sure that he really loves her like he loves you." As Grace finished that sentence, I corrected her with,

"Loved. Not loves, he doesn't feel that way anymore." 

"Would you shut up and let me finish!?" Grace demanded, and I remained silent. "Way deep down, he still has those feelings for you like I know you still do for him, even though you're too fucking stubborn admit it! Now that you're back, that's showing again and even though he might be engaged to Aubree, that doesn't stop the way that he feels. It said in his letter that's how he's always felt about you, so why should it be any different now?" 

"Because that was a lie." I answered quietly. "That was just something that he wrote then, being caught up in everything. It doesn't mean anything now, I'm not even sure that he remembers the promise, or the letter." 

"Do you really believe that?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

"What else do I have to believe? If any of what he said to me was true, why would he be marrying somebody else? He told me when I left that if I came back, he'd be here waiting for me, and then we'd go on to be together forever. Obviously, that's not what happened. I let myself believe it, and that's my fault. You might say that it's my fault for leaving in the first place, but if I hadn't things would've ended worse and that's not what I wanted." I told her. "And that's why there isn't any feelings between us anymore."