VERONICA WAS AT THE COUNTRY FAIR wearing a white dress and her worn-out country boots and to complete the look, she had decided to put on a hat she had gotten a long time ago from Cole.
Walking through the crowd of people, she hummed a soft tune, not really paying attention to her surroundings. Suddenly, she bumped into someone, both grunting at the impact and going on to apologize quickly.
Speaking her apology, Veronica lifted her gaze only to meet Jackie's brown eyes, both smiling sheepishly as they saw one another. "Hi Jackie," Veronica greeted the girl now, noticing that she was also on her own. "Nice outfit."
And Veronica meant that compliment, the jeans and big belt accentuated the girl's figure and the floral top she was wearing went along well with her tanned skin tone and the hat just added the finishing touch.
"You don't have to say that to be nice, Grace practically forced me to wear this," Jackie told her and was about to walk off but was stopped as Veronica took her hand and held her in place.
"I really meant that compliment," the black girl told her, a soft smile making its way onto her face, "and I think I have to apologize to you, apparently I did something to make you dislike me."
Jackie looked up and into Veronica's brown eyes, being reminded of her older sister, Lucy, by the warmth that swam in them. "How about we talk somewhere . . . less crowded?"
Quickly nodding, Veronica held onto Jackie's hand and led her out of the crowd and over to a table that was rather far off from the rest of the festivities.
Veronica looked at Jackie expectantly, she just wanted to apologize because apparently something she had done had upset Jackie and she first off, never wanted to do anything like that and secondly, she wanted to know what she had done for Jackie to dislike her.
Jackie fiddled with her bracelet as she stood in front of Veronica, now not so sure about what she wanted to tell the older girl. "You actually never did anything to me that made me dislike you," Jackie admitted.
"Then why –" Veronica was about to ask but was interrupted by Jackie.
Looking anywhere but at Veronica, Jackie went on, "It's not exactly what you did, but more what you didn't. You see, everything comes so effortlessly to you. You're friends with practically everyone and are a part of the Walter family, you're beautiful, dress well and you're smart without even trying," Jackie explained, her gaze now turning to Veronica. "And well, I guess you remind me of my sister, Lucy, it's as if she were standing in front of me, but she's dead and that hurts."
Without losing a second, Veronica closed in on Jackie and wrapped her arms around her, squeezing the smaller girl tightly between her arms, while rubbing her back with her hands.
While Jackie went on and rambled about everything that was similar between Lucy and Veronica, the black girl held her in her arms and just listened.
As Jackie talked and talked she realized that maybe that was what she had been needing all along, to cry out her heart and talk about her lost sister, not avoid merely mentioning her.
Wiping away her tears, Jackie removed herself from Veronica's embrace, her cheeks tinted a light pink color. "Thank you, I think I really needed that."
Veronica just smiled down at Jackie, "Don't mention it, anyone would've done the same thing." There was a short silence before Veronica spoke up again, "So does this mean that we'll spend the rest of the day together? Because as it seems we're both alone here and now we can be alone together."
Jackie nodded and chuckled a bit, "I would love that."
Sharing a smile, the two of them went on and over to the riding arena to watch Alex perform. They stood by the fence, resting their arms on the metal as Veronica tried her best to explain the basics of this type of riding to Jackie.
Their peaceful moment was however interrupted by a certain someone who had come up to them. Standing beside Veronica, Cole looked over the arena, waiting for his brother to enter and perform his best performance yet.
Some time had gone by since the incident between Cole and Veronica and only a week since Cole had told Jackie to leave, so the atmosphere between them was a bit tense, however Cole didn't say anything and just watched the girl that rode before Alex finish her routine.
"I think that I have to apologize to the both of you," he spoke then, as the cheering quieted down a bit.
Jackie opened her mouth to make a harsh comment and reject his apology, but Veronica beat her to it and asked him what he had to apologize for.
Cole looked away from them, his expression serious, the smirk he normally wore wiped off his face, "Well, let's start with Jackie," he turned to the New Yorker girl, "I'm sorry for being a drunk ass who can't control his words. I know I said some hurtful things and that you probably won't accept my apology, but just know that I never meant what I said."
Veronica looked back and forth between the two of them, wondering what Cole had said to make him apologize, because the Cole Walter she knew would never apologize for anything he had ever done.
"You're right, I won't accept you apology, because you know what people say: a drunk man's words are always honest words, but I'll acknowledge the fact that you show remorse," Jackie told him and turned away, giving her full attention to Alex who had just entered the arena with his horse.
Now Cole turned to Veronica, his eyes immediately searching her brown ones. "I'm sorry Veronica. For everything," he took off his baseball cap before continuing. "I know that I did some messed up shit, like the kiss and well, there's nothing I can say to excuse that so I just want to let you know that I'm sorry. I'll try to be better from now on and I hope that this apology can be the starting point of a new beginning between us."
Veronica looked at him, taking in each and every word that left his mouth, considering it and storing it in the back of her head. Should she really trust him that easily? Would Cole Walter really change himself for the better just because he had lost her?
She wasn't sure and she wouldn't fall back to him all that easily anymore. "I accept your apology and I'm happy that you want to start over, but I think I'll need some more time. You hurt me a lot, and we both know that this promise of you trying to get better, well, it's just an empty promise, isn't it?"
Cole looked at her, he had expected her to be a bit critical but he had thought that they would soon start over or go back to how things were before Jackie had come, not that she would refuse to get back together with him.
"I really meant what I said, Vee," Cole told her, putting his hat back on and turning around to watch Alex finish his ride. "I'll show you."
With those words, he turned around and left the two girls behind, Veronica's forehead wrinkled as her eyes followed his figure until he disappeared around a corner, unsure whether or not she should believe him.
"That was . . . intense," Jackie voiced both of their thoughts as she leaned against the metal fence with a loud sigh, Veronica leaning on it next to her, a thousand thoughts rushing through her mind.
HOPE speaks!
here is the Jackie redemption chapter some (probably) have been looking forward to!
tell me what you think of this one and leave a comment, vote or follow; it would mean the world to me :)
love you lots <3
YOU ARE READING
WHERE WE ARE ; COLE WALTER
Fanfiction. . . IN WHICH . . . things get a lot more difficult for Veronica Summerhill once Jackie Howard shows up in the little town of Silver Falls and threatens her 'friendship' with Cole Walter.
