Not Us: Briggs & Jacqueline

Chapter 19

Jacqueline's POV

He was so fucking sweet; I swear I had a toothache. Only three more days here. I'm not ready to leave. And I think I might have found an apartment to rent if we moved out here, which seems likely at least for now. The crew working on the house said it would hopefully be done within the next few weeks. I've talked to Briggs about certain things he would ask for whoever we got to manage the property. Because, honestly, I don't think I'd ever be able to sell the house. I love it too much. I love all the memories I have there. And someday, I want my kids to be able to have those memories there.

I guess I don't have to move since Ruth moved away. Her mother is still a problem though. She won't give up easily, and she's been making things difficult for the Jones men. She's been calling Briggs non-stop, thinking he'd actually take her side when she's been such a rotten mother to him for years. Briggs barely had a relationship with his own father, and the man tried his best to support Briggs as much as he supported Ruth. Though, I think I can confidently say she'll need a serious personality overhaul before he helps her out again.

Today, Briggs is taking me on base so I can meet all the people in his unit. I'm really excited. He's told me all about them. Odette and I met Tex and Greedy when we first landed. Now I get to meet his CO and the rest of the unit. He said there are some young ones in his unit. Like, barely eighteen young. He called in and got me a day pass. I'm going to pick him up after work. I'll get on base around four, and he said formation should be done shortly after that.

He did warn me there are a few "blue falcons" or "barracks bunnies" but I have nothing to worry about. I know he'd never do something like that to me. He's not Chase. I know he's cared about me for a long time. Longer than I think he cares to admit. I also know that I had the hugest crush on him when we were kids, so this feels almost like a fairytale I never thought would come true. He's such a sweet guy. I followed his directions and got Odette and myself to where his barracks were. They were all in formation, so we parked the rental, got out, and sat on the front bumper. From where I was and how I came in, he couldn't see my car, or that I'd pulled in. Tex could and he smiled at Odette and me. We waved back to him, and he schooled his features. He had just dismissed everyone when I saw a much shorter marine with a low bun walk up to Briggs.

I would know his frame anywhere. Tex picked up his bag by the wall and walked straight over to us. I'm watching the interaction between them and it looks like they're arguing. He's putting his hands up and trying to keep her at bay and she looks like someone killed her puppy. What the fuck? I thought he said there hadn't been anyone for years. What is this? I take a deep breath and tell myself to wait. Wait until he's here to explain what's going on. There's got to be a reasonable explanation for this. Right?

He turns to walk away and she follows him. He stops, tips his head back like he does when he's annoyed and turns around. When he did, I saw her arms go around his neck and she pulled him down.

Push her away. Push her away.

He doesn't. He's pulled down to her face for seventeen agonizing seconds. Tears fill my eyes. My heart is breaking. I shot up off the bumper and got in the driver's side of the rental. No fucking way can I deal with that. No.

No.

No. Not again.

Odette, sensing my distress, pushed Tex away and came to lean in through the window. She looked where I was looking. Where Briggs was now standing, but still talking to her and she was smiling up at him. Where I couldn't look away from. It was a fucking traffic accident. A fatal crash. My heart was the victim, splayed there for everyone to see. Odette saw what I did. She stood up from the window and turned to tell Tex all about his friend. I knew my bestie. She'd always have my back just like I'd have hers.

"Sorry, Tex. She needs me. And your boy needs an ass beating. Kissing someone else in front of his girl?" She scoffed and the disgust in her voice was evident, as she nodded towards the display, where, they hadn't moved an inch. That's a lie. The girl did. She had her hand on his arm, leaning on him.

My heart continued to shatter. Time had slowed down. All I could hear was this loud consistent beep. Like my ears were ringing or something. Something shifted inside of me. Things weren't things anymore, just blobs of color. I saw a light brown blob moving back toward where my heart was shattered. Odette helped me out of the driver's seat and into the passenger as what I assumed was Tex, stalked back over to Briggs. I just wanted to curl up and cry. Odette got back in the car and buckled us both in. I could feel myself wanting to curl up and die.

I was right.

This hurt so much worse. So, so much fucking worse than Chase had ever hurt me. Odette grabbed my hand as she said, "We're not letting either of them see how much this hurts you,"

"Why not? I want him to see. I want him to know he's crushed me."

She nodded her head and whipped out of the parking space, tires squealing, drawing the attention of all the marines in the area. She stopped on the street and put it in reverse so we were right next to the barracks. She threw it into park right next to that woman touching what I thought was mine. What I had hoped was my forever. What had been my safe place since I was a kid, was now gone. I didn't have his strong arms to fall into anymore.

Not when he was the one hurting me.

Now...

I was adrift in a sea of loneliness. Odette grabbed my hand as I looked over at them. Briggs' face collapsed when he saw my face. He started walking towards me when Odette opened her car door and shouted at him over top of the vehicle.

"Don't you take another step! You fucking promised me you stupid fucking jarhead! I hope that nasty-ass barracks bunny bitch was worth losing Jac forever!" She got back in the car. Confusion on his face and then realization set in. He pushed the girl away, but it was too late. Minutes and minutes too late. She was already somewhere she couldn't have been. Doing something, she shouldn't have been doing. She stomped on the gas and we were out of there. She made sure we didn't get pulled over, but we left and went straight to the hotel.

After she packed all our stuff up in record time. I don't think it took more than twenty minutes to throw everything in suitcases. She even tossed in the free stuff from the hotel. She had called a bellhop at some point while I was still sitting on the couch, not having moved or blinked in I don't know how long. My eyes felt like sandpaper, and it didn't matter if I blinked or not. All I could see was her pulling his face to hers and him not pulling away. For seventeen seconds. Those seconds felt like an hour, maybe more. That bellhop had our had our bag placed in the rental in no time and she drove us to the airport. After returning the car, early, we got a credit back and then we went up to the departures counter and got in line.

"Where do you wanna go?" She asked, pulling both our bags.

I was finally coming out of it. Finally realizing what I wanted.

"Away. Far away."

I had nothing now. And I don't want to be somewhere that reminds me I had nothing everywhere I turned.

"Where do you want to go? How long can you be remote at work?"

"As long as you need me."