ON HOLD // the other brother •• lrh [au]

one

EDITED

as the sun shone through the bedroom and illuminated jack's face, ella knew it was time to do what she's been dreading since the day they started dating. he didn't know why she sounded so upset on phone, all he knew was that she needed to see him as soon as she could.

ella got off of the bed and made her way towards the boy with pure confusion on his face. she grabbed both of his hands and interlaced them with hers before she began to speak.

"i love you. you know i've loved you since the first day of my sixth grade year when i saw your dumb ninja turtles backpack and the last three years have meant more to me then i think you'll ever know. but jack, baby, you know we can't do this anymore," ella said carefully, "you're going off to college in a couple weeks and we're heading in different directions with our career choices. jack, we knew this had to end at one point or another and i couldn't hurt myself by putting it off any longer."

jack hemmings stood there, speechless. the girl who made his coffee when he woke up after hard nights wouldn't be there when he needed someone to lean on. ella wouldn't be there to braid his hair when he got bored or cuddle with him on the couch while they watched criminal minds. The girl who made awful science jokes and horrid puns that always made him smile from ear to ear.

he spoke softly, "this can't be the end.
don't let this be the end. we can work this out. i'll be here during vacations and you can come visit me and vise versa. "

ella pulled him into a hug and whispered softly into his shoulder, "you know i love you too. i love you so much but it's not fair to ask you to give up your weekends for me and it's not fair for you to ask me. this is the best for both of us," she broke up the hug, placed both of her hands around his face and kissed him softly as a single tear fell down her face.

it was hard with ella being two years younger than him. with obstacles constantly getting in the way and college being the one to finally tear them apart. he knew his girlfriend was right, no matter now much he didn't want her to be.

-

"emily hale," the high school seniors' guidance counselor spoke, "jack hemmings.."

as jack's name was called, he walked up to the podium to collect his diploma. he looked out to see all of the people he loved sitting together in the crowd, sharing this moment with him.

his brother, ben, had come home for the week to see jack graduate. ella's sister, reagan, had been best friends with ben (before she started acting out), which is what brought the three brothers close with ella. it all seemed like yesterday when they were sneaking alcohol from ella's mom's wine cabinet.

but now when Jack looked into the crowd and saw ben, luke, ella, and his mom with the smiles plastered on their faces, he couldn't help but to feel sad. he was leaving them to start his new life.

••

so there was like a three week gap where the dash appeared yanno and i kinda had to introduce the past in order to move to the present & and i hope you guys like it :)
-rachel (outrspacelucas)