Jupiter Falls ✓

o20| leaving liability

Chapter 20 

Still on the floor, recovering from the voicemail I had just left Harry—I started putting my plan into motion.

I scrolled down on my contacts and sent Ren a message, that I have chosen NYC and that I urgently need to leave on the next possible flight, I also added a"you'll be fucking with my love life if I'm not on a flight before the day ends!"

I sprinted into the bedroom, stopped at the foot of the bed, crouched down and pulled my black suitcase from underneath.

Placing it on the bed, I zip it open and lay it open like to burger buns, waiting to be filled. Opening the wardrobe I start taking things off hangers and neatly stacking them into the suitcase. I was about to start filling the second section when a sound came from the doorway.

I look towards the sound and see Hayley standing there, a confused look on her face.

"Juno?" She questions, walking into the room to get a better look at the half empty wardrobe and my suitcase. "What's going on?"

At least Oliver had enough decency to let me tell her I was leaving—good on him—he's not completely heartless.

I stand up straight and free my hands from work. "Hayley," I start and she nods. She hasn't noticed —that I used her full name instead of her nickname—despite the change of tone in my voice. "We need to talk."

I motion for her to sit on the empty area on the bed that hasn't been occupied by my suitcase and hangers. She looks at me expectantly, her eyes looking childlike—wide and lip pouting. "What is it, Juno?"

Her acting oblivious—or maybe actually is— makes this a little difficult. It's going to sting, hurt and cause pain like a bitch, but there's no point lying to her. I should just tell her the truth.

"Juno?" She asks. There it is again, her obliviousness, and she's still calling me by my nickname.

"Hayley, me and you, we aren't working anymore," I tell her, and her light brown brows furrow.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asks, in confusion.

"Me and you, if we don't work—there's no point us being together, really..."

"Jupiter, we do work. We're getting married, remember?"

She's just reminded me, "oh yeah that, not anymore Hayley." I say and twist her engagement ring off my finger and it feels free. I start tensing it and wriggling around it slowly in invisible circles. Hayley just stares at the ring as I lay it on the duvet covers.

"I-I don't understand, Jupiter." She declares in a cry, almost as sharp as a flint knife.

"I don't think we ever worked in the first place, Hayley. When we got together, we were both in very vulnerable positions—I mean come on, your blonde and blue-eyed, I'm not even your type. Not at all—"

"—but I love you so much more, because you're different, Jupiter. I do love you I really do. I think you're just confused," she says interrupting my flow.

"—Hayley, me being with you... it feels like a debt for when you saved me two years ago. I don't think whatever was felt between us was ever love, maybe a strong bond of affection—maybe even admiration—but love? No," I finish and she looks like she's about to be sick.

"But, you've told me countless times that you love me," she said reaching her hand out to me and I don't receive it because it would only add to her delusion and make her believe she still had a chance— or something crazy like that— to win me back.