The Comeback

Chapter 37 - Reaction

Chapter 37 - Reaction

When I finish the letter I have tears streaming down my cheeks and I know I’m not crying because I’m in pain or anything… I’m crying because of Jake. Because no matter how pissed I am at him or how much I want him to leave, what happened was really unfair. He was so young, as young as I am. He had so many plans ahead. He had so much love. He was happy. He made a mistake but it took his life and with it all that mattered to him.

I am sorry for him because it’s true, he couldn’t even say goodbye. He didn’t finish anything here. Uni degree? Incomplete. Family? Incomplete. Love of his life? Incomplete. He was happy, yes, he had everything, but in the blink of an eye everything was gone.

We see this happen everyday, but it doesn’t happen to all of us. I knew people lost loved ones every day, but I never saw it from this perspective, I never looked at it so closely. Death is always around and we ignore it, we take life for granted and we assume that we do have a life ahead, but we don’t. I know I thought of this before but writing Jake’s feelings down made it different. It made it so real.

I was grateful before for my second chance, but now I’m even more grateful. I won’t waste any moment. And for that very reason, I’ll love Cass the best I can. Like Jake loved her.

“I’m sorry, Jake. For what happened to you,” I say wishing I could at least pat his shoulder. Instead, I wipe the tears. Can he cry? I’m not the type of guy who cries, but unfairness gets to me and as I wrote the letter I felt powerless. That’s not a nice feeling.

I’m sorry, too. I hope you never drive when you’re drunk. Learn from my mistakes, he speaks and I know he’s serious, but at the same time he tries to light up the mood.

“Pinkie promise, mate,” I swear and chuckle lightly. For sure I’ll never do that. Jake has never showed me the accident and I even wonder if he remembers how it happened.

I was driving but my reflexes were slower. Suddenly it was all bright and then black. Then I didn’t feel anything as I left the car. I didn’t feel anything, it wasn’t painful. I didn’t even realise I was dead until Louis told me… and I saw my body, Jake replies without me asking the question.

“Well, at least it wasn’t painful. You could’ve been still alive and the car could’ve exploded or something,” I suggest and I cringe at the very mental picture.

Jeez, man. Thank you for that, he says ironically and I chuckle nervously.

“Sorry. Anyways, we wrote this. I guess we should look for Cassie, then,” I suggest folding the pages I wrote for Jake and looking for an envelope to put them inside. “Thank you,” I say closing the envelope.

Yeah, yeah. Just don’t make her cry ever again and make her happy, okay? He says and I nod.

“If she decides to speak to me again. Maybe this letter will only prove her that she’ll always love you,” I muse not happy with that idea but knowing it’s very possible. Considering the way Jake still loves Cassie, it would only be fair that she loves him like that forever.

You’re here… I won’t be around for too long. You have to take care of her, he asks and I nod again.

“I’ll try my best,” I promise and I have a feeling that he also nods.

That’s all what matters, right? That you try. I hope it’s enough.

“Me too,” I say. “Me too, Jake.”

So after that I try calling her but she doesn’t answer any of my calls. But I don’t give up. At this time she is in class, I realise later, so maybe that’s why she doesn’t pick up. So I send her a few texts. Just three because I don’t want her to block me.