Can't Forget

Chapter 26

  BG and JJ are the first to arrive and he starts setting things up outside for them to shoot. JJ watches as he sets up the targets and smiles just watching him, amazed that he was hers. Ko rolls in and then right behind him was Eli, Ashley and Cam, they all get out and walk around to the back of the house.  Ko, Eli and Cam head to where BG was setting up the targets while Ashley headed to the porch to talk to JJ. Ashley said," I haven't seen BG this happy since you left. He really loves you JJ even if he hasn't told you. He talked to me once about you when he was drunk. He told me that he loved you but you deserved a better man and that you were gonna go places and be well known cause you had talent. He said then he couldn't pursue you cause you were to good for him but that no one would ever own his heart cause he gave it to you when you were 17. I think he has always loved you from that first meeting when you were 10 and 12. I love that man and he is a good man now mostly thanks to you cause you stuck by him through the alcohol and drugs and helped him get sober. I do have one thing to say," don't give him false hope please. If you can't see yourself with him for the long haul, walk away now cause he has been broken without you and if you were to leave again well I'm afraid that bottle will be the thing that kills him."
JJ turns to Ashley," You are the only one who knew how I felt about BG before I left. That night was a turning point in my life. I grew up, I became independent and I learned how to survive for the first time all on my own. I had to cause I didn't have him to lean on anymore. I needed that I needed to know that I could make it on my own and be successful and that people liked me for me, not because BG would whoop their ass or because I was friends with a country music star. We wouldn't have worked then because I wasn't strong enough to deal with all that. I took self defense classes, I took karate and I'm a black belt. I vowed then I would never depend on a man to get me out of that type situation. I can now fight and defend myself. Now that's not to say I won't let a man step up and fight for me but I know I can do it myself if I ever have to. I loved him then and I have loved him every day for the past 5 years Ash, why does everyone think it was so hard to come back here? I would have seen him everywhere I went, so I stayed away and stayed mad at him but the anger just covered up the hurt because I loved him so damn much. Amber was right in one thing she said last night, I let him fight my battles and that was my mistake.  I don't know where we are going Ash, we haven't talked about that. We are together and plan on seeing where it takes us. If this helps you any, it would kill me if I lost him again. I am all in for however long he wants me, now I know things aren't going to be easy cause we are different people but I won't run again unless I hear it come out of his mouth that he is through with me and us."
  Ashley smiled, "JJ I and so glad you got drunk and the truth came out cause girl I don't know how long I could have been nice to her. The thought of him marrying her and having Cam around her all the time about tore me up."
  JJ laughed," You would have eventually told her off and you would have moved past it for BG. Especially if you knew I wasn't ever gonna be back. I wanted him happy Ash, even if it wasn't with me. I really thought he was happy with her , that is another reason I stayed away. I couldn't watch him kiss and hug on her. I loved watching his interviews but when he talked about her it was like a knife threw my heart, so I stopped watching those and just listened to his music, just ask my girls that's all I played at practice and pretended that he was still mine and that those songs were about me and not Amber."

   "They were about you baby" JJ hears behind her, she turns around and sees BG standing there. He steps forward and wipes a tear off her cheek with his thumb and kisses her lips. He whispers in her ear," we will talk about this later okay. When we are alone." JJ nods and smiles as she kisses his lips.
   Cam comes running up and said," Uncle B are we gonna shoot now or are you gonna keep kissing on Auntie J"
  They all laugh as BG answered," I promised you to shoot and blow stuff up so that is what we are gonna do little man. Come on with me as I get the guns."
  Eli tells JJ," I'm so glad you are back cause he is back to himself. Easy laid back and not so damn uptight here at home and we all have you to thank."
  BG and Cam come out with the guns and ear protectors for everyone and they all head to the field. BG shoots first and makes sure everything is working good and then he walks Cam through it and he hits the target blowing it up. They all clap as he turns around jumping up and down giving BG a high five. They all take turns shooting and BG is surprised at how well JJ can shoot. He asks her," Were you holding out on me all those years?"
JJ laughed,"no I wasn't but when you are a single lady and you become friends with a cop, he makes sure you go to the shooting range once a month to keep your skills up. So I have gotten better these past 5 years cause it's something I learned that I enjoy especially after a stressful day. Shooting things helps blow off steam. "
  BG just laughed and said,"so you finally understand now."
She said," yes I do"
   They clean up and head back to the house where they decide to throw some hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill and continue their day  on into the night.