A Walk Apart (Episode 4: All In)

Chapter Two

Jared logged into the video chat app on his laptop and with the click of a button, Ronnie's gorgeous face flashed onto the screen framed by big, beautiful curls. Her smile never failed to steal his breath. He lifted a hand. She wiggled a finger at him. Her other hand, still layered in rings, cradled a hand painted mug of leaves and ladybugs. He recognized her swirly handwriting: "Still connecting the dots." Another one to put in her growing collection.

He still had the first and last mug he ever designed. He kept it boxed up somewhere in his room, a disgrace to artists everywhere. Usually, he limited his creativity to photography, but he was way too easily persuaded that day. When his dad dragged him out to the Cause to Rise Arts Festival back in New York, he expected booths full of sculptures, paintings and other art pieces bringing awareness to social causes, handouts to "Save Earth" from painted protesters, and eccentric yet innovative ways of doing business from millennial entrepreneurs. But he never expected Ronnie. Her dad was his father's newest client. They were working on marketing strategies for his mug painting company Lattes in Love, and CRAF was a test run. He was all for helping Africa grow their own food, but being honest, the reason he stuck around was for the girl with the smile, assisting the novice painters with their coffee cups. Naturally, he joined them.

The moment they met, he knew he would never forget her. They laughed about his poor rendering of a camera and the smudges on his hands from misplacing them on the wet paint. She encouraged him, insisted that it wasn't "that bad." She was way too kind, and he liked that about her. Sitting beside him, she created a doodle masterpiece and they talked about their families, their friends, and their big dreams. He left with her name and number at the bottom of his mug and a promise to keep in touch. He not only made a good friend, he met the love of his life. He had never been so grateful that his dad wouldn't take no for an answer, wanting to share every opportunity he could with his family. To think, he almost traded one of the greatest days of his life for a Saturday of sci-fi reruns in bed.

Ronnie took a careful sip from her mug. Her rings clicked against the ceramic. Jared smiled at how cozy and cute she looked in her multi-colored sweater. Scented with her favorite fruity fragrance most likely. He used to love how it clung to his clothes hours after they left each other's sides. "Yes, I would love a cup of morning coffee. Thank you."

Ronnie smirked while trying not to spit it out. "The last time I checked, you hate coffee. And FYI, I have an even better gift for you."

"Oh really." Normally he loved surprises, but after the year he'd been having, they tended to leave a hollow feeling in his stomach. "Care to spill?"

"You'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, let's talk about your hair." She blew the steam from her cup.

He ruffled his bedhead in the video mirrored back to him. It looked deliberately disheveled this morning and he wished he would have put in a little more effort to appear somewhat decent. "I've been into the wake-up and go look."

She nodded, assessing the mess sitting before her. "You look good."

As always, she found the beauty in his dysfunction. He picked at the edge of his screen wishing it were a portal he could travel through so they could be in the same room. Together. "I missed you."

She stared into her mug, tracing her artwork with her thumbs. "As sappy as it seems, you never left me. She smiled and shrugged, embarrassed by the mushiness. Fluff was never her thing. She preferred poking fun at him to flirtation. He wouldn't have her any other way.

Jared's chest released the breath he'd been holding for months. "So there's hope."

"Do you remember why I said we should take a break?" Jared looked away. He did. "You shut me out. You were shrinking deeper and deeper into your shadow. I wanted to give you some time to yourself, to wrap your head around everything, and come back to life."

She gave him space. Quiet, lonely space. That was the last thing he wanted. But maybe it worked. Sitting by himself, he had a lot of time to think and reevaluate everything that had gone wrong in his life. He was so absorbed in his own devastation, that he never looked at the situation through his parents' eyes. What happened between them, had nothing to do with him. He was being selfish. They hadn't neglected him, if anything, he was the one pushing them away when they needed his support the most. He should have been there for them. Assured them that no matter what, he'd always be there. Whenever they needed him. Just like his friends would have been there for him if he gave them the chance. Really, great friends. Instead of allowing them to help him through it, he distanced himself from them too. Night after night, he stuffed down his emotions until they erupted. Right in front of Ashlee. Finally, he had released everything squeezing the life out of him and opened himself up. To the wrong girl.

He hadn't told Ronnie about the kiss. It didn't feel right keeping it from her, but they were just now speaking again and throwing in that grenade would only do more damage to the bond he was trying to repair. He would tell her. Eventually. When they were stable enough to not be shaken by a single mistake. It meant nothing. The two of them were everything.

Ronnie sat her mug down. "Time has passed, so I'll ask. Are you okay?" She stared through the lens as if trying to see into his eyes. See him.

Jared was tired of losing people and tired of hiding. He wanted a new start. So he gave an honest answer. "I don't know. But for the first time in months, I believe I'll get there. In time."

Something changed in Ronnie's face as she smiled. Like the veil between them had lifted. They were back. "Good. Don't ever push me away again. Now I'm going to do something very cheesy and I just want you to go with it. No protest." She lifted her hand and pressed her palm against the screen. "Welcome back."

Jared mimicked her and imagined his hand touching hers, feeling its warmth cover him. No protest.

***

Jared and Ronnie are picking up where they left off, but what does that mean for Ashlee? Stay tuned to find out! 

-Love, Charly