I Know | COMPLETED

_-*Chapter Ten*-_

     Jeremiah stared at me with a surprised expression. I stared right back at him, almost the exact same way. I was feeling more sorrow than he was.
     Why did he come back, I asked myself in my thoughts, Why does he have boxes? Why is he even still sitting near me? Why are people staring still? Why did he have to run into me?
     I had no answers, except for the obvious to the second question. Jeremiah was moving in. To my old apartment. I know because that is the only one that is up for sale at the moment.
     He gave me a weak smile and said, "Hey."
     "Hello," I replied, matching his smile. Then there was silence between us.
     I had known Jeremiah for a week, and he had impacted my life in such a way I cannot explain. And now, after months of being without him, he runs back into my life. You would think that I would be rejoicing, at least a little happy. But, now I only felt awkward, and growing more and more angry.
     He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Here," he said, "Let me help you up."
     Looking at his hand, then up to his face, I got up myself. "That will not be necessary."
     His hand dropped to his side and I saw a thin film of hurt glide across his face. Then, pretending it didn't happen, he smiled and said, "Oh okay..."
     Watching him trail off, I nodded and started to walk towards the elevator. But I stopped again by hearing a voice.
     "Melyssa, wait," it exclaimed and I turned around again, "Could you help me with my boxes?" Jeremiah stood there looking at the ground with a hand on his neck.
     My willpower losing against my friendliness, I floated back over and helped him. Eventually, we made it to the elevator and I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. I continued to face forward.
     Once at his floor, we walked towards my old apartment. Jeremiah unlocked the door and walked in, holding it open for me. I then placed the boxes in a similar place that he did.
     "Is that all you needed of me," I asked with a cold tone of voice.
     I did not hear a response and looked up to the floor to see Jeremiah staring at it as well. Deciphering this as a no, I headed towards the door. But as soon as my hand hit the handle, I heard fast footsteps behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder that yanked me around. Then I saw Jeremiah pin me to the door with one hand next to my face and the other was still on my shoulder. His face no longer had a thin film of hurt, instead I could swim in the pools of sorrow that made his eyes.
     Looking at me he said, "Rogue... Please, please don't leave."
     "Why should I not, Jeremiah," I started softly with expressionless eyes, "You did."
     That hit him hard and it showed on his face. He looked to the ground again, but once he looked back up, tears were pricking at his eyes. "I-I..." He started but trailed off.
     Suddenly, a smile broke out on his face and he laughed like someone would when they wouldn't believe something. "It's kind of funny you know," he said.
     "What is funny about this?"
     Looking me in the eyes he said, "How this conversation is going. I moved here for you, Rogue. In fact, as soon as I had left through this door a few months ago, I hadn't even stopped thinking about you. I couldn't. And I kept trying to tell myself that I barely even know you, but it just forced me to want to know more. It forced me to think about you more. So I tried to come up with ways to make it up to you. Apologizing, flowers, you know? But none of it was good enough for you. So I ended up moving here. And I ran these scenarios in my head. The different paths that our next meeting could take. This meeting. All of them were drastically different, but all had the same ending. But how it really went was so very different than everything else. So the one time I actually plan something, I still manage to screw it up and go off track."
     A silent tear slipped down his cheek and I felt my own eyes start to water.
     "Jeremiah I-" I was speechless. I had sworn that he had not cared. I had convinced myself that he never did. I had believed that I was worthless as I listened to myself on Monday's. But, I thought wrong, because he was doing the exact same thing I was.
     "Do you want to know how every single one of those scenarios played out? How they ended," he asked looking back down to the floor.
     "Jerem-"
     "I would have kissed you," he said and looked back up to me. His cheeks now drowning with tears as mine were reigning with my own.
     There was silence.
     "I would have kissed you," he continued, "And we would have made up. And we would be happy again."
     I did not know what to make of the situation. I did not know what to do. But what he said finally made me realize something. I had loved Jeremiah since we met. Since the text he sent me. That's why he had such an impact on me. Then I finally knew what to do.
     Using my hand, I raised Jeremiah's tear stained face to my own. After staring at each other for around five seconds, I had finally done what I wanted to do for weeks.
     And let me tell you one thing...
     Feeling our lips meet set off thousands upon thousands of fireworks inside of my stomach as it decided to take a few gymnastics classes.
     At that moment, not only was I the smartest woman in the world,
     I was also the happiest.