You and I, Forever

Chapter Fourteen

The next few days went by in slow motion. I slept almost every hour I wasn't working at the ice cream shop. I didn't have anything to do or anyone to hang out with. The Tanner house was kind of "off limits" in my case. I didn't want to go there, see their house or think about it.

Before Jess broke up with me, going to his house would have been my first stop in the morning, but now, it hardly meant anything anymore. I was alone in my own little, pathetic world.

On Wednesday, Nate called. I was kind of confused about why he was calling, but I was so happy for the company of a voice that I put my confusion behind me.

"I talked with Jess," Nate said after I asked what was up. I had asked him to talk with Jess, ask him what was going on. But when Nate called and I really thought about it, I wasn't so sure Jess was going to answer any of his brothers' questions.

"And?" I asked, hopefulness in my voice and bit my lip. I wanted him back; I wasn't kidding myself. He was my everything! Nate sighed.

"He didn't answer any of my questions." he said and my mood sank. Of course, he didn't. I shouldn't have expected him to even say "get out of my room, Nate!" But I wanted him to at least say something. "I'm sorry," Nate said, a sad tone to his voice. I closed my eyes and lay back on my bed, breathing in deep to keep the tears inside.

"You tried... I shouldn't have expected anymore." I told him.

"Maybe I can try again," Nate said suddenly. "Maybe I can get him to talk with you and..." he trailed off knowing where this was heading.

"It's no use." I said. What else was there to do? I mean, really. There was no way Jess was going to talk to me again, or even look at me. When he broke up with me, there was no guilt or sadness on his face. It was like it wasn't even killing him to end "us". It seemed like the only one who really got hurt in this was me. Hooray. And I say that with a boat load of sarcasm.

"There's got to be another way." Nate broke up my thoughts, bringing me back into the real world. I opened my eyes. Another way? I thought. How can there be another way? There is no other way... is there? "Maybe we can trick him somehow." I almost laughed. Trick Jess? Never. He wasn't easily tricked.

"Nate, I love you, but that is an awful idea." I said.

"Well, then, what's your big idea?" he asked, exasperated. I sighed.

"Nothing. I don't have one." I told him plainly.

"Then you've got to talk to him." Nate told me.

"No. I already told you I can't. Jess is not going to want to talk to me. He made that very clear when he broke up with me."

"You haven't even tried." I sat up. "Nate, I don't need to try. Nothing is going to happen, nothing will be fixed. Doing nothing and just leaving it at that is the best I can do." I fall back down, suddenly exhausted. "Can you, at least, try to get him to tell you why he broke up with me? Just don't tell him that I asked." Nick sighed.

"Sure." I smiled.

"Thanks, Nate."

"I'll call you later with the results. Bye."

"Bye." I hung up and closed my phone, tossing it on my bed and standing up, stretching. I walked over to the window by my desk and looked outside. It was beautiful out. The sun was getting ready to set and the sky was a mixture of blues, purples, pinks and oranges. I loved the sky when it looked like this. But considering the mood I was in then, it was really hard.

I noticed Grayson outside in his front yard, mowing the lawn. He was wearing cargo shorts, thongs and no shirt. Gosh, why did he have to walk around like that? His tan skin and bulging muscles. He was taunting any girl who lived on our block, ages twelve to twenty-eight. I almost shouted out the window for him to put a shirt on, but I knew he'd probably come back at me with something like, Am I taunting you with my hotness? I looked down at Jeremiah and he seemed to understand what I was getting at. I shook my head and stepped away from the window. I changed into my jogging clothes: layered tanks, short cotton shorts and my sketchers running sneakers. I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail and grabbed my iPod from my dresser, clipping it to my shorts and putting the buds in my ears as I stepped out of my room.