Mine// Jack Avery

42

Stefanie tossed and turned not being able to sleep.
"Damn it." She sat up and checked her phone. 3:48am.
Great.
She let her feet touch the floor and take her into an empty bathroom, closing the door not bothering to lock it. She slid down the wall as she pulled her knees up to her chest.  She heard the door opened but didn't look up.
"May I." Jacks voice asked. She looked up to him and nodded. " I couldn't sleep" he ranted to her knowing she was listening. "It's so freaking hard. Knowing you're in the room next to me and I can't just hold you, laugh with you, make you smile. Who knew I could be so stupid." He huffed. She looked at him seeing that he had his head and back to the wall, staring at the ceiling.
"Jack we're okay-"
"No. That apology on the roof was nothing. Please let me explain."
She nodded.
"You want to know why I do these stupid things?" He asked. She nodded.
"Because Im so afraid to love you. You.." he stopped to gather his words. "You know when you see a baby and you want to hold it, but when you finally hold it you think 'one wrong move and you mess up' ?" He questioned.
"Mhm"
"That's how I am with you. I love you- so much so that every time I'm with you I'm so afraid of loosing you." at this point he had his eyes closed. His curls fell on his face perfectly, the lighting made the sunburns on his bare chest showing, the gray 'Calvin Klein' waist band of his boxers where showing just above his gray great sweatpants. "I know  it shouldn't be like that, But it is. I've never met anyone that makes me feel like you do and that scares the shit out of me." His breath hitched. Stefanie knew he wanted to cry, that made her heart ace even more. "I wrote the chorus of a  song that on the album, it's called 8 letters." She turned to face him again. "The chorus explains exactly how I feel about you. It goes like this:
'if all it is 8 letters why is it so hard to say?
If all it is 8 letters why am I in my own way? Why do I pull you close and then ask you for space?
If all it is is 8 letters why is it so hard to say, i want you.'" He sang perfectly. "I love you Stefanie but I can't help but be terrified of breaking something so precious like you that's why I do all the stupid stuff." He breathed out.  "I'm sorry. I mean it." Stefanie just look at him completely speechless.
"I want you to be happy, Stefanie, but I don't think that can happen with someone like me." She chuckled and let out a breath. "What?"
"You're imposible. Goodnight jack" she stood up.
"Wait"
"What now" she said sitting on the sink.
"I can't loose you."
"Then why are you doing everything in your power to do so."
"You know why."
"But I don't get it Jack!"
"Stefanie"
"Jack."
"Please don't do this."
"You want to know something jack."
"Mhm"
"You have a dumbass way of showing you care."
"Only sometimes." He chuckled.
"I forgive you, but..."
"But?"
"This is the last time love. The final chance I'm giving you." She said softly while he nodded. Silence fell upon them, until jack finally decided to break it.
"Wh0 were you talking about when we were at IHOP?"
"Nothing" She said quickly.
"It's something Stef."
"Jack-"
"Stefanie. Please." She looked into his eyes and nodded.
"You."
"Why?"
"Because I lost you, you're with Gabriela now. You can't hug me from behind anymore, you can't call me names like baby or baby girl- which you think I hate but I actually love, you can't fall asleep with me, you can't cuddle, we just can't... be like the old us."
He put his head down.
"Yes we can."
"You have a girlfriend."
"She knows that I would never, ever, Cheat on anyone."
"Jack, please"
"What? Let you go? No. Do you not get it Stefanie? Every time you would put your head on my chest my heart would go crazy, every time you blushed because I called you babygirl, every time you kissed my cheek, every time you told me you loved me, every time I touch you I go crazy. I need you too! Please Stefanie." Stefanie nodded.
"Never forget that I love you" He pushed himself up and stood in between her legs.
"I love you." She scooted closer to him and hugged him.
"Why are you still up?" She asked him.
"You," he pulled away and rested his hands on her lower thighs.
"Oh."
"Yeah, how about you?"
"You,"
She said and he nodded.
"And i was cold." She giggled.
"Let's go lay down" he showed a toothless smile. They walked to Stefanies room and laid in bed. Her head on his chest, his arm around her.
"Will you stay until I sleep?"
"Mhm" he hummed.
Soon sleep consumed her. She was out like a light.
"Goodnight babygirl." He kissed her cheek and went to sleep, next to the wrong girl.