life. • why don't we

chapter 3~ brielle

"no! I'm not gonna talk to you, meet you or anything! i'm done! move on gabbie!"

move on.

funny how jack was telling gabbie to move on, and he had yet to do so himself. sure he had daniel, and yes, he loved daniel with every ounce of his being, but he just couldn't bring himself past the situation he got himself into with gabbie.

jack was pulled out of his thoughts by gabbie's voice coming through the other end of the phone. she was begging, pleading for him to hear her out. just once.

"jack, please. just meet me and let me tell you the whole story. if you still hate me after, i'll never bother you again," gabbie said, desperate.

"i'm sorry, gabbie, but i'm not interested in hearing the whole story right now. there's too much going on, and i have daniel now. goodbye." jack couldn't pinpoint why, but saying those words felt like he was ripping the stitches out of his mended broken heart with his bare hands.

"jack but wai-" she hurried to say.

jack killed the line before she could get any further. he paced the room, tugging on the frosted tips of his bouncy curls, huffing out a breath.

the whole story.

for as long as he could remember, jack had never really cared for "the whole story." just like he was quick to fall in love, he was quick to accept the first thing he heard.

gullible was what they called him.

when jack and gabbie first met, they were just vibing together. they were friends, but both felt the infamous sparks. they were just friends, until jack finally made the first move and finally asked her out. they were reluctant to change their relationship from platonic to romantic for fear of ruining everything, but both could clearly feel the chemistry. everyone could.

that's why jack thought he knew what his feelings were when he said the words.

when he said those 8 letters too easily. too soon.

jack just knew he loved gabbie. he loved the thrill of being with her. he loved the way her beautifully textured hair fell to her waist and flew behind her when she skated, and her perfect complexion complemented his when their hands were intertwined. he loved how she was a "go with the flow" kind of girl to counter his structured personality. their relationship wasn't conventional or perfect, but it was perfect for him, and he was happy.

then he scared her away with 8 simple letters.

it was the second date, but jack thought it was fine because they had been friends for months prior. he thought she felt it too. he thought he would get loved back, but all jack got was humiliated.

when jack told gabbie he loved her, the very next day, not even 12 hours later, it was circulating the internet.

"why don't we's jack avery bares his soul to instagram star gabbie gonzalez on the second date!"

"is the second date too soon to say the four letter word? not for jack avery!"

"why don't we's lovable curly headed member, jack avery, is obsessed with recent girlfriend gabbie gonzalez!"

he was ridiculed on the internet and mocked as "lover boy" whenever "fans" saw him on the street.

gabbie betrayed him, and they hadn't talked since.

with all of these thoughts running through jack's head at a mile a minute, he climbed into his bed. he was still fully clothed, and he hadn't said goodnight to daniel, who he vaguely remembered seeing standing at the door while he was on the phone. he knew he would have to explain his phone call to him tomorrow, but he couldn't be bothered with any of that. he would rather see what the morning would bring. jack fell asleep thinking of what ifs and could've beens.