Winter's Sunshine

21. Betrayal

"It's been two days. Two fucking days!"

"I hear you, Buck."

"What am I supposed to do Steve?"

"Like I said before, just talk to her. Ask her why she ghosted you"

"Yes, but I can't find her. I have looked for her everywhere. I went to her room but she wasn't there, went to her office, asked her friend Alex but she said she didn't know either, I don't know how but it's as if she just vanish"

"Is she on leave?"

"Not that I know of. Also, she could have told me."

"Maybe there was an emergency and she had to leave urgently and maybe she didn't have time to inform you?"

"I don't know Steve. I don't know. That night was so beautiful. We talked, laughed and enjoyed ourselves a lot. I felt alive after so long. It felt like it was worth living for once." Bucky looked over at Steve, he knew he would understand him. "I loved being with her. I was finally feeling happy again and then suddenly she vanished as if she never cared."

"Buck. Look at me. You are overthinking. Just try to find her and I promise you everything will be fine."

"I hope so.", Bucky said thinking over Steve's advice. I really hope so. Maybe I am overthinking this. Maybe there really had been an emergency. But she could have at least informed me, he thought. "Anyway, I am going to the gym. This stupid stress is killing me"

Bucky noticed a faint smile forming on Steve's face. Bucky looked confused, What's there to smile about?

"Why you smiling?", he asked Steve.

"Just happy to see you stress over normal stuff for once. Finally getting your life together, Buck."

Bucky snorted at Steve disagreeing with him. "Hydra was better"

"Oh really?"

"Yup, they were way better than this. At least they were not confusing.", he said grabbing his shaker before leaving for the gym.

Steve watched Bucky go, nodding in agreement. He too thought Jen was acting oddly. Why would she leave? I thought she was interested in him. It's fair that Bucky is losing his mind over her. Maybe I should look into this situation. Time to dig in a little deeper.

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Bucky walked in the gym to see none other than Jen doing push-ups on the floor. "Jen?", he called out.

Jen got up nonchalantly wiping the dust off her hands and walked towards him.

"Oh my god, where were you?", he said embracing her in his arms. "I was looking everywhere for you! Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

Jen pulled away abruptly and looked at him with a look of confusion on her face. Bucky noticed this and continued, "What? Are you going to answer me? Where were you?"

"I was at my friend's place", she said nonchalantly.

"Which friend?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I don't know, maybe because, we had this amazing night together and you just left the next morning without telling me, what does this mean?"

"I mean it was just one night, no big deal right?"

"Just one night?", he asked. Just one night? Is she serious? You confessed you fucking like me!

"Yes, so can we just workout already? The test is tomorrow and I want to nail it!"

"Yes, but answer me first. It wasn't a big deal for you? The time we spent together?"

"Umm no? I mean I did enjoy it but you are not thinking of anything else or more, are you?"

Betrayal. Bucky was no stranger to this feeling. Yet this time it hit him on another level. It was coming from Jen. The girl he thought he could have a future with. Maybe he was just stupid to think this in the first place, but he believed that the heart wants what it wants. But then, Why confess that she likes me? Did I misinterpret her signs? maybe I did. How stupid am I?

"Bucky? Hello??", Jen waved her hands to grab his attention.

"Ya, I am here. You were saying?"

"I am done with my warmup, so can we practice the fight?"

"Sure. Let's do it."

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"So she said she was at her friend's place?"

"Yup"

"Which friend?"

"I don't know, didn't bother asking and why should I? It's not like it even matters now. She is not interested in me. She made it crystal clear. It was just a one night stand for her. Just one fucking nightstand."

Steve noticed Bucky's tight grip on the beer bottle. He knew it would break any second now which it did, the very next second. Bucky being focused on Jen didn't even flinch.

"I hate my life.", Bucky declared.

"Bucky don't say that."

"I mean how stupid I could be, I thought that she liked me. Maybe it was just the alcohol speaking."

"But she does like you.", Sam said joining in the conversation.

"You think?", Bucky asked him hopefully. He usually never cared about his opinion, but this time, he hoped that he was right.

"Yes, even I thought she liked you, I don't know why she is acting this way"

"I don't know either. But I can't force her and maybe try to move on. I think I should let it be as it is"

Steve and Sam looked at each other. He knew Bucky was upset by this. They couldn't let him suffer like this. Bucky has been through a lot, Steve thought and decided to step in to help his friend.

"Sam, a word?", Steve said, getting up and leaving Bucky's room. Sam followed him out leaving Bucky alone.