One

Chapter Twenty-Five

Long hours and a few dyin' flowers
But you never seem to stick around

No matter how much Dianne had done for Ethan, it clearly wasn't enough. Their blossoming love had died out sooner than Dianne realised as he seemed to find what he wanted in the form of Jasmine.

How could you let somethin' so good
Go to waste and bleed the colours out?

Ethan took his sole focus away from the girl who loved him, instead allowing his eyes to flicker across an old co worker whose life seemed easier for him to slot into, with her regular 9-5 working days and easy holidays.

You don't know what you got 'til it's gone
Know when it's right 'til it's wrong
In search of perfect when you had it with you all along

He had split his time in two, unfairly slinging them both along for several months whilst he did a pretty good job of keeping the other girl hidden from each. It was only when he messed up on yet another drunken night out in which Jasmine had actually gone with him that his secret was revealed.

You broke her heart down with ease
Now I'm pickin' up every piece
You must be so hard to please

Seeing the boy she loved kissing another girl, someone who wasn't her, broke Dianne's heart instantly, shattering it to pieces. Amy had been there to catch her when the broken fragments burned away in her chest like a never-ending fire but Dianne felt things against herself that she hadn't felt for years.

I wish I could say
"Thank you for all the mistakes
Thank you for all of the pain"
I guess somebody else's loss is another's gain
I'm sayin' thank you to the one who let her get away
Away

Dianne struggled with the full weight of her break-up for a couple days in one of the most important weeks of her life, the Strictly final. It was only when a man she had known for a meer few months gave her the space to let her true feelings out, crashing onto him like an angry sea beating onto the rocks.

She gave you love, but it wasn't enough
You had your mind set out on other things

Joe had joined Strictly on a bit of a whim. It could have damaged everything he had worked for but he knew it would be a good experience for him. Not once had he thought about anything other than the idea of being taught how to dance by an insanely talented professional. But, then again, he didn't think he would be partnered with Dianne.

Can't sleep at night, now you're payin' the price
You let another come and take your place

The final week of Strictly was not something Joe had seen himself in, instead being one of the celebrities voted off in the early weeks. Yet, Dianne had managed to get him there and he knew that week was not something he could complete on his own. He needed her, and with Dianne being broken, Joe needed to help her.

You don't know what you got till it's gone
Know when it's right till it's wrong
In search of perfect when you had it with you all along

She had chosen to confide in him when she was at her most vulnerable. A simple act had turned the mix of feelings towards his dance partner in his head into solid concrete as he watched her break down in front of him.

You broke her heart down with ease
Now I'm pickin' up every piece
You must be so hard to please

It was clear to Joe that he wanted nothing more than the girl he had grown so close to to be happy from the very start and, with Ethan in the background of her mind, she wouldn't be able to heal.

I wish I could say
"Thank you for all the mistakes
Thank you for all of the pain"

The pain Dianne felt led her into Joe's strong and comforting arms, held open for her when she needed them most. He managed to be the perfect medicine to soothe her broken heart and she found feelings bubble to the surface, quickly encompassing her confused brain as she realised Ethan wasn't the one for her.

I guess somebody else's loss is another's gain
I'm sayin' thank you to the one who let her get away
Away

Joe was.

Thank you to the one who caused her heart to break
I'm thankin' you for givin' me a soul to save
Thank you to the one who let her get away

Joe had been the one to help her through her darkest hours of crippling self-hate, sleepless nights when her brain would do nothing but rid her of any happiness by reminding her of what Ethan had done. He had held her without complaint as tears streamed down her face through unexpected breakdowns.

You know, I wish I could say
"Thank you for all the mistakes
Thank you for all of the pain"

Over the next weeks, Ethan had tried to rear his head up into Dianne's life on a few occasions, trying to cause as much as pain as possible in revenge for dumping him. His ego had been well and truly damaged that night and Ethan was not one to allow others to win.

I guess somebody else's loss is another's

But Joe had captured her heart in a way Ethan never could have. And, no matter what he tried to do to cause her pain, Joe was always there to soothe the hurt she was feeling in the form of encouraging words, soft kisses, whispered 'I love you's' and his ability to be able to make everything right in the world.

Oh, I wish I could say
"Thank you for all the mistakes
Thank you for all of the pain"

Through his actions, Ethan had pushed Dianne into Joe's arms.

I guess somebody else's loss is another's gain
I'm sayin' thank you to the one who let her get away

And now, Joe and Dianne were living together, their whole hearts fully held in the others hand. Nothing but love and support filled their home that held so many memories, both good and bad. Dianne was fully healed, her troubled past with Ethan no longer haunting her. Joe was her person, in the same way Dianne was his. Her soulmate, his soulmate. The one who they both knew they would love forever.

Away