I Never Knew

Chapter 20

***Wowzas, this is a long one! We're at almost 4500 words! That being said, this chapter is a huge (HUGE) turning point in the story. I giggled. I swooned. I cried. The song won't be revealed until Nya's POV, since I don't want to ruin Jay's for you. Why, you ask? Because Nya's POV is super dramatic. SUPER. DRAMATIC. Save it for later if you're looking for something to cheer you up.***

***(Jay's POV)***

It's the part of the movie where Paul finds Holly at the library alone. I watch, on the edge of my seat, knowing he'll tell her how he feels. This movie never gets old.

Nya's just as glued to the screen as I.

"What's the matter with you anyway? What's happened?"

"Would you please just leave me alone?"

"Holly – I love you."

***Directly taken from Breakfast at Tiffany's***

Nya stares as the actress says nothing and walks away. "It's not supposed to happen that way," she breathes.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Well – haven't you seen them together? She loves him, too. Shouldn't she be ecstatic? That's the way it always goes."

"Not in this movie."

"But – that's not fair to Paul!" She pauses the film.

I shrug. "Holly's afraid of what love will do to her. She doesn't want to be tied down without desiring the other person."

"But love never really fades! It just changes over time! So if she loves him now, she'll love him later. Why is she afraid?"

Zane chooses that moment to walk in. "Dinner's ready."

I can smell the scrumptious blend of apples and cinnamon. "Would you like me to make you a plate?" I offer. "We can eat while we finish the movie."

She snickers. "Did you just say 'make you a plate'?"

I shrug. "Yeah. Why?"

She full-out laughs. "Jay, that's such a down-home thing to say! Where did you grow up?"

I shrug. "The outskirts of Ninjago City?"

"You must be pretty far out, then."

"Yeah." I scratch the back of my neck, wondering how she'll take my next statement. "My parents own a junkyard."

"Really?" she asks. "No wonder you have an affinity for tinkering."

I chuckle, glad she's not repulsed by my upbringing. "Yep. I'm sure I get it from my dad."

She's quiet for a moment. "So you never knew your birth father?"

I shake my head. "Nope. I figure there must've been some reason my mother left him."

"She sounds like a wonderful person, Jay."

"She was." I debate on whether I should tell her –

"What's wrong?" she questions, concerned.

"What do you mean?"

"You look sad."