Another Try

Chapter 2

2 months. 61 days. 1464 hours without so much of a text from her since she walked out my door leaving my heart and all my plans shattered, and then here she is again.

"Maybe we should just go" I think I hear Mason say but I'm not sure. The ringing in my ears and the turning of my stomach had silenced everything around me.

She still looks as beautiful as ever. I don't think there was ever a moment she didn't look amazing but then again, I don't think I would have ever noticed. She was the center of attention in every room she entered, hands down.

The first time I ever saw Hadley was the the summer before our junior year of high school. We had a huge bonfire before the start of the school year. I can remember sitting on the tailgate of my truck looking around the fire when she caught my eye. I didn't recognize her, but I knew one thing, she was beautiful.

She had moved here from South Carolina for her dads work. She definitely was all anyone was talking about once school started. Lucky for me, her and Reagan became great friends right off the bat so Rae became my ultimate wing woman. I asked Hadley out the summer before senior year and the rest was history.

After we graduated, she decided to go to University of Alabama while I got a job apprenticing at the mechanic near campus. We got a place together and fell into the comfortable routine of life together. It felt perfect. Guess the joke was on me.

I'm brought back to reality by an elbow in my ribs, causing me to jump. "What the hell was that for?" I growled. "She's coming this way" Mason whispered. I turned just in time to take one last look at her and drop my gaze to my glass before she reached the table.

"Hey guys!" she said. She stood there for a moment, watching me mindlessly swirl my third glass of whiskey. She didn't know it was my third, but I did. I could feel her eyes on me before she finally spoke.  "Jase," she said timidly, almost afraid to speak to me, " Can we talk? Just for a second?" I nodded before downing my drink and standing to follow her outside.

The air was cool as we stepped outside. The rain had finally stopped and the clouds had began to clear, reveling the night sky. We both stayed silent as I leaned against the hood of my truck. I could feel her staring at me, taking in my appearance. She had never seen me like this. My hair now longer, almost to my eyes. A light scruff of dark hair now covered my once clean shaven jaw. My eyes now dark,  I was unreadable for the first time ever.

"Jase..." she whispered, "I... I don't know what to say." If I hadn't been staring back at her, I probably wouldn't have known she had spoken to me at all.

"Wow, guess there really is a first time for everything isn't there?" I laughed mockingly. The alcohol had definitely began to take its toll. I'd never spoken to anyone like this, especially her.

"You look like shit Jase" she said. We both knew she was right and we both knew why I was like this. I just wasn't ready to give in on her yet.

"Well ya know, I though it was just trying out a new look. I think it works for me really. Broken and betrayed is definitely in this season. It's all the rage now. Isn't that what they say now" I spat back at her. I don't care if it sounded harsh, she deserved it.

"There's no need for you to be an asshole just because you're hurting. You're not the only one who's having a hard time with this Jase. Just because I'm the one that  broke up with you doesn't mean I'm not hurting too!" she yelled back at me. The anger was almost rolling off of her in waves. She took a moment to compose herself before she continued  "Don't do this, not like this. I'm... I'm sorry, that I ended everything the way that I did. I just-"

"Just what Hadley?!" I screamed back at her, my anger finally boiling over. "Couldn't love me anymore? Couldn't find a real reason to break up with me? Or didn't know how not to be a bitch and destroy the only person who loved you for everything you were? I was ready to marry you Hadley. You were it." I finished, my body shaking. I hadn't realized my body was moving on my own until I I looked down to calm my shaking hand and saw the ring in my hand. It had been in my truck since the day I bought. I had been waiting for the perfect time to propose.

I finally looked up to look at her and saw the tears streaming down her face. I'd always hated it when she cried and it took everything in me to not close the distance between us and hold her. I shoved my hands and the ring into my pocket and looked up at the stars. Anything was better than watching the girl I loved cry.

"I love you Jase, but I need you to know that it is better this way.." she finally spoke, her voice cracking, trying to hold back her tears. I dropped my head, unable to watch as she continued,  "I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me for this someday, but I didn't know what else to do and I never wanted to hurt you like this.."

She walked toward me, closing the distance between us and placed her hands on the sides of my face, pulling me towards her to place one last kiss on my cheek before turning around and walking out of my life again. I stood outside for what felt like an eternity,  trying to put myself back together again before walking back in to drowning music of the bar.