Regarding Love

Different

"It's okay baby." Jared soothes as he holds my hair back. I take a few deep breaths and wipe my mouth.

"That was awful." I mumble.

"At least we're finished now." He softly says as he pulls me to him.

We just finished cleaning Sharon's bathroom. There was vomit everywhere and the smell was awful. I fought puking the whole time but it finally got to me.

"This is why I never drank. I hate puking." I mumble angrily. I can't believe Sharon would do this to herself.

"I'm glad I never had to take care of you. You've always been so good and responsible." He explains.

"You sound like you think it's a good thing. Jared you can count all the mistakes I've made on your hands." I say and shake my head.

"It's not a bad thing Alice."

"Jared I've never done anything. I've never been drunk aside from one too many cups of eggnog at Christmas, never broke anything, never been in a wreck, I follow all the rules to a T. The worst I've done is..." I trail off and my mind flashes back to Christmas. When Leo did what he did. It wasn't technically me but I practically agreed to let him take advantage of me.

"You have that look on your face. You've got to let me in Alice." Jared says and grabs my face softly.

"I'm trying to Jared. I really am." I whisper and shut my eyes.

"What's the worst mistake you've made?" He asks and my heart drops.

"Jared I can't right now. I can't."

"Well I'll be here when you're ready sweetness." He says sweetly.

I press my body against his and hold onto him tightly. Ever since Sharon's confession today, I've felt weird. Like she's the victim. She's the one who got cheated. Obviously I was the fiancé and she was the other woman but I realize now I was never in love with Leo. I guess she was. She had to watch us be together for 5 years. I can only imagine that was hell for her. I never noticed either. I was always too strung up my own tree to bother to look over and notice.

"I want soup and a sappy movie." I whisper softly.

"Okay babygirl. Go inside and find a movie and I'll go get the soup." Jared says with a light chuckle.

I let go of him reluctantly and smile as he steps away and walks to the car. I walk in and grab 2 spare toothbrushes from the cabinet of extras. I grab a travel tube of toothpaste and take them to the sink. I brush my teeth quickly and then make my way to the stack of movies.

I smile as the door opens and Jared walks in with a big pot of soup. He walks past me and I hear him set it on the stove. I hear the click of the stove turning on and then Jared reappears.

"I don't know which movie." I say defeatedly.

"Go on a date with me." He smirks.

"That's not one of these movies Jared." I say confused.

"I know Alice. Will you go on a date with me?" He asks with a smile.

"Yeah. Of course I will." I say shyly.

"Just so you know, it is an actual date. The first of many I hope." He clarifies.

"Okay Jare. I get the point. When?" I laugh easily.

"Tomorrow night."

"That's really soon. I don't even know what to wear or anything."

"Wear something nice but not too nice."