The Wrong One

Chapter 13

I stopped at the door of the little corner diner I met Jake at. Of course he would ask me to meet him here. As if being here would bring back some sort of feelings for him. All it brought back were the bad memories I had of working here. I took a deep breath and went inside. In the back corner, sat a brooding angry man. Every step I took I questioned why I agreed to this. I was happy with Adam, he was everything I needed and wanted. Why would he encourage me to see Jake? To test me maybe? See if I really had strong feelings for him maybe. As I approached the booth Jake looked up at me and smiled. The same smile that took my breath away months ago makes me sad now.

"Grace, hi. I wasn't sure you'd show. You look great." I had on my favorite sweats and that new cropped sweater Sarah made me buy. I guess it did look pretty good on me with my abs poking out. Well, baby abs. I had been avoiding the gym lately because of well everything. "I wasn't sure I would either. Look, I'm happy with Adam. I'm not sure what you are planning on saying but let just get this off my chest before you do. I waited on you for months. As soon as you landed in Australia I expected you to call. Say anything to make me feel like you still cared. Instead, I got nothing. For months you ignored me besides work related things and made me feel like I meant nothing to you. Now, I've moved on. I found someone who isn't afraid to tell me how he feels and wants to be with me. Your chance has passed." He ran his hands through his hair and folded them in front of him. 

"Grace, I didn't want you to think of me the way you do. The only reason I did is because I was a mess. I didn't want to drag you down with me, you were always so positive. I didn't want to dim the light within you. Trust me, I hurt every day that I was away from you. It killed me to ignore you, to hurt you like that. I've been missing you like crazy since I left. Can you really sit here and tell me you don't feel the same way? Like I meant nothing to you?" I couldn't do this. I can't sit here and listen to Jake confess his undying love for me. He was wrong for me in so many ways and yet, that's the reason I felt drawn to him. He was the bad boy, I was the good girl. Together we just made sense. But that couldn't be the reason I go back to him. I can't keep letting him pull me in. 

"I can't do this Jake. I think you need to go back home and focus on your career. I can't be the reason you get put back together. I know you don't think I see that but I do. You are struggling and I see that. I'm so sorry about your mom and I know it will take some time for you to heal but I can't be that vice for you. I'm happy now, with Adam. He is so good to me and I can't throw that away. I'm more than happy to be your friend Jake but that's all we can be. If you need someone to lean on or talk to about your mom or whatever else is going on, I can be that person for you. A friend but nothing more." I felt like I was telling myself this more than him. I don't know what I was thinking almost letting him pull me back under. I had Adam and he was great. He never left me on read or made me feel like I wasn't important to him. Jake left me on read more times than I can count and I always questioned whether he really cared about me. 

"You know, Adam isn't this perfect knight in shining armor like you think. I've seen him play more girls in one night than most guys do in one month. He's just playing you Grace. As soon as you give him what he wants, he's gone. And we both know what I mean by that. I don't want you to get hurt by him. He's saying all the right things because he knows you are vulnerable. I would never do that to you. I promised you from the beginning that I would take care of you and make sure I don't push those limits. And I always did. Can you seriously say the same about him?" He was getting in my head. Making me second guess my relationship with Adam. I mean he wouldn't do that right? Go through all this trouble for the past several months to show me he cares and ask me to be his girlfriend. He could've taken me on my bed this morning but instead he handed me my pants. Jake was insecure and trying to make me think bad things about Adam. Yeah, that was it.

"You can try all you want to make Adam seem like the bad guy but I know you. You just want me for your selfish reasons. I have to go, Adam is waiting for me back at my place. Look, I'm glad I finally got to see you in person and say these things but I don't see a future with us Jake. The damage is done. Thanks for lunch." I left with my head held high and I did not look back. Because if I did, I might stay.