Is This The End? - Duskwood

Chapter 8: The Dance

I walk outside and I feel the cool breeze on my skin which helps my breathing as my mind drinks.

Three years.... Three years there could be alot different. There could be a little one or two running around. Us married or even engaged. I was willing to give up my whole world for him and have that life with him.

I don't realize someone followed me outside, until I feel hands on my waist. I take a breath and smell Jake.

"Hi" he says into my ear.

I swear my heart is in my throat. Unable to move I run my hands on his but I finally step away. "Sorry I just needed a breath of fresh air" I say not looking at him because Dan is right. Fuck, I can't agree with Dan. Jake is trying to win me back and I'm fighting it. I feel a panic attack coming up and I close my eyes and take a deep breath and slowly exhale. I do that five times as Jake just lets me be. I finally calm down without the medicine and I smile.

"Sorry Jake," I say, finally turning towards him.

"No don't be sorry. You never struggled with panic attacks before. What happened?" He asks, holding my hand and I feel his finger tracing circles on the back of my hand.

"That day you drove off, I ran all the way to the cross roads" I say, staring into his eyes. "Jessy finally reached me in the car and I was on my hands and knees having horrible chest pains and couldn't breathe. We got me into the hospital to rule out anything and we found it was a panic attack. It scared me, I thought I was dying" as a tear runs down my cheek and he takes his other hand and wipes it away.

"When I went back home I got on meds and saw a therapist to help. She's actually the one that suggested me moving out here because it was happening daily due to losing you. So I took her advice. I sold everything I couldn't pack and moved out here. That was two and a half years ago. I became a citizen and I video call my family every week to check in." Holding his arm that's holding my hand. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I ask.

I looking into his blue eyes and he just takes my breath away again. I forget everything around me again until he squeezes my hand.

"Mc you okay you spaced out?" He says

"Yeah, I just forgot how memorized I am by you," I say blushing.

I hear Jessy call me , "MC, it's time for your song!"

I freeze, I had totally forgotten about it and panic. Jake grabs my waist with one hand and the back of my neck sensing the panic and kisses me passionately but gently to help me calm me down. He pulls away and I lean into him to catch my breath.

"You didn't forget how to calm me down" I say as I smile into his chest.

"I couldn't forget anything about you" he says resting his chin on the top of my head.

I just take a deep breath "okay time to go in." I say.

Jake grabs my hand and we walk inside. Jessy is at the door with the mic. I let go of Jakes hand and he leans against a table as I go to the stage.

Jake's POV

I lean against a table and pull my phone out to record as all the adults went on the floor to dance and watch MC

"This next song is for Lilly and Dan. You know what this song is for all of the couples in here tonight that through everything they have faced have stayed together or found them back in the arms of their forever." She say and look at Phil and he starts the music to "Parachute" by Kyndal Inskeep

"Always been afraid that love was only make believe

Every choice I've made seems to take the best of me away

So there is nothing left to say"

As I watch her sing I realize that she picked this song for Lilly and Dan but now there is more meaning behind it and I'm just blown away by her voice.

She finishes and I stop the video and she walks up to me as another song plays gently in the background and everyone goes to sit down.

"Since I couldn't ask you to dance during that. Will you dance with me?" I say putting my hand out to her.

She smiles and takes my hand and I lean her to the dance floor. For the first time in my life I don't care that everyone is watching us. She's breathtaking even more now than when I first saw her in person. She leans into me and I smell coconut, vanilla, and orchid's. I lean her head up and kiss her softly.

The song ends and I take her hand again.

"Really hackerman?" Says Dan walking up to us.

"Dan, its okay" she says.

Watching her diffuse the anger Dan is showing just makes me realize even more how much I love her.