The Heartbreakers.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Song: Miss That Girl- Jason Aldean 

Jaylee walked up to the big forest green double door, and took a deep breath before rapping her fist against it. Luckily, Luke's car wasn't parked in the driveway, so Bethany opened the door. 

"Hey Jaylee." Bethany smiled, moving aside to let Jaylee in, and closed the door. Jaylee hugged her before walking into the living room. "What's wrong?"

Jaylee let out a sigh as Bethany sat beside her on the couch. "I don't know what to do about Luke. We said hated each other, but then the next minute..." 

"It's like you are still in love with each other?" Bethany finished for Jaylee, and Jaylee nodded. She didn't think she could ever stop loving Luke-- hell, she knew she could never stop loving him. They changed each other for the better, and living without one another would never feel right. Luke was Jaylee's other half now. They went through too much together, and she couldn't imagine a life without him in it. 

"Well, Jaylee, I know one thing for sure; my brother may be stupid at times, and he makes a lot of mistakes-- a lot of them unforgivable--, but I know he is in love with you. I have never seen him so happy when you were together, and so torn apart when you were apart. You changed Luke, but in a good way." She contended, finishing with a smile, and Jaylee groaned. She fell back into the couch, and the two laughed before everything turned serious. 

"Well, what do I do?" Jaylee glanced at Bethany, and she shook her head and laughed. 

"Dammit, get out there and win him back!" Bethany shouted, and Jaylee laughed before hugging her and leaving. 

She knew what she had to do. 

***

Luke knew Jaylee was right. 

He wasn't there when her father died. He wasn't there to hold her in his arms and assure her everything would be okay like he was supposed to. He didn't get to tell Jaylee he would be by her side through it all, and he hated himself for it. He left her to go through it alone, and he would regret it for a long time, but he solemnly promised himself and her to be there for her for the rest of his life, until he took his last breath. 

After the funeral, Luke went home and changed out of his suit. He laid in his bed for a little while, just staring at his ceiling. As he laid there, Bethany walked in and laid down beside him, letting out a sigh. 

"Penny for your thoughts, little bro?" She asked, and Luke played with the bracelet on his wrist. He didn't know where to start. 

"I wasn't there for her, Bethany." He glanced at his sister, his eyes becoming blurry from tears. "Her dad died right in front of her eyes, and because I was stupid enough to hurt her, I wasn't there to hold her when he died." 

Bethany let out a sigh. "Luke, you can't beat yourself up over that. None of us even knew her father was dying. She never said anything about it. Yeah, you were a dick, and you don't deserve her forgiveness, but you couldn't have changed what happened." 

"Whether she told me or not, I should have been there for her. Even if she hadn't told me, I could have still been there for her if I wouldn't have fought with her over something stupid." 

"You're right, you could have. But you can't keep hanging on to the what ifs. You will never move forward if you do." Bethany patted Luke's shoulder and smiled at him. "All you can do now is prove to Jaylee that you love her, and you will always be there. That's what she needs right now, Luke. Be there for her." 

Bethany left the room, and Luke returned his gaze to his ceiling. He knew his sister was right, but he also felt like he needed to be there when Jaylee's father died. Luke became bored with the silence that lingered in his room, until every memory he ever had with Jaylee hit him like a ton of bricks. From the first time he talked to her with Miley, to her smile, her laugh, her beautiful brown eyes-- everything about her--, and to the last time he watched her running out of his house heartbroken because of him. Everything hit him. He realized he had to do everything in his power to win his girl back.