The Nerd's Revenge (Completed)

Chapter 22: The Love Confession

Chapter 22: The Love Confession

The large kitchen was nicely designed, with a big island in the middle. Pierce was on the other side of the island, with a little girl sitting on a chair beside him. "Are you friend or foe?" Said the little girl.

Jo looked at both of them confused.

"Wait for me here alright Sally,"

"Sure," said the little girl, before going back to her batter.

"Don't eat the batter kid, your mom will kill me!!" He turned.

"Come with me," he motioned for Jo, who was still standing on the doorway.

She finally turned. It was strange to go back into the Carson's place. The house didn't seem as big and intimidating. However, she couldn't truly pinpoint what had changed. Pierce led her to his father's office, where he closed the door before Pat could even get near the door.

"What brings you here?" He finally asked.

Jo looked at him for a few minutes. She had expected a different type of greeting, perhaps a snarkier comment from his part. However, his civility made her feel more ashamed of herself.

On her way, she had been overcome by her anger. The anger she held both for herself and for him. However, she couldn't anymore. She turned away, trying to hide the tears that were now threatening to fall down and hit the expensive carpet she was standing on.

"Jo?" He said, walking over toward her.

His steps were fast, but she put up her hand so he wouldn't come any closer. She had always been bad at expressing herself and she knew it. She had always let everyone else decide for her, push her around, and do with her as she pleased. Even when she thought that she was making her own decisions, she would eventually realize that she really wasn't doing that.

"That day, when you went over to my house, and you told me that there could be nothing between us...You told me that you didn't want to decide for me anymore, but you did Pierce. The truth is that you did."

"Jo, what are you—"

"No," she said, finally looking at him. Her eyes were gleaming with tears that she was still holding in. "Let me finish."

"I said that it was okay. I said that because I thought you wouldn't be such an idiot, and you'd atleast say hi...the thing is that you completely acted like I didn't exist. I thought there would be some type of amicable relationship or something, but that wasn't the case."

"Jo, I—"

"I—" he couldn't say anything. He could only look at her, tears slowly falling from her eyes and staining her cheeks. " I'm sorry Jo." He finally said.

"I'm sorry."

There was silence, neither of them moved. They only looked at one another from the short distance between them. Pierce wanted to move toward her, but he couldn't do it. He was afraid of hurting her again. While Jo couldn't move because she was still trying to protect herself.

She finally looked away. "I think that this should really be goodbye then...and because it is, I suppose that it's only right that I tell you this. I always thought that I was supposed to fall in love with someone who suited me, someone like Grayson. He was perfect. I tried really hard to feel the same way, but I just couldn't. I still hate myself for it," a soft dry chuckle left her lips.

"While I tried so hard to fall in love with Grayson, with you it was so easy. I hated how easy it was. How I would feel like everything made some sort of sense when I was with you. I didn't count the minutes to leave your side. I actually wanted to spend more time with you, can you believe that?"

Pierce nodded. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry because you don't feel the same way, or you're sorry because you let me down again?" She asked.

"I'm sorry Jo, really. I didn't mean for this to happen. I was supposed to do the right thing you know. I was supposed to do the right thing, but I'm such a screw up...You know me, I always managed to hurt someone in the process. It just happens that it's always you..." He gave her a sad smile that soon completely vanished as he sat down on one of his father's chairs and covered his face with his hands.

Jo looked at him.

"It's not truly your fault. If I was strong minded, if I had been strong minded back then, then this wouldn't have happened to me. I've never been good at truly looking up for myself. I guess that it's as much your fault as it was mine."

"I'm going home." She whispered, turning to leave.

She had finally said everything she had wanted to say to him. There wouldn't be any more regrets, but before she could turn the knob, he stopped her. His hand was warm, and she felt the rush of static run through her hand.

"Don't go," he whispered, before he hugged her.

"I'm sorry. I know I've said this perhaps a hundred times, but I mean it. I meant it then, and I mean it now. I'm sorry. I was an idiot. I thought that staying away would help you, but the truth is that I don't want to stay away."

She could feel his heart beating fast.

They could run away, and escape one another. They could pretend that nothing had ever happened, but it wouldn't truly erase their feelings. Even if they stopped seeing one another, ever time they closed their eyes they would think of the other. Why would you want to run away, when the truth was that deep inside you would still live the torture of not being able to truly let go.

They could run and forget about everything. They could pretend like nothing happened, but it would not erase anything. Pierce was the first to speak. He turned her over to face him, and he looked at her in the eyes.

"Jo, the truth is that I'm not that good, but I promise that I'm doing my best to be a better son, a better person in general. I've always been very bad at expressing myself...at being honest about what I feel, but I do know that I like you. My feelings for you are real, and I promise that I will do my very best to not hurt you."

His heart was sincere, and he meant all those words he had said. He had grown up in a house where sensitivity was never heard of, but he was willing to become more expressive the moment he meant Jo and her family. He wanted to know how it felt to be a family like the Peters, and he knew that Jo was someone he wanted to keep in his life.

"Will you give this idiot an opportunity?"

Jo nodded.

She could feel the pressure in her heart leaving, and fully escaping her body as Pierce leaned over toward her. He kissed her cheek and planted another kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you." He whispered. 

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Merry Christmas Eve!! I'm going to do my best so that I can finish the epilogue before January 1st. Happy Holidays!!