The Soulmate Collection

22 || Hard to Love

Fiction

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Warning: Mild Language

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"I don't deserve you, but I love that you love me, girl"

--Lee Bryce

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"Will you please, just stop!" Jewel sobbed, staring at Brice with tear soaked cheeks. "I need you," she whispered, feeling as though her world was going to shatter as he walked out. 

Brice stopped in his tracks. Gazing at her, he realized, he did it again; he caused her pain. "Jewel,  you don't need me. I'm not the man you need. I can't-,"Brice stopped for a moment, trying to compose himself. "I can't be that. I'm just this and I don't know how to change." He admitted. 

"You are all I need. Why can't you see that? Why don't you see the man you are? I can. Why can't you?" Jewel walked those few steps separating them and touched his face gently as she as so many times before.

"You don't want me, Jewels," He tried to reason. "You need someone that can be your rock, not your sandstorm. I'm sorry, baby that's just not me."

Frustrated with his words, Jewel brings her hand back and slaps Brice straight across the face. "Stop telling me what's good for me, and what I want because, so help me God, if you continue that bullshit I will beat your ass in to tomorrow," Jewel yelled.

Brice had never seen Jewel this way. His own little firecracker. He also has never heard her cuss, or use God's name in vain. She's his pure, free spirited, god loving, beauty, and he's an insensitive, short fused, pain in the ass that can't seem to get anything right.

"Jewels, I'm taking too much of you, and I can't do it any more," Brice whispered, switching places for a moment, and letting the despair sneak into his voice.

"Brice," she sighed, pulling his body towards her; he let her. "What is bringing all of this on? Talk to me."

"I just need to leave. Please, Jewels, let me just go. I can't do it without you," he begged. Jewel could see the despair in his eyes, and it broke her heart. Brice has his vices like every other person, but he has always tried to do right by her. He has never raised his voice at, or slept with another. He has never raised a hand at her, or denied her love or sweet affection. He knows just what to do to bring her joy.

"I can't say I want you to go," she told him, and he sighed in defeat. "You can't make me, but I will be here when you get back. I love you, Brice."

"How can you say that!" He asks anger, pulsing through him once again. "How can you love me! I'm not a good man. I drink too much, I fight too much, the cops know me far too well. My own mother can't even look me in the eye. How can you possible stand there and tell me you love me. I don't deserve your love."

Brice tries to step out of Jewel's embrace, but she holds on tight. "Everyone deserves love, and as much as you would like to deny it, you do too. Now, you can either leave to vent, in which case, I will see at home later, or you can get your butt inside, but either way I still love you."

Brice gazed upon the woman he loved with every fiber of his being. The woman that made him better in every single way, and found himself silently thanking God. He wrapped his arms firmly around her small frame, and whispered, "I will be here as long as you'll have me."

Jewel sniffled, at his response. She heard the vulnerability and emotion, he tried to hide in front of everyone else, laced in his voice. "Always," she replied, leaning into his embrace. 

Brice, pulled her closer, bringing his lips down to hers until they met naturally, as they had time and time again. However, this kiss was not like there others. It was desperately slow, and tender as the two sealed their vows to one another, on their house porch. 

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