Oh, Ara

Chapter 21

Previously this happened:

Jaime laughs a big laugh that causes his head to roll back. He comes back grinning at me, "you sure are something special, Ara."

I shrug, "what can I say? I- wait, what are you doing?"

Jaime had started leaning forward, his face getting very close to my personal air bubble space.

He jerks back, seeming to catch himself, and shakes his head, "Nothing, sorry,"

A dead weight falls to the pit of my stomach.

"No, no, no, no, no," I stand up and start to pace as the realization starts to sink in, "you like me?"

"No I- , fuck, yeah I do, Ara," 

Yeah. I know. Big stuff. Here's more.

Ara's POV

"No," I take a step away from the bed, shaking my head," No! I don't think you love me. I think you're just really confused. Some weird variant of Stockholm Syndrome or something. We were in really close quarters for a long time, and we became friends Jaime. I mean for goodness sakes, you saw me realize I was in love with Cole -"

Jaime flinches,"Can you please not mention him."

"God, Jaime! You don't love me. You love the idea of me. In actuality, you don't know me in real life. In the real world. Where we don't have to worry about whether or not we are going to survive until tomorrow anymore. You know me from a false setting. I don't do love triangle shit. I'm sorry. I love my boyfriend. I think of you as a really close friend. Nothing more, I'm so sorry," I back away from him and lean against the wall in the room.

"Ara," Jaime says with gritted teeth and then looks up, "this world isn't reality - that island, that island was more real than anything else in the world, we saw a real reality, one your pathetic coddled boyfriend could never survive. Besides, I loved you longer than the island, I just didn't know it yet."

I frown, "what? That doesn't even make sense. You're literally not making coherent thought. What are you saying?"

"Ara, I fell in love the first time I met you, over a year ago. You had your hair in two braids, not a lick of makeup on your face, but my god were you beautiful. I remember it like it yesterday. I was in the studio, listening to a track play, and you were spending the day with Royce. You were listening to the track and you made a weird face and Royce asked you what was wrong. You went to the piano and started playing this wonderous melody. And then you looked up at him and said "that's how the bridge should go." Sure enough, you were right. That song ended up nominating me for a grammy. I knew then and there that there was something special about you, even if you hadn't said a single word to me yet. Then I saw the video of you singing in choir class and my mind couldn't believe what I was hearing. When Royce offered me the chance to see you by playing at your brother's birthday concert, I knew I couldn't refuse. I think I really fell in love with you at Jason's birthday party. I watched you sing more beautifully than I've ever heard anyone sing in my entire life. I have never seen anyone as alive as you are. And I felt something when I first met you. I mean, you had to feel something to, when you first met me right?" Jaime gets up and takes one of my hands in both of us, "I mean, you weren't in love with Cole then, can you honestly say that you felt nothing between us when we met?"

I think back for a moment, "Jaime, I'm sorry, but I don't even really remember meeting you. I mean I remember meeting you, but I don't remember the words you said, or even what I said. It was just meeting another person. I'm so sorry,"

Jaime lets go and glares at me, "Ara, you have  to love me back."

"What? What the hell, Jaime?" I start to inch away from him, "I'm sorry, but this is too much for me right now. Our emotions are all over the place, I'm going to go, and I'll come back and visit soon, when I can."