The Fifth Floor ♡ COLIFER

Chapter 40 ♡ Running

Jen's POV

There was a rustling sound as every single person in the church turned around to face Colin, who was standing up in the row of seats with a blank expression on his face. In the moment of silence that followed, I couldn't do anything but stare back at him; I wasn't even breathing.

I couldn't believe he was doing this.

This wasn't like him. At all.

People started mumbling when Sean attempted to pull him back down, but Colin still wasn't moving. He was just standing there, staring at me, like he was in some kind of trance. We both were— but I snapped out of it when Jesse squeezed my hands.

"What the hell is he doing?" he whispered.

I just shook my head, looked at him for a second and then at the pastor, who was raising his eyebrows at Colin.

"Sir, please speak now or forever hold your peace," he said, his voice rising above the noise.

Everyone was looking at him; I felt like I should be saying something, but I couldn't move.

Eventually Colin blinked. He was looking right at me as he pressed his lips together.

"I'm sorry."

I opened my mouth, but I was too late; he was already shuffling past the other people in his row. He got to the aisle and started walking towards the doors of the church.

Colin's POV

Once I was out of the church, I didn't stop.

I didn't know where I was going, but I knew that I had to get as far away as possible. I didn't see or hear anything; for some reason, all I could think about was that moment when we were sitting in the hallway outside her hotel room, almost three years ago.

We are never going to have another moment like that.

She's getting married.

I'm never going to be with her, I'm never going to wake up next to her again.

My breathing was getting heavier and tears were welling up in my eyes. The pain in my chest was almost too much to handle.

That's when I stopped, out of nowhere.

What the hell was I doing?

I wasn't fighting for her, I wasn't begging her not to marry Jesse, I wasn't screaming that I loved her.

I was running.

Jen's POV

Something clicked in my head when the doors of the church closed behind him.

I couldn't let him walk away. I knew if I did, I would lose him forever— and seeing him walk away made me realize that I didn't want to lose him. Not now, not in the future, not ever.

And suddenly I knew exactly what to do.

"Jesse..." I said, fixing him with my eyes as I grabbed his hands again.

He knew what I was going to say before I even said it; I saw the look in his eyes changing.

"You're going after him, aren't you?"

The pastor cleared his throat uneasily. A few people in the crowd gasped and I could feel their eyes burning on me, but I swallowed.

"I need to talk to him," I whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Jen..." Josh said, stepping away from his spot. But he stopped; I turned around and saw Lana, who was shaking her head almost unnoticeably.

I looked at Julia, whose eyes were big in disbelief. I looked at Ginny.

And then, before it would dawn on me what I was doing and how much I was hurting Jesse, I picked up my dress and started running.

He called after me— well, actually, a lot of people called after me as I was running through the aisle. My dad stood up, and Daniel and mom stood up, but I kept my eyes fixed on the doors of the church.

As I pulled them open, it was like I'd been wearing a million pounds on my back that suddenly fell off. The noise of the people behind me muted as the doors closed. I looked left and right, almost expecting him to sit on the steps of the church, but he wasn't.

Of course he wasn't.

I'll be across the street in some random bar.

I almost forgot that I was wearing a wedding dress, until I pushed the door of the bar open and the tinkling of a bell announced my arrival.

There were only a handful of dodgy-looking guys sitting at the bar with a drink, but I knew that wasn't the only reason why it was dead quiet; everyone had turned to the door and was staring at me.

"What do you want?"

I faced the barkeeper, who looked me up and down as he was drying a glass with a dingy towel. His tongue was playing with the toothpick in his mouth, almost causing me to look away in disgust.

But I didn't.

"I don't want anything from you," I said, picking up my dress and heading inside. I passed the guys at the bar, who were still staring at me with a dull look in their eyes, and headed to the back.

There had to be a darts board somewhere. I didn't know why, but I imagined him sitting next to it and looking up at me with a smile on his face.

I passed a few other guys at the pool table; I kept looking out for Colin. I didn't see him anywhere.

Maybe in the bathroom?

I already stormed in here in a wedding dress, so I might as well check the men's room, I thought to myself. I pulled the door open, only to find an empty bathroom with four empty stalls.

Fuck. What if he wasn't here? What if he walked away and didn't come back?

For a few seconds I was desperate; I bit my lip and went back to the bar. I checked the men's room again and I asked the barkeeper, but he just growled and turned around.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered, slowly starting to feel like I couldn't breathe. I went back to the darts board in the back, focusing on my breathing.

This dress was too damn tight.

And I was starting to realize what I'd done. How I'd broken Jesse's heart for the second time.

All those people at the church... my parents, my brother and sister, Rose...

I was startled by the sound of my own sobbing; my vision was getting blurry and my palms were sweating. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep myself from breaking apart.

Then I felt it; a whiff of air. Arms around me, holding me up, making me sob even louder with relief as I heard his voice in my ear.

"I've got you."