Hopeless Love

PART 1 - Chapter 1.

Jason

I would do anything for you. I was in love. I would go to you. And if I couldn't. You would come to me.

We did everything together. You would run, I would run. You would laugh, I would laugh. We'd eat to our heart's content and then jump into your pool,  still laughing underwater. You were all I could think of.

We never kissed, we didn't really hold hands, but we were the best of friends.
But the day when I was finally ready. I was too late. I skipped too many chances to confess my feelings. And now you're with another, already pregnant, I hear, with a baby.

I've tried to move on, but I can't. I work half halfheartedly every day. Being a chef has no purpose anymore. I used to make each meal with love, but now, as I comb my hair back with my rough, calloused hands, I have no love to share with anyone else. The restaurant's started losing customers, and I was fired soon after. Now I'm a cashier, desperate for pay. My money has gone to waste so I can drown my sorrows in alcohol. 

It's hard. I've tried finding another, but none are as perfect as you. I can't stop thinking about you, especially at night, where my dreams now haunt me. All I want is complete silence. That's what I hope to get as I lay down, face squished into my pillow, but the world is so loud. I hear my neighbours' party in the apartment above, and the construction down the road. I lie there for hours, just thinking about you, your beautiful brown eyes, your shiny hair that floated above your shoulders, your upturned nose and your confident smile, telling me to jump in with you. 

Finally, dreams take me away.

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I couldn't stop thinking about her, Lara was my life. 'I will move on,' I say to myself as I grab the next item and scan it, I pass it on to my friend Chase, who packs it in plastic bags for the elderly woman fishing her credit card out of her wallet. I scan the last item and smile half-heartedly.

"That's $124.50,  will that be cash or card?" She smiles at me

"Here," she stuffs a massive wad of cash in my hands and walks away with her trolley. She slowly turns around one more time and calls, "Keep the change." I start counting and put the amount she paid for her food in the cash register, give Chase two twenties, as he won't stop glaring, and stuff the rest in my pocket happily. I'd just gotten an extra two hundred bucks. 'Maybe I could share it with Lara...' I try to stop myself but it's too late, my mind has succumbed to the old times again. The next woman in line starts putting her groceries on the belt. She has beautiful emerald green eyes. She smiles at me

"Are you okay?" she looks genuinely worried about me. She has the kind of face that makes me want to tell her everything on my mind, and so I do. By the time I finish my story, Chase has loaded all the bags into her trolley

"I'm so sorry," she says, "something similar happened to me as well" Her smile fades, "Why don't we grab a coffee sometime? I'll tell you my story" She hands me a card. "See you around." she walks away with her trolley and I read the card, it's a business card, written on it is her name, number and her job description.

"Chase, she's an optometrist, did you know that?" He smiles at me,

"Better invite me to your wedding."