To Mend a Broken Heart

09 |Capital Letters

• And then there was you.
Pulled me out of the clouds
You were telling the truth •

She was avoiding him.

Of course, she was. After a confession like that who wouldn't?

She had wanted to die.

She wanted to die.

God, why would that beautiful girl want such an ugly end?

Those seven solid seconds in which she would think about all the choices that she'd made that had led up to that very jump, while dangling in the air-not being able to stop what she was doing, not being able to-

"What's wrong?"

Jason looked up.

"You've been staring at your ice cream as if it were the most unappetizing mess you've ever seen in your life-when I know for a fact that you've loved that thing since the day you tasted mom's chocolate chip ice cream." She retorted.

A sort of dazed smile had come over May's face when she talked about her mother like it always did.

Jason couldn't remember much about his parents. But that didn't mean he didn't love them. He loved the two beautiful people his memories had crafted as his parents, who watched him from the stars, helping him wake up every day to face another day of hell.

Did he wish he could get his legs back?

Every damn day.

Not just so he could walk. But so that he could run. So that he could and feel the breeze against his face as he ran. So that he could stand to his entire 6 foot 2 inches of height and tower over everyone. So that he could chase after that damn girl every time she ran away from him.

Run gallantly after her retreating form, catch her in his impenetrable arms, pin her flush against him and-

"Jason, focus!"

His cheeks burned as though May had caught him with his hand in a cookie jar. Again.

"Ooh, I'd like to know what you were thinking," she snickered.

"You're too young for that," he joked, trying to hide the embarrassment of his thoughts.

Eighteen years of celibacy did that to you.

It wasn't because she was Danielle, and she was absolutely stunning, even when she was sad.

Of course not.

It was because he was a boy and she was a girl and it was normal.

Perfectly reasonable explanation except for the fact that he wasn't attracted to the waitress who was serving them, who gave him small smiles every time he looked at her.

Whatever.

To say May looked affronted would be an understatement.

"Excuse me?" she started. "I am ten years older than you and-"

"May. I'm kidding."

"And let me tell you this mister I know a lot- oh."

Jason coughed out a laugh. "It never gets old, does it? I can always irritate you within seconds."

"Shut up," May tactfully retorted. Then, after searching for a more mature response she added, "Idiot,"

"Ah, your lovely nicknames," Jason chuckled. This reeled his mind back to his original thoughts, those that revolved around Danielle. His smile dropped.