Since You've Been Gone

chapter 8- content

i was made for loving you- tori kelly & ed sheeran

"Let me see it again?" Layla stuffed the rest of her bagel into her mouth and reached for my hand. "He might as well have just proposed."

"Layla," I warned.

"That's an expensive ring, Hope."

"I know." The ring Jack had given me was glistening in the sunlight. It was simple yet beautiful. My boyfriend had a hidden talent for picking out rings.

"Well," she sighed. "I would love to sit and chit chat about the rock on your hand, but Jaylin is meeting my parents tonight. Let's just say that he's a nervous wreck."

"Go and get your man, boo. Oh, and don't forget to tell your parents I said hi."

"Of course." Layla blew a kiss and promised to call me with all the details later.

I was so preoccupied with finishing my breakfast that I didn't even notice someone sit down at the table next to me. That was until I felt the staring.

I looked up and made eye contact with Connor. Great, just great, I thought.

A frown graced his face and, it reminded me of when he saw Jack and me together. I had been so confused when he dumped the flowers in the trash and stormed off. Why would he buy flowers just to throw them away and, why did he look so mad when he saw me?

"Connor?" I questioned.

"Hey, Hope." He gave me a small smile before looking down at the menu in his lap. It surprised me that he even had a menu. Before he moved, we would eat breakfast here at least once a week. He always ordered the same thing; a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit with a side of hashbrowns. Had he really changed so much, that even his order changed?

It was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke again. "So you and Jack, huh?"

"Yeah," I nodded my head and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"How long have y'all been together?"

"Two years." He let out a low whistle, "That's a long time."

"It is," I laughed. It was weird to talk to Connor again. It was like he was someone new: a total stranger. I didn't know what to say.

"The ring is beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you." I stuck my hand out in front of me and, we both gazed at the diamond on my finger.

"I'm glad you're happy, Hope." Connor's deep blue eyes bored into mine as he spoke. They were full of sincerity but also a hint of sadness.

All of a sudden, our moment was cut short by a busty brunette. She ran up to Connor and hooked her arms around his neck, "Connor!"

"Hi, my love." Connor grinned like I had never seen before. He was happy. My heart stuttered to a stop and I felt like it had been ripped out and stomped on.

I took that as my cue to leave. Tossing a twenty-dollar bill on the table, I grabbed my bag and stood up.

Raeanna was right. He had moved on. But it was okay because he was happy and that's all that matters. Right? It shouldn't matter to me anyway.

---

For some reason, I was not able to get Connor and I's conversation out of my head. It was still so new to me that he was back. And to top it all off, he had a girlfriend. Ouch. It shouldn't bother me as much as it did, truthfully. I had Jack for fucks sake. My boyfriend of two years.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Jack's voice brought me back to reality. We were at his house watching a movie and binge eating junk food. The usual. He turned so that I wasn't able to lay my head on his shoulder anymore and moved in front of me.

"Nothing." What was I supposed to do? Tell him I was thinking about my ex-best friend who had just moved back to our hometown? No. That didn't sound like a good idea to me.

"Are you sure, Hope?" His large hands caressed my face. They were warm and brought a little bit of comfort, so I relished in the heat.

Instead of answering, I kissed him. It started off slow and reassuring as I tried to show him that I was okay and that I loved him. But things quickly took a heated turn.

Jack was kissing up and down my neck, sometimes stopping and focusing on specific spots. My hands gripped his hair as he worked his magic. He knew exactly what he was doing. It was making me restless. I needed more.

"Jack," I whined. He laughed in the crook of my neck, his warm breath sending tingles down my spine, "Okay, okay."

Everything after that was a blur. Our clothes were scattered across the room. We didn't have a care in the world. The only things that mattered were the kisses that we shared and the love we had for each other. Making love with someone who was your entire world was easy.

"I love you, Jack," I kissed him lazily. My head was laying on his naked chest as his fingers trailed up and down my arm. 

"I love you more, Hope Christine." He kissed my forehead and pulled me in closer. The warmth radiating off of his body was bringing me so much peace and comfort. I could stay here forever.

I was so in love with Jack. He was dependable and comforting. He made me feel like I was the only girl in the world. Without him, I would still be crying over Connor and how he didn't love me. But for once in my life, I wasn't worried about him. The love that Jack had for me proved that I didn't need Connor, especially if he didn't need me. I was going to prove that I could be just as happy as he was.