When Confidence Collides

Chapter 20: Cherish

People have a funny way of entering and exiting your life.

They will unexpectedly show up in your life and whether they enhance the greatness in your life or completely tear it down, it will teach you a lesson. At the time you may not know what the purpose of it is, and you may never know, but I believe it all happens for a reason.

People will enter your life and stay; others will show up and disappear in a heartbeat. That is why you must learn to cherish every moment -good and bad- as you never know what will happen.

That is why I was shocked when I was fronted with the last person I wanted to see.

Jace's body was leant on the thick wooden column that supports the porch in front of my house. His head hung low as he watched his hands twist the silver rings on his fingers. I was reminded of how cool the rings felt on my face the last time I saw him.

When he heard the door open, his head moved slowly up to look at me, looking me up and down before his eyes finally settled on my own. I felt my heartbeat quicken at the small smile that was playing on his lips as he walked over to me, now standing directly in front of me. He was wearing light blue ripped denim jeans, a baggy striped t-shirt and white shoes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, walking out the door and closing it behind me. The smile on his face faltered temporarily when he heard the tone of my voice, but he quickly covered it back up with a convincing smile. Anyone else would say that it was genuine, but I felt as if something about it seemed off, almost if he covers up what he is feeling with a smile and people believe him. I don't.

"I was thinking that we could go out and do something. Spend the day together." A frown and confusion found its way onto my face. I watched as his eyes filled with concern and eagerly flickered over my face, almost as if he was searching for the answers and that they would be written on my forehead.

So, he just turns up here after not hearing from him for weeks and expects everything is going to be normal? Some people are like that but not me. He can't just play with my emotions, leave and just turn up again. This is not how this is going to work.

"What happened? I haven't heard from you for weeks and now you just turn up?" I questioned. It was better to confront the situation now than let it build up into something that it did not have to be.

He now stood up straight, his previously relaxed posture now fixed. I could sense that me asking that made him defensive, but it needed to be sorted out.

He ran his hand through his hair out of frustration. He was fighting with himself; I could see it on his face. I could see his mind working fast for an answer for me. He looked... conflicted. Like he did not know what to tell me.

The truth. That was all I wanted.

"I am sorry, I really am. I just got caught up in some stuff," he told me avoiding my eyes the entire time. He was not lying, but he was holding something back and I have no idea what that was.

I sighed and turned away from him to open the door, "Okay. Give me 15 minutes to get ready and then we can go."

Trust is something that needs to be built over time, some people taking longer than others so if time is what he needs to trust me, that is what I will give him. But I won't be here waiting forever.

Jace was sat in the living room as I walked upstairs and rushed to get ready. Luckily for me, I washed my hair the night before, so I didn't have to do anything with it apart from take it out of the bun I had slept in. I quickly brushed my teeth, cleaned, and applied light makeup to my face. I went to rush into my closet when I almost completely ignored the fact that Jace had moved to lying on my bed.