Guts
Chapter Twenty-Nine: I Miss You
"Rian? You here?" a woman's soft voice echoed through the bus.
I pushed Jack off of me in fright at the sound of Cassadee's voice as she entered the bus. Jack started laughing, & he placed his lips on mine, crawling back over me. I giggled & kissed back, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Cass? Is that you?" Rian asked, & he entered the front lounge.
"Hey baby," Cassadee said, & I pulled away from Jack & looked over just in time to see them kiss. Jack pressed his lips on my neck, but I pushed him away.
"Not right now, Jack," I said, & he pouted, but sat up anyway. I looked over at Cassadee, & her eyes met mine. They widened, then narrowed the longer she stared at me.
"You. Little-!" She started, & Rian grabbed her & held her back as she took a step forward.
"What?" I asked.
"You can't just leave & then come back without contact!" Cassadee snapped, removing herself from Rian's arms.
"Yes I can, Cassadee. I needed a break, so I took one. I met a guy, he cheated, & shit happened, but I'm sure you wouldn't care. Jack & I are back together, & everything is fine. I suggest that you just deal with it," I said, & she glared at me.
"What do you mean 'shit happened?'" Cassadee asked, her expression softening.
"I'm sure Rian can tell you when I'm not in the room. I'd like to not talk about it," I said, & Cassadee looked at Rian.
"Yeah.. sure. I'll tell you in the back lounge," Rian said, & Cassadee followed him.
Minutes later, Cassadee rushed out of the back lounge & over to me with tears in her eyes. She gave me a hug, muttering sorries into my ear.
"Cassadee, it's fine. He's in jail.. I'm fine," I said.
"Are you sure?" She asked, & I nodded.
"Did he tell you about Jackie?" I asked quietly.
"Jackie? Who's Jackie?" She asked, looking from me to Rian. I sighed & rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands.
"Jackie is a four year old girl... My daughter," I said, meeting her gaze.
"W-What?" Cass asked, staring at me like I'd committed an unforgivable deed.
"You heard me. She's Brandon's daughter," I said, feeling ashamed. Jack then took my hand, & I leaned against him.
"You said you wanted to take care of her, so that's what we'll do, Becca," Jack said softly.
"We'll?" I asked, turning to face him.
"Yes. We will take care of her together. Don't think of her as Brandon's daughter anymore, alright?" Jack asked, & I nodded as tears clouded my vision. He kissed my forehead, & I held the tears back.
"Thanks Jack. I love you so much," I said, & Jack smiled. He pressed his lips to mine in a sweet kiss just as the bus door opened. Alex, Zack, & Matt entered, laughing as they did so, along with Stephanie.
"Cassadee!" Alex yelled, & he rushed over & hugged her.
"It's great to see you, Alex," she replied, & they pulled away. They all got to talking, so I stood up & exited the bus & into the Baltimore weather. It was raining, but I didn't mind; I loved the rain. Jack must've sensed that I didn't want company, because he didn't follow me.
When I reached the nearest coffee shop, Dutch Bro's, I let the tears I'd been holding in fall. I entered the shop with tears running down my face, but I didn't really care. I sat down in a booth that was in the corner of the little place, & I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I dialed my uncle's number, & held the phone to my ear as it rang.
"Hello, Rebecca," he said, no emotion in his voice at all.
"Hi," I said in almost a whisper.
"Are you crying? Are you okay?" He asked, voice now laced with concern.
"Yeah I'm fine, and yes... I'm crying," I replied with a sniff. A waitress appeared next to my table, & I held a finger up, indicating that I needed a minute. She walked away with a roll of her eyes, & I shook my head at her shitty customer service.
"What's wrong?" My uncle asked, & I let out a bittersweet laugh.
"The past few weeks haven't been the hottest," I said, & I wiped my eyes, only to have more tears take the old ones' place.
"Care to share?" Christian asked, & I sighed. I opened my mouth to speak, but the waitress returned once again.
"Rules are you can't sit if you don't order," she said.
"Fine. Get me an iced mocha, then, sweetcheeks," I said with a glare, & she took my order. She stormed away again, & I groaned.
"I don't really feel like telling it & reliving it again. I actually called to ask you if Jack & I can take Jackie with us," I said, my voice faltering when I spoke Jackie's name.
"What?" Christian asked.
"You heard me, Uncle Chris," I said through gritted teeth as more tears silently fell.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Rebecca," he said.
"Why not? She's my daughter, not yours. I've decided I want to grow up & be her mother, & Jack wants to help. He wants to, Chris. He does," I said, almost in a begging tone. He sighed as the waitress returned with my order. I watched her as she set it down, sending daggers my way with her piercing blue eyes.
"Fine," he said simply.
"Wait, what?" I asked, completely surprised he'd given in.
"You heard me. You can take her. I'll drive her up to Baltimore this weekend with all her things, alright?" Chris asked, & I smiled.
"Thank you!" I said, & he chuckled.
"You're welcome, hun. I gotta go. I love you," he said.
"I love you too," I said, & the shop door opened, & Jack walked in. He looked over at me, & he walked over.
"I'll see you this weekend," Chris said.
"Bye," I said softly, & I hung up as Jack sat down.
"Who were you taking to?" He asked, eyes filled with concern. I smiled, letting him know everything was okay.
"Chris said that he'll bring Jackie up to Bmore this weekend. He's letting me- er, us, keep her," I said, & Jack's eyes widened. He stood, & I followed his lead.
"Really?" He asked, & I nodded.
"Yes!" I said, & he smiled. He pulled me into him, & he hugged me tightly. I heard the waitress approach again, & I had contain a groan. I stepped out of Jack's embrace, & we both took our seats.
"Can I help you?" I asked rather angrily, staring at the waitress. She huffed.
"Are you gonna pay for that, or is he gonna?" She asked, cocking her head in Jack's direction. Jack pulled his wallet out of his pocket & he placed a five on the table. We both stood, & Jack took my hand. We exited the shop, & walked back to the bus.
"I had to find you because we've got a show in less than an hour, so we needed you back," Jack said, & I hummed in response.
"Jack?" I asked moments later.
"Yeah?" He asked, looking down at me.
"I love you."
I pushed Jack off of me in fright at the sound of Cassadee's voice as she entered the bus. Jack started laughing, & he placed his lips on mine, crawling back over me. I giggled & kissed back, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"Cass? Is that you?" Rian asked, & he entered the front lounge.
"Hey baby," Cassadee said, & I pulled away from Jack & looked over just in time to see them kiss. Jack pressed his lips on my neck, but I pushed him away.
"Not right now, Jack," I said, & he pouted, but sat up anyway. I looked over at Cassadee, & her eyes met mine. They widened, then narrowed the longer she stared at me.
"You. Little-!" She started, & Rian grabbed her & held her back as she took a step forward.
"What?" I asked.
"You can't just leave & then come back without contact!" Cassadee snapped, removing herself from Rian's arms.
"Yes I can, Cassadee. I needed a break, so I took one. I met a guy, he cheated, & shit happened, but I'm sure you wouldn't care. Jack & I are back together, & everything is fine. I suggest that you just deal with it," I said, & she glared at me.
"What do you mean 'shit happened?'" Cassadee asked, her expression softening.
"I'm sure Rian can tell you when I'm not in the room. I'd like to not talk about it," I said, & Cassadee looked at Rian.
"Yeah.. sure. I'll tell you in the back lounge," Rian said, & Cassadee followed him.
Minutes later, Cassadee rushed out of the back lounge & over to me with tears in her eyes. She gave me a hug, muttering sorries into my ear.
"Cassadee, it's fine. He's in jail.. I'm fine," I said.
"Are you sure?" She asked, & I nodded.
"Did he tell you about Jackie?" I asked quietly.
"Jackie? Who's Jackie?" She asked, looking from me to Rian. I sighed & rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands.
"Jackie is a four year old girl... My daughter," I said, meeting her gaze.
"W-What?" Cass asked, staring at me like I'd committed an unforgivable deed.
"You heard me. She's Brandon's daughter," I said, feeling ashamed. Jack then took my hand, & I leaned against him.
"You said you wanted to take care of her, so that's what we'll do, Becca," Jack said softly.
"We'll?" I asked, turning to face him.
"Yes. We will take care of her together. Don't think of her as Brandon's daughter anymore, alright?" Jack asked, & I nodded as tears clouded my vision. He kissed my forehead, & I held the tears back.
"Thanks Jack. I love you so much," I said, & Jack smiled. He pressed his lips to mine in a sweet kiss just as the bus door opened. Alex, Zack, & Matt entered, laughing as they did so, along with Stephanie.
"Cassadee!" Alex yelled, & he rushed over & hugged her.
"It's great to see you, Alex," she replied, & they pulled away. They all got to talking, so I stood up & exited the bus & into the Baltimore weather. It was raining, but I didn't mind; I loved the rain. Jack must've sensed that I didn't want company, because he didn't follow me.
When I reached the nearest coffee shop, Dutch Bro's, I let the tears I'd been holding in fall. I entered the shop with tears running down my face, but I didn't really care. I sat down in a booth that was in the corner of the little place, & I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I dialed my uncle's number, & held the phone to my ear as it rang.
"Hello, Rebecca," he said, no emotion in his voice at all.
"Hi," I said in almost a whisper.
"Are you crying? Are you okay?" He asked, voice now laced with concern.
"Yeah I'm fine, and yes... I'm crying," I replied with a sniff. A waitress appeared next to my table, & I held a finger up, indicating that I needed a minute. She walked away with a roll of her eyes, & I shook my head at her shitty customer service.
"What's wrong?" My uncle asked, & I let out a bittersweet laugh.
"The past few weeks haven't been the hottest," I said, & I wiped my eyes, only to have more tears take the old ones' place.
"Care to share?" Christian asked, & I sighed. I opened my mouth to speak, but the waitress returned once again.
"Rules are you can't sit if you don't order," she said.
"Fine. Get me an iced mocha, then, sweetcheeks," I said with a glare, & she took my order. She stormed away again, & I groaned.
"I don't really feel like telling it & reliving it again. I actually called to ask you if Jack & I can take Jackie with us," I said, my voice faltering when I spoke Jackie's name.
"What?" Christian asked.
"You heard me, Uncle Chris," I said through gritted teeth as more tears silently fell.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Rebecca," he said.
"Why not? She's my daughter, not yours. I've decided I want to grow up & be her mother, & Jack wants to help. He wants to, Chris. He does," I said, almost in a begging tone. He sighed as the waitress returned with my order. I watched her as she set it down, sending daggers my way with her piercing blue eyes.
"Fine," he said simply.
"Wait, what?" I asked, completely surprised he'd given in.
"You heard me. You can take her. I'll drive her up to Baltimore this weekend with all her things, alright?" Chris asked, & I smiled.
"Thank you!" I said, & he chuckled.
"You're welcome, hun. I gotta go. I love you," he said.
"I love you too," I said, & the shop door opened, & Jack walked in. He looked over at me, & he walked over.
"I'll see you this weekend," Chris said.
"Bye," I said softly, & I hung up as Jack sat down.
"Who were you taking to?" He asked, eyes filled with concern. I smiled, letting him know everything was okay.
"Chris said that he'll bring Jackie up to Bmore this weekend. He's letting me- er, us, keep her," I said, & Jack's eyes widened. He stood, & I followed his lead.
"Really?" He asked, & I nodded.
"Yes!" I said, & he smiled. He pulled me into him, & he hugged me tightly. I heard the waitress approach again, & I had contain a groan. I stepped out of Jack's embrace, & we both took our seats.
"Can I help you?" I asked rather angrily, staring at the waitress. She huffed.
"Are you gonna pay for that, or is he gonna?" She asked, cocking her head in Jack's direction. Jack pulled his wallet out of his pocket & he placed a five on the table. We both stood, & Jack took my hand. We exited the shop, & walked back to the bus.
"I had to find you because we've got a show in less than an hour, so we needed you back," Jack said, & I hummed in response.
"Jack?" I asked moments later.
"Yeah?" He asked, looking down at me.
"I love you."
Notes
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Title Cred: Blink-182
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3/30/15