Chapter Text
If anyone has asked, your love story with Jake was a fairytale. It wasn’t love at first sight. No. It was more like slow burn friends to lovers.
Growing up in the same small Texas town, you two always knew each other since elementary school. At first you were good friends. That was until Jake started hitting puberty come middle school.
Boys being boys is what people would tell you when he would tease you for not growing and staying short. The other girls in middle school started developing and teasing you too.
He quickly put a stop to them. In his eyes, he was the only one that could tease you because you were his friend.
Then came high school. Jake hadn’t seen you during the summer since your family went to visit friends in Europe. He was expecting to see the you he was used to.
He was not expecting the height you now reached, much less the soft curves that came over the summer. “Hi Jake!”
“Wow! You’re like a real girl now!” The punch to his arm takes him by surprise.
“Jerk!” You huff and cross your arms, making him laugh.
“You’re still so cute when you get angry. Tiny.”
“You’re incorrigible Jacob Steve Seresin… The fifth!”
“You did not just legal name me… I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he says wrapping you in a hug. “Still perfect size to hug.”
You give in and hug him back. “So are you Jakey.”
That first day of high school was the first day of the rest of your lives. It was inevitable that the two would try and date other people, but the little green monster of jealousy would make you mad at each other. That was until you both admitted your feelings for each other.
And so you two, despite being in totally different social circles, dated all through high school. When the time to pick colleges came, the two of you both wanted the same schools.
Jake, however, had a dream that he never told you about. He wanted to apply to the Naval Academy and so he did. He applied as soon as he turned 17. And every year he kept applying, improving his grades, until he was accepted just after his 21st birthday.
*****
The same day he got accepted was your party for finishing your associates degree earlier than planned.
You were all dolled up and waiting for Jake to pick you up. When you hear him arriving, you rush out the door to meet him outside.
He takes his time getting out of his truck. He knows what he’s about to do is the worst thing in his life, but he feels like it’s still the best thing for the both of you.
Despite being anxious at his delay, something in his body language stops you from rushing to him.
He keeps the truck on as he approaches you at your front door. “Hey doll… Can we talk?” He makes no attempt to kiss you in greeting, though he wishes to do nothing else but kiss you.
“Is everything okay Jake?” You ask.
“Doll… there’s something that… I haven’t told you everything about me. About what I want.”
“Jake. We tell each other everything. What else is there for me to learn about you?”
“I’m leaving Texas. I’m going to Maryland…” he can’t bring himself to look you in the eyes.
“Maryland? What? Why?”
“Annapolis actually.”
At hearing the name, you knew. “You joined the Navy? That’s amazing Jake!” You move to hug him but he takes a step back, causing the first crack in your heart.
“It is. I’ve been applying since I turned 17 and got accepted today… I leave tomorrow. The sooner the better.”
“I’ll help you to the airpo-“
“No. You won’t. I’ll have my parents take me. We’re done.” He pauses for a moment, knowing that what he says next will make you hate him but it was easier to have you hate him than to leave you with a false hope that he would return. “I need to end this before you expect me to give up my dream of being an aviator. We had fun and nice run… But high school relationships don’t last. We never meant to last this long.”
The world around you stopped and started spinning counterclockwise at the same moment. You could feel your heart was in a free fall, awaiting for the hit that breaks it.
“I need to be single to focus on my career. You’ll only hold me back.” And that’s the hit that sank your heart deeper into the fall and finally reached the spike-covered floor.
He doesn’t give you time to say goodbye or even refute his statements. He turns and gets back in his truck and drives off.
*****
It’s safe to say that you missed your own party that night. As well as the attempts of your friends to try to get you to go out for brunch to know what happened.
It had now been a month since Jake broke your heart and left you. You decided to pack up the little reminders of him and put them away.
You decide to pack a second box of stuff to return to his parents. With that you write him a note:
Jake:
I know things are never going to be the same for us. And I get it. I’m not going to beg you to love me. We can’t force what isn’t meant to be right?
Anyways, I’m leaving some of your stuff with your parents.
Before I end this letter… let me just admit that:
1: I can't erase your number and
2: I'm still sleepin' in your jumper
I kinda hate it that I love ya but I’m trying to let you go.
I do wish you the best. Xoxo
You seal the note in an envelope and place it in the box to drop off to his parents. As you close the box, a splash of the whiskey you’re drinking falls onto the box.
“If I call you, will you pick up?” You ask an invisible Jake. When you see there’s no response, you take another long sip from the bottle. “Guess I'm drownin' in the liquor.”
A knock at your bedroom door pulls you away from the bottle. “Come in,” you slur loudly.
Cindy enters and takes you in. “Oh babe,” she sits next to you on the floor and just lets you lay your head on her shoulder as you start crying again.
“I- He doesn’t love me anymore!” You repeat over and over until you can barely speak. “I can’t breathe without him Cin… I don’t want to.”
“It’ll be hard. But you’ll be able to. I’m here for you. And will continue to be here.”
And she was. She kept her promise. Day after day and week after week until months passed by and eventually you started returning to normal.
Every day that passed the pain would lessen. The future you once planned was amended. You had kept all your promises. The only one you broke was one you made to yourself. You promised yourself that you wouldn't reach out to him.
You did only once to wish him a happy new year.
His response? Silence.