Chapter Two

"So has your day been so far, Miss Bryans?" Jake asked when I opened his door.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on one of the leather sofas in his office.

"Cut it out Jake," I told him sternly. "You know perfectly well you can call me Jessica."

He looked at me for a second emotionlessly. "I didn't know we were on speaking terms."

I surveyed his face for a second. "You're right. We're not."

I shot him a cold glance then continued speaking, not bothering to give him a chance to talk. "Okay well if I'm going to be your receptionist from now on, I'll need to know a few things about you."

My pen started scribbling across the sheet of paper. I had learned from my previous boss, Jamie Whitby (a total b-tch at heart) that it was best not to mess anything up.

I looked up to see Jake getting up from his chair and walking around his table slowly. His fingers trailed over some of his stuff and he observed them closely before standing in front of the desk, leaning against it with his arms crossed.

"You already know everything about me," he said plainly.

"That was a long time ago," I said.

"It was only 7 years," he argued.

"A lot has changed in 7 years," I told him, feeling tired already. I wasn't ready for this conversation and up until this morning, I didn't think I'd have to have it. Ever.

Jake raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Tell me what's changed."

"Well, we're older," I fumbled for an answer. I knew he was right. Not much has changed. He was still Jacob and I was still Jessica.

Standing up from his lean, he took slow cautious steps towards me. "And?" he urged on.

"Um, you've gotten taller," I stuttered.

Jake let out a small laugh and walked closer to me. "Other than that."

I didn't know what to say. I looked at the wall, I looked at my feet, at the TV on the other side of the room - I looked everywhere but him.

"What has changed Jessica?" Jake asked again slowly.

I let out a small sigh, feeling beaten. "I don't know."

He was in front of me now, staring down at me with sad eyes. In a swift movement, he bent down, looking me eye to eye, and placed his hands on either side of me, trapping me.

"Then how do you know something changed?" he asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I just do," I whispered.

He was too close, too real. I don't know why it affected me so much, but it did. It felt like those first few days when he stopping calling again. Unbearable.

Jake laughed humorlessly. "Nothing change Jessica. I still like my coffee medium roasted, double double."

I reached out for my clipboard that was beside me but he grabbed my wrist and looked at me hard.

"I still like to eat a cranberry muffin every morning with my coffee. I still like to go out jogging every Saturday. I still like an apple everyday with my lunch. " The whole time he spoke, he looked me right in the eye.

"I'm still the same Jacob," he said.

The same Jacob who broke my heart, I added silently to myself.

I shook my head. "No. Things are different now."

"How?" he demanded.

I searched my brain for a possible answer, and I thought I wasn't going to find one, but I did.

"What happened to Scarlet?" I asked defiantly.

Jake looked puzzled. "Who?"

I smile spread across my face. It looked like I had won this round. "Scarlet. Your girlfriend. The one you were so sure that you were going to marry."

Jake stared at me in shocked.

"If nothing's changed like you said, you'd still be with her, right?" I smirked.

Another couple of seconds passed. Feeling the victory, I wiggled out of Jake's hold and stood up, grabbing my pen and clipboard.

I took one step past him before he grabbed my wrist again and whipped me around.

"You're right," he blurted out, getting up himself.

I felt the smile on my face grow wider before he said, "I'm still with her. We got married last year."

Standing there feeling like a fool, the smile slid off my face.

I blinked a few times, trying to process what he said. "What?"

"I'm still with her, we're married," Jake repeated slowly.

"You're married?"

"Yup." Now it was his turn to smile.

Walking past me, he arm brushed my shoulder lightly and he sat back at his desk. When he turned around, he had a weird look on his face.

I looked at him, not knowing what to say.

Jake glanced at me and wave towards the door. "You can go."

Confusion swept through me. Why was he looking at me like that?

"You can go," Jake repeated with a sigh.

I nodded my head and walked out of the office. When I was about to close the door, he called me back.

"Hey, don't transfer any calls to me today, okay? Just tell them I'm busy."

"Alright," I mumbled and closed the door.

My big cushioned chair felt inviting when I sat down on it. With my elbows propped on the table, I put my head in my hands. I guess Jake was right. Nothing has changed. We're older, sure but I don't know. I don't know.

Jake's POV

When Jessica closed my door, I exhaled the big breath of air that I was holding in.

What was I doing? I scolded myself. I don't even know what brought me to say that. Maybe it was the smug look on her face. I had too much pride in my hands, I couldn't let her win.

Yeah but what did you win? A nagging voice in the back of my head asked.

Nothing. I could always just go back out and tell her I lied, but that would make me look stupid, too stupid for my liking.

Jessica had been right. Scarlet wasn't for me. I dumped her a week after that day Jessica walked out me. Or did I walk out on her?

I can't tell her I lied now. I know Jessica. She may think everything's changed, but it hasn't. She's still stubborn like a rock, and always smug about beating me or proving me wrong and this wasn't an exception.

With a heavy sigh, I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled through the contacts. When I found the name that I hadn't thought about in years (yet surprisingly was still in my phone) and I pressed the call button and waited. After a few dial tones, it picked up.

"Hello?" a high, whiny female voice said.

"Hey Scarlet," I choked out. "Listen..."

As I talked, I regretted my decision even more. But I was treading in deep water now, might as well dive in head first.

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Hey guys :)

This is like my favourite chapter ever. I hope you like it as much as I do.

On a side note, I'm thinking of entering this story in the Watty Awards! What do you guys think? Should I do it, or no? :)

Anyways, lemme know what you thought of this chapter!

As always, please comment/vote