Chapter 23
“Open the door Jeff, please!” Jamie cried standing on Jeff’s front porch, knocking on the front door repeatedly.
“I’m comin’, I’m comin’,” Jeff said tiredly, walking down the stairs of his house at close to 1am.
“Jamie? What are you doing here?” Jeff asked surprised, opening the door.
“I…I…” Jamie mumbled, pure horror written on her face as she just fell into Jeff’s arms, pressing her face against his chest and sobbing into it.
“Baby, come inside,” Jeff said taking one hand away from her sobbing body and shutting the door, “God, what happened?”
Jamie couldn’t say anything as the sobs grew more intense and her shoulders shook even more violently as Jeff stroked her hair gently.
“Shh… it’s ok baby, I’m here,” Jeff soothed, pulling her as close to him as possible, “you’ve gotta calm down and tell me what happened. Let’s go into the living room.”
Jamie let go of Jeff, and almost fell. Jeff picked up the trembling Jamie like a baby and carried her into the living room, where he placed her gently on the sofa and placed a blanket over her shaking body. Pulling a chair up next to her, he took her hand and used his other hand to stroke her forehead.
“It’s ok baby, I’m here,” Jeff repeated over and over, stroking her forehead.
“It was so awful,” Jamie mumbled, the words barely escaping her breath.
“what was?” Jeff asked, squeezing her hand, “what happened?”
“He was so drunk,” Jamie whispered, “it’s all my fault.”
“What’s your fault?” Jeff asked, desperate to find out what happened, “who was drunk?”
“He just ripped off my necklace like it was nothing,” Jamie cried, moving her free hand up to her bare neck and touching where the pearls used to lay.
“Jamie, who did this? You’ve got to tell me,” Jeff pleaded.
Jamie looked at Jeff as if she just noticed him. She squeezed his hand and bit her lower lip as she stared into his eyes that were starting to become tearful.
“Please tell me what happened baby,” Jeff begged, “It’s the only way I can help.”
“We can’t do this anymore,” Jamie said suddenly.
“What?” Jeff asked, “we can’t do what?”
“This,” Jamie said, as if everything were perfectly clear to her.
“This?” Jeff questioned, watching as Jamie pushed the blanket off her and sat up.
“Us,” she said weakly, taking Jeff’s hands and staring into his eyes, “we can’t.”
“What do you mean we can’t?” Jeff asked, confusion and fear overtaking him.
“It’s the only way,” Jamie mumbled, tearing her gaze from Jeff and looking towards his shoulder.
“Jamie, stop it, you’re scaring me,” Jeff begged, “Stop talking like this and tell me what happened.”
“I got home, and there was a message for me from my dad, saying to stop over when I got in, no matter what time. So I did, and when I got there… he was… he was so drunk Jeff…” Jamie recalled, bringing her shaking hand up to her mouth, “he was so… so drunk…”
“What happened?” Jeff demanded, watching as Jamie’s eyes that showed nothing but pain and fright.
“He, he just started saying how we’re different… too different,” Jamie explained, “and then he started talking about my mother, and he… he just ripped my necklace off, and… he told me to get rid of my photography, he told me to get rid of you…”
“Jamie,” Jeff interrupted, “he was drunk, he didn’t know what he was…”
“He told me I was a business woman,” Jamie continued, “and that I don’t belong in an exciting life with you… or my photography.”
“But you do belong with me,” Jeff argued, “you know you do, I love you!”
“I’ve gotta go,” Jamie said suddenly, standing up.
“Jamie no!” Jeff yelled, grabbing her hand, “You can’t. You can’t let your father do this, you can’t let him control your life!”
“I don’t know what else to do,” Jamie said, shaking her head, “I have to. He’s my father.”
“So what?” Jeff cried angrily, “he doesn’t support you in what you love. What kind of father is that? He should want you to be happy!”
“Maybe he’s right…” Jamie mumbled, “maybe we are too different.”
“No Jamie, we’re not,” Jeff said, grabbing her hands and squeezing them, “we’re in love and it’s worth fighting for. It’s worth it Jamie. You know it is.”
“Maybe it’s not worth it,” Jamie said shaking her head sadly, “It’s not worth it Jeff.”
“It is!” Jeff argued, “It is worth it!”
Jamie cupped Jeff’s face softly in her hands and kissed his lips gently, before wiping away one of his tears with her thumb.
“I’m sorry,” Jamie whispered, letting go of Jeff’s face and turned around, starting to walk away.
“Jamie, no,” Jeff pleaded, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around, “I love you.”
Jamie smiled sadly and ran the back of her hand down Jeff’s cheek as he closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered again, before turning around and walking out of the living room.
Jeff didn’t move as he heard her open and shut the front door, walking out of his house and out of his life.
Chapter 24
Chapter 22