Book 2: Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

The silence as everyone just witnessed what happened was deafening. No one knew what to do or what to think for that matter. It was an emotional ordeal that left Cyrus hurt, Jay with a busted lip, and me not knowing what to do. Do I run after Cyrus? Will that help make it better? Or should I give him space to cool down? Hearing that information must have been hard for him as it would be anybody. There wasn't anything I could do to make him forgive me, but my heart yearned to see him. Even if he yelled at me again. I felt extreme guilt and there wasn't anything I could do to change it.

Unfortunately, this moment was a feel-good moment for Jenna. She's been waiting for Cyrus to find out the truth since I got back here. The gloat on her face pissed me off. Satisfaction wasn't the only thing she was feeling about this. Jenna felt like she won. Like Cyrus was finally all hers with me dead to him. As much as he was hurt right now, there was no way he was still going to marry her. He didn't love her. That I knew for a fact.

Walking up to me, Jenna smirked laughing hysterically. "Looks like the cats out of the bag," she teased. "You should have known he would never forgive you. You may as well pack your bags and go home."

I didn't have the energy to respond to her as I was still thinking of what to do. Ashton, of all people, decided to step up. "You truly are such a bitch Jenna," he said with a frown.

She shrugged. "Maybe but at least I have morals."

It took everything in me not to pounce on her. It wouldn't make the situation better. It'll just make Jenna shut up for two seconds. What happened was gross but like Jay said, we couldn't help what we felt for one another. My heart was split between them both and Jay understood it. Yet, Cyrus couldn't handle it. If only he was able to understand we could have worked something out. For now, it was best that I gave him his space. There was so much information dropped on him that talking now would only deter him even more.

Instead, to get away from Jenna, I went on the hunt for Jay to see if he was ok. He stayed relatively calm throughout the whole thing. Cyrus laid into him pretty hard plus the hit to the face didn't help matters. Jay left as soon as Cyrus told him he was dead to him. That had to sting at least a little. This was his best friend since they were children. Losing him had to be like a stab to the heart. All because of me.

Luckily, I found Jay in one of the bathrooms looking at his lip that was busted from the punch. He immediately noticed me come in as I closed the door behind us. This is the last thing I wanted to happen. Having it even get to a physical point left me feeling upset.

"You didn't have to let him hit you," I say softly. Why would he let him do that?

Jay shrugged. "Honestly, I thought it would make him feel better and I did deserve it a bit." He sighs. "Besides, Cyrus wouldn't charge at me he knows he won't win." That time he smirked.

I roll my eyes. "You don't know that and now your lip is hurt."

He still didn't seem to care too much. "1, Cyrus has never been able to beat me in a fight and that's just simple sparing," he said before turning around toward me. "2, it doesn't matter because it'll heal."

His nonchalant attitude about this perturbed me. It's like he didn't just go through something so traumatic. It was at least traumatic to me. They were best friends. Jay acted as if they never had a relationship before this. Like none of their past mattered to him now. Shouldn't he have been more upset about Cyrus disowning their friendship? The way he handled his emotions was strange to me. I guess he did what he could to get by.

That didn't change how sucky this situation was and now we were in a home where we weren't welcomed by him. I doubt if we were even needed here to see the rest of the wedding. If Cyrus was going to settle at any point, now would be the time. I crushed his heart into tiny little pieces. There's no way he was going to be able to date anyone again after the number we pulled on him. Even if he does forgive me, regaining his trust wouldn't be a simple task.

Noticing my demeanor, Jay grabbed my arm to then pull me into him. His warm embrace always calmed me down. With my head snuggled in his chest, it gave me a second to gather my thoughts and process what could've been. I could still have both of them and be fairly happy. Now the person who was my first love wanted nothing to do with me. This pain would run deep.

"Are you okay gorgeous?" Jay asked me with a light squeeze.

I sighed, not wanting to think about it anymore. "As I'll ever be," is all I muster to say.

Jay agreed with me but kept on a brave face. "Yeah, this day has been sucky."

"What do we do now?" I asked him. "It's not like we can stay here anymore."

He thought before speaking again. "Let's go home," he states.

I looked up at him to see if he was serious or not. We were going to go home but so suddenly? I know Cyrus didn't want to see us but what about everyone else? They were still our friends I'm sure. Most of them knew about our situation so none of this is surprising. Cyrus's reaction was warranted and there was nothing to do but reap the consequences. This day was going to come eventually. Going home was our only option.

Giggling, I look at him amazed by how he kept himself in check. "You're handling this well," I point out. "You just lost your best friend Jay."

"I know but what can I do?" He asked me. "He's going to ask that I stop feeling the way I do about you and I can't do that."

He was right. "He...he asked me that too," I say looking back down.

"And?"

"And I couldn't do it," I admit.

It's not that I couldn't but I didn't want to. I wasn't going to lose Jay because Cyrus wanted me to. We worked so hard on our relationship that I wasn't going to just throw it away. Not only that but we loved each other deeply. Despite what Cyrus may think Jay did love me a lot. More than he's ever loved any girl before which didn't seem like any. So even if I didn't end things with him it's not like we would've been able to stay away for long. That didn't change how much I loved Cyrus though. I wish there was a way that he could accept that.

My response made Jay smile. "You know it's funny," he chuckled. "I always thought you'd choose Cyrus over me in a heartbeat." He finally admits.

I squeeze him tighter almost afraid to admit this to me. "If this were last year, when everything was still brand new I might have." Then I look up at him. "But now...it's not that simple and I couldn't do it. I don't want to lose you."

His hand strokes my cheek with that same sweet smile on his face. "And you never will baby," he coos.

Jay locked us in a sweet, subtle kiss that I wouldn't forget. As messy as our relationship started, what we had was real and no one could get in between that. We were forever linked to each other and after experiencing this loss we were even closer. There was no accounting for how Cyrus would find out about us. This wasn't the way I expected it to happen in the slightest but whatever works. I'm just glad that burden is lifted off our shoulders. It was too much baggage to carry.

Parting lips, Jay winced a little in pain with the scar on his lip. It wasn't too bad all things considered but I didn't doubt that it hurt. He was so honest and calm when talking to Cyrus about what happened. His voice raised here and there but not to the levels that Cyrus took it. He kept himself leveled and accepted the consequences dealt to him. Without him here, that conversation would have gone left so fast. I barely could speak with the way I was crying.

Sadly, we couldn't stay in the bathroom any longer. Jay gathered his things as we stepped out ready to leave this place. As we were making our way to the front door, Farah was there waiting for us. I assumed it was to tell us we were out of the wedding, but she had other plans in mind. No matter what happened, nothing was getting in the way of her having the perfect wedding for her boy. And I mean nothing.

She looked smug as I'm sure Jenna filled her in on what happened. She's been waiting for this moment too. "I see the problem has fixed itself and with great timing," she sounded elated. "Thank you for sparing me the burden of telling my son. That would have been treacherous."

I crossed my arms with a roll of my eyes. "Am I out or what? I don't care about anything else you have to say right now." I wanted to get straight to the point.

That pissed her off but she explained herself anyway. "For this week, you can stay home. There's only a few days until the luncheon and I doubt Cyrus would be calm by then." I doubted it too.

"Wait...so you want me to still be a bridesmaid?" I questioned in shock.

Did she not hear what happened? Her son found out about my secret love affair with his best friend. I highly doubt he wants to see my face let alone be in the same room as me. What was she thinking keeping me here? Was it just so I could see him settle down with Jenna of all people? That was pretty diabolical even for Farah.

"Of course, you're already written in I can't just scrap you now," she says before looking at Jay. "Both of you are still in. This week you're not going to come with us but I expect you there for the rehearsal dinner the following week."

This lady was nuts and Jay thought so as well. "This is stupid," he says pissed off.

Farah smiled and not the good kind of smile. "It's just the name of the game sweetheart," she had no sympathy. "See you both next week."

With that, she walked off leaving Jay and I to look at each other in disbelief. There was no way I would have my child around people they weren't fond of at the moment. Not for some weddings. Farah was on a whole other level of psycho. However, that opened us up to have a great weekend. We sure did need it.