Chapter Forty Five

Mila froze. His fiancé? She didn't even know Jared had a girlfriend. He was getting married?? Why didn’t he mention about it before? She just stood there in shock and well…a little panicky.
"Hi, so you’re the Mila everyone has been talking about. Its finally nice to meet you." Stacy says warmly.
Mila snaps out of her frozen state and smiles. "It's nice to meet you too Stacy, although this is the first time I've heard of you I'm afraid."
She shakes her hand. Stacy laughs. "It’s alright, from all the stories I've heard from pretty much everyone here I feel like I know you."
Mila quickly lets her hand go and gave her a weak smile. She couldn't bear to look at Jared, who was staring at her with a deep frown. "We should get together sometime and get to know each other. I'm going to be a part of the soon. It will be nice to have another friend to back me up from that little hellion."
She laughs as did everyone else but Mila and Jared. He didn’t know what was going on in her head, but he knew something was wrong. He could see she was trying to hide it, and she was doing a good job at it, but she wasn't fooling him. He was afraid to introduce Stacy to her, afraid to mention her at all. He didn't think the two women wouldn’t like each other; it was her reaction that had him nervous. He hated himself for thinking it, but he wanted her to be well.. jealous.
But that wasn’t what he got, instead he registered something different. It lasted only a second, but he saw it. Panic. Why was she frightened for? She’s never met Stacy before, but he also noticed she wouldn’t look at him. What was wrong with her?
"Well I really want to see my grandpa..." she says timidly.
Then without another word she turns on her heels and walks away. Everyone decided to follow her, and Evan came back to Jared’s side.
"Go on Stacy I'll catch up in a moment." He tells her and she walks away.
"I made Kristan go home, told her I was going to take Shasta home with me. She started mumbling about the zoo or something, I don't know." Evan shakes his head in puzzlement making Jared scowl at his words.
So Kristan wasn't going to mention to Evan on the outing after all even when he told her he wasn't going with her unless he was along. Too many times Kristan found ways to get them alone together and he was getting sick of it.
He has told her off so many times but it’s like he was talking to a brick wall when it comes to that woman. He had hoped that getting engaged to Stacy would stop and show her that he will never be interested in her but apparently is hasn’t. Honestly he didn’t know why he did propose to Stacy, other than it was her idea to get married in the first place. She mentioned it, then one moment later they were going out buying rings.
She was funny, sassy, loved kids, she was polite to people, even loved to join charities but he knew deep down he wasn’t in love with her. He cared for her a great deal and she would make a great wife and mother but maybe he hadn’t thought this through. He was only twenty three years old. He knew he was thinking this way because of Mila’s return. He just couldn't seem to get over her.
"How did it go with Mila?" he asks Evan, feeling a bit anxious as they started walking back towards the rooms where Cale was at.
"It went okay I guess; she doesn’t hate me so that’s something. She agreed to go on a walk with me later on today, thought maybe I’d take Shasta with us." he tells him.
Jared tenses at that. "That’s good.” Was all he was able to say.
"Yeah I just want to take it slow, build that trust back up."
Jared stops and looks at him. "What are you saying Evan?"
Evan turns to him with a comprehensive look on his face. "I still love her Jared; I don’t think it ever stopped. I made a mistake and if there is anyway she'll have me back then I'm going to take it."
Mila sat down next to her grandfather holding his hand. Silent tears fell as she watched him sleep. It was five in the afternoon, and she had been there all day not wanting to leave his side. Everyone was gone now except for her, Selena, and Jared. Evan didn't want to leave but Shasta was getting cranky, so he went ahead and took her home. Mila smiled at the way he was being so nice. He stood by her as she sobbed at seeing her strong grandpa looking so pale and weak. Throughout the day he made sure she ate and was comfortable. She even leaned on his shoulder at some point as she had fallen asleep.
She had watched that Stacy chick give her grandpa a kiss on the cheek and talked to him even though he wasn’t awake. She fluffed his pillows and adjusted his blankets, she removed old flowers and replaced them with new ones, she even opened the curtains to let fresh light in. "That way he’s more comfortable."
Mila had to admit the girl was growing on her. She watched as her mother and aunt shed tears and never left their father’s side. Her grandmother was being strong most likely for everyone’s sake. Now they were all gone, and Mila couldn’t bear to leave him. She was alone with him at the moment for Jared and Selena went to go to the cafeteria to grab something to eat.
"Pumpkin?" A croak sounds next to her.
She jerks forward and stares at her papa. "Papa, it’s me, I've come home." S,he softly says tears shining in her eyes.
He smiles weakly. "Good." he says and comes fully awake. "Is everyone gone now?" he asks a bit stronger.
"Yes, well except for Jared and Sel, they went to the cafeteria."
"But we’re alone?" he asks making her smile.
"Yes papa we are."
Cale pushes the button to lift him up straight. "There’s something I must tell you my dear. It’s about Jared."
Mila frowns. "What about him papa?"
"He’s getting married." He starts to breath heavily, causing her to grow a bit alarmed.
Her heart took a stab at hearing it again. "Yes, I know." She states sadly.
Her grandfather watches her reaction as he thought. "Don’t let him pumpkin." He demands with feeling.
She sharply looks up at him. "What? Why not?"
"Because he doesn't love her. He’s not happy and won’t be until..." He starts coughing and Mila begins to panic when he wouldn’t stop.
She quickly calls the nurse, and it took them a minute to finally get it under control. They put him into a nice sleep again and he looked more peaceful, Mila's mind was reeling. What was he trying to tell her? What does he mean does he mean that Jared didn’t love Stacy? He proposed to her. If he didn't love her than why would he do that? She knew her grandfather was trying to tell her something important. Won't be happy until... What?
"Hey is everything alright?" Jared asks after he saw the nurses leave. His face was etched with concern and worry.
At that moment Mila couldn’t believe she could love someone as much as she loved him. Her heart stops for a few beats as her eyes widen in surprise. She was in love with Jared. For how long? Honestly, when had she recognized it without ever really knowing it? She knew she was in love with him, how could she not be?
All the arguments, the disappointments of him not being around when she wanted him to be, her being more upset at losing him than losing anyone else. That night at the movies, she was jealous then and she was jealous now…of Stacy. She was afraid to lose him because she herself was in love with him.
Holy crap.
She quickly gets up, her face completely beet red. "Everything’s fine. He had woken up but is asleep now, we should go." She says in a rush.
Quickly walking around the bed and him she grabs Selena's arm. "Come on Sel, Jared grab our things will you."
She didn't wait for him to say anything but left the room. She pulls Selena along with her as fast as she could.
"Mil, slow down. What's wrong with you?!" Selena looks at her as if she had gone nuts.
"I'm in love with your brother." She suddenly rushes out.
Her best friend jerks her to a stop. "Wait what?!”
Mila looks back towards the room to which Jared was still inside. She looks back at Selena. "I'm in love with your brother, I don’t know when it happened, honestly I think I always have been, but I'm just realizing it now."
"On my god Mila this is amazing!" Selena states excitedly.
"No it isn’t Sel, he’s engaged." Mila walks away from her feeling a bit defeated.
"Oh yeah." Selena's shoulders drop.
She sits down on one of the chairs in the lobby. “What am I going to do?" She feels hopeless and like a fool that it took her this long to understand all those unfamiliar feelings she’s been having since she was fourteen years old. Looking devastated she threads her hands in her hair looking at the ground.
"About what?" Jared asks suddenly by their side.
Both girls jerk at his voice. "Nothing" They both state at the same time.
He raises his eyebrows at them, wondering what they were up too.
"Hey you guys!" Ian yells as he comes through the entrance.
"Ian!" Mila says in relief, seeing a way out of this dangerous conversation.
"Mila, hey." He gives her a huge hug. "How are you holding up?" he asks her carefully, checking her face for any signs that could give him a hint of what she wasn’t willing to say to anyone.
Jared scowls at the fact that he wasn't letting her go. Selena sees it and couldn't help the big smile come across her face. Unbelievable, two people secretly in love with each other. And her best friend and brother no less! This was going to get really interesting, and she couldn’t help the sudden excitement of what could possibly lay ahead. Unless it went horribly wrong. Jared was pinning after a girl after all these years, just to find out that same gin pinned after him as well. Life is strange indeed.
Selena walks up and breaks their conversation. "Come on babe lets go see Cale, Jared needs to take Mila home. She still has that evening out with Evan." She couldn’t help saying on purpose.
It’s going to be fun watching her brother squirm now. “Oh shit, you’re right. I had forgotten about Evan!"
Selena huffs in disappointment. She was trying to make her brother jealous but saying it like that on Mila's part wasn’t helping. What started with a scowl ended with a smirk.