You Left Me to Remain With All Your Excuses for Everything
Eplilogue
“My feet hurt,” Jackie whined as she rested her head against Austin’s chest and he held onto her waist gently. Now another year had passed. Jackie had managed to move past everything she’d been through with Tyler, and they remained friends, but they both knew nothing else could ever happen between them again. She had found Austin now, and he was everything to her.
Madison and Josh were now sharing her room in the apartment that she and Jackie shared. Josh had moved in not long after Jackie’s break up with Tyler, in order to help cover Jackie’s half of the rent while she found another job. They were all getting along nicely.
Austin had also moved into the apartment after dating Jackie for six months, because his roommate had moved out of their apartment and he decided it would be easier to split rent with three people then try and make it on his own with just his band income, which like Josh’s still wasn’t much. His band was called Hinder. They were originally from Oklahoma City but had made the transition to Los Angeles in order to have better chance at getting signed by a record label. Jackie had kept her three kittens, and often joked with Austin that they were her children and he had to adopt them. He never protested.
Tyler hadn’t spoken to Christine again. The divorce went by smoothly and was finalized just under a year after she had filed the papers, and everything had been taken care of entirely by their attorneys. He hadn’t gotten involved with another woman, deciding that he needed some time alone to figure out what he needed out of life and out of a woman. He was eternally grateful for the fact that Jackie had decided to remain his friend even after everything he put her through. He couldn’t give her enough credit for that.
Austin laughed at Jackie a little bit and she pouted. “It’s not funny, they hurt,” she whined.
“There is a solution to that problem, Jackie,” he said and smiled at her. She smiled back.
“And what is that?” she asked with a little bit of laughter in her voice.
“We could, stop dancing,” he said. She frowned a little bit.
“Why would we do that?” she asked with a bit of a pout. He laughed again and kissed her mouth.
“Because, Mrs. Winkler, your feet hurt,” he said. She smiled brightly then and her eyes lit up as he called her by his last name. He laughed and pulled her tightly against his body as they danced slowly to the music that was playing through the room.
“But I want to dance with you,” she said and rested her head on his shoulder again. Madison and Josh passed her then and Madison shot her a look.
“You are going to mess your hair up! It took me hours to get it like that!” she said. Jackie flipped her off and she scoffed in mock offence. Josh pulled her away then.
“Shut up,” he told her and she glared at him. He laughed and kissed her hard on her mouth.
“You’re going to think twice about telling me to shut up later,” she winked. He laughed and continued to dance with her.
Jackie looked up at Austin and smiled again. “Aren’t you having a nice time?” she asked.
“Of course I’m having a nice time,” he said with his own smile. He turned then slightly at a tap on his shoulder. He was a little annoyed to see Tyler standing behind him. “Yea?” he asked.
“Mind if I cut in for a minute?” Tyler asked. Austin sighed a little bit.
“No, of course not,” he said and stepped away from Jackie. He watched for a minute as she adjusted herself to his body before walking away. He still wasn’t Tyler’s biggest fan, but he tried his hardest to be civil to him so that Jackie would be happy. He found that for the most part he was rather successful.
“You look beautiful, Jackie,” Tyler said as he swayed with her to the soft music. She smiled.
“Thank you,” she said. “You look good too.” She was happy to finally feel comfortable with him now, without all of that pain rushing up inside of her.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“Yes, I am very happy…he’s so good to me,” she said gently. He smiled and nodded.
“I’m happy for you…I’m glad he can give you what you need. And I’m sorry I couldn’t.”
“At least part of this dream came true,” she said then.
“What dream?” he asked cautiously. She took a deep breath.
“I used to dream about dancing with you in a wedding dress,” she said with a little bit of the old hurt lining her words. He frowned a little bit and looked down at her pretty white dress with black trim. Then he looked back up at her and smiled a smile she didn’t trust.
“With me in a wedding dress?” he asked. She glared at him and he struggled to keep a straight face. “I’m wearing a suit, baby.”
“Yes Tyler, with you in a wedding dress. Let’s trade clothes. I’m pretty sure this will fit you, you’re skinny. It might be a little big in the chest, but that’s okay we’ll manage,” she said. He frowned then at her ruining his joke. She grinned and he spun her around. She danced with him for a little while longer before deciding to throw her bouquet. “Alright, all the single ladies!” she shouted, “Gather around! I wish you all luck!” she shouted as all her single friends grouped together. She closed her eyes and tossed the bouquet of roses over her head and listened to all the cheers and crashes.
“Fuck yes bitches!” Madison yelled with excitement and held the flowers up with victory. “See this Josh! Look at it! Take it all in! This right here means the next wedding you and I are at! Will be ours!” she yelled. He laughed from across the room and nodded.
“You’re right, it will be! But now you ruined the surprise!” he shouted back at her, leaving her dumbstruck in the middle of the dance floor. “Don’t choke on that ring in your champagne glass okay!”
Jackie laughed then and hugged Madison tightly. “Congratulations!” she said with happiness. Madison hugged her back.
“Thank you so much!” She said, “And I’m so happy for you!”
“Thank you,” Jackie laughed and hugged her best friend again. The reception went on for a few more hours before Jackie and Austin left for their honeymoon. Finally everything seemed to be where it belonged, and she was finally happy to have a man she could call her own and never have to hurt the way she had before again.
Madison and Josh were now sharing her room in the apartment that she and Jackie shared. Josh had moved in not long after Jackie’s break up with Tyler, in order to help cover Jackie’s half of the rent while she found another job. They were all getting along nicely.
Austin had also moved into the apartment after dating Jackie for six months, because his roommate had moved out of their apartment and he decided it would be easier to split rent with three people then try and make it on his own with just his band income, which like Josh’s still wasn’t much. His band was called Hinder. They were originally from Oklahoma City but had made the transition to Los Angeles in order to have better chance at getting signed by a record label. Jackie had kept her three kittens, and often joked with Austin that they were her children and he had to adopt them. He never protested.
Tyler hadn’t spoken to Christine again. The divorce went by smoothly and was finalized just under a year after she had filed the papers, and everything had been taken care of entirely by their attorneys. He hadn’t gotten involved with another woman, deciding that he needed some time alone to figure out what he needed out of life and out of a woman. He was eternally grateful for the fact that Jackie had decided to remain his friend even after everything he put her through. He couldn’t give her enough credit for that.
Austin laughed at Jackie a little bit and she pouted. “It’s not funny, they hurt,” she whined.
“There is a solution to that problem, Jackie,” he said and smiled at her. She smiled back.
“And what is that?” she asked with a little bit of laughter in her voice.
“We could, stop dancing,” he said. She frowned a little bit.
“Why would we do that?” she asked with a bit of a pout. He laughed again and kissed her mouth.
“Because, Mrs. Winkler, your feet hurt,” he said. She smiled brightly then and her eyes lit up as he called her by his last name. He laughed and pulled her tightly against his body as they danced slowly to the music that was playing through the room.
“But I want to dance with you,” she said and rested her head on his shoulder again. Madison and Josh passed her then and Madison shot her a look.
“You are going to mess your hair up! It took me hours to get it like that!” she said. Jackie flipped her off and she scoffed in mock offence. Josh pulled her away then.
“Shut up,” he told her and she glared at him. He laughed and kissed her hard on her mouth.
“You’re going to think twice about telling me to shut up later,” she winked. He laughed and continued to dance with her.
Jackie looked up at Austin and smiled again. “Aren’t you having a nice time?” she asked.
“Of course I’m having a nice time,” he said with his own smile. He turned then slightly at a tap on his shoulder. He was a little annoyed to see Tyler standing behind him. “Yea?” he asked.
“Mind if I cut in for a minute?” Tyler asked. Austin sighed a little bit.
“No, of course not,” he said and stepped away from Jackie. He watched for a minute as she adjusted herself to his body before walking away. He still wasn’t Tyler’s biggest fan, but he tried his hardest to be civil to him so that Jackie would be happy. He found that for the most part he was rather successful.
“You look beautiful, Jackie,” Tyler said as he swayed with her to the soft music. She smiled.
“Thank you,” she said. “You look good too.” She was happy to finally feel comfortable with him now, without all of that pain rushing up inside of her.
“Are you happy?” he asked.
“Yes, I am very happy…he’s so good to me,” she said gently. He smiled and nodded.
“I’m happy for you…I’m glad he can give you what you need. And I’m sorry I couldn’t.”
“At least part of this dream came true,” she said then.
“What dream?” he asked cautiously. She took a deep breath.
“I used to dream about dancing with you in a wedding dress,” she said with a little bit of the old hurt lining her words. He frowned a little bit and looked down at her pretty white dress with black trim. Then he looked back up at her and smiled a smile she didn’t trust.
“With me in a wedding dress?” he asked. She glared at him and he struggled to keep a straight face. “I’m wearing a suit, baby.”
“Yes Tyler, with you in a wedding dress. Let’s trade clothes. I’m pretty sure this will fit you, you’re skinny. It might be a little big in the chest, but that’s okay we’ll manage,” she said. He frowned then at her ruining his joke. She grinned and he spun her around. She danced with him for a little while longer before deciding to throw her bouquet. “Alright, all the single ladies!” she shouted, “Gather around! I wish you all luck!” she shouted as all her single friends grouped together. She closed her eyes and tossed the bouquet of roses over her head and listened to all the cheers and crashes.
“Fuck yes bitches!” Madison yelled with excitement and held the flowers up with victory. “See this Josh! Look at it! Take it all in! This right here means the next wedding you and I are at! Will be ours!” she yelled. He laughed from across the room and nodded.
“You’re right, it will be! But now you ruined the surprise!” he shouted back at her, leaving her dumbstruck in the middle of the dance floor. “Don’t choke on that ring in your champagne glass okay!”
Jackie laughed then and hugged Madison tightly. “Congratulations!” she said with happiness. Madison hugged her back.
“Thank you so much!” She said, “And I’m so happy for you!”
“Thank you,” Jackie laughed and hugged her best friend again. The reception went on for a few more hours before Jackie and Austin left for their honeymoon. Finally everything seemed to be where it belonged, and she was finally happy to have a man she could call her own and never have to hurt the way she had before again.