No One Does It Better

“How did it go?” Jakes voice asked through the phone. I tapped my fingers on the window pane as I thought about telling him about my mother and about Mike. I moved my head away from the window to face towards the doorway. Mike was lying on the couch with his head hanging upside down from the side, he smiled at me playfully which forced a smile onto my face.
“It was actually pretty good.” I answered with an apparent smile in my voice, turning back to face out the window.
“I’m glad baby… I really miss you. I’ve been feeling really different without you around.” He uttered. A sad look grew on my face, guilt started moving its way through me.
“Me too babe.” I mumbled. “Me too.” It wasn’t a lie… I was feeling different without Jake around. Whether it was better or worse… I wasn’t sure.

---

I stepped into the living room, clearing my throat to get Mikes attention. He lifted his tattooed body up so that he was facing me from across the room.

“I think we should talk.” I mumbled looking down at my hands. I lifted my head to see his worried expression. “I mean really talk. No yelling, No screaming…. And no kissing” I spoke, slightly blushing at the last word. Mike smiled nodding his head.
He patted the couch beside him indicating for me to sit down.

“Okay” Mike said uncomfortably. “Where do we start?” He asked scratching the back of his head.
I sat silently trying to think of what I should say. I looked up sheepishly shrugging my shoulders causing him to chuckle.
“Well how about I start?” Mike suggested which I hummed in response to.
“What is going to happen when we both go back to Arizona tomorrow? Will it go back to the avoiding and awkward conversations?” He asked.
I thought hard about it for awhile before answering.
“I really don’t know Mike. I mean, Jake knows about us… all about us.”
Mike frowned in confusion.
“So he doesn’t want us to be friends…at all?” Mike questioned slightly upset.
“Do you really think that we can ever manage being just friends” I almost laughed.
“It’s either everything or nothing right? We can’t be in-between.” Mike sighed knowing that it was the only way it would work. I nodded.
I looked over at Mike and realised there was something I needed to make clear.
“Mike… I need you to realise that I’m not anywhere near ready to be close with you in that sense. I’m still hurt about what happened even though it was a long time ago. I’m still trying to convince myself that you’re meant to be the bad guy. There’s a part of me that wants to kick you out of my house for the things you said and then there is this other part of me that doesn’t ever want you to leave especially after the past few days…and I don’t know which side of me is the side I need to listen to.” I thought out loud. Mike nodded his head, it was clear from his expression that he wasn’t hurt.
We sat in comfortable silence as the ticking of the clock echoed through the room.
“I’ve been really thinking the past few months.” Mike stated breaking the silence “…and I’ve stopped feeling sorry for myself and realised what I need to do… I know the time when we were younger and things were perfect is over but I need you to realise that there is no way I can ever get over you. You may not want to be with me and you may end up marrying Jake, having a bunch of kids, living in a big house…but I won’t give up trying. You can push me away, hell, you could put a restraining order on me but that could never stop me from thinking about you every day until I die... I’ll do what you want Jessie. You want me to stop talking to you… Fine. You want me to move out of the state… Okay. But if you tell me you need me, just know I would drop anything just to be by your side.”
I stared at his face letting his words rush over me. I was stuck, I didn’t know what to say.
“Mike I don’t know what to do.” I said letting a tear fall down my face softly. “I’m so confused about everything.”

A sympathetic smile was place on Mike’s face.
“I know it’s hard Jessie and I know what we have to do.” He stated passing me a tissue. I looked at him hopefully. “When we get back to Arizona, I’m going to give you your space. If you call me I’ll answer, but I’m not going to go out of my way to see you. I’m going to let you have time with Jake to figure out what you want. I don’t care how long it takes… I’ll wait” Mike said surely.
I nodded my head “Okay” I whispered.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“Are you sure you’re ready to do this JessJess?” My dad asked me, sitting beside me at the table.
“Dad, I’ve turned him down at least 10 times now. I couldn’t keep doing that to him.” I mumbled putting my face in my hands.
“You can’t force yourself to like someone honey. It doesn’t work that way. Oh! And don’t try to use ‘what’s his name’ as a replacement for Mike. It’ll just end up confusing you.” He said pulling me into a hug.
“His name is Jake, Dad.” I said giggling, standing up as I heard the doorbell.
I walked over to the front door, pulling it open to reveal Jake standing in front of me smiling.
“Ready?” he asked putting out his hand. I nodded my head placing my hand in his.
Maybe I wasn’t meant for Mike after all. Maybe Jake and I were meant to end up together…

---

Jake and I sat on a bench facing the ocean. We had spent the last few hours talking nonstop. I felt really comfortable around Jake, not even Mike had lodged his way into my thoughts...yet.
“Jessie?” Jake asked. I looked over at Jake waiting for him to ask his question. “You know those times when you stare at the same spot for hours?” He asked with caution in his voice. I nodded my head waiting for him to continue. “…Well, last time you did that… I saw you cry…What’s wrong Jessie? What do you think about?”

I could see in Jake’s face that he was truly worried. He wasn’t just being nosey.
I sighed knowing that I owed Jake an explanation.
“There was this guy…” I started. Jake looked me in the eyes intently holing my hand in support.
This was going to be a long conversation.