On The Ledge
nine - dark days always brighten up
Classified - Breaking Up
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They both stood up and he put his suit jacket over her shoulders. She breathed in his scent while he put his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the reception.
She climbed into the passenger seat and crossed her arms over her chest, the black jacket completely covering her. He sat in the drivers seat and pulled at his tie, loosening it and let out a sigh.
"That was a long day"
"Your brother seems happy" he nodded in response and then pursed his lips before speaking, "You ever think about getting married?"
The question caught Liv off guard and she shook her head, "Why?"
"I don't know, after what happened with Summer it seems like it would be impossible now"
She shrugged, "You? A multi million dollar athlete for the Pittsburgh Penguins...you could have anyone you wanted. I'm sure any one of them would marry you. Now someone like me, a lowly reporter who makes alot less than half the money you do, will be lucky to have a relationship that lasts as long as my last one did, and probably won't end any better" he was silent for a minute and she finally looked up at him and he narrowed his eyes, "You don't think much of yourself"
"When your boyfriend makes you feel like you're worthless by sleeping with every other girl he laid eyes on, then you'd probably feel the same way" her eyes were watering but she looked away from him so he wouldn't see her.
"How about when your girlfriend leaves for another guy because you aren't enough for her"
"We really are in the same boat" he nodded and she wiped her eyes and took a breath.
"I could really use my bed" he said putting the keys in the ignition.
She nodded in agreement and he reversed out of the spot and pulled out onto the road, "Why didn't you fight for her?"
"Excuse me?" the question even caught her off guard and she had no idea why she asked it, "Why don't you guys ever fight?"
"Why didn't you?"
"Because it was clear he didn't want me"
"Exactly"
The car was silent again until they got to the house and they both went their separate ways without a word.
Liv changed out of her dress into clothes she was more comfortable in, a baggy pair of pajama pants and a tank top. She pulled her hair out, the braid making it go wavy, and she pulled it into a ponytail. She wiped the makeup off and fell back onto her bed, still not as comfortable as her own. There was a part of her that wished she could go downstairs, but she didn't have the guts for that.
Mark's face swam through her head and she closed her eyes doing anything she could to block him out. What I would do to have a drink right now
"Liv?" there was a knock on the door and she jumped up, putting her hand over her heart, "James what are you doing?"
He opened the door and stood in the doorway, "I need to ask you something"
"Okay..." she waited impatiently as he sat next to her on the bed. He sighed and finally spoke, "I was supposed to propose to her" he said, "I had the ring and everything" Liv's eyes were wide now, but she didn't interrupt him, "I was totally and completely in love with her, blindly in love. We had reservations and she didn't show up. I called her and she said we needed to talk and she told me everything so I kicked her out" he paused for a minute but then continued, "I know it sounds harsh, but I couldn't stand the sight of her but at the same time I couldn't help but think about her. For months I just--" Liv stopped him by placing her hand on his arm, "James why are you doing this?"
"Because you're the only one that understands this and I need to let this out or I'll burst"
The entire night they exchanged their stories and Liv felt this connection, the one she had when she first saw him the first day with her camera at that rink. She finally understood his brokenness. It was like a weight was lifted off of both their shoulders.
James heard his family come in the door around 3am and Liv had fallen asleep just before. He took the blanket and draped it over her and met his family downstairs.
"Hey" his brother was a little rowdy and Rebecca was beat tired. He was surprised his parents lasted as long as they did, "Where's Liv?" Deborah asked, "Why did you two leave?"
"She wasn't feeling great, so I took her home"
She smiled, "You always were a gentleman, I don't know why Summer let you go" he swallowed hard and shook his head, "I"m going to bed mom, try and sleep that off" she nodded him off and his father helped her upstairs.
James woke up fairly early for how late he was up and looked over to see Liv next to him. He was a bit nervous that this was going to become a habit for her. He raised an eyebrow and gently shook her awake, "Liv" she groaned and stretched a little before turning to face James, "Oh hi"
"When did you come down here?"
"I woke up after I heard some doors slamming upstairs and you weren't there...I'm sorry, is it wrong that I need you next to me to sleep? I don't dream about him when you're here" he was a little surprised to hear the words come out of her mouth, "I'm sorry, I'm just really tired and I say stupid things..."
He shook his head, "It's not stupid"
She yawned and pulled the covers over her head, "Tell me I have more time to sleep"
"We leave after lunch, it's only 8, go back to sleep" he watched as her eyes slowly closed and a small smile appeared on her lips. She pulled the covers over her tightly and snuggled in, and was out cold again. He stayed with her until she woke up, making sure she didn't dream about him again.
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They both stood up and he put his suit jacket over her shoulders. She breathed in his scent while he put his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the reception.
She climbed into the passenger seat and crossed her arms over her chest, the black jacket completely covering her. He sat in the drivers seat and pulled at his tie, loosening it and let out a sigh.
"That was a long day"
"Your brother seems happy" he nodded in response and then pursed his lips before speaking, "You ever think about getting married?"
The question caught Liv off guard and she shook her head, "Why?"
"I don't know, after what happened with Summer it seems like it would be impossible now"
She shrugged, "You? A multi million dollar athlete for the Pittsburgh Penguins...you could have anyone you wanted. I'm sure any one of them would marry you. Now someone like me, a lowly reporter who makes alot less than half the money you do, will be lucky to have a relationship that lasts as long as my last one did, and probably won't end any better" he was silent for a minute and she finally looked up at him and he narrowed his eyes, "You don't think much of yourself"
"When your boyfriend makes you feel like you're worthless by sleeping with every other girl he laid eyes on, then you'd probably feel the same way" her eyes were watering but she looked away from him so he wouldn't see her.
"How about when your girlfriend leaves for another guy because you aren't enough for her"
"We really are in the same boat" he nodded and she wiped her eyes and took a breath.
"I could really use my bed" he said putting the keys in the ignition.
She nodded in agreement and he reversed out of the spot and pulled out onto the road, "Why didn't you fight for her?"
"Excuse me?" the question even caught her off guard and she had no idea why she asked it, "Why don't you guys ever fight?"
"Why didn't you?"
"Because it was clear he didn't want me"
"Exactly"
The car was silent again until they got to the house and they both went their separate ways without a word.
Liv changed out of her dress into clothes she was more comfortable in, a baggy pair of pajama pants and a tank top. She pulled her hair out, the braid making it go wavy, and she pulled it into a ponytail. She wiped the makeup off and fell back onto her bed, still not as comfortable as her own. There was a part of her that wished she could go downstairs, but she didn't have the guts for that.
Mark's face swam through her head and she closed her eyes doing anything she could to block him out. What I would do to have a drink right now
"Liv?" there was a knock on the door and she jumped up, putting her hand over her heart, "James what are you doing?"
He opened the door and stood in the doorway, "I need to ask you something"
"Okay..." she waited impatiently as he sat next to her on the bed. He sighed and finally spoke, "I was supposed to propose to her" he said, "I had the ring and everything" Liv's eyes were wide now, but she didn't interrupt him, "I was totally and completely in love with her, blindly in love. We had reservations and she didn't show up. I called her and she said we needed to talk and she told me everything so I kicked her out" he paused for a minute but then continued, "I know it sounds harsh, but I couldn't stand the sight of her but at the same time I couldn't help but think about her. For months I just--" Liv stopped him by placing her hand on his arm, "James why are you doing this?"
"Because you're the only one that understands this and I need to let this out or I'll burst"
The entire night they exchanged their stories and Liv felt this connection, the one she had when she first saw him the first day with her camera at that rink. She finally understood his brokenness. It was like a weight was lifted off of both their shoulders.
James heard his family come in the door around 3am and Liv had fallen asleep just before. He took the blanket and draped it over her and met his family downstairs.
"Hey" his brother was a little rowdy and Rebecca was beat tired. He was surprised his parents lasted as long as they did, "Where's Liv?" Deborah asked, "Why did you two leave?"
"She wasn't feeling great, so I took her home"
She smiled, "You always were a gentleman, I don't know why Summer let you go" he swallowed hard and shook his head, "I"m going to bed mom, try and sleep that off" she nodded him off and his father helped her upstairs.
James woke up fairly early for how late he was up and looked over to see Liv next to him. He was a bit nervous that this was going to become a habit for her. He raised an eyebrow and gently shook her awake, "Liv" she groaned and stretched a little before turning to face James, "Oh hi"
"When did you come down here?"
"I woke up after I heard some doors slamming upstairs and you weren't there...I'm sorry, is it wrong that I need you next to me to sleep? I don't dream about him when you're here" he was a little surprised to hear the words come out of her mouth, "I'm sorry, I'm just really tired and I say stupid things..."
He shook his head, "It's not stupid"
She yawned and pulled the covers over her head, "Tell me I have more time to sleep"
"We leave after lunch, it's only 8, go back to sleep" he watched as her eyes slowly closed and a small smile appeared on her lips. She pulled the covers over her tightly and snuggled in, and was out cold again. He stayed with her until she woke up, making sure she didn't dream about him again.