| Title: Getting Reacquainted Author: Priscilla Chapter 5 "Ahh yeah hi, can I come in please?" Gavin asked. It was cold outside and he'd been contemplating knocking on the door for over twenty minutes. He was freezing. "Sure, come on in." Jane said getting over the initial shock of having him on her front steps. Gavin walked further into the house; looking around a bit he noticed the many paintings on the walls, the colorful decorations. He smiled to himself; it suited her in a way. "So, what's up?" She asked sitting down and handing Gavin a cup of coffee, gesturing for him to do the same. Gavin took off his coat and sat down across from her. He took one sip of the dark liquid and felt like gagging. It tasted like tar to him for some reason. He put the cup down and ran a hand through his hair. "I wanted to talk, about us." Gavin said looking into her eyes. Jane shrugged her shoulders. "Ok, so talk." She said trying to sound nonchalant. Inside she was all in knots. "Where is all this anger towards me coming from Jane? I'm trying to come halfway here, I really am, but your making it impossible." Jane let a out a long sigh. She didn't want to talk about it. In her mind, they could re-start right here, right now, and not have to dwell on what went wrong the first time. But Gavin wasn't going to let up until he got answers. "I don't know why I'm doing this." She said more to herself than to him. "I guess I'm still angry." Jane said looking down at her hands. She didn't want to show the tears glistening in her eyes. "Because I left?" Jane let out a shaky breath and shrugged her shoulders again. "I thought you'd moved on to bigger and better things. You never called..." "Neither did you, love." Gavin said, reaching out and taking hold of her hands in his. "I want to start over....... because you and Wesley were the most important people to me at one point. I just don't believe that I can walk away from this without knowing I did everything possible to make it work." He said squeezing her hands reassuringly. Jane turned her tear filled eyes up to his. Not knowing what to say for a minute, unsure if he was genuine. "I really missed you Gav." She said before enveloping him in a hug. It was amazing, how she could make him irate one moment and completely smitten with her the next. Gavin closed his eyes and breathed in her perfume. She was intoxicating, addictive even, but then there was Jasmine and their never-ending struggle. If these feelings he was getting for Jane kept growing, Gavin didn't see a point in depriving himself of true happiness when Jasmine seemed intent on ruining her life. ********************** The music was too loud and the lighting was terrible, but at least she was away from Gavin. Jasmine sat at what could only be described as the "beautiful" table. She'd met up with some of the girls from her modeling agency and gone partying. Who needed Gavin and his patronizing attitude? Who did he think he was anyway? A saint? "Hey Jasmine! How are you?" Gabriella asked excitedly. Jasmine smiled and hugged her friend. They'd become good friends since being paired with the same photographers so many times. "I'm alright. What's going on?" "Nothing much right now, but I've got something in mind." She said giddily. Gabriella pulled a little plastic bag from her pocket and smiled, waving it in Jasmine's face. "You want in?" Jasmine felt the sudden urge to say no. Maybe Gavin's words really had struck a chord in her.....but she needed a hit so bad.... Without another thought Jasmine smiled back at Gabriella and nodded her head. "Let's do it." She said, following Gabriella upstair for their own private party. **************************** She didn't know what time it was, only that it was late. The streets were deserted and the world seemed to tilt at odd moments. She must have passed out a little while after taking the hit...... Jasmine took very careful steps, doing everything possible to not wake Gavin. If he was even home that is. She closed the door behind her and locked it. Gavin cleared his throat, the sound resonating in the darkness, startling Jasmine. He was sitting on a small couch facing the doorway. "Gavin what are you doing up?" She asked for loss of anything else to ask. Gavin got up from the couch and flicked on the overhead light, showing the couple suitcases next to the door. Jasmine eyed them confusedly, her brows knitting. "What is all this?" She asked. Gavin ran a hand through his hair and placed his hands in his pockets. "I thought about what you said Jas. About this not working for either of us anymore, and I made a decision. I think we should go our separate ways." He finished quickly before he lost his nerve. "So you took it upon yourself to pack my things for me, how thoughtful." Jasmine seethed sarcastically. "That's just perfect Gavin, you're kicking me out. Well fine! I don't need you anymore." She said nearly in hysterics. She walked past him and picked up the phone to call the front desk. "Hi, this is Jasmine Silverstone, can you please send someone up to room 1126 to help me with my bags? I'll be checking out shortly." She said and hung up. Turning back to Gavin, she crossed her arms over her chest, locking her stunning emerald green eyes with his honey brown. "Jasmine I--" She cut him off with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's ok Gavin, I knew it was coming and I have to say I'm kind of surprised you put up with me this long." The rage inside her seemed to have melted away, leaving behind a defeated woman. "It'll be fine. I need this. To know that the next time I fall you won't be there to pick me up again." Gavin watched her trembling form and felt his heart breaking slowly. He did love her; just not the way she needed him to. Not anymore. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, whispering soft murmurs of regret and forgiveness. There was a knock on the door and Jasmine pulled back, breaking the embrace. "My 'helpers' are here." She smiled wryly up at him, caressed the side of his face with a cold palm and said, "I love you, no matter what." and walked past him to open the door. Gavin watched the two young men pick up Jasmine's bags. Just as she was about to leave, Jasmine turned and smiled at him. Gavin forced a slight smile back. "See you around." She said, voice hoarse with barely suppressed tears, she seemed to hesitate a moment, then walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Title: Getting Reacquainted Author: Priscilla Chapter 6 It was raining again. She found it odd; how she felt more at ease with herself and everything going on in her life when it was raining. Some people would call that weird but it was normal to her. Jane had never really thought of herself as normal growing up; she'd always felt a slight disconnection from herself and those around her. Until she met Wesley and Gavin. There had been an instant connection because they were all outcasts in their own ways. All longing for companionship one way or the other..... Fresh tears sprung up in her eyes at the memory. God, it hurt to think about it. She didn't want to feel like this anymore. Sighing, Jane put the paintbrush down and walked over to the window. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't make it to the phone in time. "Hello?" She asked breathlessly, brushing stray strands of her hair behind her ears. "Jane?" Asked the woman on the other end. "Yes, this is she." Jane asked politely. The person seemed familiar but she couldn't put a face with the voice. "It's Brenda." Jane wanted to slap herself. Brenda was her art backer provider in New York. Hopefully she had some good news. "Hey, what's up?" Jane asked holding her breath. Business had been sort of slow lately and she could admit that her painting had been pushed down on her priority list due to the stuff going on with Gavin. "Well I have excellent news for you. Remember Stephen Bale from the art show last Fall? Well, he saw the paintings you just sent us and he was very interested, bought about three of them. But that's not all of it, he wanted me to ask if you'd be interested in coming to New York for a series of festival shows he's putting on. It'll be about a week and a half long. A lot of important people in the art world are going to attend and I think it would do you a world of good." Jane listened intently on the other line. Brenda was very excited; she hadn't taken a breath since she started to speak. "Brenda, I don't know, I just moved here and I can't just pick up and leave the house unattended. Besides, where would I get the money to just fly in to New York and stay there for the festival?" "No problem. Mr. Bale has offered to pay for your trip in full." Jane's eyes grew wide and a faint smile garnished her features. "Well, then I guess there's nothing else to do but say yes! When do I leave?" "Wonderful! Umm you leave tomorrow. The flight leaves at 6:45 a.m. and the tickets are waiting at the airport." Brenda said happily. "Thanks Bren, I'll see you sometime tomorrow then. Bye." Jane could not believe her luck, this could be the beginning of everything she'd wanted career wise. Her life was coming together and everything was falling into place. The knock on her front door brought her out of her thoughts. That was beginning to become a very annoying habit around people she knew. She went downstairs and swung the door open without looking first, that was becoming a nasty habit too. Gavin was dressed in black cargo pants and a white t-shirt that read: DROP THE DEBT on the front. His hair was disheveled and tucked in behind his ears, his blinding white smile firmly in place. Jane held back the inward groan that threatened to escape her. She must look like a drowned mouse in her baggy clothes, covered in drops of paint. Her hair was up in a sloppy pony tail. No make-up. "Hey, how are you doing this fine morning?" He asked, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Ahh fine." Oh what she wouldn't give to be able to turn back time, to look the slightest bit more presentable. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" Gavin asked amusedly eyeing her paint covered clothes. Jane shook her head smiling and pointed in the direction of her work space. "No, you just caught me at work." "You paint? Can I see?" Jane could have laughed out loud at the look on his face. Sort of like a kid that had been offered a chance to see Santa putting the presents under the tree. "Sure you can, come on." She said leading the way. Gavin looked around, completely immersed in the colors and drawings that surrounded him. He loved the skill and artistry that painting represented. He would love to do it himself but he had problems drawing a stick figure. "I can't believe you painted these. Their unbelievable." He said while staring at a painting of a little cottage by the sea. Jane smiled to herself. "Thanks, it took me long enough to finish it." Her smile faded when she remembered her earlier conversation with Brenda. She was about to say something when he interrupted her. "I have to fly to New York tomorrow, an interview of some kind, and I came over here to see if you'd come with me. I, um, am supposed to stay for like two weeks for some other things and didn't see the point in going alone." Jane was absolutely certain her jaw had just hit the floor. Of all the people he could of asked to go with him, he'd asked her. Maybe this really was her lucky day. "Actually, I was just going to ask you the same thing. I have a series of art shows in New York coming up and I'd love if you'd come with me." "Then it's settled, we're off to NYC. You packed?" |