*time-bomb set into motion {emma/ellie

[jersey reydner]

Jersey's phone had buzzed hours later as it was laying on his bedside. He'd lazily rolled over and tapped it to open... Only to see the text message. Well, that was just great. Jersey felt like a jerk now, because you know, he was kind of the one who drove her to leave her own house. Making excuses to cover up more excuses to hide dirty little truths that really shouldn't of been there. He curled his hands over his phone and had entered hastily into it "Meet me at Starbucks. The 24-hour one. We'll talk and get through this, okay?"

And with that, Jersey threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans, a pair of vans or converse (it was dark so he really couldn't see what he was doing...) and then got in his car... At one in the morning, yes, but it was still happening. And he drove to the Starbucks, where he ordered two scones and two coffees, both of which were their mutual favorites.

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[Ellie Mankelow]

When receiving the text, Ellie just stared at it. He couldn't be serious. It was almost one o'clock in the morning and he expected her to go down to Starbucks?. Ugh. Reluctantly she agreed to it. She threw on a new jumper and wrapped and tied a scarf around her. She quickly ducked into the bathroom. Hoping that the light wouldn't reflect into Abby's room and in the end, wake her up. Ellie put her hair into a messy bun and re applied her mascara which had smudged. When she felt that she looked half decent she grabbed her phone and keys and was out the door.

The drive to Starbucks didn't take long. There was no traffic as it was only very early in the morning and it was quite close to her residence. As she pulled up, she could see Jersey sitting in their regular spot. She sighed and slowly got out the car and walked inside. Before she went over to sit with Jersey, she ordered her sister a coffee too. She figured she'd bring it home to her to avoid the constant questions about how she was with. Once she got her order she brang it over to the table and placed it with the others. "I got one for my sister." She explained. Ellie placed her phone and keys in front of her and looked at Jersey, "So, you wanted to meet?"

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[jersey reydner]

Jersey nodded at the sister comment. He wondered why Abby would want coffee at one in the morning, but then again, anybody would wonder why he'd want coffee at that time in the morning, especially with his pretty bad ADHD and probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep until the caffeine wore off, so he'd be up for hours, but still. Abby never stroke him as the kind who was a coffee drinker, but to each his own. Jersey nodded and took his coffee cup in his hands before sipping it carefully. To nurse a minor hangover, it might do the trick. Who knew, maybe it'd just end up being something that would make it worse later on. Frankly, Jersey didn't care because he already had a headache from all the drama that had been going down recently.

And that's when Jersey started to talk about why he'd told her to meet him. "So first off, I'm sorry. Again, I know. I've been sugarcoating apologies like almonds and that's really unfair to you because you're amazing and I keep on saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and I'm just an utter failure. I'm sorry for everything, I'm sorry for not being perfect or not having the right timing and I'm sincerely sorry for that." Jersey nervously picked at the coffee cup and then continued on. "But, uhm, yeah. I don't want you to be so down on yourself. People make mistakes, and shit happens. So you got drunk and lost your virginity to some random guy at a bar? It doesn't make it any worse than what I did. People do things they may regret, but... Regret isn't what life is about. Sure, maybe I wish I'd of waited around for the right person to come instead of hooking up with that one girl who I met on our family trip to South Dakota when I was sixteen. But I'm fine with my life choices, and I want you to have that feeling too. Please, don't worry about those mistakes. Please. Because you're too wonderful for them."

[Ellie Mankelow]

Ellie listened to him speak and just nodded a long. "I didn't lose my virginity.. I almost did.. I-I couldn't go through with it.". She shook her head. That wasn't the point. "I only came here tonight.. this morning.. so that you know. Whatever it was that we had.. or, y'know, could've had. That's over now.". Ellie kept her eyes on the table as she spoke. Her hands cupping around her coffee cup, taking the occasional sip."You had the chance to break it off.. but you didn't. You lied. Again. And, that just sent a clear message to me where you are at. As much as you say you don't like her, you're totally attached to her and I can't handle that.". Ellie sighed and bit her lip. Time to confess her real true feelings. "To me, my feelings for you aren't just some dumb high school and middle school crush. Jersey.. I've been in love with you since I was 11 years old.". There, she had admitted it. She was in love with him. As soon as she said it, she turned a light shade of pink. "That's why this can't work.. because I would do, whatever it took to be with you.. but you wouldn't do the same.". "Maybe it's time for you to just get over your stupid crush.".

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[jersey reydner]

Jersey sighed, curling his fingers over the wood of the table. "...How do I say this." He looked at the ceiling, tapping his fingers against the grain. "I told you I'd do it in the week. And it hadn't been a week yet when the incident went down. And I don't have an emotional attachment to her... It's more so the fact that when somebody is constantly and consistently drunk, you're afraid they're going to do something destructive to themselves. I'm 90% sure she hates me, but I feel like I need to find a time where she's not intoxicated. Some time I could catch her off guard and just say 'This isn't going to work' because... She wouldn't believe me if she was drinking. She'd pass it off as a joke and honestly, I really don't like that. As much as I take next to nothing seriously, when I'm trying to make a sincere statement and it happens that I'm not taken seriously... I just get frustrated." The words hung in the quiet coffee shop for a second.

"To me, my feelings for you aren't just some dumb high school and middle school crush. Jersey.. I've been in love with you since I was 11 years old." Jersey blinked and looked at her. What. How. How could somebody... Love him. He was pretty sure his Mother tolerated him, and maybe Ohio loved him. But outside of that, his family might of had some kind of "Oh, he's Jersey" radar that made everything just... weird. But... Love? Jersey bit his lip and wondered why that feeling of love was uncomfortable. But if he wasn't going to admit it out loud, behind his back, there was love out there from him to her. "That's why this can't work.. because I would do, whatever it took to be with you.. but you wouldn't do the same.". "Maybe it's time for you to just get over your stupid crush.".

Pathetic. Jersey felt pathetic. Of course, he'd find a way to screw this up too. "....Do you maybe think that my job in this is more difficult than yours? That I have to burn bridges? And sometimes burning bridges is more difficult than you'd think. And you know what, fuck it, I love you too, Ellie, but the thing is, this is being made difficult for me. It's difficult to weasel your way out of a girl named Justine."

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[Ellie Mankelow]

"It's more so the fact that when somebody is constantly and consistently drunk, you're afraid they're going to do something destructive to themselves.". To Ellie, it felt more as if he was making excuses for everything he wasn't doing, instead of actually going out and... doing them but she decided to keep her mouth shut about that.

"....Do you maybe think that my job in this is more difficult than yours? That I have to burn bridges? And sometimes burning bridges is more difficult than you'd think.". Angered bubbled up inside of Ellie. How could he seriously think she didn't understand?. She knew that position he was in was much more difficult than hers but seriously, two girls want him at the same time?. Yes. Life must be so hard. "And you know what, fuck it, I love you too, Ellie.". Instantly at that moment, every tiny bit of anger that Ellie held towards him and this situation vanished. After like five or six years of being completely in love with him.. hearing Jersey says those words.. it made her heart ache. She began to yern for him. Ugh, no. She couldn't let him do this to her. Ellie had to get back to reality. No matter how they felt, doing anything about it would be wrong.

Ellie got up and moved around to the other side of the bench so that she was now sitting beside him. She placed one of her hands on his leg, and spoke softly. "I understand how hard this is for you. Believe me, I do and I'm making it easier for you. I'm letting go.." "Justine, she's a great girl.. and if you don't think she's the one you wanna be with, fine. Break it off but not because of 'us' because its what you want you, not what you feel that would be better for me.". And with that, Ellie leaned forward and kissed him. She was very much aware of the fact that this would be the last kiss they shared and so she made the most of it. This kiss was much more passionate and urgent than all of their other kisses had been. Her arms were locked around his neck, while his hands remained around her waist. She was enjoying this.. a bit too much so she slowly moved back. Not that she wanted to, at all but she had to. "After this, we go back to being friends. We act as if nothing ever happened. We had one kiss. It was a drunken mistake. We were both weird-ed out about it and it made it clear we're better off as friends.". She whispered in his ear That was their cover story. She pulled back to look at him in the face. "I love you." She said with a smile to hide her pain. With that, she got ready to leave, gathering all her stuff together.

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