It took Jean 45 minutes to get to Jasmine's house when it usually took 15. She had lived in this town her entire life but she found herself missing nearly every turn. She ended up on side streets she didn't recognize. She knew she shouldn't be behind a wheel, but she needed to get out of there.

Jasmine sprinted down the driveway as soon as she pulled in. Jean got out of her car immediately as Jasmine threw her arms around her and pulled her close.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered and Jean cried into her shoulder. She took Jean inside, and to Jean's relief her family wasn't around. She didn't want anyone to see her in this state.

In Jasmine's room, Jean buried herself under her comforter. Jasmine laid next to her and played with her hair. For a long time, they said nothing. Jean cried until she physically couldn't anymore.

"Ametta Rollins," Jasmine finally said, shaking her head. "I just don't get it. How do you go from girl next door Jeanette Arthur to that home wrecker? You two couldn't be more opposite."

"She literally models clothing," Jean cried into the pillow. She remembered someone pointing her out in a store ad that came in the newspaper. "She's gorgeous."

"Her personality sucks and she's mean. Also, she's not that pretty," Jasmine said, clearly desperately trying to get Jean to feel better.

"Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean they're not pretty."

"Yes it does, if all I see is their ugly soul."

Jean laughed even though she was dying inside. Jasmine laid down next to her and put her head against Jean's and held her hand.

"Anthony is the one with the ugly soul," Jean said, the tears soaking the pillow her. "He lied right to my face." She tried to wrap her head around the fact that this had been going on longer than today. Did Anthony talk to this girl about Jean? Did he complain about her?

"So did you see her?" Jasmine said. "Did you walk in on them?"

"No, she was hiding, but they forgot to hide her shoes."

"Idiots," Jasmine whispered. "How far has he gone with her?"

Jean felt herself grow sick. "He claims they were just talking."

"Do you believe him?"

Jean pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. "Yeah."

Jasmine shook her head, processing it all. "Well, that's not so bad. So it's not like he technically cheated on you. Maybe you guys will be able to work it out."

Jean sat up and looked down at Jasmine. "You wouldn't consider what he did cheating? He was hiding a girl in his house."

"But they weren't romantic. They just talked."

"When I asked if he liked her, he didn't say anything. It's obvious he does." Jean felt herself growing angry at Jasmine. "Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not, I'm just trying to make sense of the situation and figure out what's going on. I mean, if he lied about her being there he might be lying about the just talking thing."

Jean's head hurt, and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to just be completely alone. Did Jasmine think that Anthony was more innocent just because they didn't kiss? It was almost worse that they were just talking. Being physical, Jean could almost figure out. He was frustrated because they weren't doing that, so he was getting it from someone else. But Jean talked to Anthony, and if he was just talking to someone else, it meant that Jean wasn't enough.

"He could just be panicking," Jasmine said. "If he really was about to propose, he could just be getting cold feet or whatever. Tons of people go through that."

Jean closed her eyes laid facedown in the pillow. Jasmine's words were only making things more confusing and difficult.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Forget I said anything. This is why I'm better at just trash talking Ametta."

Jean turned her head to the side. "Let's just not talk, I think I just need to go to sleep." Jean said, and she let the waves of her misery pull her under.

It took Jean about four seconds after waking up to remember her situation. She felt the weight sink deep in her chest and she remembered she was still at Jasmine's house. Jasmine was fast asleep beside her. She had no idea what time it was, but she didn't care. It was still dark outside so she knew it must be early. Jean slowly crept out of bed to not wake Jasmine and made her way out of the house.

She felt like a zombie driving home. Her phone had died right when she got to Jasmine's, so she had no idea what to expect. Had Anthony tried calling her? Did anyone else know at this point?

Once at her apartment, she walked down the hall to see her neighbor Brooke digging her key into the lock of her apartment. Jean guessed if someone had to see her in this state, it might as well be her.
She was comfortable with her, as Brooke spilled her entire life story to Jean in the three months that she lived here. While Jean questioned some of her decisions, she genuinely liked her.

"Just getting off work?" Jean asked, eyeing her tall heels that she would never survive in. She knew she would never be able to get away with just saying hi and walking away. "What time is it?"

"Like 4:30. Where the hell are you coming from?"

Jean couldn't get into it now, even though she knew Brooke would say some pretty terrible things about Anthony and make her feel better.

"You would never believe," Jean said, tears brimming her eyes. She forced herself to laugh and waved it off.

"Aw, Sweetie," Brooke said, leaving her key in the door and walking forward to hug Jean. "You can tell me about it."

"No, no," Jean said, trying to wave it off again and steady her voice. "I will, but I can't get into it now. And you worked all evening and I desperately need some more sleep."

Brooke stroked her cheek with her thumb and looked Jean in the eye with that sympathetic look. Brooke had become Jean's most unexpected friend,  but she loved every encounter she had with her. She was so exuberant and full of life. Whether they were just passing each other in the parking lot, she always said something that made Jean laugh. Although they had very different lifestyles, Jean was thankful to have her as her across the hall neighbor.

As exhausted as Jean was, she couldn't bring herself to sleep. She thought about the last encounter she had with Anthony's family. How would they react when they found out? She knew it wasn't going to be pretty. The thought of Ametta joining their family
made her sick, but she forced herself to put that thought out of her head. It couldn't happen, right? They couldn't just accept her and take her in Jean's place just because Anthony was the one who messed up.

When her phone finally charged up and turned on, the only message to appear was from Jasmine. She tried to swallow the disappointment as a lump formed in her throat. She didn't really expect Anthony to say he wanted her back, but she expected something.

She thought about Amy. She had to know what was going on, and maybe that's why she was so upset on Thanksgiving. She texted her.

Did you know about Anthony and Ametta?

Jean knew she wouldn't get a reply anytime soon as it wasn't even five in the morning yet. She closed her eyes and soon her body showed her mercy and she fell asleep again.

Jean waited on the couch for Amy to arrive. She hadn't told Jean anything but simply replied I'm coming over. It only confirmed to Jean that she did know, but probably thought it would be easiest to see Jean and explain.

Jean cringed when she saw herself in the mirror. Amy would understand though, especially if she was willing to drop everything and drive an hour to see her just like that. She figured she should at least change her clothes as she was still wearing the clothes she had last seen Anthony in.

Amy was teary eyed when Jean let her in. She just kept apologizing and hugging Jean. Jean didn't know which emotion to feel; anger that it was appearing that Amy knew beforehand but didn't say anything; sadness, for the fact that she would probably not become her sister in law like she always pictured, or happy just to be in the presence of one of her favorite people. She was overwhelmed with emotion. She wanted to figure out what happened and where she went wrong.

"Anthony texted me one night by mistake. He said something along the lines of you being at work for the night if she wanted to come over again," Amy said, shaking her head in disgust. "When I questioned him, he freaked out and told me to forget about it. I obviously couldn't, so I drove to his house and forced him to tell me what was going on."

"When was this?" Jean asked.

"Just a couple days before Thanksgiving," Amy said. "I went off on him and told him he needed to end whatever was going on and tell you. He said that nothing was going on and they were just friends and had done nothing more than talk. He was so cold to me, I knew I couldn't get through."

Jean looked at the tears rolling down Amy's face. She was crying for her, and it only made Jean more emotional. She couldn't bare the thought that this was really happening. She needed Amy, she needed his sisters, but could she still have them in her life if Anthony didn't want her? They were technically family, and there was nothing he could do that would change that fact. They couldn't trade their own brother and son for her, even though she wished they would. Jean felt sick at the thought of not seeing Addison or Martha or Claire. She couldn't even let herself think of not being able to see his mom anymore.

Jean took a deep breath, trying to take everything in. "Do you think he's telling the truth when he says they were only talking?"

Amy stared into the air and shook her head back and forth. "I don't know. I usually have a keen sense on when he's lying, so he probably is telling the truth. Doesn't make it any easier. It's still cheating."

"Really? Because Jasmine almost defended him and said it wasn't technically cheating if they didn't kiss."

Amy narrowed her eyes and looked at Jean. "The second you feel like you need to start hiding things, you're already cheating."

It was almost a relief to Jean that Amy validated what she was feeling. It didn't matter what they had done. It still hurt the same and it didn't change the fact that Anthony had lied to her.

Jean felt sick. "I don't know what to do."

Amy reached over and grabbed her hand. "I think the best thing for you right now is to just keep your distance. Breakups are the one of the worst things to go through, but clean breaks are the healthiest. That way you can start to heal and move on."

Jean felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. Move on? Was Amy thinking it was completely over and there was no hope? Jean had to cling to the hope that maybe Anthony would feel the weight of having Jean gone and come back to her. There was no plan B. She had no family of her own. His family was hers, and the thought of losing them was unbearable.

"Do you think it's definitely over between us?" Jean asked, starting to panic at the thought. "Like forever?"

"Would you really want him back after he did this to you?"

She was in denial. This was all too new, too fresh. She was still in shock and wasn't able to process anything and didn't want to listen anymore. She had thought Jasmine's words were painful, but Amy's hurt much more.

She knew it hurt because Amy was right. Amy was always right, and it didn't made things a million times more painful. For once she didn't want to hear her advice.

She needed to go back to sleep and forget about everything. Maybe somehow Amy was wrong. Maybe it could all be worked out somehow and she could still have the life she imagined with them. Right now she couldn't see how that would be, but she would cling to hope that somehow this mess would go away. It was too scary to think of it going any other way.
___________________________________

Fun fact: I combined my real life exes into one character to create Anthony. just ask chelseataylor09
nobody tell them plz

Just goes to show that you shouldn't break the heart of a writer, they'll change your name and put you in a novel.

Jokes; I've forgiven them. Honestly grateful for the experiences. Plus now I have some writing material LOL

Also if this book gets to 200 reads I might go kiss a stranger.
Still can't believe people are actually reading this book.
My goal was 4 reads.
Unlike limbo, I set the bar low.

WOW