Never Real

Jason swallows hard and sits down in an extra chair, just looking at the floor for a few minutes, trying to gain some control over his emotions. He really didn't want to cry, let alone in front of anybody. 

"Last night JetStream had a concert... I was setting up backstage and a friend of mine... Sandy... she showed up." He shrugs and finally looks up at Misty again. "Old high school friend I'd seen around lately - been hanging out a bit with her and some other guys. Katie was jealous of her even though there was nothing there and I was always careful about not going out alone with her or anything, ya know?" 

He shakes his head and lets out a deep sigh. "Well, Sandy apparently decided to kiss me. I never saw it coming, I didn't know she felt anything for me at all, and I didn't return the kiss in any way shape or form." He grimaces. "But Katie walked in right then and all she saw was "us" kissing. Blew her stack. I tried to talk sense into her and she just wouldn't listen. She yelled at me and just took off. She just... refused to believe me." 

The pain was back and he didn't like it. Why, of all emotions, did he have to feel this one so strongly? It didn't seem fair. "I sent her a few texts and tried to tell her there was nothing between me and Sandy but she never answered me. Then this morning Ryder called worried 'cause she hadn't been home all night. So... I got worried." He shrugs again. "I knew she didn't want to see me, but I couldn't very well just sit and worry something was wrong. I ended up discovering she'd gotten drunk at a bar then went and spent the night at this other guy's place. Hunter... you may have heard about him getting arrested here a while back." He thinks. "Kyle might have mentioned him a time or two, too. Anyway... so I went to his apartment and he wouldn't even let me in. I saw Katie sitting inside - she knew I was there, I know she heard me talking to Hunter, and she did nothing. She just sat and let Hunter tell me what to do. He implied her stay there was an innocent one... I suppose I believe him, but I'm not so sure they're just friends. I couldn't get anywhere though, so I finally just left." 

Leaning forward, Jason sets his elbows on his knees and buries his face in his hands. "I don't even know her anymore... she's like... a completely different person. I know we've struggled since we can't feel each other but... but to have her not even believe me... turn her back on me... let me be humiliated... not even give me a chance to make things right..." He reveals his face to rest his chin on his hands, but remains slouched over. His eyes glisten but he refuses to let the tears fall, even though his voice wavers. "I suppose if it was just our connection holding us together all this time then... maybe the love was never real to begin with. Maybe I was just an emotional security blanket and now that it's gone... she doesn't actually love me." 

Hunter quirks an eyebrow, a bit surprised by Katie's invitation to Texas. He gives her a wry grin and shakes his head. "I'm... not so sure that's somewhere I'd go but... for you, it's home." 

He gets up and takes his coffee mug to the sink to rinse it out. "Stay in touch though, would you?" He pauses, with his back turned to her. He'd... miss her. It had been fun hanging out with her, even though he'd been leery of Jason. She'd given him something he'd felt he'd missed out in life lately. Having her gone meant some pretty boring days. "Text me... or something... let me know you're okay?" 

Ashlee's comment makes Eric's jaw drop and he looks over at her with wide eyes before giving her a smirk. "Sure. And I had all these ideas of how to ask you if you felt okay about me dating your mom. Now all that work was for nothing 'cause obviously you're alright with it." 

Wait. He'd just said that... in front of Stacy. The heat from his neck crawls into his face and for a moment, he's left staring anywhere but Ashlee or Stacy, his foot's movement having come to a sudden halt. 

"Hey, Eric!" Becky calls from the kitchen. "Can you come help me with the oven door?" It had been giving her trouble for the last three weeks, and it took a strong arm to get it in the right place - Eric seemed to have figured out the trick though, and she didn't have time to ask someone who hadn't done it before. 

Hearing his name, Eric's head snaps up and he's on his feet just as fast. "Coming!" Getting his leg tangled in the chair, it takes him a moment or two just to get away from the table. Walking behind Ashlee, he gives her a thump to the back of the head, but still doesn't dare look at Stacy.