Note

Trent nods and eases down in a chair next to Katie's. "Thanks... It's good to see you. Been a while." 

He offers her another smile, but something didn't seem right. Katie's eyes were... dim. He'd heard that things had been a little rough after the whole Jason almost dying thing, then their connection being gone. Was he here with her? He wondered. "I've been alright. Same ol' same ol' I guess." He chuckles. "I haven't stirred up any trouble lately, so that's probably good." He cocks his head, still studying her. "How 'bout you?"


"Yeah, I saw her for lunch yesterday." Jason sits in the sand on the lakeside beach, feeling as though time had stood still and he'd never moved from this spot. Except things were different now.

Kyle nodes slowly, having just heard the whole story from start to finish about Sandy, Katie, the kiss, Katie leaving and now Jason trying to work things out with Sandy. His eyes drift to the lake, then over to where Phil and Rayne were splashing their bare feet around in the water, then further to where Alice was walking. He and Phil had opted for a double-date to the lake today for a picnic, but when he'd gotten Jason's phone call that he just needed to talk, he hadn't hesitated to invite him. It wasn't quite the same with an extra person along, but Kyle would never complain, and he was glad when the others hadn't minded either. That's what he loved the most about his close friends and family... they were all Christ-focused and ready to be a friend to someone in need no matter the day or hour. "How'd that go?"

"Oh... alright." Jason shrugs. "She felt terrible, especially when I told her about Katie. She never meant any harm and said she just acted on impulse. I believe her... I don't think she had any ill intentions, and she knows now that I'm not interested in her that way." He pauses, picking up a small, smooth stone to fiddle with. "I think we'll still be able to be friends and hang out - might be a little awkward at first but I think it'll be okay. We decided not to tell the other guys about it just to avoid embarrassment."

"Mmhmm." Kyle sighs and lays back, propped up on his elbows. "So how are you feeling?"

Jason shrugs again. "I don't know. Hard to tell anymore. I guess I was crushed at first - couldn't believe Katie would fly off the handle like that... never giving me a chance. Then I realized that if that's what she wanted, then so be it. We're not connected anymore so we actually can go our separate ways for once. All that time fighting it and worrying about what each other felt and not being able to be with other people... it's over." He pauses, squinting at the sunlit water. "I guess I'm angry that she handled things that way. Just wham, goodbye, never want to see you again. But... all I got now is my own future. I'm freer than I've been in a long time. No more hassles. No more needing to be rescued. No more knowing when I hurt she hurts. No more of that stupid connection."

Kyle listens quietly, sensing that despite Jason's words, his friend was in pain. "You miss it, don't you?"

Jason scoffs. "I guess a bit. Hated it, and now that it's gone, it feels too empty. At the same time, I'm glad. It just goes to prove that without the connection, Katie and I had nothing."

"You really believe that? You don't think you loved each other without it?"

"Maybe... but it obviously wasn't strong enough to hold us together when we couldn't read each other's minds."

Kyle didn't know if Jason had a point or not. He didn't know if their love had been driven by the connection or if it was genuine. But seeing them break up was sad, and he was also sad, not knowing how Katie was either - it had been a while since he'd seen her, and he missed her. He and the band had performed a few concerts lately and were getting busier, but he now regretted not making the time to see more of Katie along with Jason. There were days he missed JetStream, but still wouldn't trade his current life for anything. Not the band, not the life of music, and certainly not his fiance. "What are you gonna do now?"

"I don't know. Just move on, I guess. Katie hates me so... I can't revisit that. Just do my job, try to have some fun and keep trying to figure out my own emotions so I can get back to normal too."

"Dude... you were never normal."

Jason shoots Kyle a look before a grin emerges. "Thanks."

Kyle smiles. "Hang in there. God can bring good from this somehow, you know that."

Jason nods. He'd had a few shouting matches with God the last couple days, but every time, had ended up knowing that God was the one in control here, and somehow, some way he'd bring something from the chaos. "Yeah, I know... thanks for listening... guess I just needed to get things off my chest." He might have chosen Con first, but as close as Con was to Katie, Jason wasn't so sure he wanted to upset the big guy just yet.

"No thanks necessary." Kyle gives his shoulder a pat. "Ready for some lunch? I'm starving."

"Yeah... yeah, that sounds good." Jason checks his phone as he stands, making sure the office hadn't called. He was still on duty today and had just told Susanne he'd be gone for a long lunch.

Carson hurls a dishtowel across the kitchen, sending it into a pile of pots and pans that clatter to the floor.

Dani sticks her head in from the hall, her eyes wide. "You okay?"

"Fine," Carson growls. "Just... fine." But he wasn't. The last few days, things hadn't gotten any better. Misty hadn't pressed him to figure out why he'd gotten drunk last week, and he was just as glad. But he hadn't done a very good job at faking happiness either. And now, today it was noon. Misty would be going home for lunch. He'd said he'd meet her. But instead, he'd left her a note. A note that would change everything....

...At the house on the kitchen table was a hand-written note:

Misty,

Thank you for being a good wife. What I have to say next is not because of you - you've done nothing wrong and it's not your fault. It's mine.

I've been seeing Jaz DeMoy. My late nights haven't been spent at work. They've been spent at her place. I'm sorry I lied to you.

Jaz has agreed to let me move in with her. I've already taken some of my stuff - I'll get the rest later. If you need anything, let me know.

- Carson

...And now, as the clock ticks, Carson knows that Misty is reading it. He imagines the look on her face and her eyes... those eyes he had fallen in love with so long ago.

Shedding his apron, he slips out of the kitchen and heads to the bathroom to regain his composure before returning fifteen minutes later. Thankfully it was a quiet lunch hour and Carson starts cleaning tables even though Dani had just done it earlier. He needed to keep his hands busy.