Chapter Four: The One That Got Away.

He said he loves me.

After Jake spoke those words, I don't want to believe that we might be over. I want to trust him, believe him and tell him I love him too, but I'm so confused, hurt and angry that I don't know if any response I give him will be rational.

He sighs in defeat at my silence before looking at the ground, slightly shaking his head and leaving the room.

My heart aches even more at his departure. I fall to the marble floor after reaching the edge of the bed, leaning my back against as I cry.

Feeling a headache coming from all the crying, I decide to call Carter. As my older brother, he has always comforted me in situations when needed.

"Hello?" His voice sounds raspy, and I wouldn't be surprised if I just woke him up. It's Saturday, and he normally sleeps until four in the afternoon.

"Carter," my throat constricts, my voice breaking.

"Sky?" His voice sounds livelier, losing the sleepy haze. "What's wrong?"

I called Carter and my parents last night, letting them know I wouldn't be home for the weekend. Knowing that I'm away and calling him crying probably worries Carter over the situation more than he should.

"Jake and I... had... a fight," I say, trying to gain my composure.

I hear Carter's mattress squeak as he shifts in bed to dedicate his full attention to our conversation.

He sighs before asking, "Why?"

"Jake was in LA this week, working. He wasn't supposed to go back to New York until today but on Wednesday, he surprised me at work. He did all these nice things after he arrived. A few minutes ago, I found out he was out in a club with this gorgeous model while he was in LA. When I confronted him about the incident, he said his manager had organized it for publicity. There's this picture of them together. He's laughing as she touches him, not looking the slightest bit uncomfortable or guilty of the situation." I explain. "He wants me to believe him, but I don't know if I can... Not after this." My voice cracks again as the heartache increases by my last words.

"Has he ever given you a reason not to trust him, Sky?" Carter questions. "I know I don't know him the way you do, but you have to also think about the way he's feeling now. Did he do anything else to convince you?"

"He told me he loves me."

But at the moment, even that I'm starting to question when before this fight, I was so sure he did. A part of me feels like he said it to manipulate me into staying, but another part of me feels like he really means it.

"And I'm sure he does. As my little sister and as your protective older brother, you know I wouldn't tell you that if I wasn't sure. He's completely smitten over you, calling Mom and Dad to see if they trusted him enough to let him take their daughter away. I will admit, it was wrong of him not to tell you and let you find out yourself but, don't hold it against him and don't let this ruin your vacation. Trust me when I say he put a lot of effort into it." Carter tells me. He's always been this good with words.

"That was quite good," I lightly laugh, trying to lighten the conversation.

"Thank you," He laughs with me.

"You're quite possibly the best. I love you."

"I love you, too." We are about to hang up when Carter suddenly adds, "And, Sky? Forgive him. I wouldn't tell you to do so if I didn't believe he deserves it."

After freshening my face in the bathroom and taking a few minutes to relax and think my thoughts and words through, I exit the room. I walk through the hallway until I reach the living room. Jake's back is facing me as he sits on the edge of the couch. I can see a bottle of Grey Goose vodka sitting on the glass table in front of him, along with a small glass. He keeps spinning the glass cup over and over and over again, his hands never leaving the glass.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" I'm slightly startled when he speaks, not expecting him to have felt my presence. He laughs, his laughter dry and not holding one ounce of amusement. "I wouldn't blame you. I'm the biggest asshole of a boyfriend you could ever have."

He turns around, his face utterly blank of any emotion. "You have my heart, you know? And I won't ever get it back, it's yours. I gave it to you but, I will never get yours because I fucked things up. But just know that I meant them. I love you. It's a very jerk move of me to say it now, but when the only person you truly love is about to become the one that got away, there's nothing else to say." I could see his own eyes, glazing with unshed tears he refuses to let fall.

The one.

The one that got way.

Jake and I aren't childhood, high school, or college sweethearts. Our relationship or the amount of time we've known each other -- maybe -- isn't long enough for us to consider ourselves as each other's "one." However, you know it as soon as you meet that special someone. But no matter the time, I've always been able to picture Jake in my future, and I now know he sees me in his. You never know what you have until you lose it or you're about to. This fight, the potential of losing me, made him realize that. We are one another's future. And he's losing himself, knowing he might be -- or is -- losing me.

Jake opens the bottle of Grey Goose and takes a gulp from it, not bothering to fill the glass. I walk towards him and crouch in front of him, taking the bottle out of his hand.

"Jake, stop. You know, this is not you," I say as my hand goes to his cheek, and my thumb caresses his skin. "I'm not leaving but, you can't keep turning to alcohol every time things go or are about to go south. I don't want you to lose yourself in it and end up like every other celebrity, especially if I'm the one driving you to it."

He nods, but his green eyes seem distant.

"I won't visit you if you end up in rehab," I joke, slightly smiling.

He forces a smile, before his hand takes the one I had on his cheek, "I know you're not used to my world, and I don't expect you to be, but you have to know, that it'll try to tear us apart, whether it's my career, my management and its publicity stunts or a tabloid. Just please, have faith in me, in our relationship because I really don't want to lose you, Sky."

"I promise as long as you promise not to keep quiet about your publicity arrangements. I won't stay, next time," I tell him and as hurtful as it is to say, I mean it.

"I promise," he assures me.

I hug him, nuzzling his neck and giving it a kiss. "I love you."

I feel him still, not expecting it, before he recovers and says, "I love you, too."

I pull back with a frown on my face, worrying Jake.

"What?" he questions.

"It sounds like you're agreeing with me instead of saying it like you mean it," I explain.

"I love you," he says to please me, raising an eyebrow.

"Better," I smile, giving him a short kiss as he chuckles.

He pulls me up into his lap, starting to play with the ends of my hair, "We're good?"

I nod as he gives me a shy glance.

"What changed your mind?" he questions, his fingers going through my tendrils of hair.

"Carter," I admit.

"I'm guessing he won't be kicking my ass, then."

I chuckle before answering him, "No. He talked some pretty good sense into me."

"Remind me to thank him," he grins and I'm glad to see him return to his old self again. I don't want him to feel as if we're walking on glass. He caresses my cheek before asking, "Are you still up for that walk on the beach?"

"Are you?" I retort back.

"Or do you have something better in mind?" He's smirking now, hoping to get the answer he wants.

"No," I reply, killing his hope.

"No?" he replies as he frowns.

I suppress the laugh threatening to come out as I shake my head. Jake raises his eyebrows, surprised with my answer after expecting the one he wanted. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Jake stands up from the couch, holding me before throwing me back into it. I hit the cushions, squealing in surprise. I open my eyes to find Jake hovering over me.

"This is your last chance to give me your definite and true answer," he starts. "Do you have something else in mind?" he asks again.

Being stubborn and filled with anticipation as to what Jake will be doing, I repeat my response, "No."

"Game over, Ms. Atkin," he informs me in a serious, non-playful tone, mischief visible in his eyes before he smirks and starts to tickle me.

"Jake!" I say through the fits of laugh. His fingers tickling me on my ribs. "Stop, Jake." I'm almost panting through the laughter, my eyes watering. "Jake, please." My stomach is starting to hurt from all the laughing, and I now understand why he was so adamant to get what was the correct answer for him. He's smiling, enjoying his punishment to me. "I can't, anymore."

He stops and chuckles when he sees me take a deep breath, trying to regain it. "Are you still sure about your answer?" he jokes.

"Fuck you," I say smiling as I start to breathe normally.

He laughs, a full-on belly laugh, and I can feel his chest vibrate with his laughter as he still hovers over me. He leans down and nuzzles my neck, murmuring, "Let's go down to the beach."

• • •

Jake and I hold hands as we walk through the shore. The beach is fairly crowded, which allows Jake to blend in and not be so noticeable. The snapback and RayBans he decided to put on before leaving the hotel, also help him hide his identity.

"Want to go for a swim?" he asks, nodding towards the water.

"Are you sure?" If we go in, he will have to, at least, remove his snapback and his signature tattoos will be visible making it easier for him to be spotted, either by fans or paparazzi.

"Yeah, why not?"

He starts to remove his white t-shirt, throwing it on the sand as he waits for me to remove my clothes. I unbutton my shorts and slip out of them, revealing the black bottom of my bikini. I take off my RayBans before taking my crop shirt off, revealing my full black bikini. I fold my clothes and set them next to Jake's shirt and his snapback, putting my sunglasses back on. Thankfully, we had put sunscreen on before leaving the hotel so we could skip that step.

I turn to Jake, his green eyes covered by the black frame on his face. His skin is glistening from the sun. I feel his gaze travel from my head to toe, before they return to my face. He smiles before coming closer to me and whispering, "You're going to get me in trouble."

"Why?" I frown, whispering back.

"I don't like the way they are starting to look at you," he almost growls into my ear as his hand possessively slides to the small of my back.

"Well, if that's it, then you are going to get me in trouble, too." I tell him. I know the other women here at the beach are starting to eye him like their man candy of the day, biting their lips in a seductive manner at the sight of his bare, sinewy chest and tattooed arms. And the way they're looking at him is probably worse than the way he claims other men are staring at me.

"Let's get in the water before I drag you back to the hotel room to change," he jokes, before taking my hand and walking towards the beach.

The water is warm from the sun with a crystal blue color. I sigh in contentment as I feel the wet, mushy sand under my toes while we walk deeper into the water. Jake lets go of my hand before swimming away.

Bastard.

He puts quite some distance between us when he resurfaces with a grin on his face. Is that how it's going to be? I smirk before dipping under the water, swimming to him. I know he has lost sight of me when I see his body shifting from side to side under the water. I swim around him, still away from him, until I reach his back and swim closer before resurfacing and slightly yelling a childish, "Boo!"

He flinches, startled by my voice before saying, "Holy shit!"

I laugh at the relieved look on his face as he pulls me to him, his hands going to my thighs, forcing them to wrap around his waist as my hands go around his neck.

I'm still laughing when he says, "You think you're quite a prankster, yeah? I lost you a couple seconds after you went underwater."

"I'm sorry, but I have to say I definitely enjoyed that."

"You're lucky I love you."

My hands comb the ends of hair on his nape as I reply seriously, "Yeah, I am."