THE ENGAGEMENT PARTY (PART 2)

"What did you want to talk about?" Jade turned around and asked Alec once they were on the porch.

"You've been avoiding me, right?" He asked.

Jade turned her back on Alec, "Yes, I have."

"Why?"

"Why do you think Alec?" She replied.

He walked around her and came to face her, "We need to talk."

"No we don't." Jade snapped, "What do you want to talk about?"

"About.... About what is happening. You.... Me..."

"Emma?" Jade finished for him. "Look this is your engagement party. You're engaged. With Emma. So I'm sorry, but we don't have anything to say."

"We have the kiss to talk about."

Jade's heart sank at the mention of the kiss.

She had avoided any thoughts of it for the past few days.

And now....

"Alec that's the.... That's the last thing I want to talk about." She said.

"So we just forget it happened?"

"Yes. That's what we should do. And right now we both should go back inside."

Jade started walking towards the door off the porch, but before she could take more than a couple of steps before Alec caught her hand.

"Don't go, Jade. You remember what I said that day...."

How could she forget?

She could still hear those words clearly.

Maybe she's not... Maybe 'The One' for me had been right in front of me all along and I didn't notice.

"I remember and that what hurts the most. But nothing can be done. Nothing." Jade said, she tried to control the tears that were about to spill out of her eyes.

"We can...."

"No we can't. No. So just let me go!" She shrugged her hand and removed her wrist.

That's when the door to the porch opened and Julia walked out.

There was shock clearly seen on her face when she saw the way they were standing and the expressions on their faces.

....................

"What is going on over here?" Julia asked as she stood at the door to the porch. Her hands were fisted on her hips and there was a confused look on her face.

"Nothing, Julia." Jade snapped.

She felt like pulling at her hair or maybe punching someone.

"It's not nothing. I can see that something is going on over here. Every one is looking for you out there Alec and you're still here." Julia was not going to let it go.

She could see that Jade had been crying recently and Alec looked stressed out and tensed.

"Don't you'll get it that maybe I don't want to talk?" Jade glared at both the Carter siblings.

Alec looked at her with a pained expression, "Jade just listen to what I have to say...."

"Alec there's nothing more left to say. This is your engagement party for God's sake!" Jade interrupted Alec, "It's over. The kiss was a mistake! A horrible and terrible mistake. More on your part than mine. Now just leave me alone! Go back to Emma."

"Kiss? Will someone please tell me what is happening?" Julia asked again coming onto the porch and closing the door behind her so no one could hear the conversation.

"Jade, the kiss was not a mistake. How can you even say that something so special was a mistake?" Alec said ignoring Julia completely.

Jade looked at him with her eyes shining with anger and hurt, "I can say that because you, Alexander Carter, you are engaged. You were engaged when you kissed me. And you didn't have any right to."

"Like you didn't respond. Wasn't that cheating on Matt?"

Before any other word could be said, Jade raised her hand and slapped him across his face with a satisfying noise.

Alec held his hand to his cheek more out of shock than hurt.

"You are no one to comment on my personal life." Jade hissed out.

"And you have all the right to comment on mine?" Alec asked.

Julia came to stand between the two of them before Jade could hit him again. The bruise from his nose had still not disappeared completely. And the slap was surely going to leave behind a mark.

"Guys! Stop behaving like kids. If there is a problem then deal with it. Like adults. Stop fighting." She said.

"Why are you coming in between?" Jade snarled. She was still glaring at Alec.

"Someone needs to." Julia said, "Now please talk it out. Without shouting or hitting."

"I don't want to talk about all this anymore. It's over. Everything is done. Alec is engaged to Emma. And they will get married. Live a happy life, Alec."

She started walked back into the house but she didn't go anywhere near the party.

Instead she went into the dining room and stood with her hands pressed to the table top, trying to control her emotions.

She was not going to cry. Suck it up, Jade!

..............

"Alec what the hell is going on? Kiss? You and Jade?" Julia asked Alec, who was standing with his eyes stuck to the door through which Jade had left a few seconds back.

"I love her." Alec stated simply without even thinking for once what kind of confusion that would cause for his elder sister.

"What!?" Exclaimed Julia, "You love Jade... But Emma! I'm confused Alec."

"You're confused? Seriously? And what do you think I'm going through?" Alec yelled, raking his fingers through his hair.

"If you're in love with Jade then why did you propose to Emma? And if you know now, then break up with Emma. Tell her the truth."

Alec turned around to look at his sister, "You think that didn't occur to me? Do you think I'm that dense? I don't want to hurt her like that."

Julia raised an eyebrow, "And you're okay with hurting Jade?"

"Jesus, Julia! I don't want to hurt either of them. What do you want me to do? If I break the engagement then I'm hurting Emma. And if I don't then I'm breaking Jade's heart."

"You're going to end up hurting both of them if you continue to do this!" Julia couldn't believe that her brother was being so obtuse. "Emma will understand. Whether you tell her or no. She is bound to understand that you're not in love with her. You don't want to spend your life with her. And then you're going to end up hurting her anyways."

"What do you want me to do?" Alec was frustrated. "I don't want to hurt them."

"You made a mistake. Accept it! Take responsibility for it! Grow up! What are you doing with your life Alec? What do you want to do?"

Alec sat down on the porch and let his head fall into his hand.

"Go speak to Jade. Now!" Julia continued.

Alec looked at her and saw that she meant what she was saying.

He got up and went in search of Jade. Julia was right, it was time that he really spoke to Jade.

.................

Just as Jade had almost composed herself, there was a knock on the door. She turned to see Alec standing.

And all her feelings and emotions came rushing back in.

It was like every time she controlled herself, Alec came in front of her and everything broke down.

"Alec please!" She said. She felt tired. Hell, she was tired.

Alec walked into the room, his head hung low, "Can we talk normally Jade? Julia was right. We need to deal with this like adults."

"That's what we tried to earlier. Didn't go very well. Let's just...." She sighed, "Let's just stay away from each other. It's the best for both of us."

"But.... I need to explain."

"Don't you get it that talking to you is more painful than seeing you with Emma? Can't you see that this very difficult for me? Or don't you want to see?"

Till then both of them had been speaking in low voices, but Jade couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst out.

She took a deep breath, turned away from Alec and closed her eyes, "Just go Alec. Leave me alone for few minutes. Just.... Go..."

"I'm sorry...." She heard him leave the room, and she let go the breath she was holding.

She needed time to think to compose herself.

....................

When the knock on the door came again Jade didn't even bother to turn.

"Just leave me alone, will you! I don't want to talk to you right now. Don't you get that?" On her last words she turned around to face the door, her hair swinging around her.

"Expecting someone else were you?"

Instead of Alec at the door, as Jade had been expecting it was Matt. He had a concerned look on his face.

Jade let her tensed shoulders fall and she turned around again.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

She heard Matt's shoes tap on the floor as he walked into the room and came to stand next to her.

"Are you okay, Jade? You look- for lack of a better word- disturbed."

It was true. Her face was pale and Matt could see the tension and stress that was flowing out of her body in waves.

Along with handfuls of hurt and pain.

"You could say that again. My life is very disturbing at the moment." Jade scoffed.

"Alec?"

The question was a simple one. It had to be answered with a simple yes or no. Even a shake of her head would have worked.

Then why was there a lump in a throat stopping her from answering.

She took deep gulps of air. Put all her mind in releasing the tension in her body and looked at Matt.

"I'm fine." She even managed to put on a small smile on her face.

But Matt saw right through her facade. He raised one eyebrow and repeated his question, "Alec?"

"Matt."

"Alec?"

Jade had to laugh. At the sound of her laughter Matt let a grin come on his face too.

"Yes. Alec. Who else will it be? I'm going to go mad. You know what I should do? Take a long holiday." Jade said.

Matt looked at her. Her shoulders had fallen and though she was trying to cover up her pain with a smile and silly behaviour, it was clearly visible in her eyes.

"You really need to take a break. That's all you need." He said. "All this has stressed you out and you're tired."

"Are you gay?" Jade asked.

"You should know... I was your boyfriend." Matt replied playing along.

She laughed, "It's just that how do you understand me so well. Know what I need. It's like you're not a guy. Atleast not like the guys I know."

"I'm a guy and you know me."

"You know what I mean."

He smiled, "Yes I do know what you mean. And to answer your question, no I'm not gay. I would have dressed a little better if I was."

"Yeah that's there."

"As for understanding you... It's partly because I'm a doctor it's kind of my job to understand what's wrong with people. And partly because I know you Jade."

Jade's face softened.

"Yes you do." She sighed, "It would have been so much easier if I would have fallen in love with you rather than that idiot."

"I like to think that." Matt replied.

"I should go back to the party. And I also need to apologise to Julia. I kind of snapped at her. Took out Alec's anger on her."

"That's harsh." He smirked.

Jade gave a breathy laugh and started walking out of the room. When she reached the door she turned around, "Matt you remember what I told you that day... The girl you will end up with will be really lucky."

"You bet." He grinned smugly.

Jade walked out of the room leaving Matt alone.

The smile slowly fell from his face.

"I wish you were the one." He sighed.

Jade walked back into the party. It was still in full swing.

She found Julia talking to Steve at the other side of the room. She walked up to her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry." She whispered into Julia's ear.

"It's okay... But Jade..." Julia pulled back with a concerned look on her face.

Jade shook her head, "No.. I'm fine. Let's leave all that."

She smiled and started a conversation with Steve, congratulating him about the good news.

She spent the rest of the night trying to avoid Alec and she was glad that she was successful.

..................