I tried to avoid Jason for the rest of the day, but it seemed like fate had other plans. I ran into him in the kitchen, where he was making himself a sandwich.
"Hey, Andy," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "How's it going?"
I shrugged, trying to play it cool.
"It's going." I said.
It's going? What even was that? I cringed.
Jason leaned against the counter, his gaze lingering on me.
"You know, I've been thinking. Maybe we can have a barbecue this weekend." He suggested.
I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to say. A barbecue with Jason and Bree? That sounded like a recipe for disaster.
Just then, Bree walked into the kitchen, her face emotionless.
"What's going on?" She asked.
Jason's expression softened, and he smiled at his daughter. "Hey, kiddo! I was thinking of having a barbecue this weekend. What do you think?"
Bree rolled her eyes.
"No thanks. I don't want to pretend to be a happy family with you." she said and everywhere went silent. I bit my bottom lip awkwardly as I turned to open the refrigerator for a can of soda.
Jason's expression faltered ever so slightly, but he tried to keep his tone light.
"Come on, Bree. It'll be fun. We can catch up." He said, trying to convince her.
But Bree just shook her head and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving Jason looking disappointed and me feeling awkward. I couldn't even follow her because we literally just argued as well. Plus, I was fairly certain she needed her space.
"Sorry about that," Jason said, sighing.
"Briana and I... we don't always see eye to eye." He said and I nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I know" I said and Jason smiled wryly.
"Yeah, I figured you would know all about that. Well, I guess I'll just have to try harder to win her over." He said and I nodded.
"Yup! It won't come easy but you have to" I said and he hummed in response.
As I quickly excused myself and left the kitchen, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Jason. He seemed to genuinely care about his daughter, it was so sad.
But even if she didn't seem to feel the same way, I knew more than anyone that she did. She constantly wanted him in her life but he was never there for her.
She was angry but she definitely did not hate him.
On my way to my room, I hovered in front of her door, contemplating checking on her but I eventually decided otherwise and walked into my room instead and decided to just relax, hoping everything will work out on its own.
I spent the rest of the afternoon buried in a book and I sighed in relief as I finally got to the hundredth page and decided to take a break.
It was in the evening at this point and it was beginning to get quite dark. So, I figured Bree must have left for the party.
I made my way to the beautiful balcony I stumbled on the other day I was running from Bree. It was one of the only places I could locate in the building.
I was greeted by that same amazing view of the ocean and beach. Only it was darker this time. I could see the reflection of fire bouncing off of people that were having fun and just relaxing. The view without hearing the noise was calming.
I took a deep breath in and the scent of the salty waves in the atmosphere hit me.
This time, instead of calming me, it threw me straight into a frenzy of bad memories. Events of that night fleeted through my head and it got my heart racing as I stumbled backwards. The smell of the sea as Jake assaulted me. I swallowed in fear as my eyes watered up.
I could feel a panic attack just looming at the edge.
I tried to regulate my breathing as I kept walking backwards. I couldn't turn my back on the view out of fear that it would swallow me whole.
I slowly walked backwards as I breathed heavily.
I was almost at the entrance when I bumped into someone, earning a loud yelp from me. I almost jumped out of my own skin, before turning to the culprit.
Of course, who else would it be but Jason Miller.
"You're everywhere" I said, my hand to my chest as I stared at him, my voice shaking.
"Well, it is my house, so" he said and I almost rolled my eyes.
"Why the hell were you walking backwards?" He asked and I shrugged.
"No particular reason" I said as I watched the light from the moon bounce off his skin.
It was dark but I could still make out his sharp features.
He studied me for a bit before I announced that I was leaving and he pulled me back.
"Hold on, are you crying?" He asked and I frowned before reaching out to my face. I was indeed crying.
"Uh- no" I said. Obvious lie. But I didn't care. I needed to leave.
I made to leave but he blocked the entrance.
"Hey, what's going on?" Jason asked, his voice softening as he gazed at me with concern.
"You're clearly upset. Did something happen?" He asked again.
I shook my head, trying to brush it off.
"I'm fine, really. I just... just need some air." I said.
But Jason didn't budge. He stepped closer, his eyes locked on mine as he took in my frame.
"You're not fine, Andy. You're shaking and crying. Tell me what's wrong." he urged.
I felt a lump form in my throat as I tried to speak, but my voice cracked.
"I... I just need to go." I said.
Jason's expression softened further, and he reached out to gently wipe away my tears.
"You don't have to hide from me, Andy. Whatever it is, I'm here to listen." He said soothingly.
His touch sent shivers down my spine, and I felt myself crumbling. Maybe it was the kindness in his eyes or the gentle way he spoke, but something about him made me feel safe. I sighed before I finally answered.
"It's just... the ocean," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "It reminds me of… that night."
Jason's expression turned softer, and he nodded. "I understand."
He didn't need to say more. I knew he knew what I was talking about. He had saved me that night, and I knew he remembered it just as vividly as I did.
Without another word, Jason pulled me into a gentle hug, holding me as I trembled. And even though it was supposed to be awkward, it felt anything but. It felt so right. I felt a wave of emotions wash over me, but this time, I didn't feel alone. Jason was there, holding me, reminding me that I was safe.
Slowly, I calmed down and we eventually pulled apart.
"It's okay to feel all of these things. It'll get better with time but you should not rush it. You're safe now and it will never happen again" he said assuringly.
"I promise" he added and I sighed as he wiped my tears away.
"Come on, let's get you out of here." He said as he gently took my hand and led me away from the balcony, away from the memories that haunted me.
As we walked, I felt a sense of calm wash over me, and I knew that maybe, just maybe, I could trust Jason Miller.