"we were. and then we weren't."
a chance meeting.
a whirlwind romance.
a life changing trade.
a broken heart.
a tale of love, loss, forgiving, and forgetting.
Jamie Oleksiak + Greer Holden
{lowercase intended}
It's almost 8 pm on a Saturday night when it happens. When Jamie shows up at my front door unannounced, unexpected, and unwanted. Honestly, he's lucky that I'm even at home, I was putting my shoes on, getting ready to head out to meet Seth for a drink when I heard the knocking that triggered Murphy's incessant barking.
At first, I thought it was just Tim, my neighbor who is notorious for needing his spare key on the weekend but when I looked through the peephole my heart sank into the floor.
There he stood, those blue eyes barreling into mine through the tiny glass circle as Murphy snapped at the door. I stared at him for a moment trying to process what was happening, but it never made any sense.
Why was he here?
"Greer, I know you're standing there. Please open up."
Fuck.
Flipping the lock and taking a step back to open the door I hobble around on one leg trying to keep Murphy inside. As the door swings open I can see Jamie's eyes widen, then do a head to toe sweep as Murphy jumps around attacking his legs. My stomach flutters and I'm suddenly thankful he caught me tonight in this outfit rather than my usual ratty old pajamas. •••
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••• Standing there with pursed lips and crossed arms I wait for him to speak but Jamie tenses up, silent with his large body taking up the entire doorway. "What do you want, Jamie?"
"I, I" he stutters, coughing trying to find his voice, "you look amazing."
Well, he wasn't wrong, I did look pretty good tonight. But that's besides the point.
Shaking my head I usher him and the dog inside, obviously this is going to take a minute. "That's not what I asked, Jamie. Why are you here?"
Leaning against the kitchen island I watch as he crouches down petting Murphy for a second, ignoring me as the little fur-ball bounces around absolutely loving the attention. Eventually he stands back up running a hand through his much shorter curls, his nervous tick. He's still not looking me in the eye when he finally speaks, "I had to see you."
I can't help the scoff that slips out right then, "You've been back for a week, why now?"
"You knew I was back?"
Biting my lip I try to stay calm, but this is so not how I saw my night going. "Of course I knew, I don't live under a rock."
"Greer, I," He finally looks up at me, his blue eyes are sunken, sad, "I am so sorry, I can't even tell you how,"
"Don't. I do not want to do this right now, Jamie." I can't even explain to him how much I don't want to have this conversation, how much I don't even want to look at him right now.
I'm not ready.
He looks like I've just punched him in the stomach, taken all the air out of the room. Jamie sighs, "You were going out?"
