Kareena POV

I never thought two feet would be too far but at this point two inches felt like two miles and he was way too far away. I never thought about the end.  I thought about picket fences, a cute kid and a fluffy dog. I thought about my wedding day, a white dress our friends and family, smiles and tears. I though about everything we could have together not knowing we might not have each other. 

Two feet turned to ten, ten turned to twenty and suddenly he was a thousand miles away on the other side of the country and I was here. I could still hear him pulling his suitcase out of the apartment. I could see the smile on his face through the tears in my eyes. This was an amazing opportunity and I wouldn't hold him back. I would miss him and love him but I would do it from a distance. I felt like a part of my soul had been dragged away kicking and screaming. 

They say if you love someone, let them go and If they come back it was meant to be.  I want to say that I let him go because I was the bigger person but honestly I just told him what he wanted to hear. 

I said I was happy for him, i wasn't. I was sad for myself. 

I said this was a once in a life time opportunity and he should jump on it. It wasn't , I was so sure he could find something just as great here, if only he looked he could stay.

I said follow your heart. I meant that. I just thought I was his heart. So now my heart is broken while his is full. 

 I got a text from him weeks ago telling me how great the new job was. He texted me because he wanted us to be friends. I ignored him because I wanted us to be more. 

The bar was empty tonight. It was just me and Jessie sitting under the dim bulbs, leaning over each side of the bar just looking at each other. We did this often.  It was one in a set of steps that would eventually lead me to his apartment. I would wake up with a headache, wrapped up his arms and dollar store sheets.  We never did anything, we were just two lonely souls taking comfort in the other.  I saw in his brown eyes the same soul sucking emptiness that looked back at me from the mirror.  His auburn hair pulled up into a bun on top of his head spilled onto the counter and I reached out to curl my fingers in it.  He loved it. I could almost hear the rumble in his chest, an animalistic sound of satisfaction.

He leaned off the counter and began collecting the glasses from around the bar, it was almost closing time. I grabbed a rag and helped him. It wasn't my job but i wanted to help. a part of me liked being so close to Jessie. The silence that fell between us wasn't uncomfortable it just was. I felt no need to fill it and neither did he. we worked in sync cleaning up and piling the stools on the counter. I waited outside, my arms drowning in one of his sweaters as I waited for him to turn the alarm on and lock up. 

I always knew when Jessie was near, it was like a sixth sense. he came from behind me and wrapped his arms around me giving me the comfort I so craved. When I was with Jessie I never thought about anything else. It wasn't until he was away from me that my thoughts would race back to Chase and the fact that he left me for a five dollar raise and a life in the big city. 

Jessie's touch sent tingles across my skin and down my spine. I thought it was weird at first the way we connected so fast.  Our eyes locked from across the bar and he dropped everything to serve me.  He plied me with booze and I spilled my life story to him on the first night.  I told him about the love of my life. My dreams and aspirations that I had held onto for 5 years that had just come crashing down around me. I told him about the dinner and the roses.  There were candles too. They lit the room like a midsummer dream making me think my dreams were finally coming true. They didn't. Obviously.  

Jessie didn't pity me. He actually looked kind of happy. he said chases loss was his gain  and he hadn't stopped holding me since. We weren't in a relationship, he knew I wasn't ready for that but it was a quiet understanding that when I was , I was his and he was mine. We walked around the corner, hand in hand the strange buzz between us always present. 

Jessie POV

Her hands were cold. I could feel her shivers as I pulled her into the warmth of the house. As always, she kicked off her shoes and ran up the steps. Her midnight hair fanned out behind her like a cape giving off a scent that sent my senses wild. It was like a rainy tropical island, the wet sand and salty water. I longed to see her happy on a beach somewhere. The wind in her hair as the waters lapped at her tiny frame. The smile on her face the most important part. 

I knew she could feel it, but I knew she was hurting. The Mate bond was doing its work and drawing her close to me but her heart wasn't completely in it. She was here but she wasn't. She still mourned the loss of his love and I mourned the loss of hers. It was gone before I could even feel it and I wasn't sure if it would ever be mine. I walked up the steps slowly, my gaze immediately found her on the couch waiting for me.  Her grey eyes watching me  as she patted the seat beside her. 

I smiled. It was a movie night. I sat down and she curled into my side, her head resting  on my shoulder. I placed a kiss on her forehead and smiled as she sighed and moved in closer. It was hard to have her this close and not claim her but I realized this was the best I would get for now. One day when she was ready, She would be mine and I, hers.