POV: Darleen

I didn't realize how hard it would be to watch her be happy with someone else. I felt helpless. All I could do was watch her and Vida make goo-goo eyes at each other and flirt openly. It hurt like an open wound to salt water.

I wasn't the only one suffering.

As the day wound down, so did Jade. The longer Skylar was with Vida, the more Jade began to shut down. Just like Skylar said. Jade just curled up on the couch and stared off at nothing in particular. Her eyes became dead, lifeless, barren. She looked like a zombie version of herself.

"Hey," I sat next to her.

She didn't even acknowledge me.

I glanced at the time, I still had about a couple of hours before I had to join my own family for thanksgiving.

"Stop!" Skylar laughed as Vida kept trying to pinch her side.

I looked over at them and sighed.

"I want to ruin it," Jade said out of nowhere, making me flinch.

I turned to her. She was looking at Skylar.

"What?" I asked.

"I want to ruin it, what she and Vida have. I was to destroy them. I want them to feel the way I feel right now. It's taking everything in me to stay away from it, to let Skylar be. But it hurts. Hurts so damn bad." Her voice cracked at the end and her eyes came back to life for just a moment as she teared up.

Before I could say anything, she got up and bolted out the front door.

Only then did Skylar notice the distress Jade was in. She watched after her before moving away from Vida.

"Don't, just give her space," Vida said to her.

"She's right, if you keep going after her, you'll only prolong her pain," Aunty said as she watched Jade run to the house across the street.

Skylar sighed and pulled back, not going after Jade.

"I'll go talk to her," I said before walking after Jade.

It was better than watching Vida and Skylar be together for one more second. I swear I am this close to ripping my eyes out. I walked past Kenzie and Jean who were tongue deep in each other's mouths and upstairs to check on Jade.

Jade was sitting at her window, staring across the street to Skylar's window, which was dark because Skylar wasn't in her room. I sighed and sat next to her.

"I used to sit here like this all the time. Even before Skylar and I got together. Whenever I'd feel lonely, I'd sit here, and just seeing her over there... changed everything in me. I wouldn't feel so lonely. I wouldn't feel so down, I'd just feel, content. Happy even." Jade said.

I open my mouth to say something but before I can she says,

"Fuck you."

"What?"

"Fuck you! I know you are only coming around again because you like her too. I see you flirting with her and flashing that charming smile. Fuck you! You just want to steal her away too. Everyone just wants to take her away from me." She sobbed.

I sighed and stared out the window.

"I thought I could be okay with this, but I can't." she cried.

"You had your chance," I say. "We both did, and we blew it. Now it's someone else's turn." I watch as Vida and Skylar walk outside, laughing as Skylar gets in her car, and Vida climbs in the passenger seat.

Jade goes silent as she watches.

The car pulls out of the driveway, and we watch it disappear at the end of the street.

Jade takes a shaky breath and rests her head against the window.

"I still don't even know where it all went wrong," Jade says softly.

"You ignored her for months, what did you think was going to happen?" I ask.

"Shut up! I didn't know, she never said anything! And by the time she did, it was too late!"

"You should know without her having to say anything! That's what good girlfriends do, they notice, they care, they act. You were too busy with yourself to give her the time of day. You only have yourself to blame." I snap at her.

"I said shut up!" She covers her ears.

"Do you even deserve to have her back?" I ask.

She looked at me then, a helpless look on her face as tears ran down her cheeks.

"Do I..." I look out the window.

"You are the only person who knows how I feel right now..." she says.

I look at her and sigh because I know she's right. I hate it when Jade's right about things. Jade and being right, just don't go together.

Jade whimpers and closes her eyes as more tears fall, she leans heavily into the window. I move closer to her, so she can lean on my shoulder. When she does I rub her arm as we stare out the window.

"I hate myself right now," Jade says.

"Don't say that."

"I do, you're right. I fucked it all the way up and now that she's gone I fucking hate myself. I need someone or something to blame. I tried to blame Vida, but I know it's my fault. I'm so fucking stupid. I hate myself." She sobs.

"Jade—" she cuts me off by kissing me.

My eyes go wide and I quickly push her away.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

She can't even say anything she just sobs some more and buries her head into my chest, crying heavily. I don't hold her back, instead, I just awkwardly pat her on the back.

I guess she was just looking for comfort, a way to feel something other than pain. But she came to the wrong person for that. I'm not one to fuck around with that kind of stuff. Too often it becomes something serious or blows up in people's faces.

I learned my lesson on using people to feel things a long time ago with Aphrodite, it never works out.

Ever.

It only takes a few minutes before Jade is nothing but a numb zombie again. She's stopped her wailing but her tears keep on falling silently. She just leans into me, breathing evenly as she cries silently. I've never seen her look so pathetic in my life. I didn't know she could get this pathetic.

I have to shake her at one point just to make sure the girl is actually still alive. She gets up and coils up on her bed, staring off into nothingness. Skylar wasn't joking, Jade really is falling apart. Probably faster than anyone can ever put her back together.

With yet another sigh I get up to leave.

"Stay, please..." she says softly.

"Jade—"

"Please... stay. I just want someone to stay."

"I can go get Kenzie to come stay with you."

"Stay," her voice cracks as she buries her face in a pillow. "Stay..."

"I have to go," I open the door.

She sobs into her pillow, her voice cracks because it's now broken and worn out.

"Stay..." I hear faintly as I walk out the door.

"How is she?" her aunt asks as she walks inside.

I quickly wipe my own tears, "She needs someone, but that someone can't be me. I'm sorry." I quickly push past her and leave.

I'm all too familiar with the pain Jade is in now, it reminds me of when Aphrodite left me. It even reminds me of my breakup with Skylar. How helpless and broken I felt. It makes me feel all those things again, and then some. If Jade can't get Skylar, what chance do I have? I lost to Jade. I lost to her and now she's lost to someone new.

What chance do I stand?

What hope is there?

I quickly get in my car and take a few deep breaths to collect myself.

What am I doing?

How stupid can I be? Where Jade is now is where I will end up if I don't get a grip. Skylar doesn't like me, she likes someone else. It's not possible for her and me to be together again. It's just not.

I need to accept that.

This little game is over. I'll be there for her but only as a friend. I'm not signing up to gutted again. I can't... I can't handle that a second time. Skylar is happy, so I'll let her be. Because when you love someone, no matter how much it pains you, you let them be happy.

You let them and you accept all the pain that comes with it.

No matter what the cost.

I glance up at Jade's window one last time before I drive away to my own house, to my own life.