"I came to see you," he said suddenly, needing her to know.
"I figured." She said, leaning her head into his shoulder. "I'm glad you did."
He startled out of the memory when someone jostled him from behind at the traffic light. He joined the cattle call and crossed the street, ducking between the fences at the corner of the golf course. He saw the giant yellow tent not too far away. Exhaustion stole over his brain, but he kept going. He was supposed to meet Sara; they were going to the game and then to dinner and then…he sighed, wondering what the fuck he was doing with her anyway.
By the time he entered the loud tent, the party was well underway. He found some food that he desperately needed, a beer and leaned on the bar at the Big House station right next to The Local, Blake and Rob's brew pub. He looked around as he ate and drank while he sought her out – the redhead. When she showed and they chatted, it felt like the most natural thing in the universe to be here, with her, laughing and talking. When she mentioned an ex-husband and money to invest in the brewery, he didn't push for the whole story. He'd never in his life felt such a compelling need to go slow. Until now.
Then a commotion nearby caught his eye. Sara, arguing with her brother. Suzanne put a hand on his arm as he started to move towards her.
"I created that mess in some ways. I loved him. A lot. But he…it wouldn't work."
He stared at her a minute, then over at the argument between Sara and her brother. "And how did he feel about you?"
"He loved me too. And he was crucial to my functioning at a really shitty time." She moved away from him, sipped her beer, and he sensed a barrier dropping over her- and between them. "But it had to end. So, I ended it. Go find her. She's in a tough place right now. Jack has a way of bringing out the worst in people, unfortunately. He's not a bad guy, really. I don't know how he gets himself tangled up like this but...." She walked away without another word.
Craig straightened up, finished his beer, and followed Sara out. Unsure what he was doing, why he was doing it, or what the hell he could do to help her. He took one last look around, seeking Suzanne without realizing it. He saw her engaged in conversation elsewhere. He ducked outside, heard angry words, and faced the serious reality of the Jack/Sara connection as he stared at the three people caught in the bullshit drama moment.
His eyes darted between Jack, Sara and Heather, the woman Gordon had been fucking around with since Sara had broken off their engagement. He heard her drunken and tearful accusations about Sara and Jack talking "every night" and how she, Heather, was with him in his bed, not Sara. He walked away. He'd heard enough. Then turned at one point and doubled back, his temper boiling, needing to confront Sara once and for all. Even as he kissed her, the words she'd said burned a hole in his brain: "You don't love me Craig. You love the idea of me not with Jack." She stalked away in the opposite direction from the loud party leaving him standing, empty handed, heavy hearted and pissed as hell.
He ducked back into the tent, found beer, then another, and another. Someone handed him a water bottle. He looked up and blearily focused on Suzanne. She smiled, sat with him a while and let him rant about Sara. Then after he'd downed three waters she got up, keeping her hand on his arm.
"You have got to purge her Craig. She's Jack's; she always will be. I've known him a long time, and I can tell this is what is meant to be for them both. Do whatever you must, but get her out of your system." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he'd stood holding her close before she could slip away. He would not fuck up his friendship with this amazing woman by thinking he needed anything more from her. No way; not this time. He needed a friend more than he needed a lover right now.
"Thanks," he whispered in her ear, and then turned away, hands in his
"I figured." She said, leaning her head into his shoulder. "I'm glad you did."
He startled out of the memory when someone jostled him from behind at the traffic light. He joined the cattle call and crossed the street, ducking between the fences at the corner of the golf course. He saw the giant yellow tent not too far away. Exhaustion stole over his brain, but he kept going. He was supposed to meet Sara; they were going to the game and then to dinner and then…he sighed, wondering what the fuck he was doing with her anyway.
By the time he entered the loud tent, the party was well underway. He found some food that he desperately needed, a beer and leaned on the bar at the Big House station right next to The Local, Blake and Rob's brew pub. He looked around as he ate and drank while he sought her out – the redhead. When she showed and they chatted, it felt like the most natural thing in the universe to be here, with her, laughing and talking. When she mentioned an ex-husband and money to invest in the brewery, he didn't push for the whole story. He'd never in his life felt such a compelling need to go slow. Until now.
Then a commotion nearby caught his eye. Sara, arguing with her brother. Suzanne put a hand on his arm as he started to move towards her.
"I created that mess in some ways. I loved him. A lot. But he…it wouldn't work."
He stared at her a minute, then over at the argument between Sara and her brother. "And how did he feel about you?"
"He loved me too. And he was crucial to my functioning at a really shitty time." She moved away from him, sipped her beer, and he sensed a barrier dropping over her- and between them. "But it had to end. So, I ended it. Go find her. She's in a tough place right now. Jack has a way of bringing out the worst in people, unfortunately. He's not a bad guy, really. I don't know how he gets himself tangled up like this but...." She walked away without another word.
Craig straightened up, finished his beer, and followed Sara out. Unsure what he was doing, why he was doing it, or what the hell he could do to help her. He took one last look around, seeking Suzanne without realizing it. He saw her engaged in conversation elsewhere. He ducked outside, heard angry words, and faced the serious reality of the Jack/Sara connection as he stared at the three people caught in the bullshit drama moment.
His eyes darted between Jack, Sara and Heather, the woman Gordon had been fucking around with since Sara had broken off their engagement. He heard her drunken and tearful accusations about Sara and Jack talking "every night" and how she, Heather, was with him in his bed, not Sara. He walked away. He'd heard enough. Then turned at one point and doubled back, his temper boiling, needing to confront Sara once and for all. Even as he kissed her, the words she'd said burned a hole in his brain: "You don't love me Craig. You love the idea of me not with Jack." She stalked away in the opposite direction from the loud party leaving him standing, empty handed, heavy hearted and pissed as hell.
He ducked back into the tent, found beer, then another, and another. Someone handed him a water bottle. He looked up and blearily focused on Suzanne. She smiled, sat with him a while and let him rant about Sara. Then after he'd downed three waters she got up, keeping her hand on his arm.
"You have got to purge her Craig. She's Jack's; she always will be. I've known him a long time, and I can tell this is what is meant to be for them both. Do whatever you must, but get her out of your system." She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he'd stood holding her close before she could slip away. He would not fuck up his friendship with this amazing woman by thinking he needed anything more from her. No way; not this time. He needed a friend more than he needed a lover right now.
"Thanks," he whispered in her ear, and then turned away, hands in his
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