The Awards Show Ch 18

The next thing Jet knew, a familiar beeping sound was in her ears. She groaned and then heard a soft tap before a large arm surrounded her once more. Her eyes were bleary as she yawned and opened them.

"Rhett?" Jet rolled over as sunlight filled her vision and there he was staring back at her.

"Hey. I'm sorry my alarm woke you." His hand reached out and he ran his fingers down the side of her face.

"Huh?" Jet searched her brain, trying to orient herself. "Oh, oh crap. I fell asleep. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"Shhhhh....no worries as long as you're not sorry for what happened." His thumb stroked over her lips.

"What do you mean?"

"Jet, you remember we messed around last night, right?" Worry passed over his features.

"I remember everything until you went to clean up after my stellar blow job, please tell me that's everything." Her eyes opened wider.

"Thank goodness. I was afraid you were really blitzed last night for a second. That's it, aside from me coming back to bed in the hopes that I could repay the favor and finding you curled up looking adorable on my pillow." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"I don't remember passing out, but I've got the rest, and no I'm not sorry for it. I am going to go back to sleep for a bit though."

"Okay. I have to go to work, but I'll see you tonight. Maybe we can pick up where we left off." He smiled at her and planted another kiss on her forehead even as his thumb rubbed over her lips. Jet smiled back and then curled up, pulling the blanket tighter as Rhett got up and started to get ready.

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When Jet awoke a few hours later, it was as if she was awaking to an entirely different world. She had a smile on her, one she barely recognized. She felt lighter, and even as she got up and got herself ready, everything seemed to be better. Last night may not have been perfect, but it was a reawakening that she had desperately needed.

As the day went on, Jet found herself buried in thought. Work slowly became impossible, and as she sat at the table after her shower, Jet realized that she had been going through life on autopilot since that night. It wasn't right, and she knew it had to stop. It was then she realized exactly what that meant, and she went into the spare bedroom. It was time to move forward. Rhett would just have to understand.

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By 5 when Jet heard the door open, she was determined in her plan. Footsteps came down the hallway, and she turned waiting for a familiar figure to come to the doorway.

"There you are. What are you up to?" Rhett gave her a smile and she saw hope in his eyes. That's when she felt the first hint of tears in her own.

"I just finished packing. I was about to load my car." The hope fell from his eyes at her words.

"I....I don't understand." He walked up to her.

"I'm going back to my place Rhett. I need to pack up all my stuff and get it ready to sell." She tried to smile, but it was half-hearted at best.

"Oh, well, you could leave this stuff here and I'll go with you. I mean you could even bring a few boxes here with every trip. I'll clear some space out in the garage." The hope returned to his eyes.

"Come here, sit down. I think I want to be eye level while we talk for once." Her soft smile continued to mask the tears that were just waiting behind her eyes.

Rhett turned and plopped down on the bed, even as Jet stayed standing. She took a deep breath, and then let it out.

"Rhett, you know I love you, but I've been stuck in this sort of stasis here with you since everything happened. I haven't really dealt with anything. I need to though. I need to take charge of my life and move forward. So, I have to go and stay at my house alone and remember that it's okay to be that way."

"But you're not alone. Jet, you don't have to leave, ever. I can help you move forward. I can help you with anything you need."

"I don't expect you to understand this, but you can't. You can't help me deal with what's happened and you can't help me stand on my own two feet again."

"What? Why not? You know I'd do anything for you." He turned to her with so many emotions in his eyes.

"You can't help me because you are one of the things I have to deal with. Yes, I have deal with how Mitchell made me feel and his death, but I also have to deal with how you crushed my heart. I love you Rhett, and I might be able to find a way to forgive you, but right now I can't even kiss you. That's not okay. That's not a relationship that can last, you have to see that."

"So, last night was a mistake then. I should have made us wait." He turned away from her and Jet couldn't take it. She could handle his reactions, but not him saying that what he did for her was a mistake.

Jet mounted his legs, looking him dead in the eye and grabbing his cheeks. "No. Don't do that. Last night was not a mistake. Last night was the first good thing that has happened to me since that night. I lost my sexuality, my desire, all of it, and last night you gave it back to me. You were perfect and amazing and exactly what I needed. You woke up a part of me that I thought was dead. I love you for that Rhett and for everything you are, but you still cheated on me at the worst time and I have to figure out if I can deal with that. It doesn't mean that I'll ever stop loving you or wanting you, but it means I need time without you."

"So what? You go back to your place and sell it and then you move somewhere else here?"

"I talked to Tierney today and I'm going to go stay with her in San Francisco for a few months. It'll be good for me to get a change of pace and put some distance between myself and here. I'm going to put my stuff in storage and take some time to figure out what my next step is."

"Please don't. Please don't leave me. I love you so much. I can't lose you."

"I have to go for me Rhett. If you love me, then you'll just have to understand. Besides, you aren't losing me. We'll still talk and when I know what I'm going to do next, we can see what that means for us." Jet kissed his cheek and then nestled her face into his neck, throwing her arms around his chest. Rhett wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight to him.

They sat there together and Jet felt him cry softly against her even as she cried into his shoulder. She wasn't sure what the future might hold for them, but this decision she was positive about, even though it was one of the most painful things she had ever done. Hurting Rhett ripped her heart out, but this had to be done.

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Going home was hard, harder than Jet could have anticipated. It was also good for her though, she was being forced to find herself again amidst the rubble of her old life. Every box she packed was full of decisions about what she wanted to carry forward and what needed to be left. There was a lightening in each trip to the Salvation Army where she dropped off pieces of her past. This was the next best thing to therapy, and that was probably an inevitability in her future.

The first few days, the solace that allowed her to sleep was texting with Rhett. He would message each morning, and she wouldn't respond until she was nestled in her bed at night. Then, she would send him a thank you and fill him in on her work from that day. He would message back telling her about his. Neither of them spoke about the issues between them, leaving those for another day. After she would say goodnight, Jet would be able to close her eyes and rest. Rhett still brought her peace.

After a week, Jet's entire dining room became a field of boxes. The rest of the house was growing emptier and emptier. The furniture was scheduled to leave in two days and she started to really feel like she was moving forward in her life instead of standing still. That was the first night she even talked about moving with Rhett. They had been texting about work as usual, and it slipped in.

'Know anybody that needs a dining room table at work? Or does the studio need one? Mine's in pretty good shape.' Jet typed the words and hit send as if it was nothing. To her, Rhett was her closest friend and just like she had asked Link about a few things as she had been packing, this seemed like no big deal. The heavy pause after she sent the messages said decidedly the opposite.

'You're getting rid of it? Wow. I thought you'd keep it, especially after that time we tested the weight limit.' Rhett sent the message and Jet's heart warmed at the same time she felt sadness creep into her.

Jet suddenly remembered that first long weekend at her house. It was such a sweet memory of them giggling as Rhett mounted the table after her. He had reminded her of his weight, repeatedly, and the look of fear and excitement in his eyes as he slid between her legs made her smile. They had laughed every time the table shook, and the moment Rhett came he was all too eager to jump off. That table had been a running joke between them as he claimed to see her ass print on it even months later.

'I was right that time. We weren't too heavy.' She messaged him back as she caught her lip in her teeth.

'I don't know. I think we may have damaged the structural integrity.'

'Does that mean you don't want the table?'

'It means the extra five pounds I carry now makes me nervous for us to try that again.'

Jet froze reading his message. Trying that again seemed so distant from possibility considering where they were. She wasn't sure for a moment how to respond to him.

'I think I'll just have them take it with the other stuff. Wouldn't want to give it to someone and have it fall apart on them.' It was all she felt safe answering. Not long after those few messages, Jet said goodnight, claiming she was passing out. Truthfully, she wasn't okay with the way her mind was reacting to how her body felt at such a wonderful memory. Jet wondered if Rhett felt the same way.

They went back to talking normally the next day, well as normal as they could for now. The furniture day came and went, leaving her house empty except for her mattress, boxes, and her suitcases. It was becoming really sparse now.

A few more days and Jet was down to the last of it. As she packed what she presumed was the last box, Jet realized it was time. There was nothing left to do but clean and the realtor was going to do that along with staging it, and getting rid of Jet's mattress and any last minute trash. She was ready, but had put off really saying goodbye to Rhett.

The movers were scheduled to come by in the late morning, so she couldn't put it off any longer. When the last box was packed and taped, she sent him a text before sitting down to work a little.

'Tonight is my last night here. Want to eat at the house with me one last time?'

It was simple, but it still took her forever to press send. Her last night in this house seemed like such a surreal thing to say. This house had been where she had escaped to after Mitchell. She had so many happy memories of Rhett and her friends here, even memories of Jane. She felt alive again here. Of course, the fact that Mitchell had tried to kill her in the living was a counterbalance to all of that. Even though Link had scrubbed his blood completely from the floor, Mitchell would always be a part of the house. He took it from her in a way, but in another way, he gave her a way out. Jet could leave this house behind and that painful part of her world.

'I'll bring pizza, should I bring anything else? It'll probably be around 7 before I get there.'

His return message came a few hours after she had gone back to work. Jet wondered if his delay was because of work or if he had just as much trouble with it as she did. It was a Friday, though, so maybe week ending stuff had been crazy. Rhett often got busy on Fridays.

'Paper plates and cups would be good. I packed my dishes today.' The last words stared back at her as she waited for his response.

'Oh. Yea, no problem.' She could almost feel the sadness in his message and her breath left her in a sigh as she considered how hard it would be to see him. It was going to be crushing. It was hard enough thinking about leaving this house and all the good memories as well as the bad. Even the counter where she sat made her smile.

'Sounds great.' With those two words, Jet forced herself to put the phone down and go back to work. Work had saved her throughout these past weeks, forcing her back into reality. There had to be a future because she had deadlines and people contacting her. They expected there to be a tomorrow and a day after with a week and month to follow, so she had to expect that too, and she had to move on.

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A few hours later, when it was almost 7, Jet closed her laptop and packed it away. Sure enough, a strong knock that she hadn't heard in what seemed like ages came. She stood up from packing away her computer and walked slowly to the door.

When she opened it, a new set of memories flooded into her mind of all the times that bearded smile had been there to greet her. Today, Rhett stood there with two pizza boxes and a plastic bag, likely containing cups and plates. She gave him a smile and knew right away that he was holding back his emotions just as much as she was holding hers.

"Hey. I brought the plates and cups like you asked." He smiled and she turned ushering him inside.

"Great. I have some beer and other drinks to try and finish tonight and tomorrow, hopefully you can help."

"Tomorrow?" He asked her in a soft voice as he made his way into the kitchen to set everything on the counter.

"Yea. I'm leaving in the afternoon once I make sure everything is locked up tight in storage."

"Oh. I know you said tonight was the last night in the house, but you're actually leaving tomorrow."

"Yea. I'm driving up starting in the afternoon. I might stay in Monterey or something tomorrow night, but I thought I should drive the famous PCH at least once. I'll need my car in San Francisco anyways. Plus, Tierney is on the outskirts so I'll actually have a place to park it." Jet felt herself rattling on as she closed the door behind him.

"Oh. So, I brought a Rhett special and a meat lover's. I can uh take whatever with me when we're done or leave them or...."

"Great. We'll see huh? I might be eating pizza for breakfast if I sleep too late." Jet smiled at him nervously.

"Oh, yea. Um..." It was then she saw him crack a little and Jet felt it in herself too.

"Rhett...."

"Yea?"

"Look, I really want to have a last good memory here with you. Can we just have food and not be weird or talk about the future or anything? I mean I know that I'm leaving and there' a lot we could say....but...."

"Sounds great. Just show me what you have to drink." He gave her a reassuring smile as she saw the moisture at the corner of his eyes.

Jet sighed, and opened the fridge. Their normal routine for when he brought food over came to her as she did. He sat it on the counter and the two of them ate. They shared stories of work and crazy stuff they had seen online. She started to remember just how easy it was to talk to Rhett. They had a lot in common, after all, not to mention they were nearly best friends at this point. It was good, really good. Jet even forgot that she was leaving for a little bit.

Before Jet realized, it was 11 and she knew that this had to end. It was then a thought came to her, and before she could even decide if it was okay, she blurted it out.

"Do you want to stay here tonight? I still have a mattress, although they took my bed."

"Would that be okay? I mean I'm not drunk so I can drive home. I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want."

"I know you can drive. I guess I was thinking that this has been so nice, making a last good memory with you of this house, and I wasn't really ready for it to end." She was honest, letting him know exactly where her mind was. Rhett deserved that from her.

Within a few minutes, Jet found herself lying against Rhett, her head on his chest as she felt his familiar warmth. Her body melted to him like it always did. His skin was so familiar and so comforting. Without thinking she leaned her head back and slid her nose under his beard, placing a soft kiss to his neck.

"I can't believe you're leaving." His voice was deep, running through his chest.

"Me either. I'm going to miss you." Her hand ran down his bare chest as she shifted a little before placing another soft kiss to his collar bone.

"Do you still want me to message you, or do you want me to stop?" He asked the question and Jet could almost feel his heart breaking at the words.

"I hope you never stop. I like starting my day with your good mornings." Her hand slid further down, caressing over his stomach as she drew herself up on an elbow to look into his face.

"Does that mean this isn't really goodbye?" He looked to her with worry on his features.

"I'm trying to think of it as I'll see you later for now. I'm not sure what's going to happen though Rhett. I just promised myself that I would take some time and distance from here." Her fingers danced lower on his stomach, enjoying the feel of his soft skin between his chest hair and stomach hair. That skin held so many happy memories for her as she caressed over it.

"Can I ask you something Jet?" He spoke and sat himself up a little, forcing her hand down his body some.

"Sure."

"If I hadn't been with Jesse, would we be building a life together now instead of separating? Or do you think that you would still need distance?" His hand cupped her face drawing her attention to his eyes. The light of the bedside night light illuminated his eyes in a perfect way that let Jet read all of his emotions.

"I don't know Rhett. Some days I think that if you were here we would have worked through it and been stronger than ever. Other days, I wonder if it changed me for him to be gone and maybe we wouldn't be the same. There's even some days that I think it was better that you cheated in a way because it's forcing me to really come to terms with myself outside of a relationship."

"I hate myself for sleeping with her. I mean I understand why I did on some level, but if there was one thing I could do different it would be leaving her house that night." Jet raised her hand to Rhett's cheek and caressed it softly looking into his eyes.

"You shouldn't hate yourself Rhett. Things happen for a reason, just like having Mitchell come after me made me finally able to tell you I love you. Who knows maybe this is just something that will make us closer in the future."

"Can we be closer tonight? Can we pretend that I didn't fuck up and you're not leaving?" He asked the question and searched her eyes for the answer. Jet nodded in response only.

Rhett pulled at her body, until she was on top of him. She braced herself on her arms and leaned down closing her eyes and praying the image would be gone. When it wasn't she opened them, and moved to the side of his lips, kissing his cheek. Rhett sighed and let his fingers thread up into her hair. Jet started a familiar trail then, pulling on his ear with her teeth before licking just on the edge of his beard and down his neck.

He sighed above her as she continued down, now kissing and licking at his skin slowly, pouring love into every motion. Rhett's hands held her head as she continued and Jet took her time. Her nose, lips, and cheeks brushed over his chest, suddenly trying to memorize the feel of him, as if it was the last time she would ever feel it. She continued downward until she licked along the top of his briefs. Rhett's cock already strained at the fabric. Jet would certainly miss how easily he was excited by her touch. All she had to do was hint at wanting him, touch him in a certain way, or whisper some filthy little words and he would be ready. It was like their sexes spoke to each other on a level neither could explain.