It had been a week since Lee had called Jay to play a gig at the bar. A week since he had told her that he had met someone else, someone he had asked to be in a serious relationship with. Yet, Lee found herself thinking about hat throughout the day, missing him.

Finally, Lee decided that she just needed to get things off her chest, actually say the things she was thinking out loud, and hopefully that would help.

So Lee dialed the phone, nervously waiting for Jay to pick up. At least if he didn't answer, Lee thought, she could still leave a message.

Finally, he picked up, and the moment she heard his voice Lee's heart started to race. ”Hi Jay,” Lee said softly, knowing she didn't have to ya l tell him who it was. After she took a deep breath, Lee plunged in.

”I have something I need to say. Please, don't interrupt, just let me speak, you can hang up when I'm done it you want. When I realized I was really starting to like you, I didn't push for more because you said you didn't want anything serious. And because if things had ever gotten more serious, I honestly don't know how much of my heart is left to give. But I miss you.

“But I do know how life changing it is to find that one right person. Believe me, it really does change everything. And if that's who she is for you, I am happy for you. But…”

Lee trailed off after that but. There wasn't supposed to be a bit at the end of what she said. The problem was, as soon as the word was out, Lee knew what she wanted to say after it. Instead, Lee held her breath as she chewed on her bottom lip, not even sure if Jay was still on the other end of the phone.

Jay was sprawled on the couch, an empty beer can on the table as he watched some sports documentary on TV. He had been thinking; by no means did he regret making things with Zelda official, but he did feel...was it guilt? About how he made Lee feel. How seeing her like that made him feel.

He was snapped out of things when his phone rang. ...Lee...

He tried to let it ring. Let the voicemail get it and he'd call her back later. Or not.

At the last second, he picked up. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to ignore her.

"Hey, Lee." And then she told him not to interrupt, and he listened carefully, clinging to each word. When her voice trailed off, he spoke.

"I miss you too, but thanks for that. I wish yoy the very best. " He paused for a second. "But what? "

Thankfully, Jay let her get through everything and didn't interrupt her. That was good, Lee wasn't sure she would have been able to continue if he had.

Then Jay said that he missed her too, and less stomach felt like it twisted. Everything with Jay seemed to be much more than she would have expected.

But Jay hadn't missed when she said that but. And asked what she had been about to say. Lee paused and took a deep breath. ”I was going to say,” Lee said slowly, her eyes closed even though Jay couldn't see her. ”But if she isn't that right one, is it fair to just give up on us like this?” Yeah, this had not been the plan when she called, but Lee couldn't help asking.

Jay's breath caught in his throat at her question. It made his head spin as he just sat in silence for a moment. This relationship stuff was hard, and it hadn't even been that long yet.

"There's nothing fair about this," he said sadly. "This whole thing is new to me....I'm honestly bound to screw it up, but...I wanna try... " But not with her ," his mind added, and it made him cringe. That wasn't it...he sighed. "I wish I could make it up to you... "

Jay was silent after she asked her question. Of course he was, it wasn't an easy question. If it was, he wouldn't have told her what he had at the bar.

And then he spoke. Nothing fair about all this. That was actually true, wasn't it? But Lee knew this was new to him, wasn't that why he hadn't wanted anything serious to start with? ”I know, Jay,” Lee murmured. ”And I'd be surprised if you didn't screw up at least once.”

But then Lee heard what else Jay had to say, and her voice died in her throat. He wanted to try, but he didn't know how, or if, he could make it up to her. That didn't sound promising, not for her, anyway.

Lee took a deep breath that Jay could probably hear over the phone. But she had to ask. ”You want to try? Try what? Actually, no, nevermind. It wouldn't be so hard if it was with me, and with how it felt the last time you said it…”

His voice caught in his throat as his eyes started to sting. He knew her words rang true, but it still hurt. It was if his heart was left in a puddle on the floor.

"I'm...I..." he choked up, tears starting to flow freely. But she was right, and he knew it.

Then, his eyes narrowed. He was going to make things work with Zelda. He had to. And yet...maybe he'd just mess things up like he always did...

All he was able to do was stammer out one word, but that answered her question just as well as if he had said the words. Lee bit her lip and tried to control her voice before she spoke.

But why couldn't she just have something good without having life b***h also her every time? It just figured that the first person she had actually opened up to after Tarin, all this[/b] would happen.

”Alright, then,” Lee said, though the hoarseness in her voice said otherwise. ”She's a very lucky girl.”

He winced at her voice, noting that maybe they didn't end on the best terms, after all. He was hoping he was wrong, but there was no really good way to bring that up. "I hope that's true," he murmured, thinking about what kind of person he seemed to be, coupled with what Lee had said earlier. He sighed, closing his eyes as he steadied his breath and calmed down. As best he could, anyway.

"Goodbye, Lee. I wish you the best," he almost whispered, before hanging up the phone, and setting it on the table. Then, he got up and went to the kitchen, grabbed two cans of beer from the fridge, and plopped back on the couch. He didn't plan on getting drunk, but he needed one hell of a pick me up.