we'll paint the town,,{riley&jack}

[jackson carter harper]

i've never felt so in love before
just promise baby, you'll love me forevermore
_____________________________________

Smoke pursued its' way through partially parted lips, floating away until it vanished, blending in with the cool air. A cigarette was placed between those same parted lips, inhaling more of the cancerous smoke. The somewhat thin, pale pink lips belonged to, twenty-four year old, Jackson Harper. The young man had decided to take a stroll along the lake and enjoy the fresh, night air while he could. Of course, a few of his friends were probably having a great time somewhere else, but Jack decided to take a break from his friends and such. All he wanted to do was just hang out and take it easy - or so everyone thought. See, Jack had actually left a message for an old friend to meet him here, to discuss a few things over and give him the opportunity to speak his mind without any interruptions.

He exhaled another cloud of smoke, his blue orbs grazing over the calm water before him. He had always wondered why everything seemed so peaceful and quiet at the lake. Everything was just so silent, besides the many pedestrians talking, hysterically, about one thing and then the next. But that was only during the day - at night, everything was much more calm. Jack heaved a low sigh at his thoughts, the bright moon reflecting a sort of gleam onto the rippling water of the lake, and finished the last of his cigarette, tossing it to the dirt beneath his feet. He squished what was left of the cigarette beneath the toe of his white Nike sneakers and shoved his hands into the pockets of his slightly faded blue jeans. No, he wasn't completely stressed out - he was just completely nervous, considering he was about to reveal his true feelings to a woman he hadn't spoke to in a bout five years.

A slight breeze caused the white Polo he was wearing, underneath his dark brown leather jacket, to rustle, slightly. The first three buttons were undone, partially showing his toned chest, and the wind sent a small chill down his spine as it washed over his bare skin. Even though it was quite nice out, Jack was enjoying every minute of the chilled breeze, the many different pleasant aromas mixing together gave him a delighted feeling. He turned around, his back facing the lake, and began to observe the area, watching for Riley, in hopes that she wasn't going to bail on him. It was exactly like when he was a kid, waiting for a few friends to meet with him at the park so they could play tag or whatever it was they did. In all honesty, Jack really missed being in school - he was able to see all of his friends pretty much everyday. But since they had graduated from high school, Jack had barely heard from any of them.

The disgusting after taste of tobacco soon met his taste buds, causing him to check all of his pockets for any sign of gum. Of course, there was a pack of spearmint - his favorite - with only one piece left. Jack popped the piece of gum into his mouth, gratefully, and then shoved the empty package back into his pocket. He wasn't about to litter, especially since the package wasn't much of a bother to him, anyway. That was one thing Jack felt ashamed of doing - not that he did it- , which was littering. If he had garbage, he would stuff it into his pockets or hold onto it until he came to a garbage can or a recycling bin. No, Jack wasn't a 'tree-hugger' or anything of the sort, he just didn't like tossing garbage on the ground - he thought it was disgusting.

Like circlets of June sky, the young man's orbs flicked back to the lake, enjoying its' peaceful appearance. His palms soon grew a bit cold and damp, which was a clear sign of his nerves getting the better of him. Sure, Jack wasn't the type of guy to let on his true feelings, but it was easy to tell what he was feeling through his eyes or appearance. In this case, he was nervous because of the situation his hands were in. Although, it was hard to blame him, considering he was about to come face to face with the only girl he ever truly loved, and inform her of his true feelings. This was the reason why he had asked her to meet him here. But he couldn't help but wonder how she would feel in return, and if it would be a good reaction or a bad one.

[riley anne mackay]

Into a place where thoughts can bloom ,,
Back to the streets where we began
Feeling as good as lovers can.

clothes
.............

A few days had passed since Riley Mackay had been reunited with her past love Jackson Harper. She had spent the last few days in turmoil her mind all over the place. She knew she should be putting Jack behind her and moving on with her new life, she had a fiance who adored her and a future but her thoughts kep returning to Jack. He had been her first love and the guy she dreamed of spending the rest of her life with and now she had to deal with seeing him around knowing he was no longer hers. Riley's feelings for Jack had never been erased simply covered over with a love for someone else and now they began to resurface. She felt like her emotions were like a video tape that had been recorded over. Flashes of memories and well known feelings began to force their way into Rileys heart and mind and she didnt know how to deal with it.

Riley hadn't told anyone about seeing Jack again, not even her brother Jason. She wasnt sure what to tell anyone and couldnt face the questions it was bound to raise. Riley had received a voicemail today that had made it even harder to escape her feelings. Jack had asked her to meet him by the lake and that was where she found herself. Riley was making her way towards city lake with the intention of meeting her former love. Riley had told Zack she was running some errands in town, she wasnt sure why she had lied to him and felt guilty for the way she had covered it up. She should have been honest with her fiance after all Jackson was just a friend right? She had nothing to hide...did she?

As Riley walked along the soft grass that flanked the edge of the water she let out a sigh. Part of her wanted to turn and run home not ready to see Jack again and remember how she felt before. Riley still loved Jackson and always would and that was what made this whole situation even harder. As she walked Riley tucked her hands into the pockets of her jeans her eyes scanning the area for Jack. A part of Riley was desperate to see him again and hearing his voice on her phone made her heart jump. She had made an effort to dress nicely, her hair was down just like Jack always used to like and her face made up with a little make up. Just enough to emphasise her naturally beautiful features but not too over the top.

It was strange how Riley had made this huge effort choosing what she wore and how she looked just to meet a 'friend' yet subconsciously Riley wanted to look good for Jackson. It wasnt in a way to say look what you're missing but more of wanting to impress him. Riley wore the same fragrance she had those years ago when they were together. If you didn't know any better you could have thought this meeting was taking place 6 years ago when Jack and Riley were naive youngsters in love and without a care in the world.

Riley spotted a familiar tall, dark, handsome figure in the distance and instantly recognised him. Riley would know Jackson from a mile away he was perfect in every way to her and seeing him again amde her heart ebat faster. Playing it cool she walked over slowly taking a deep breath and tapping him lightly on the shoulder, "hey you" she said nonchalantly like this was any normal meeting with any friend. She didnt know what to expect from today but she knew deep down she wanted to see him again.



ooc; ewww sucky post sorry

[jackson carter harper]

i've never felt so in love before
just promise baby, you'll love me forevermore
_____________________________________

An overwhelming sense of relaxation flowed over Jack as he continued to slightly chew his gum. The young man usually only smoked when he was stressed or nervous, and he had every right to have his nerves shot at the moment. Not only was he supposed to be meeting up with a past girlfriend but he was meeting up with a past girlfriend for whom he still had feelings for. Jack had no idea what this would do to him, so he was preparing himself for the worst. God only knows what this meeting would afflict on his already sore heart. Although, he wasn't blaming anyone for his pain except for himself. He had always blamed himself for letting Riley go - thinking that if he hadn't, things would have been different.

This was much harder than Jack had anticipated it to be. He actually thought that the two would have a friendly chat, to catch up with each other's current life and make up for the time they lost. But it just couldn't be as simple as that now, could it? No, there just had to be that awkward presence surrounding them and Jack wanted nothing more than for that moment to pass. Of course, with his luck, that moment would seem to last forever. And to make it worse, he didn't even really want to speak, considering he still felt a bit confused. I mean, Jack did still love Riley, but now he was having second thoughts about telling her. What if she didn't feel the same way? What if he ruined the friendship they were slowly starting to piece back together?

Jack heaved a heavy sigh, just feeling the impact of his nerves then. What the hell was he doing? Or better yet, why was he doing this? Riley, for all he knew but denied, was happy with someone else. She was going to get married and start a brand new life. Now, Jack didn't want to ruin anything for her - he wanted her to be happy. But it seemed like in order to make her happy, Jack would have to be unhappy. Sure, he was willing to do anything for Riley, even if it meant never revealing his true feelings for her, but he couldn't just sit around and wonder if she might feel the same way.

Jack lifted his hand, slightly, his watch barely staying on his wrist, and checked the time. He had only been standing there for ten minutes, but it seemed to feel more like ten hours. Why did he have to be so impatient and nervous? Why couldn't he just be laid-back and relaxed? The young man scowled at his foolish behavior, chewing on the inside of his cheek as if to punish himself. He couldn't act like this tonight; he needed to pull himself together and chill out. Besides, it's not like anything was wrong so he shouldn't have been worrying so much. But Jack couldn't help but wonder if she would freak out or something. That thought just caused many questions to flood his mind and caused Jack to feel a tad bit more worried.

Lifting his left hand to his lips, the twenty-four year old started to bite his nails, chewing what was left of them off absent-mindedly. His courage and self-confidence was beginning to drop by the second as time passed, knowing Riley would show up at any minute. He couldn't do this; he just wasn't ready to face her, again, and tell her. The young man was about to leave and just tell Riley something had come up and he couldn't make it, until he felt the presence of another person behind him. Jack turned, rather eagerly, after feeling a light tap on his shoulder, a pleased yet nervous grin tugging at his lips, "Riley, hey." he said with a light sigh, "Sorry to drag you out here. It's just - well - I needed to talk to you." he quickly added, with a slight nod. It seemed like the last meeting they had at the coffee shop was ages ago, and that was too long for Jack.

[riley anne mackay]

Into a place where thoughts can bloom ,,
Back to the streets where we began
Feeling as good as lovers can.

clothes
.............

As Jackson turned to face her she noticed a look of nervousness and aprehension spread across his features. She wasnt sure why he would be nervous so she chose to ignore her suspicions. Giving him a genuine smile she rana hand through her long locks shaking them away from her face allowing the sunlight to dance across her features. Riley was a beautiful woman and held such grace, she had never been confident about her looks and that made her even more adorable. In high school there were those girls who loved themselves and all the guys idolised them. They had perfect hair, immaculate make up and the latest designer clothes yet Riley was never one of those girls. She dressed modestly and stuck to clothes that suited her and she felt comfortable in. Her hair had a natural wave that sometimes she straightened or sometimes she let hang with little styling. Riley was never image conscious yet she needened be, Riley was one of those natural beauties but she still never saw it in herself.

Jackson on the other hand was the most handsome man in the world to her, which was imediately a wrong thought seeing as she had a fiance who should be her only man. In high school Riley always had a crush on Jackson yet he seemed like one of those unattainable guys. Riley didnt hang with his circle of friends and around the halls was known as one of the geeky kids. She was a tutur and academic, she had a close circle of friends but was never amongst the popular kids. Riley didnt mind, she was happy in her own skin and that was more important to her than social status.

Jackson had become a needy student who Riley started tutoring, she knew his reputation and his arrogance was a big turn off. Still Riley found him physically aluring and he became a weakness of hers, she didnt want to fall for him because she knew what he was like but it only took time for Riley to know she loved him. It also became clear that Jackson was clearly misunderstood and was not the guy everyone thought he was. Riley saw a side to him that very few got to experience and that was the guy she fell in love with; the real Jackson Harper.

Standing before him Riley felt like a sixteen year old girl again seeing him for the first time. The wind blew lightly through his hair and as he spoke his voice was like a melody in her head. She gave a toothy smile as he told her he needed to talk to her, the smile faded a little as Riley became cautious of what he might have to say. "What is it Jack, everything alright?" she asked in her familiar sympathetic tone. Riley was one of those girls you could always go to when you had a problem and right now he seemed troubled and he was stll a friend no matter what.

[jackson carter harper]

i've never felt so in love before
just promise baby, you'll love me forevermore
_____________________________________

It was only then that Jack allowed himself to study her beautiful features. Her hair cascading below her shoulders, the sweet and soothing fragrance of her perfume, and her natural beauty - it all reminded him of high school and how things used to be, before graduation. Riley was a true beauty, not fake like most of the other girls were, back then. She didn't need to hide her true features with makeup or spend hours fixing her hair, she was perfect the way she was. Jack had noticed this during their tutoring lessons. Of course, he would never admit it to himself that he had been attracted to her, considering she wasn't the type of girl he would normally see himself with. But, as time passed and the two grew closer, Jack soon discovered he could be himself around Riley, and she didn't seem to care.

See, Jack wasn't really a prick of a jock, he was actually thoughtful and kind, unlike what he was brought out to be. Sure, he was a jerk and quite full of himself around his team or friends, but that wasn't exactly how he wanted to be. Nobody really knew what Jackson Harper was actually like, except for his mother and then Riley. Once he and Riley were together, it was like he completely changed, to his friends and team members anyway. But to Riley and his mother, he was the same old Jack - thoughtful, kind and understanding. Although, Jack was still a strong sports player, and still yelled at the T.V. every once in a while when his team lost. But he remained a sweetheart to mostly everyone else, nonetheless. Now, several years later, Jack is still the same, a bit more mature, but still the same high school jock.

Watching Riley's smile fall, Jack's grin also vanished as he cleared his throat, slightly, preparing himself for what was about to happen, "Oh, uh, yeah. Every thing's fine." he stated, nodding slightly with his response as he shifted his weight, uneasily. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, his other hand staying limp at his side, "It's just...I-um..." he laughed, nervously, wondering if he would be able to go through with it or not. He sucked in a deep breath of air and then exhaled, attempting to help relax himself. Pausing for a moment, Jack fixed his blue orb gaze on Riley, studying those gorgeous eyes of hers before speaking, "I love you. I always have, even when things didn't work out and we went our separate ways. I couldn't stop thinking about you. And when I saw you at that coffee shop - God - it just brought back so many memories, Riley." he finally sputtered out, pausing for her reaction to all of this before he went on, "And I know you already have this whole other life going on right now, but I just - I couldn't let myself lose you again. Riley, I don't want to lose you, again, especially not to another man - a man who isn't good enough for you." His jaw was clenched by the end of his speech, and his eyebrows were arched, completing his helpless expression.

That was it, he just spilled his heart out to her and now he was suffering the wait of her response to all of it. Jack couldn't believe what he had just said, but he was proud of himself - proud that he faced his fears and informed Riley of how he felt. Although, now he had to wait for her response, and for some reason, Jack wasn't feeling too confident about the whole situation at hand. Out of all honesty, Jack was completely scared of how Riley would react and what she might say in return. But he wasn't about to walk away, not now that he revealed his true feelings. His hands were trembling, slightly, from the passion he put into his small but worthwhile speech. Who could blame the poor guy? He had just spilled his heart out to the woman he loved who was already with another man.

[riley anne mackay]

Into a place where thoughts can bloom ,,
Back to the streets where we began
Feeling as good as lovers can.

clothes
.............

Riley smiled sweetly at Jack as she waited for him to explain what it was he had to tell her. Riley was a little aprehensive, she didnt know what to expect and how it was going to make her feel. Riley and Jack had always been able to talk about things, when she was having a rough time with her mother she would confide in him and he came to her with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Jack was a closed guy and not one to be open about his feelings, around his friends he was the confident jock who had no problems or at least thats what everyone thought. When he was with Riley she felt like he could be himself, he didnt worry about the possibility of her judging him because Riley would never do that.

Riley was one of those girls in high school that had the biggest heart and a kind word for everyone. She wasnt the most popular girl in school and was often the subject of a lot of teasing and cruel comments. Jackson wasnt someone she expected to fall in love with, he was the typical arrogant jock who she had little time for but Riley tried not to judge and when Jackson came to her for help she agreed to tutor him.

That first day at the river front Riley was convinced Jack wouldnt show up and leave her waiting and wasting her time but he made his appearance, even if he was a little late. She gave him the benefit of the doubt and with time realised he wasnt such a bad guy after all he was just troubled and needed someone to be there for him. Riley remembered the day they first kissed, after an argument he showed up at her house; she was ready to shout at him and tell him to get lost but there was something about the gentle, loving words that left his lips and the soft look in his eyes that made her cave and as their lips met for the first time Riley knew she was falling in love with Jackson Harper.

Riley slipped her hands back into her denim pockets as Jackson began to talk, the first words that left his lips hit her heart hard like a bullet. Did Jack just say he loved her? Everything he was saying was how she felt, she had never stopped loving Jackson and he had always been on her mind but she couldnt bear to hear him say these things as it made her heart ache even more. Riley's fear and confusion turned to anger and she found herself saying things she didnt mean, "how dare you say he isnt good enough for me...you dont even know him!" Riley loved Zach which made things so much harder, how could she love two men?

Riley sighed as her mind raced trying to comprehend what was happening, she hoped he didnt feel the same as her; that way she could walk away and try to move on with her life. Now here she was with a man she had always loved telling her he was in love with her and he wanted her back. "Jack, I'm engaged...things aren't like when we were kids I can't just walk away from it all...." Riley realised she hadn't told him she loved him too, clearly she was avoiding the subject thinking if she didnt face up to her feelings then she could pretend they didnt exist, the young girl couldnt have been more wrong.