Chapter 22~ Forever During the next three weeks, there were many times that Jessica just wanted to give up on herself and Brian; so many times when it didn't even seem worth it. She realized that she was more angry at herself than she was at Brian, and so she made herself press on if only for him. Her relationship with him was causing her so much pain which was only made worse by Nick and Vanessa. While Jessica was having doubts about Brian whom she'd never questioned, Nick and Vanessa were falling in love. Things only got worse when she flew back to Orlando with them so she could begin work on her new album. It had taken all AJ's persuasive powers to convince her to actually leave Brian, but he knew as well as she did that she needed to get away for awhile. So with the assurance that Kevin would be staying with him until he was able to come home, and that AJ and Howie would be home with news of his condition in a couple weeks off she went, back to Orlando to stay in Brian's house with Nick and Vanessa and feel sorry for herself. She didn't even realize how bad things were until she walked into Brian's living room one day a couple weeks later to find Nick and Vanessa makign out on the couch. She left the room in disgust. 'Disgust?' she questioned herself. 'No; jealousy,' she admitted silently. She missed her relationship with Brian being that exciting and spontaneous. Heck, she missed her relationship with Brian being anything more than what it was at that moment, which was practically nothing. Later that same day, Jessica watched as Nick chased Vanessa around the front yard with a water hose; they were supposed to be washing Brian's car because he was finally coming home that night. Jessica looked at them wistfully, wishing that it was her and Brian out there. Nick and Vanessa's relationship was so exciting and alive, whereas her's and Brian's seemed lifeless. She knew it wasn't her fault or Brian's. Nobody could be blamed; this whole ordeal was just something that had been sent to test them, and Jessica thanked God that it was almost over. She walked through the living room and picked up a video that was lying on the coffee table. 'Brian's interview with MTV,' she suddenly remembered. It had been done about a month before and an uncut copy had arrived in the mail that day. She smiled; Kevin must have asked for a copy of each of their interviews- he was always the one with the video camera. She put it in the VCR and began to watch. She saw Brian's handsome face immediately appear on the screen. 'Before the surgery,' she silently remembered. 'He knew. He had so much on his mind, but he still smiles as if he's the happiest guy in the world.' "Let's get one thing straight," John Norris began. "Everybody wants to know are you dating Jessica Simpson?" "Yes, I am," Brian answered proudly, his blue eyes sparkling. "She's the most amazing woman in the world, I fall in love with her all over again every time I see her." Jessica blinked back tears. "You sound very much in love," John commented. "I am," Brian said, with a big boyish smile. "But the most amazing thing about her is, even though I say I'm falling in love with her, she would never let me fall. She holds me up; I'd be head over heels, but she's the sensible one. She knows that when you fall you get hurt. But if both people will just lean, then no one falls unless the other one moves, and I know she'd never let me fall, and I hope she knows I'd never let her fall." Jessica couldn't hold her tears back anymore; she finally realized how much Brian loved her; he always had. She had always known in her heart that he did, but the magnitude had never sunken in... until now. She knew in that instant that the love they shared would revive their relationship... it had to. Home Chapter 23 Forever index Email me! Other stories