An Awkward Run In

Jeff had made his way back from the arena to the hotel where he and Matt were staying. He didn't care that people could see his hands bleeding and how his clothes were messed up from it. those whispers he'd been hearing kept replaying in his brain. All he could hear was how he was a screw up with everything in his life...and now he probably lost the most important person in his life.

He sat down in one of the chairs in the lobby, trying to think about what to do.

While Matt parked the car around back of the hotel, Candice entered the lobby with her red and puffy eyes downcast, her arms wrapped around herself as she waited for Matt to come in. The broken-hearted Diva had a miserable evening so far and all she wanted was to curl up in a ball and never face the world again.

She was about to take a seat while waiting for Matt, when she noticed the center of her heartache sitting there already. She gasped in surprise.

He heard a gasp and he looked up, wiping his own eyes. "Candice..." he choked out. Seeing her face...how hurt and upset she was...tore him apart even more. Everyone was right. He was a screw up. He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve to be happy.

"Jeff, what did you do to your hands?" She forgot about her pain for a moment when she saw his blood. Crouching down in front of him, she gingerly took one of his injured hands in hers to inspect his torn knuckles.

He quickly pulled his hands away. "It's fine...doesn't even hurt anymore..." he said softly. He felt like a little kid again...and not in a good way.

"Candice...you deserve to be happy...with someone else...I was right all along...I don't deserve you, especially when I cause you heartache like this." he said softly.

"They're not fine, they're bleeding." Candice frowned in concern. "I don't want to be with someone else, I'm in love with you."

"So what? It's nothing compared to how I'm making you feel...or how I'm feeling...everyone's right...I am a screw up. I've made a mess of my life before and now I'm taking you down with me....I'm sorry." he said, his voice heavy with despair and sorrow.

"Hey!" Candice frowned. "You are not a screw up." She said firmly, catching his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "You are not dragging me down. If anything I've been able to fly since being with you."

He felt himself tear up again. "But...I made you cry...and I made you hurt..." he said, trying to stay strong.

"You didn't mean to, Baby, I know that now. I just lost my head when I saw what I did, and...it's okay, I know it wasn't your fault." She caressed the side of his face, fighting her own tears. "I believe you, Jeff."

He quickly moved and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "I'm so sorry...I just don't want to hurt you anymore." he said softly.

"It's okay." She soothed, clinging to him and let a few more tears escape. "I'm sorry too, for not believing you right away. I know you wouldn't do that to me."

He pulled away, calming down a little. "Oh...I got blood on your shirt...sorry."

"I have other shirts." She laughed, wiping the last of her tears away. "We should get you cleaned up."

(off to get dinner, be back in like an hour XD)

"alright...let's go up to my room and talk?" he asked softly. He was still pretty shaken up and he just needed to talk to someone.

"Okay." She nodded. "And Jeff, I love you."

"I love you too..." he said softly as he very tentatively took her hand.

Candice laced their fingers together and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay." She soothed.

He winced a little from the squeeze. "I just...didn't wanna get blood on your hands..." he explained.

"Blood doesn't scare me." She assured him. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

He nodded. They got up to his room and he opened the door. "I guess I'd better get cleaned up, huh?" he said chuckling a little.

"Let me." She said, leading him into the bathroom. "Sit." She motioned to the counter, before soaking a washcloth in warm water and adding a little bit of soap.

He did as she said. She was being quite assertive. "Should I be scared? Is it gonna sting?" he asked like a little kid getting a shot.

Candice smiled. "It might, but I'll be gentle." She said, lifting one of his hands in hers and beginning to clean up the blood as gently as possible. "What did you do to them anyway?"

He winced ever so slightly, but he got used to it. "I...um...my locker is now dented badly, and the concrete walls were being mean." he said softly.