What hurts the most was being so close
And havin' so much to say
And watchin' you walk away
And never knowin' what could've been
And not seein' that lovin' you
Is what I was trying to do
What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts
It had been a beautiful Sunday that day. The air had taken on a certain crispness to it as fall approached the city at the beginning of October, the leaves had just started to change their colors from lush green to vibrant reds and oranges. A picturesque perfect day for most in the apartment complex so near the university. All except for one couple.
"I'm sick of this Katie!" a curly-haired man exclaimed barreling out of the bedroom door in the one-bedroom apartment stomping his way towards the front door.
"Sick of what? Jameson! C'mon please stop being so ridiculous!" Katie begged grabbing his arm in attempt to stop him from walking away. "Why are you doing this?"
Jameson tore his arm away from her and threw his hands up in the air facing the red-haired blue-eyed beauty. "I'm sick of this Katie! I'm sick of all of it! I hate having drive this far to see the woman who says she wants to marry me, yet she moves hours away from me. I'm tired of visiting you on this campus and seeing you with these new 'friends' of yours, especially Scott and the way he pants after you!"
Katie's eyes narrowed dangerously. "This is about Scott?" She snarled. "He's just a friend and I've told you I have no interest in him. I have you. You're all I need." She softened looking Rooster in the eyes.
"For now," Jameson muttered looking away. "You want me to believe that after you've finished your fancy schooling in the big city and become so hot shot veterinarian. You're going to come home to me! To Garrison! A cnd live on a broken-down ranch and we'll just live happily ever after. Face, it Katie. You live in a fantasy world where everything works out in the end and there are happy endings. That was fine when we were kids but we're adults now. Happy endings and fantasies don't exist Princess Katherine. And I'm through living this one. "
"Jameson please don't walk out that door," Katie begged tears forming in her cerulean eyes.
"It's too late, Katie."
Jameson "Rooster" Bennett took one last look at the woman he had planned on loving forever memorizing her face and the way she looked. Before crossing the room, the rest of the way and slamming the door to the small apartment.
"Katherine Charlotte Morgan I'm going to marry you some day, "a young Rooster Bennet whispered crouching down behind a bale of hay. "And then you'll be Katherine Charlotte Bennet," he promised.
"Shh. Rooster you have to be quiet." Katherine reminded him. "We're supposed to be hiding from Colt remember? And what are you calling me Katherine for?"
"Katherine's your name isn't it?" Rooster questioned.
"Well yeah, but nobody calls me Katherine, everybody calls me Katie, Kat, or Kit-Kat you know that."
"I like Katherine though it makes you sound like a princess." Rooster murmured cheeks turning red shuffling his feet on the barn floor. "But I won't call you that anymore if you don't want me to."
Katie smiled widely at her friend. "You can call me Katherine if you want too. But just you though okay, Jameson?"
"Ew. What are you calling me that for?" the boy gagged
"It's your name isn't it?" Katie fired back.
"Yeah! But why?"
"Because it makes you sound like a prince and only princes can marry princesses." Katie declared with all the intelligence and confidence of a five-year-old.
"Fine! But only you can call me Jameson," Rooster demanded.
"Only you can call me Katherine then." Katie said holding her hand for Rooster to take.
"Deal." Rooster said grabbing Katie's hand to shake. Rooster smiled shyly dropping his hand to his side. "So, you'll marry me someday?"
"Of course, Jameson," Katie beamed. "You're my best friend."
"I thought Abby was your best friend?"
"She is but she's my girl best friend, you're my guy best friend duh. I can't marry my girl best friend."
"Oh," Rooster nodded. "Should we kiss or something?"
"Eeewww!" Katie grimaced scrunching up her nose. "Why?"
"That's what married people do isn't it?" Rooster questioned.
"Fine, but make it quick." Katie said puckering her lips and closing her eyes. Rooster looked at the red-headed girl with pig-tails and puckered his lips and closed his eyes.
"Eeeww! Katie and Rooster are kissing!" Colt screamed in disgust finding his brother and friend behind the hay bale.