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trickphotography2 · 6 days

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Oh friend, I didn't mean to make you cry for that long 😅

This chapter was so hard to write because how emotional it is. Cece was finally getting back to a point where her head was above water until Jake came crashing back into it. And Jake needed Cece back in his life to help him realize that he was going down the wrong path. But just because they love one another doesn't mean they're right for each other.

Jake absolutely needed a win after all of that, and his parents being willing to listen was important. Lucy is going to have her best friend's back and wants to protect her, as much as pushing her outside her comfort zone (she's the one that told her to sleep with Drew).

And Shayla... I agree that Shayla is very lucky she's fictional.

'tis the damn season | Chapter 8

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Julie/Cece (OC, no physical description)

Word count: 8.3K

Synopsis: After six years away from home, Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin was finally going to make his parents happy and surprise his family by spending Christmas in Magnolia, Texas. Introducing his pregnant fiancee to his family is a culture clash, with rural Texas meeting California influencer. Though unhappy in his relationship, Jake knows he has to buckle down and do the right thing with a baby on the way.

The last person he expected to run into was his high school sweetheart and the one that got away, Julie.

The holidays are already going to be hard enough for Julie. Her home baking business, which had started as a fun side project, exploded after a few TikToks went viral. Just when she was getting the hang of juggling her job and business, tragedy struck. Facing her first Christmas as an orphan, the last thing Julie expected was to hear that once familiar nickname - Cece.

After almost a decade apart, Jake and Julie can't help but feel that old familiar spark. Even with the realities of their lives pressing in, they can't help but wonder what might have happened if just one of them had fought for their relationship all those years ago.

Chapter 7 | Master List | Ao3

Trigger warning: panic attack, mentions of miscarriage

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Chapter 8

Julie woke to the sound of loud snoring. Biting back a groan, she resisted the urge to drive her elbow into Jake's stomach. She attempted to lift the pillow enough to put her head under it, but he'd completely abandoned his in favor of hers. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that Jake didn't snore often - it was usually after a long day or when he was exhausted.

But that was cold comfort when he sounded like a chainsaw. Gritting her teeth, Julie turned in his arms. "Jake," she said softly, not wanting to startle him awake. He didn't so much as twitch. Huffing, she gently shook him. "Babe." No response. In the dim light, she looked at him and felt her heartache at the bags under his eyes. When he was awake, he was so animated that it was easy to ignore, but she could see how tired he was. It had been a long week, and the tense set of his shoulders when he'd stood in his mama's kitchen that first day back made her wonder how much stress he'd been under back home. When she lightly ran her fingers over his cheek, the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. For a moment, she thought he had stopped snoring. But then there was a rasping noise, and his mouth fell open again, drawing in rattling breaths.

Rolling her eyes, Julie leaned forward to kiss the tip of Jake's nose before gently untangling herself from his hold and the covers. His arms tightened around her when she tried to move away, but eventually relented. Carefully climbing over him, she grabbed her clothes from the floor and tiptoed into the hallway, closing the door behind her. After detouring into the bathroom to dress and pausing to plug in the Christmas tree, she collapsed onto the couch, pulling the blanket over her lap.

Her eyes unfocused, she stared at the tree's white lights and let her thoughts wander. It had been such a long, emotionally exhausting day. She'd known that Christmas would be rough, but she hadn't anticipated it being that much of a rollercoaster. From waking up in Jake's arms to her daddy's letter, Julie felt like she'd been run through the wringer. And she knew that today wouldn't be much better. In a couple of hours, Jake would wake up and want to talk about what came next before he left. And then…

And then they would be right back to where they always were. Living two separate lives states apart.

Unbidden tears sprang to her eyes as she glanced down the dark hallway where she could hear Jake. She knew what he wanted: he would ask her to come with him to California and give them another chance. The moment he'd let those three words pass his lips, it had been written so plainly across his face. Jake still loved her and wanted to pick up where they'd left off.

A small part of her wanted to do precisely that. Julie knew that her time in Magnolia was running out. The town that had once felt so safe now felt suffocating. Everyone expected her to be the same girl she'd always been, not recognizing that she'd changed. She'd grown up in the shadow of so many people - first Mama's, then Jake's, and finally Daddy's. She'd never had the opportunity to become her own person here.

Julie wasn't sure where she wanted to go, just away. Somewhere she could figure out who she was, away from the expectations of others. Austin seemed the most realistic option, but it felt too comfortable. While she loved the city, it felt like taking another step backward - doing the safe thing. Other than her trips out to Annapolis, South Carolina, and her road trips to see Jake in flight school and Virginia, she had yet to explore much of the country.

The thought of moving somewhere blindly and hoping for the best paralyzed her with indecision. What if it was a horrible mistake?

Her heart whispered that California wouldn't be a mistake. Her rational brain reminded Julie of what happened the last time she'd followed her heart across the country. The thought of going through that again terrified her.

It kept her from telling Jake that she loved him too, the words on the tip of her tongue every time he said them. It was irrational, but she felt that Julie would promise something she wasn't sure she could follow through with when she said them.

The people in your life have always asked too much.

That line in Daddy's letter had struck her, and Julie knew what he meant by it. How many times had he told her to stand up for herself, that her voice and opinions were just as important as anyone else's, that she had to put herself first, and that she needed to stop putting her wants, hopes, and dreams secondary to others?

It had been easier to follow others' wishes for a long time. As a little girl, people pitied her for losing Mama so young. They treated her with kid gloves, ensuring she was always cared for and watched. No one wanted to hear that she wanted to scream and rage - they expected her to be the quiet little lady. As a teenager, Jake had spun stories of escaping their small town and traveling to exotic places, promising her adventures when they were married and he was in the military. Her dream of starting her own bakery paled in comparison to that.

But the one thing she would never regret was coming home when Daddy was sick. Nothing could have kept her from him when he called her and said, "Julie-bear, I have some bad news." He might regret asking her to move back to Magnolia, but she wouldn't trade in the world for that extra time with him.

Pushing away those thoughts and concerns about her long-term plans, she focused on her immediate future. She still needed an oven, especially since she had a few orders in the next couple of weeks. The last thing she wanted to do was be stuck trying to figure out a new oven's quirks while working on a wedding cake.

Grabbing her laptop, Julie pulled up the website for an appliance store and started her search. The prices would hit her savings, but it was a necessary evil. And now that she had her mama's travel fund… she pushed those thoughts away and focused on the website. The double ovens drew her attention - the idea of baking multiple things at once was so appealing - but they weren't in stock, and she wasn't willing to drop nearly $3,000. She'd been eyeing a countertop oven to do macrons in, which would get her through bigger orders.

The little voice in the back of her mind said that the huge expense wasn't worth it if she was going to sell the house. But even though Daddy had given her permission to do so, it still felt wrong to think about selling. This was her home - the kitchen doorway still held the height marks Mama had made every year on her birthday that Daddy had continued after she'd died.

Julie was so focused on her research that she failed to note the absence of snoring or clock the soft footfalls. She didn't notice Jake until he was standing at the mouth of the hallway, clearing his throat. The tree lights gave his skin a golden glow, highlighting the play of his muscles as he walked toward her. Her eyes ran the length of his naked body, a smile tugging at her lips as he came to stand behind her. Tipping her head back, she couldn't help but giggle at the sight of his hair flattened on one side and the sleepy look of disappointment on his face. "Woke up an' you weren' there," he grumbled.

"Couldn't sleep with all the racket you were makin'," Julie replied. Jake's eyes narrowed before he leaned down to kiss her, his nose brushing her chin. His lips curved into a smile, and she couldn't help but laugh against his mouth. She remembered the summer he'd insisted on perfecting the upside-down kiss, just like in the Spiderman movie. Apparently, two decades had yet to steal the skill from him.

"You're not supposed to laugh when I'm kissin' you, baby," he chuckled. “Mary Jane didn't laugh at Spiderman." At that, she laughed harder, feeling a flush of warmth that he'd been thinking the same thing. Trailing kisses down her throat, Jake placed a final kiss between her breasts before standing up. "Come back to bed? I don't wanna wake up without you again."

While he meant the words innocently enough, Julie felt the weight behind them. But that didn't stop her from closing her laptop and standing. Jake's hands wrapped around her waist as she coiled her arms around his neck. His lips were soft but insistent, and she could feel his heart beating against hers. When they broke apart, his forehead rested against hers briefly before lifting. The Christmas tree lights twinkled in his sea-glass eyes, and the words escaped before she could stop them. "I love you, Farm Boy."

"I love you too, Cupcake." She could see the growing hope in his eyes, the words forming on his tongue. Unable to face it, she kissed him again, smiling when he groaned as her fingers raked through his hair. Jake's hands skated down her body, lifting her and encouraging her legs to wrap around his hips. "Love you so goddamn much, honey," he said, staring up at her. "Come -"

Her lips covered his, cutting off his words. His cheek lifted against her palm when she cupped his face, feeling his grin as he turned and walked them back to her room. Julie tugged off her shirt and let it drop to the floor, tilting her head back when his attention shifted to her breasts. The rough sensation of his facial hair against her skin made her gasp, legs tightening around him as her hips rolled. Jake chuckled, lowering her onto the bed carefully, pausing only to tug off her pants before his body covered hers. Julie could feel his cock, heavy and hard against her thigh, and felt herself clench. Curling a leg over him, she lifted her hip, feeling his answering groan against her throat as the movement shifted him so his cock rested against her folds. "You sure you don't have a condom?" he breathed, unable to stop himself from thrusting lightly, teasing over the apex of her thighs.

It was on the tip of her tongue to say forget the condom, but Julie couldn't forget the anxiety of their two pregnancy scares. "I'm sure," she gasped when his lips closed around her nipple. Jake teased her for a moment before switching to her other breast and reaching for his phone. A quick glance at the time made him smirk against her.

"Gas station's opening soon." Julie groaned, covering her face with a hand. Chuckling, Jake gently took her wrist and pulled it away, kissing her sweetly. "Don't worry, honey. Not gonna leave my girl hangin'." Wordlessly, he trailed his lips down her body, tongue dipping into her navel before settling between her legs. His arms wrapped around her thighs, tugging them over his shoulders. His cheek grazed her inner thigh, the course texture of his short beard causing her to shift. "Dreamed about this so many times, Julie." She felt her heart skip a beat, and her breath caught when he lowered his mouth, his tongue parting her folds.

Jake was methodical as he took her apart with his talented tongue and thick fingers. Cece tugged his hair, trying to pull him away as he suckled on her clit even as her hips pressed against him. His hold tightened on her, his own hips grinding against the mattress to ease his aching dick. She tasted like heaven on his tongue, her choked gasps the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. And when her thighs closed around his head as she spasmed around his fingers, Jake thought about the rings sitting in the lockbox underneath the bed. It was too soon to ask her to put the engagement ring back on, a placeholder for the nicer one he would buy now that he could afford it. But Jake knew that's where they were headed. It's where they were always meant to be - he was her Farm Boy, and she was his Cupcake.

For now, her sated expression as she collapsed onto the pillow, lips parted and face flushed, was enough. Her hands curled around his head, gently encouraging him up her body until their mouths met. She could taste herself on his tongue, his beard damp with her arousal. He pulled away to rest his forehead against hers, bracing an arm by her head to hold most of his weight from her. Julie kept her eyes open to watch him, his breath a soft pant against her face. When his eyes finally opened, they crinkled as he smiled. "Hey," she whispered.

"Hey." He could feel her breasts brushing his chest as they breathed and fought the urge to rut against her. When her fingers combed through his hair, his eyes closed with contentment. "Keep doin' that, and I'm not gonna get out of bed."

"Would it be the worst thing?" Cece's tone was teasing, and he groaned when she pressed a featherlight kiss to his lips. Forcing himself to roll to the side, he propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at her, lightly running a finger around her nipple and watching the skin tighten at his touch.

"As good as you taste, honey, I wanna feel you come on my cock at least once before I leave." He smiled and kissed her at her sharp inhale, saying against her lips, "Preferably more."

"Better hurry, then." With a sigh, he rolled out of bed and grabbed his jeans, tugging them on as he watched Cece watch him. Carefully, he adjusted his erection before pulling up the zipper, winking when he caught her huff. After pulling on his shirt, he leaned down to kiss her again.

"Don't move," Jake ordered. "I'll be right back."

"Drive safe. Watch out for black ice."

"You forget who taught you how to drive in the snow?" he chuckled, pressing against the hand cupping him through his jeans.

"No, just know that you're gonna drive like a maniac, and you're rusty with winter skills, California boy."

"Farm Boy," Jake corrected, pressing his lips to her forehead. Cece's hand twined in his shirt, tugging him back toward her mouth. "Your Farm Boy."

"Mine," she agreed. When he didn't move away, Cece laughed and pushed against him. Jake groaned, slowly backing out of the room.

"Stay there. Promise."

"I promise." With a detour to the bathroom to steal some of her mouthwash and splash water on his face, Jake left the house, yelling his promise to hurry.

Laughing, Julie pulled back the blankets and settled in, reaching for her phone. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw the red bubble on TikTok saying she had over 20 thousand notifications.

Between the cold jog from the house and how long it took Cece's car to warm up, Jake's erection had disappeared by the time he got to the gas station. Which was good because he made a beeline for the condoms, ignoring the knowing smirk from the kid behind the counter. He looked familiar, meaning Jake probably went to school with his sibling or cousin.

Package in hand, his steps faltered as he passed the snack aisle. He wanted to make Cece breakfast before he left, but with her oven broken, he wasn't sure if that would be possible. Was the stove working? Rather than risk it, he grabbed a couple of sleeves of the chocolate donuts she'd always gotten on their road trips. It was better than nothing, and he knew how much she loved the damn things.

"Find what you were lookin' for?" the kid asked when Jake approached the counter.

"I did, thanks," he answered, placing the items in front of the kid and reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. The cashier rang up the donuts, letting the condoms sit like it would embarrass him. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Jake tapped his card on the reader as the door opened with a tinkling bell. Glancing over, he saw the firefighter—Drew—stepping inside, bringing his hands to his mouth to blow on them.

The two men eyed one another. Jake felt a hint of embarrassment that the last time he'd seen the man, he'd been half-frozen and in tears about his treacherous ex and, before that, had been trying to undo the damage done by said ex. He knew the other man cared for Cece, and if it hadn't been for witnessing their kiss at Mickey's, he probably would have thanked the man for taking care of the woman he loved.

"You want a bag?" the cashier asked, snapping them out of the silent standoff. Jake glanced over his shoulder to see the kid holding up the box of condoms and felt an unfamiliar blush creep over his cheeks.

"Yeah," he said, feeling Drew staring at him. Jake glanced over his shoulder, watching the other man move toward the coffee station. He suppressed a sigh, wishing he was back in San Diego, where the city was big enough to avoid awkward encounters like this. Snatching the bag from the cashier, he quickly exited the gas station and hurried toward Cece's car. As he turned the ignition, he saw Drew watching him, his face the picture of resignation.

He would have to let Cece know about the run in, in case Drew decided to say something about it. And while he hated the idea of her being forced to have an awkward conversation, he couldn't deny that it felt good that the other man knew how serious he was about Cece. Even if he was leaving today, he wanted to ensure that every busybody and gossip in Magnolia knew exactly how much Jake Seresin loved Julie Ryan and how serious he was about her. About them. About getting back together and back on track to where they always should have been.

Jake glanced at the clock as he pulled onto Cece's street. He'd need to start heading to the airport in five hours - more than enough time to make a dent in the box of condoms and say goodbye to his family. Without his rental car, he'd need someone to drive him to the airport, and Cece had volunteered the night before, saying she would order her new oven on the way back. While he didn't want to do the sad airport goodbye, the two-hour drive would give him extra time to convince her to come for a visit in the next few weeks. If he could show her how great California was, he might be able to persuade her to move out there. If not, they would figure it out. He had just over two years left on his new contract, and if he had to figure out a way to keep the relationship going long distance and then turn in his wings? He'd do it.

The sun was just rising as he parked in the driveway. A smile tugged at his mouth as he thought about what waited for him inside. That this could be his new normal - nights sleeping in Cece's arms, waking up to her kisses, and coming home to her after a long day. He could picture her in his kitchen, countertops covered with her baking and machines. Her things crowding his bathroom sink. Her clothes beside his in the closet. Or they could find a new place. A little bungalow where they could build their life together and raise a couple of kids.

But those thoughts disappeared when he opened the front door and saw Cece on the couch. It wasn't until he opened his mouth to tease her about not being where he left her that he saw tears streaming down her face as she looked at her phone, running a hand through her hair. "What's wrong?" Jake demanded, tossing the plastic bag onto the coffee table and sitting beside her. When he tried to pull her into his arms, Cece pushed him away and stood. "Honey? Talk to me."

"I -" she gasped before pressing a hand to her mouth. Unable to get the words out, she tapped something on her phone screen. Jake paled as he heard Shayla's voice.

"Get un-ready with me while I give you a sad update about my pregnancy after my fiancé cheated with another creator on this app."

Jake was on his feet in an instant, reaching for the phone. His fingers brushed Cece's as he took it, and she yanked her hand away as though she'd been scalded. On-screen, he watched with growing horror as Shayla cried crocodile tears while removing her makeup, dark mascara tears dripping down her face as she spun a web of lies about how Jake had brought her home to introduce her to his family and announce their pregnancy. How he made sure to run into his ex-fiancée and didn't tell her who she was. The whole family lied to her, and Shayla only found out when she stumbled across the truth when she found old pictures of them in his room - she actually showed one of him and Cece at the local fair as teens, his arm thrown casually over her shoulder, and another from when he proposed at his graduation. She went on about how unwelcome the family made her, even after they found out about the baby. And how she caught Jake and Julie kissing. After she confronted Jake about it, he told her to get over it because Julie was always going to be a part of his life.

The most damning "evidence" was the video she'd taken at Cece's house, confronting them on Christmas for sleeping together. He was half-naked, and Cece peeked out behind him with her sleep-tousled hair. Shayla accused Jake of choosing his ex over his new family. She sobbed that he had kicked her out into the cold and told her to find her own way back to California. That they were done, and he didn't care about the baby. And how the stress of it all had made her miscarry, losing the one bright spot of the entire relationship.

But the worst part was that Shayla had tagged Cece in the video. As Jake watched the video, comment notifications continuously popped up on the top of the screen faster than he could swipe them away. His heart broke with every one he saw.

Whore.

Slut.

Homewrecker.

Murderer.

Death threats.

The video started over, and Jake quickly locked the phone, unwilling to hear Shayla's lies again. He let it slip from his fingers, and it thudded loudly on the floor. Cece sniffled, and he forced himself to move. She was hurting, and he needed to fix it. "Baby," he breathed, stepping toward her.

"Don't touch me," Cece snapped, moving out of his reach. They stared at one another; tears clouded Jake's vision as he looked at her. This was his fault. She was hurting because of him. Because he'd brought Shayla into her life. When she finally spoke, the venom in Cece's voice was like a punch to the gut. "H-how did she know you were here?"

"I don't…" And then Jake felt his stomach drop. "Fuck." Pulling his phone from his pocket, he quickly entered the code and opened the location-sharing app. After they'd gotten back together, Shayla had suggested it to regain his trust. He'd added it and promptly forgot about it with everything else going on. "I forgot…she can see where I am." Quickly, he disabled the sharing, but the damage had already been done. "Honey, I'm so sorry." Her phone screen lit as more notifications popped up.

"You should go." Cece trembled as she closed her eyes and turned her face away, unable to bear the sight of him. Her shoulders hunched as she wrapped her arm around herself.

"Cece -"

"Go, Jake." Rather than listen, he moved closer and tried to hold her. Julie knocked his hands away, anger and hurt etched on her face. "I said don't touch me!"

"Cece, please - you know that it's all lies."

"It doesn't matter!" she shrieked, pointing at the phone. "All that matters is that people believe what she said. And what it looks like. And—and," Julie's chest heaved as she struggled to draw a breath. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest as it struggled against the bands around her ribs. The edges of her vision blurred, and she felt a flush of heat.

Jake watched as Cece clawed at her throat and quickly closed the distance between them, catching her hands and holding tight when she tried to pull away from him. "Hey," he said, voice firm. "Hey, look at me, Julie."

"I can't breathe," she gasped.

"Yes, you can, baby." His brows were furrowed with worry as he watched her. Recognition from his early days of flight training kicked in as he spoke calmly. "You're hyperventilating, honey. Need you to slow your breathing." Guiding one of her hands to her stomach, he said, "Breathe from here, Julie. Not from your chest - all the way down in your belly." Jake inhaled deeply and held it for four seconds before blowing it out. "Breathe with me now, baby," he said softly, placing her other hand on his heart. "In for the count of four. Hold it for four. Blow out for four. That's it, honey, again." Counting to four repeatedly, Jake watched the flush fade from Cece's face, sweat dotting her skin. When her knees wobbled, his hands closed around her elbows, helping to gently guide her to the floor as she continued to focus on her breathing. "That's right, baby, again. In - two, three, four. Hold - two, three, four…"

Tears streamed down Cece's face, and her hand dropped from his chest when he released it to wipe her face. His own tears went unchecked when she started to sob, gasping breaths that threatened to undo all her hard work. Shifting closer, he pulled her into his chest, ignoring the way she weakly pushed against him, her hands fisted in his shirt. He ensured his grip was loose enough that she wouldn't feel trapped. "I love you, Julie. You're alright, honey. I've got you," Jake murmured against her temple, pressing kisses into her hair.

Eventually, Cece's sobs turned into sniffles and hiccups, and she seemed to sag against him. Her hands loosened in his shirt and fell away. Slowly, she lifted her head from the crook of his neck, and the blank expression on her face made Jake's gut clench. It was hard to reconcile her with the woman he'd laughed with less than an hour ago. Cupping her face, he ran his thumbs under her eyes before placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "I love you, Cupcake. It's gonna be okay."

"They're calling me a homewrecking murderer. On my videos with Daddy." Her voice was flat, but her chin wobbled again. Jake never felt so helpless before.

"You're not, baby. You did nothing wrong. She was never pregnant, honey. That fuckin' bitch is just trying to hurt me, and she knows the best way to do that is through you."

"Every video. All those people…"

"Hey," he said, tilting her head so she would meet his gaze. Though their eyes met, hers were still dead. "Those people don't know you, Julie. It doesn't matter what they think. You and me? We know the truth, and we didn't do anything wrong."

"We kissed. I kissed -"

"I kissed you," he said firmly. "You did nothing wrong. I was wrong to do it, but not you, Julie. You hear me? You don't deserve any of this." Jake felt a flicker of hope when her shaking hands covered his, drawing them from her face until she placed them at his side and slid out of his lap.

"You should go."

"What? Cece, I'm not -"

"I want you to leave."

"Julie -"

"Please."

"I love you."

"I don't care."

Jake had never felt pain before hearing those three words. The easy way they rolled off Cece's tongue so dispassionately. A simple statement of fact - she didn't care that he loved her. That he would do anything to protect her from this. To fix this. "I love you, Julie," he repeated, voice rough with tears. Wanting her to take those words back. "Please don't make me leave you? Stay with me, baby, please." When he leaned forward to kiss her, she turned so his lips brushed her damp cheek.

"I don't want to be near you right now." She pushed to her feet, and Jake caught her limp hands, scrambling to stand. When he stepped closer, she shuffled backward, pulling away from his touch. Crossing the few steps to the front door, she opened it and looked at the floor.

"Baby."

"Please." Gritting his teeth, Jake walked toward her and cupped her face, forcing her to meet his eyes, searching for any flicker of emotion. But she'd shut him out. He'd thought that her leaving him in Virginia had been hard, but this was agony - this time, he knew exactly what he'd done to cause them this pain. The taste of salt and sadness merged when their lips brushed, and he rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm going to get my stuff from my parents', and then I'll be back. We'll figure this out, honey, I swear it."

The door closed behind him when he stepped onto the porch, and Jake stood there for a long moment before forcing his feet to move. The sooner he got his stuff, the sooner he'd be back.

"- bitch!"

"- you think my son would do that, Betty Roberts, you've got another thing coming -"

"Ally, you know what the doc said about your blood pressure."

"I don't give a fuck. She's not gonna get away with this, Will -"

"You can take your gossip and shove it where the sun don't shine, Betty!" Mama snapped. Jake hesitated in the doorway momentarily before shaking himself and jogging up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He threw open his bedroom door and grabbed his duffle, tossing it on the bed before collecting his things. Clothes were tossed haphazardly into the bag, and he didn't pause when Will appeared in his doorway.

"Hey, thought I heard you come in. You okay?"

"Do I fucking look okay?" Jake hissed.

"Stupid question. How's Julie?"

"About how you'd expect when the internet's calling you a - " he couldn't even say the word. Not about Cece.

"Right." Will scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say to his little brother. "Uh… you need me to do anything?"

"I need to see if I can change my flight to a later one. I still…" Jake grimaced, running a hand down his face. "I still have to leave today, so I'm not absent over leave." When he'd bought the tickets, he'd wanted to get home with enough time to get settled before work tomorrow. Now, he regretted picking the earlier flight over the late afternoon one.

"On it."

"Jake?" Mama asked, coming up behind Will. The older man raised his eyebrows and quickly backed out of the room. "Where's Julie?"

"At her house. I just came by to get my stuff, and I'm headed back." Jake saw his mama twisting her hands when he heard the door shut.

"I have to ask. I know that that woman lied a lot in her video" - he grimaced at the thought of his parents seeing that - "but did you tell her who Julie was to you?"

"I…I told her that she was an old family friend. And the only other part of that fuckin' thing that's true is that I kissed Cece before ending it with Shayla. All the rest of it is lies."

"Jacob." Her sigh was filled with disappointment as she closed her eyes. "Son -"

"I'm not gonna apologize. Not after all her lies and what she did."

"I'm not going to defend her. I think she's horrible, and I'm relieved I don't have to have her as a daughter-in-law. And you know how much we love Julie, but -"

"But nothing."

"But you kissed another woman when you were engaged. And that is never okay."

Standing to his full height, Jake put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "Normally, Mama, I'd agree with you. But not when it comes to her. I broke up with Shayla because we didn't work, and I wasn't happy. And then she lied and told me she was pregnant and I wouldn't see my kid if I didn't marry her. I tried to make it work. And she lied about all of it. There was never a baby. My only regret is believing her and bringing her here. I shoulda never done that to y'all or Cece."

Mama paled, bringing a hand to her mouth. "Oh, son. We thought… we heard you yelling about her not being pregnant, but we thought that maybe she had…"

The unspoken accusation stung, and Jake let out a watery laugh. "I would have never been mad at her for miscarrying. I wouldn't have married her, but I wouldn't have been mad."

"That's not what I meant - "

"It is." Between that and Pops saying he didn't like the person Jake was, he was ready to get out of there. Slinging his bag onto his shoulder, he patted his pockets to ensure he had his wallet and phone, tugging on his Longhorns cap. With another cursory glance around the room, he nodded and stepped toward the door. Mama stood in front of it, and she reached for him, but he dodged. Pausing long enough to kiss the side of her head, he sighed, "I love you, but I need to go."

The resignation on her face hurt, but she nodded. "Make sure to say bye to your father. I love you, Jacob. And nothing's gonna change that." Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he dropped his bag in the kitchen. Ally was ranting about the video, and Jake hesitated before taking out his phone. If his family thought that he left Shayla for a miscarriage, he needed to fix that immediately. Pulling up the screenshots, he wordlessly placed the device next to Will, who was looking up plane tickets for him, and left for the barn.

It took a minute to find him, but Pops was inspecting the equipment in the milk tank shed before he went to get the cows from the field. When the door opened, he looked up from his clipboard. The weary expression on his face let Jake know he'd seen the video, too. "Son."

"I'm leaving. I need to get back to Cece." Pops nodded, tucked the clipboard under his arm, and studied his youngest.

"She's a good girl, Jake." He nodded, unsure of where this was going. "Trust takes a long time to build and a second to break. Just make sure you know what you're doing there."

"I love - "

"I know you love her," Pops said, holding up a hand to stop him. "Just… be careful." The tug back to Cece was strong, but Jake needed his Pops to understand what had happened. He needed him to know that being with Shayla was his attempt to follow what he'd been taught - family is the priority.

"Pops," Jake gasped. And the story spilled out of him. He told him about meeting Shayla when he was lonely. How she started filming and ignoring how uncomfortable he was with it. He badly wanted a marriage and family, and he tricked himself into thinking they could have that. And then realizing he didn't love or even really like her. His stupid action on Halloween and finding out about the 'pregnancy.' How he'd begged for Shayla to let him have the baby and her blackmail. He told Pops about convincing himself he loved her and that they could make it work when they got married for the baby's sake.

Tears slipped down his cheeks as Jake told him about seeing Cece again. How he regretted losing her and discovering his stupidity was why she'd left in the first place. How easy it was being with her, and the night they'd stayed up baking - listening to music, catching up, and dancing - had been the happiest he'd felt in years. Nothing had happened until he gave into a delirious moment of weakness and kissed her, unsure if it was a dream until she'd shoved him away. Of the guilt, knowing that he'd done that as his pregnant fiancée slept, or so he thought. How Shayla had intentionally destroyed Cece's work to punish him. Jake told Pops about Shayla's ultimatum of not seeing Cece again and being ready to make that sacrifice for his family. About how jealous he'd felt seeing Cece kiss the fireman, knowing he didn't have the right to feel that way.

And then seeing the texts. The anger at knowing he'd been lied to, the grief of losing a child he'd never had, and the relief of not having to marry someone he didn't love. How numb he'd felt when the news sank in, and the comfort he'd felt when Cece cared for him. How shitty he felt when she finally broke down, knowing that he should have been there for her through all of it but hoping that maybe they could fix this. That they could work out all of their problems and be together. Then seeing the video. And being helpless to do anything as strangers believed a lie and tore them apart. Of Cece's panic attack before she shut down and kicked him out.

"I tried, Pops," he gasped. "I just… I don't know how it got so fucked up." Bill sighed, placing his clipboard on the tank before pulling his son into his arms, hand resting on the back of his head. Jake shook with suppressed tears, gasping for breath.

"It's alright, son. We'll figure this out." But as much as Jake wanted to believe his father, he couldn't.

A strange car was in Cece's driveway when he pulled her SUV in. Grabbing his bag from the passenger seat, Jake leapt the porch steps, fumbling with her keys. He'd been gone too long, and the clock was already working against them. Will hadn't been able to get his plane ticket switched - the later flight from Amarillo to Dallas was sold out, so Jake had to leave in two hours or face disciplinary action for not reporting to work tomorrow.

"I'm ba -" Jake stopped short as the door refused to open past a crack. His eyes drifted up, catching on the chain that barred his entry. "Cece? Honey, it's me."

But the woman who appeared wasn't Cece. Anger and disgust were written across her face as she glared at him. "What are you doing here, Seresin? Haven't you caused enough problems?"

The voice helped him recognize the woman he hadn't seen in over a decade. "Lucy, please, I just need -"

"To leave," Cece's best friend since elementary school cut him off. "You just need to leave. She doesn't want to see you."

"Then she can tell me that." Her laugh was cruel, and he threw a hand out to keep her from shutting the door in his face.

"I'm pretty sure she already did that, asshole. Now give me her keys and go back to whatever hole you crawled out from. Jules was doing fine before you got here, and she's gonna be even better when you disappear from her life. Again."

"Here," he said, thrusting the keys into the gap between the door and frame; she quickly took them. "Fine. But I'm not leaving. Not until she talks to me."

Lucy shook her head. "You know what I've spent the last hour doing? I've been going through her business email and getting rid of the horrible things people are saying about her. These assholes are sending her interest forms for her cakes and telling her to write 'baby killer' on them. Because of you, Jake."

"Fuck."

"Yeah. Fuck. And fuck you for bringing this onto her." Her eyes ran the length of him before she shook her head. "Call someone to come get you because I'm not letting you in this house."

"That's not your choice."

"Right now, it is. So let me do something you never could and protect Julie from you hurting her again." The deadbolt locking was loud in the morning air.

Jake stared at the door for a long moment before lifting his fist and knocking. "Cece, please open up!" He heard Lucy telling him to go away but ignored her. "Baby, just talk to me!" But there was no answer. Gritting his teeth, he rested his head against the wood. "Julie, please." Tears pricked at his eyes. After a long moment, he turned and slid down the door, dropping his head into his hands.

Cold seeped into his clothes as he sat there, listening to the sounds of the neighborhood waking. His phone went off at some point, and he glanced at it to see that Fanboy had sent Shayla's video in the Dagger chat with a plea for it not to be true. Unable to stomach the idea of talking to them, Jake sent the screenshots and silenced the chat. He ignored Mama's messages, asking if he was alright. Pops had promised to talk to Mama, and Jake knew she probably felt bad about her assumption, but he didn't have it in him to comfort her at the moment.

When his fingers and toes went numb, he stood and stamped his feet to get the blood flowing, blowing on his hands. The cold winter sun did little to warm him, but he stepped off the porch and tried to soak it in. A glance at his watch showed he'd already lost an hour. Grimacing, he fumbled for his phone with clumsy fingers and glanced over the texts from his family without responding. The Dagger chat was full of angry messages on his behalf, which also went unanswered.

With nothing else to do, he pulled up TikTok. Reluctantly, he navigated to Shayla's page and paused the video so he wouldn't have to hear her before looking at the comments. They were horrible. He was getting destroyed by them, but so was Cece. Unable to stomach them, he navigated to her page and clicked on her first video. He was relieved that comments had been disabled, so she wasn't subjected to any more hate. But as he searched, he found that others had picked up on the video and were doing reactions to it. Others had looked through Cece's video and picked up on his minor appearance in her one about preparing for the Mayor's party - they saw his watch as he reached for something and connected it to one of his many shots in Shayla's videos.

Sitting on the steps, he scrolled the app, hating every moment. Seeing a few people defending Cece was heartening, but they were drowned out by the negativity.

The sound of a front door opening made him jump to his feet in time to see Cece stepping outside. Her eyes were red and puffy, and Jake knew she'd been crying again. "Honey," he breathed, hurrying up the steps as she closed the door. But she held out a hand to stop him when he reached for her. A blanket was folded over her arm, and a coffee mug in hand.

"I didn't know you were here. I… I fell asleep not long after Lucy got here."

"Good. I'm glad you got some rest. Are you okay? Or" - he tugged off his hat and ran a nervous hand through his hair - "as good as you can be?" Her only answer was a shrug. He took the blanket she held out and threw it over his shoulders, tugging it close before taking a hesitant step toward her. He nearly groaned at the warmth soaking into his frozen fingers when she handed him the coffee mug. "Thanks." Cece nodded, shoving her hands into her coat pockets and hunching her shoulders as her eyes dropped. She refused to meet his gaze as he sipped the coffee. Sighing, he set the mug down and closed the space between them, opening the blanket and pulling her into his arms.

Cece tensed, then shivered. "You're freezing," she breathed.

"'M fine," he murmured, pressing his lips to the top of her head. After a moment, her arms wrapped around him, hands sweeping up and down his back to try and warm him up. "I love you." The silence stretched painfully.

"I love you too," Cece finally said, and Jake felt like he could breathe for the first time since he left the house this morning. His arms tightened around her, and she ducked her head to rest her forehead on his shoulder.

"I love you so much, baby," he said again. "We're gonna get through this." They were silent, taking comfort from one another for a long time. A truck turned onto the street, and Jake watched his sister-in-law park behind Lucy's car. She lifted a hand but made no move to get out. Frowning, he pulled back. "What's Ally doing here?"

"I asked her to drive you to the airport," Cece said, eyes focused on his chin rather than meeting his. "I don't… I'm not okay to drive."

"Will you come with me?" Gently forcing her chin up, he studied her face and forced a wry smile. "I want you to come to San Diego, but I'll settle for the airport for now."

"I'm tired, Jake. And… I think the space would be good for us right now." Her words, softly spoken, were like a knife to his gut.

"Julie…"

"Safe travels, Jake." But he refused to let her go when she tried to pull away. His eyes darted across her face, taking in her carefully blank expression. Still, the sadness and exhaustion were unmistakable in her eyes.

"This isn't… you're not…" he forced himself to take a breath as his heart raced. "Don't disappear on me. Please, honey."

"Text me when you're home." When he leaned down, Jake hesitated a moment and felt a rush of relief when Cece closed the gap to kiss him. "I love you, Farm Boy."

"I love you too, Cupcake."

Jake stood outside his apartment, exhaustion weighing him down as he unlocked the door. He was so ready to get inside and block everything out for the rest of the day. While Ally had done her best to distract him during their drive to Amarillo - feeling Tyler move was strange, and they'd had to stop a few times for her to use the bathroom - he hadn't been able to push away his worry for Cece. He wanted to be back in Magnolia, helping manage the fallout and holding her.

People stared at the airport, and one even hissed 'cheater' as he walked past. He put his headphones in and tugged his hat over his eyes while sitting at his gate. During his layover in Dallas, he'd texted Cece. It wasn't until he was boarding that she texted back, thanking him for the chocolate donuts.

It felt like ages since he'd bought those, not just that morning.

There was a weird smell in his apartment when Jake kicked off his shoes. For a brief moment, he thought it was just from being closed up for a week until he saw the kitchen counters were covered in something. Frowning, he walked closer and saw that ketchup, mustard, and chocolate sauce had dried on the surfaces. The kitchen floor was covered in a white powder, an empty bag of flour tossed in the middle. Every cabinet, drawer, and even the oven was open. "What the fuck?" he snapped, turning on the lights. His fingers accidentally brushed the ceiling fan, and he sputtered as glitter rained down and the fan started to turn. He hadn't realized that the floor was sparkling until then.

And then Jake remembered that he'd given Shayla a key.

"Fuck!" he growled. His bedroom door was open, and he carefully walked toward it. The blanket and sheets had been torn off his bed, and the smell of his cologne was overwhelming. The now empty bottle sat on the bedside table, and his shoes were tied to the ceiling fan. A pile of uniforms and flight suits was on the floor, covered in what he hoped was shaving cream. A melted line of chocolate bars dripped down his windowsill. His dresser drawers had been pulled out and turned over. All of his clothes in the closet had been tossed onto the floor. Reluctantly, he went into his bathroom and saw that CHEATER was written in lipstick across his mirror. There was a disgusting smell, and a glance at his shower curtain showed strings of shrimp strung on fishing line hanging from the rod.

Fury blinded him, and Jake threw his duffle on the floor. Taking out his phone, he started to record the damage Shayla had done. And then, before putting too much thought into it, he turned the camera around and scowled at it. "Shayla Thompson was never pregnant. She lied to you for views and me because she didn't want to lose followers after I broke up with her. And I have proof."

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Author's Note: We knew Shayla wasn't going to go down without a fight. And now Cece has more than just Magnolia staring and whispering about her. All Jake wanted was a quiet morning with the love of his life and time to convince her to come to California, and now he has to deal with all of this. Lucy was harsh with him, but she's just looking out for her best friend.

As always, thank you to @mamachasesmayhem for letting me scream in her inbox. She's also part of the reason that Cece gave Jake a chance on the porch, because the original plan was for her to kick him out of the house and refuse to see him before he had to fly out.

Taglist: @mamachasesmayhem; @buckysteveloki-me; @fanficfandomlove; @maeleeme; @djs8891; @kmc1989; @justenoughmadness; @shanimallina87; @lynnevanss; @dempy; @emilyoflanternhill; @midnightmagpiemama; @sordidfairytale; @vivalas-vega; @eloquentdreamer; @roosterforme; @mizzzpink; @memoriesat30; @dizzybee03; @itsdesiree86; @sorchathered; @boisewaffles; @blue-aconite; @fudge13; @wretchedmo; @redbarn1995; @the-shy-type; @liftoff451-blog; @yuckosworld

If you would like to be added to the tag list, please comment below. I do check that readers are 18+

#comment reblog #'tis the damn season fic

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trickphotography2 · 6 days

Text

Cece's definitely hurting with all of this. The last thing she wanted was more people looking at her relationships, and now she's got that plus her business being jeopardized.

And no problem! I'm glad we got the tag issue fixed ❤️

'tis the damn season | Chapter 8

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Julie/Cece (OC, no physical description)

Word count: 8.3K

The last person he expected to run into was his high school sweetheart and the one that got away, Julie.

Chapter 7 | Master List | Ao3

Trigger warning: panic attack, mentions of miscarriage

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Chapter 8

And then they would be right back to where they always were. Living two separate lives states apart.

The thought of moving somewhere blindly and hoping for the best paralyzed her with indecision. What if it was a horrible mistake?

The people in your life have always asked too much.

"As good as you taste, honey, I wanna feel you come on my cock at least once before I leave." He smiled and kissed her at her sharp inhale, saying against her lips, "Preferably more."

"Don't move," Jake ordered. "I'll be right back."

"Drive safe. Watch out for black ice."

"You forget who taught you how to drive in the snow?" he chuckled, pressing against the hand cupping him through his jeans.

"No, just know that you're gonna drive like a maniac, and you're rusty with winter skills, California boy."

"Farm Boy," Jake corrected, pressing his lips to her forehead. Cece's hand twined in his shirt, tugging him back toward her mouth. "Your Farm Boy."

"Mine," she agreed. When he didn't move away, Cece laughed and pushed against him. Jake groaned, slowly backing out of the room.

"Stay there. Promise."

"I promise." With a detour to the bathroom to steal some of her mouthwash and splash water on his face, Jake left the house, yelling his promise to hurry.

Laughing, Julie pulled back the blankets and settled in, reaching for her phone. Her eyebrows shot up when she saw the red bubble on TikTok saying she had over 20 thousand notifications.

"Find what you were lookin' for?" the kid asked when Jake approached the counter.

"I -" she gasped before pressing a hand to her mouth. Unable to get the words out, she tapped something on her phone screen. Jake paled as he heard Shayla's voice.

"Get un-ready with me while I give you a sad update about my pregnancy after my fiancé cheated with another creator on this app."

Whore.

Slut.

Homewrecker.

Murderer.

Death threats.

"You should go." Cece trembled as she closed her eyes and turned her face away, unable to bear the sight of him. Her shoulders hunched as she wrapped her arm around herself.

"Cece -"

"Go, Jake." Rather than listen, he moved closer and tried to hold her. Julie knocked his hands away, anger and hurt etched on her face. "I said don't touch me!"

"Cece, please - you know that it's all lies."

"I can't breathe," she gasped.

"They're calling me a homewrecking murderer. On my videos with Daddy." Her voice was flat, but her chin wobbled again. Jake never felt so helpless before.

"You're not, baby. You did nothing wrong. She was never pregnant, honey. That fuckin' bitch is just trying to hurt me, and she knows the best way to do that is through you."

"Every video. All those people…"

"We kissed. I kissed -"

"You should go."

"What? Cece, I'm not -"

"I want you to leave."

"Julie -"

"Please."

"I love you."

"I don't care."

"Baby."

"I'm going to get my stuff from my parents', and then I'll be back. We'll figure this out, honey, I swear it."

The door closed behind him when he stepped onto the porch, and Jake stood there for a long moment before forcing his feet to move. The sooner he got his stuff, the sooner he'd be back.

"- bitch!"

"- you think my son would do that, Betty Roberts, you've got another thing coming -"

"Ally, you know what the doc said about your blood pressure."

"I don't give a fuck. She's not gonna get away with this, Will -"

"Hey, thought I heard you come in. You okay?"

"Do I fucking look okay?" Jake hissed.

"Stupid question. How's Julie?"

"About how you'd expect when the internet's calling you a - " he couldn't even say the word. Not about Cece.

"Right." Will scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say to his little brother. "Uh… you need me to do anything?"

"On it."

"Jake?" Mama asked, coming up behind Will. The older man raised his eyebrows and quickly backed out of the room. "Where's Julie?"

"At her house. I just came by to get my stuff, and I'm headed back." Jake saw his mama twisting her hands when he heard the door shut.

"I have to ask. I know that that woman lied a lot in her video" - he grimaced at the thought of his parents seeing that - "but did you tell her who Julie was to you?"

"I…I told her that she was an old family friend. And the only other part of that fuckin' thing that's true is that I kissed Cece before ending it with Shayla. All the rest of it is lies."

"Jacob." Her sigh was filled with disappointment as she closed her eyes. "Son -"

"I'm not gonna apologize. Not after all her lies and what she did."

"I'm not going to defend her. I think she's horrible, and I'm relieved I don't have to have her as a daughter-in-law. And you know how much we love Julie, but -"

"But nothing."

"But you kissed another woman when you were engaged. And that is never okay."

Mama paled, bringing a hand to her mouth. "Oh, son. We thought… we heard you yelling about her not being pregnant, but we thought that maybe she had…"

The unspoken accusation stung, and Jake let out a watery laugh. "I would have never been mad at her for miscarrying. I wouldn't have married her, but I wouldn't have been mad."

"That's not what I meant - "

"I'm leaving. I need to get back to Cece." Pops nodded, tucked the clipboard under his arm, and studied his youngest.

"She's a good girl, Jake." He nodded, unsure of where this was going. "Trust takes a long time to build and a second to break. Just make sure you know what you're doing there."

"I love - "

"It's alright, son. We'll figure this out." But as much as Jake wanted to believe his father, he couldn't.

"I'm ba -" Jake stopped short as the door refused to open past a crack. His eyes drifted up, catching on the chain that barred his entry. "Cece? Honey, it's me."

But the woman who appeared wasn't Cece. Anger and disgust were written across her face as she glared at him. "What are you doing here, Seresin? Haven't you caused enough problems?"

The voice helped him recognize the woman he hadn't seen in over a decade. "Lucy, please, I just need -"

"To leave," Cece's best friend since elementary school cut him off. "You just need to leave. She doesn't want to see you."

"Then she can tell me that." Her laugh was cruel, and he threw a hand out to keep her from shutting the door in his face.

"Here," he said, thrusting the keys into the gap between the door and frame; she quickly took them. "Fine. But I'm not leaving. Not until she talks to me."

"Fuck."

"Yeah. Fuck. And fuck you for bringing this onto her." Her eyes ran the length of him before she shook her head. "Call someone to come get you because I'm not letting you in this house."

"That's not your choice."

"Right now, it is. So let me do something you never could and protect Julie from you hurting her again." The deadbolt locking was loud in the morning air.

Sitting on the steps, he scrolled the app, hating every moment. Seeing a few people defending Cece was heartening, but they were drowned out by the negativity.

"I didn't know you were here. I… I fell asleep not long after Lucy got here."

Cece tensed, then shivered. "You're freezing," she breathed.

"I asked her to drive you to the airport," Cece said, eyes focused on his chin rather than meeting his. "I don't… I'm not okay to drive."

"Will you come with me?" Gently forcing her chin up, he studied her face and forced a wry smile. "I want you to come to San Diego, but I'll settle for the airport for now."

"I'm tired, Jake. And… I think the space would be good for us right now." Her words, softly spoken, were like a knife to his gut.

"Julie…"

"This isn't… you're not…" he forced himself to take a breath as his heart raced. "Don't disappear on me. Please, honey."

"Text me when you're home." When he leaned down, Jake hesitated a moment and felt a rush of relief when Cece closed the gap to kiss him. "I love you, Farm Boy."

"I love you too, Cupcake."

It felt like ages since he'd bought those, not just that morning.

And then Jake remembered that he'd given Shayla a key.

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#comment reblog #'tis the damn season fic

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