A clean breakup

"Hey, mom. I'm heading out to meet with Steven." Jackson said, walking into the living room.

Rose took her eyes off Mila for a second, gazed at her son, and said, "Okay." Then she focused back on her granddaughter.

A look of disbelief crossed Jackson's face. Then he stared at Miya and whispered, "It's like I am invisible to her. Is it legal for a mother to replace her son with her grandkids?"

"I think I have lost my rights as their mother," Miya mumbled, chuckling softly.

Rose rolled her eyes at both of them, and said, "Haha, fun… my grandbabies needs their nana."

"How long do you plan to stay here?" Jackson mumbled, struggling not to laugh.

"Until they are old enough to call me Nana."

"Well. That's some plan. Anyways, I got to go. Steven is planning to invoke my right as his best man if I don't show up."

In a rush, Jackson kissed the babies on their foreheads and turned to stare at Miya, striving to say the words that were bottled up inside of him.

Then he hesitated for a moment, and faintly smiling at her, before walking out.

"Is there something going on between you two?" Rose asked, gazing at Miya.

But she softly laughed and said, "No. Of course not."

"Mmm uh."

"I'm being honest. Nothing is going on between your son and me."

For a moment, Miya kept a smile on her face as she stared at Rose. Then she slowly stared at the living room entrance and softly exhale.

'And maybe there's never going to be.' Miya thought, resting her chin on her palm.

At exactly five p.m, Jackson arrived at the bar, then his gaze met with the bartender's smile.

"Chloe?" Jackson mumbled, staring at Steven and his ex-girlfriend.

"Hey, bro," Steven said, approaching Jackson.

Then he hugged him and whispered into his ear, "I need someone mutual here with us so this would feel less awkward."

"I am going to kill you," Jackson mumbled, smiling brightly at Chloe.

"Do it later. Right now, I need to be alive to do this."

"Fine."

After letting go of Jackson, Steven beam at him, but he coldly stared at his friend before walking to the counter.

"Hey, Jackson," Chloe mumbled.

"Three shots of vodka," Jackson said, gazing at the bartender.

Then he sat down on the stool, gazed at Chloe, and said, "Hey."

"Steven, what's going on?" Chloe mumbled, turning her focus on him as he walked up to Jackson and her.

"Well, the thing is…" Steven stuttered, staring at her, then he glanced at his friend.

But Jackson ignored his glance and drank the first shot, then the second one.

Afterward, he intensely stared at Chloe and Steven and said, "Well, someone got to do this if he's too cowardly…"

"I'm getting married," Steven shouted.

It grew silent for a moment. Then the sound of people clapping echoed around the room.

"You are getting married?" Chloe mumbled beneathed her breath.

"Yes. Julie and I are getting married a month from now. I wanted to be the one to tell you since it's only fair to you that I do." Steven said, gazing at the tears running down her face.

Then he glanced at Jackson, but he picked up his shot glass, gazed the other way, and drank it.

"But you don't even know her that well! We spent so many years together, and you are going to marry someone else!" Chloe shouted, sniffing aggressively.

"This is not about who I have been with the longest," Steven said, rubbing his brows.

At this point, he could feel everyone's eyes on him and Chloe, and it was frustrating him.

"I thought she was just a flame to you like the other women you have dated! But you are actually thinking about marrying her!" Chloe shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

"I'm not thinking about doing it. I'm going to marry her. This is not me asking for your permission. This is me telling you what I'm about to do." Steven said in annoyance.

"But…"

"Chloe, let's have a clean break, okay?"

The two of them didn't say a word for a while. Then Chloe stood to her feet, aggressively dried her face with the back of her hand, and said, "Fine, let's have a clean break up! You are dead to me!"

A look of anger mixed with sadness crossed her face as she narrowed her eyes at Steven before walking out of the bar.

"Damn, that was tense," Jackson mumbled, gazing at his friend.

The bartender rolled a glass towards Steven, and said, "That's a classic French wine. It's on the house."

"Thanks," Steven mumbled, grabbing the drink.

After emptying the glass, he banged on the counter, gave Jackson a cold stare, and said, "Thanks for nothing!"

"I'm proud of you," Jackson said with a straight face.

"Shut up!"

"I'm serious. I have watched you grow into this man, sitting across from me, and all that I feel is proud."

Both of them stared at each other for a moment. Then Steven faintly smiled and said, "Thanks."

"So… does that mean I'm still your best man?" Jackson anxiously said.

Ignoring Jackson's remark, he stared at the bartender and both of them exchanged sly smiles.

Then he gazed at the frown on Jackson's face and said, "Who said you weren't?"

"You little…!" Jackson said, glaring at Steven.

"Jennie said that she can't stand with you at the wedding, so Miya is Julie's next pick as her maid of honor."

"That's for the best anyways. Too much has happened between us. I think it's best that we don't see each other for a while."

"What's going on between you two?"

"Jennie?"

"No, Miya. I have seen the way you look at her. Is there something going on between you two?"

It grew silent between them for a second. Then Jackson rubbed his neck and said, "No. There's nothing going on between us, and I don't think there's ever going to be."