Chapter 23: Jimmy

Lucian and Garry sat in the dimly lit restaurant, their conversation light but filled with undertones that neither acknowledged. For Lucian, it felt surreal he was living through these moments again, though Garry's presence added an unfamiliar twist. Neither of them knew the other had been pulled back in time, both secretly carrying the burden of their shared history.Their conversation paused when a loud rumble reverberated from outside.

The growl of a familiar engine made Lucian freeze for a moment, his heart skipping a beat. "That sound… I know it," he muttered, more to himself than Garry.

Garry leaned forward slightly, his eyes flicking toward the restaurant entrance, equally curious. "Yeah, that's… it can't be."

Before either of them could voice what they were both thinking, the door swung open. The room's attention shifted to the imposing figure who had just entered.

A tall man, standing at about 6'1", stepped inside, his presence demanding attention even though he wore nothing more than casual home clothes a simple t-shirt and worn loafers. He moved with purpose, scanning the room as though searching for something or someone.

Garry's eyes lit up instantly. "There he is!" he muttered, his heart pounding in anticipation. Seeing Jimmy again, despite the situation, filled him with relief. It felt like reuniting with a part of himself.

Lucian stood up from his seat, an unexpected smile tugging at his lips despite the confusion boiling inside him. "Jimmy!" His voice came out louder than he expected, and suddenly, the entire restaurant was watching them. The moment felt surreal, like a memory being replayed.

Jimmy's head snapped toward the voice, locking eyes with Lucian. For a second, something flickered across Jimmy's face relief, recognition, maybe even disbelief. But as quickly as it appeared, it was replaced by something more familiar: frustration.

As Jimmy strode over to their table, Lucian could tell something wasn't right. He opened his arms, expecting their usual greeting a friendly embrace but what came next caught him entirely off guard.

Smack!

Jimmy's fist collided with Lucian's jaw with a loud crack, sending him stumbling back into his chair.

"Ugh!" Lucian grunted, his hand shooting up to his face, eyes wide with shock. His mind reeled not just from the pain but from the abruptness of the hit. It wasn't like Jimmy to swing at him without a word of warning.

Around them, the restaurant patrons whispered and murmured, but none intervened. To them, this was just a dramatic confrontation to watch, a spectacle they could enjoy from a distance.

"What the hell was that for?" Lucian asked, his voice tinged with both confusion and annoyance, his hand still rubbing his throbbing jaw. His body was tense, but his mind raced even faster. It wasn't the first time Jimmy had hit him, but this time, it felt different. It wasn't out of anger it was more like a release of pent-up emotion.

Jimmy, his face stoic but eyes flashing with something deeper, simply shrugged. "Nothing. I just had to do it." His tone was even, but there was a weight to his words, a layer of meaning that went beyond the punch.

Lucian blinked. Jimmy's behavior felt like a bizarre reflection of what he had experienced before, but this moment wasn't entirely familiar. He had expected Jimmy to be annoyed, sure, but not this especially not now, at a point in their friendship where such actions seemed out of place.

Of course, Lucian didn't know that Jimmy had come back in time too. The punch wasn't for the present Lucian, but for the Lucian who had broken his friends' hearts by giving up on life, leaving them to deal with his loss in the worst way possible.

Lucian sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Alright, I get it. I deserved that," he muttered, the sting in his jaw a mere echo of the guilt he still carried. For the first time, he wondered if Jimmy had somehow felt the same depth of pain that he did if they all had.

Jimmy stared at Lucian for a moment longer before sitting down, the usual playful banter between them absent. Garry, who had been silently watching the exchange, fought the urge to burst out laughing. If he hadn't been pretending to meet Lucian for the first time, he would've loved to throw a punch too, just to complete the moment.

Jimmy's gaze drifted to Garry, his eyebrows raising in suspicion. "And who's this kid?" he asked, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "He doesn't even look old enough to be drinking."

Garry's face twitched. "Who are you calling a kid, you jerk?" His voice was filled with mock annoyance, but deep down, he was relieved. Jimmy hadn't changed, at least not in the ways that mattered. There was a comfort in that familiarity.

Jimmy chuckled, the tension easing from his body for a moment. "With that baby face? Yeah, right."

Garry was about to retort when Lucian stepped in, trying to calm the situation. "Alright, enough. Jimmy, this is Garry. Garry, Jimmy." Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Jimmy's smirk widened as he looked Garry over. "Picked him up off the road, did you?"

Lucian gave a half-shrug, trying to lighten the mood. "Something like that."

Jimmy, still smirking, leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "So, Lucian, why didn't you answer my calls?"

Lucian shifted, trying to look casual. "I… lost my phone."

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. "Lost it? That doesn't sound like you."

Lucian scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, well… a lot of things have changed."

Jimmy studied him for a moment longer before dropping the subject. "Whatever. We've got something more important to talk about anyway."

Lucian's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

Jimmy's face turned serious, his voice dropping to a low, firm tone. "You're done with Avey."

Lucian blinked, taken aback. "What?"

Jimmy didn't back down. "You heard me. You're done with her. No more chasing. It's over."

Lucian opened his mouth to protest, but Jimmy leaned forward, cutting him off. "I'm not messing around this time, Lucian. I know you care about her, but trust me when I say she's going to hurt you badly. I'm not asking you to stop. I'm telling you."

Lucian froze. He had never heard Jimmy speak like this before at least, not at this point in time. In his past life, Jimmy had always been supportive, trying to help Lucian win Avey over, even when it was clear it was a losing battle.

Jimmy's voice softened slightly, but his eyes were still hard. "I can't watch you destroy yourself for someone who doesn't care about you. If you don't stop, I'll make sure you do. I'm not going to let you go through what happened last time."

Lucian's heart clenched. He could see the pain in Jimmy's eyes, the same pain he had felt after Lucian's death. The words Jimmy spoke now were laced with the fear of losing him again. It was like Jimmy knew how everything had ended before but how?

Lucian didn't know that Jimmy, like him, had been sent back in time. But Lucian had already decided in this life that he wouldn't follow the same path. He was done with Avey. He was done with the pain.

"Okay," Lucian said softly, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of his decision.

Garry, who had been quietly sipping his drink, nearly choked, his eyes widening in shock. "Wait… what?"

Even Jimmy, who had braced himself for a long, drawn-out argument, was stunned. "You're serious?"

Lucian nodded. "Yeah. I'm serious. I'm not going after Avey anymore."

Jimmy stared at him, his disbelief clear. He had expected to spend hours convincing Lucian to give up on Avey, prepared for the usual stubborn refusal. But this… this was something different. This wasn't the Lucian he knew.

"Are you really telling me the truth right now?" Jimmy grabbed Lucian's arm, forcing him to look directly into his eyes. "You're not messing around, right?"

Lucian met his gaze, his expression tired but resolute. "No, Jimmy. I'm not joking. I've made up my mind. I'm done chasing after people who only hurt me."

Jimmy let out a long breath, the tension in his body slowly easing. "Good. That's… that's good."

ouchh still his body reacted when jimmy holded his wrist

at this little reaction , Jimmy's eyes flickered down to Lucian's wrist. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the blade scars on Lucian's skin.scars he hadn't noticed before.

Jimmy's voice was thick with concern. "Lucian… when did you do this?"

Lucian followed Jimmy's gaze to his wrist, his own eyes widening in surprise. He hadn't realized the scars were still there from before.

These were the remnants of the darkest time in his life, when the weight of everything had driven him to the brink.well at this point of time he remembered he used to do shit like this since he traved back in time and got his 18 years old body this shouldn't be surprising looks like he didn't gave much looks to his body after coming back in time

"I… I don't remember," Lucian admitted quietly