Jace and Eric Deleted Scene — Girl at Heart

The original draft of Girl at Heart had a few chapters from Jace’s point of view. As much as I love him, I ultimately decided I needed to cut his scenes. Here’s a deleted scene from Jace’s point of view where he confronts Eric after Eric hurt Charlie in the cafeteria. In the final draft, this confrontation doesn’t happen until the end of the book. It worked much better to move that part to the end. But it’s still an interesting scene.

This one isn’t very spoilerific. You’ll probably be fine if you haven’t read the book yet, but of course it really won’t make sense if you don’t know the story. Anyway, it’s short, but enjoy!

***

JACE

Charlie stomps out of the cafeteria like she’s angry, but Sullivan and I both know the truth. Charlie didn’t want anyone to see her cry. I want to run after her, but Leila jumps up and shakes her head at me. She’d probably right. Charlie probably needs a girl’s shoulder to cry on right now.

When she disappears from the room, I realize something that I’ve been too stubborn to admit until now. Charlie’s not just crushing on Sullivan, she’s in love with him. She probably has been her whole life. Sure, she may like me as a friend, but I could never break her heart the way Sullivan just did. It takes a really, really deep connection with someone for them to be able to hurt you so deeply. And Sullivan did. He just shattered her.

I’ve never had a problem with Sullivan until now. “Way to go, jerk. You just crushed her.”

Sullivan tears his eyes away from the door Charlie just flew out of and blinks at me several times. “I didn’t mean to insult her.”

I scoff in disgust. “You did a whole lot more than just insult her. Do you have any idea how much that girl worships the ground you walk on? She’s doing all of this for you, and you just ripped her to shreds.”

Sullivan flinches back, startled. I scoff again. The fact that he doesn’t even know what he’s got, or how much he just hurt her makes me want to hit him. I’d kill to have Charlie like me even a third as much as she likes him. He doesn’t deserve her.

I must look like I’m about to start a fight, because Kevin and Diego rush over and flank Sullivan. Mark’s at my back a second later. Eric is oblivious to the tension. “What do you mean she’s doing this for me?” His worry turns to a glare. “You’re the one changing her. None of this happened before you got involved.”

I let out an incredulous laugh. “You can’t really be that blind. I’m not doing anything. She didn’t quit the team because of me. She didn’t ask my sister for help because she was trying to get my attention.” His brows furrow in total confusion. Idiot. “This didn’t start when I went to the game with her. It started when you asked Shelly Turner to the prom.”

I stand there with one eyebrow raised and wait for him to get it. His eyes slowly widen as realization hits. Then his face pales and he shakes his head. “No. That can’t be—she’s never—”

“Never what?” I ask. “Told her best friend that probably thinks of her like a sister that she’s in love with him? Because that would go over well.”

He rakes his fingers through his hair, still shaking his head, trying to deny what I’m saying. Jones and Escobar shake their heads too. “No way,” Diego says. “It’s not like that. There’s no way. Not Charlie. We’ve all grown up together. We’re family. She doesn’t see any of us that way.”

I fold my arms across my chest and raise a brow. “You sure about that?” I pin Eric with a hard gaze. “Why do you think she won’t talk to you about what’s bothering her right now? Because she knows you don’t feel the same way as her, and she’s afraid to lose you.”

“She’ll never lose us,” Kevin insists. “Any of us. No matter what.”

I admire their dedication to her. It’s obvious that they care about her, but it’s also clear that Eric doesn’t love her back. Not that way. The truth is starting to sink in, and he looks sick to his stomach. “She said that?” he asks quietly. “She told you she…likes me?”

I sigh. “Not exactly. But it’s obvious to me. There’s got to be a reason she suddenly wants to be Charlotte and not Hastings.” My anger comes back as I remember that moment she tried to explain it to me. She was so lost and desperate. “I’ll tell you something, though, the person I saw at the mall yesterday, laughing and having fun with my sister, is a girl you’ve never seen. There’s a lot more to Charlotte Hastings than the three of you know. You hold her back. She’s afraid to be her real self with you guys, and you’ve just proven all her fears right. She’ll probably never let her real self show ever again.”

Eric flinches like I’ve just given him another punch to the gut. But after a minute his face hardens. “No. You’re wrong. This girly stuff isn’t the real Hastings. I know her. She’s just going through something right now. She’s worried about her future. She thinks she’s not going to have a team to play for next year. She’s just stressed.”

Idiot. “Whatever.” I hold up my hands in defeat. If he refuses to see the truth, then I can’t help him. “Believe what you want. But if she’s really that stressed, don’t you think her best friend should be supporting her right now instead of tearing her down?”

And…he’s glaring at me again. “I’m trying!” he hisses. “She won’t talk to me right now, because all the sudden she has you whispering in her ear. You’re the one making things worse. Letting her try to be something she’s not isn’t going to help her.”

I get it now. I completely understand why Charlie wouldn’t just be honest with these guys about how she was feeling. Why she needed an outsider to open up to. They’re too stubborn. Seeing their attitudes only makes me that much more positive that they hold her back. Of course she doesn’t feel comfortable in her own skin. How can she possibly be herself if they won’t accept her that way?

She needs me. And Leila, and Mark, and the rest of the team. Charlie needs to understand that Sullivan’s attitude is his problem, and that most of us will welcome—and love—the new Charlie. If you ask me, this new version of her that branches out and lets people in is better for her. She’ll grow more as a person now, be more well adjusted. She was right that she needed the rest of this year to learn to make friends. I can help her do that. I promised her that I could be just a friend to her if that was what she needed. It sucks that she’s in love with Sullivan, but I can keep my promise. I can be her friend.

Charlie comes back in the cafeteria clinging to Leila. She looks fine, but then, Leila would never let her come back looking a mess. Her eyes drift to Sullivan and me, but then she looks away, squares her shoulders, and forces a smile to the group of people Leila introduces her to. She doesn’t look back again. I’m proud of her. She’s being so strong.

Eric huffs and storms out of the cafeteria. I shake my head. He just doesn’t get it.