I stood by the side of an empty road; it was cold, causing me to shiver, but I tried to hide it.
The night shone brightly up in the sky; the concert had probably begun by now, and I missed it.
We were in the middle of nowhere I was familiar with. Yes, we. Jake and I stood side by side as we waited for Mr. Robert to pick us up.
After Jake had fainted and was lying on the hard floor looking almost lifeless, I had panicked and called for help. Luckily for both of us, there was a doctor among the crowd who was able to revive Jake using CPR. I felt relief wash over me, seeing Jake gasp as his eyes flickered open. I don't think I could ever have forgiven myself if I watched another person die on me while I did nothing. Not again.
Although the doctor convinced me to get him to the hospital for a medical exam, Jake had refused any help. I tried so hard to persuade him, but he still insisted on being okay when he clearly wasn't.
His feet were wobbly as he made an attempt to stand, he looked weak, drained of energy, but he still shrugged it off. This only made me more concerned, but I couldn't do anything. I can't force him to talk about something he was most likely uncomfortable with, just like I am. So I let it go.
"How long are we going to wait?" I muttered to myself, tapping my feet on the ground and my gaze fixed down.
"Soon," Jake replied, finally saying something hours after the incident. I slowly glanced at him; he was staring ahead, his hand folded around his chest, and I noticed his fingers dug into his skin.
Trying to get more words out of him, I said, "Thank you for today; you saved that girl's life." This caught his attention, and his gaze immediately shifted, locking with mine.
"You already thanked me." He was right, I had, but I wasn't sure he had heard me then. "But I should be the one thanking you."
"For what?" I asked.
"For…" he bit down on his bottom lip. "For being there." He said with a small smile making its way in. This gave a hint of warmth and life to his slightly pale face.
We held each other's gaze for a few more seconds before it was interrupted by Mr. Robert driving in.
"Sorry I am late," he apologized, walking over to the back door and opening it. His hands stretched forward, leading me in.
I took my seat in the fine leather when I was startled by the door closing shut. Mr. Robert walked over to where Jake stood, while I watched them through the tinted glass. I noticed Mr. Robert's lips move but couldn't make out what they were saying, although one could tell by the fiery look in Jake's eyes that it wasn't something he was pleased with. His hands were folded into tight fists, his jaw tightened, and his gaze was fixed on Mr. Robert like a wildfire threatening to explode.
I subconsciously gulped down nothing, my throat running dry as I thought of what else could be the reason for his reaction, but I kept my opinion to myself; it wasn't my place to bug him about something personal. I mean, that's what I would have wanted: to be left alone.
After their brief conversation, they both entered the car, Jake sat at the front, clearly still upset. The awkward atmosphere became more tense, sitting in complete silence as we made our way back to the resort. My only source of distraction was my phone, but sadly, seeing posts about the concert only made me feel worse. I would have been there, screaming at the top of my lungs, but here I was, sitting with guys having mood swings.
I would have given anything to stay for another week at this resort; the thought of going back home and leaving behind a life of luxury brought me both excitement and sadness. Dragging my suitcase with me, Matilda hopped behind me, talking nonstop about the concert. Yes, she had gone and wouldn't stop rubbing it in.
"And then when it was Jennie's solo performance, she looked at me!" Matilda squealed, while I rolled my eyes.
"We met her in person, you know?" I said, pausing momentarily to check my plane ticket for my seat number. It was only two seats ahead, and thankfully, Matilda was my partner.
We were going back alone, for an unexplained reason, Ethan and Owen had decided to stay behind. I figured it had something to do with Jake, so I didn't bother asking, although I was hoping to have an opportunity to talk to Owen alone. He hadn't spoken to me since that night, and I desperately wanted to know why.
"I know that," Matilda scoffed. She walked past me and sat on her seat. "You never told me what happened. Why weren't you and Jake at the concert?" She asked; you could tell she was genuinely curious and probably had so many random thoughts about us in her head.
"He fainted at the park," I stated in a nonchalant tone. It was funny watching her face shift from a wearing grin to a worried look. I know I shouldn't laugh, but I also couldn't help but chuckle within. "But it's nothing serious, according to him." I sat, my phone clutched in my hand, Matilda's gaze not leaving me.
"That's it? Why would he faint all of a sudden? Was he sick?" These were questions I had already asked myself and found no answer to. If Jake said he was fine, then he was. I didn't want to get too involved with his family, seeing how tense he looked every time it was mentioned. I knew that night, when Mr. Robert approached him, it must have been something related to his family. His sudden change in demeanor only proved me right.
"I have no idea, Matilda, but let's let him be for now." I leaned back on my chair when my mind flashed back to the burpee ride, my cheeks suddenly became flushed, causing me to sit up right.
"What is it?" Matilda asked. She had noticed my body language and immediately knew something was up.
I needed to tell her; I wanted to tell her, so I blurted.
"Jake almost kissed me!" Her mouth fell open, then she closed it, and she paused, thinking of a response.
"When was that?" She asked, her brow furrowed. I could tell she was thinking of the one that happened at the gym in front of everyone, that's why my reaction was bland.
"Yesterday," her eyes immediately widened, while her hand covered her mouth to stop a scream about to escape her lips. "And a few days before that." I added, causing her to shake her head in disbelief, her hands clutching to her mouth. Feeling embarrassed, I shut my eyes and collapsed back on my seat.
"How? Tell me everything!"
And I did.
I told her about the bedroom encounter, how he teased me. I told her about the burpee ride and then what he said to me at the park, before the incident.
Matilda hit her palm on my thigh, continuously gasping in between each hit. It was a habit, so I didn't blame her, even though it did sting a little. I was used to it after all
.
"I can't believe you hid this from me," she scolded, causing me to bite my lip.
"I didn't mean to, it was just overwhelming. That's all."
"I don't even blame you; I would have died from a heart attack if I was in your shoes. You are so lucky."
Lucky? He attempted to kiss me; a kiss doesn't define luck. I mean, if it's just a kiss to him, then it means nothing. He probably kissed many girls; it's not like I hadn't seen him do it.
"What if he asks you out? Would you say yes?" She added, grinning at me. This caused a knot in my stomach, and I looked away.
"Don't be silly, Matilda, just because he tried to kiss me doesn't mean he wants to be in a relationship with me. He was probably just testing me." I wrapped my hand around my stomach, my chest heavy with the weight of my own words.
He was just testing me. It's all an act. Someone like him can't fall for someone like me. Besides, he made it clear himself. From the start.
After arriving home, my mood had completely changed. I was now stuck thinking about what I had told Matilda, and she didn't even try to prove me wrong. She left me in doubt, which only ate me up more.
Gosh! I sighed internally. This shouldn't be bothering me.
I shook my head and reached for the doorknob. The door creaked opened; I took a step in, taking a deep breath. Only to enter a living room filled with a familiar sound, one that I had missed for a long time.
A small smile curled up in the corner of my lips. "Am I interrupting something?" I made my presence known. My mom was sitting on my dad's lap with her hand wrapped around him while he whispered something into her ear, something that was making her laugh.
It was cringe seeing parents being all over each other, and my usual response to this would have been to throw up, but after their constant arguing, I was pleased to see them back to normal. I hoped.
Mom looked at me, startled by my sudden grand entrance. She pulled herself away from my dad, like two teenagers caught making out. "Oh sweetie, you're home, you didn't say you were coming this soon." She said, trying to hide the fact that I had just caught them all over each other. And I did tell her when I was coming; in fact, I had texted her, and she had replied.
"Sure," my gaze shifted to my dad. He had a grin on his face.
"Welcome home, honey." He stated, while I rolled my eyes and walked past them.
"I will be in my room," I stated, climbing up the stairs.