Stop Pretending. I Know You Really Love Me.

Summer’s pov

I left Hazel’s room and went back down the stairs. Jay was up watching TV. He turned to face me when he saw me.

“Hey Summer.” He smiled sadly.

“Hi Jay. Why are you so down?” I asked.

“I ruined my sister’s life and now she hates the only guy that was ever right for her.” He sighed.

“Why’d you even do that?”

“She’s my baby sis. I didn’t want her to get hurt.”

“Well you didn’t do a very good job of keeping her from getting hurt.”

“I know. Now she won’t even talk to Phoenix and Phoenix is mad at me for coming up with the idea in the first place. I don’t even think she really forgave me. She barely talks to me and when she does she uses as few words as she can. I really screwed up.” He sighed again.

“Maybe I can help you with that.” I said as a brilliant plan came to my mind. I told him what Hazel told me a couple minutes ago.

“How will this help us?” He asked.

“Hazel and I are going to a party. If we could lock them in a room for about an hour, maybe Hazel will get back with Phoenix. Or at the very least listen to what he has to say.”

“I like the way you think Summer.” He smiled.

Hazel’s pov

The next day I woke up to the smell of pancakes. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost ten. I got out of bed and went downstairs. Summer, Payton, and Taylor were sitting at the table talking about something in hushed tones while Jay was making chocolate chip pancakes.

“What’s up guys?” I asked sitting beside Summer.

“Nothing.” They all said. They stopped talking after that.

“Ok then.” I gave them suspicious looks.

“So are you going to Travis’ party tonight?” Taylor asked breaking the awkward silence. Travis was on the football team. Tonight was the last game and Travis always threw a party after the last game of the season.

“Me and Jay are going.” Payton said.

“I don’t know if I’m going.” I said.

“Hazel, you said you would go last night.” Summer said.

“I know, but I just don’t feel like it.” I sighed.

“You’ve been inside the house all week. You are going to the party with us.” Jay said sternly.

“Yes sir, dad.” I said sarcastically. He gave me a look. I just rolled my eyes.

(9:45)

“I don’t know about this.” I sighed looking in the mirror. I was wearing a red mini skirt, and a black tank top.

“You look great.” Summer said.

“Lets just get this over with.” I said throwing my hair up in a messy bun.

“Good.” She dragged me down the stairs by my elbow.

“We’re ready.” She said to Payton, Taylor, and Jay who were waiting for us downstairs. We walked to Jay’s car and got in.

We pulled up to Travis’ house in five minutes. The music was so loud, we could hear outside. People were already drunk and stumbling in the driveway. Payton, Jay, Summer, and Taylor were already heading towards the house. I followed behind them slowly.

“Hey! You guys are here!” A very drunk Travis answered the door. We just smiled and walked in.

“Whoa! Jay your sister is HOT!” Travis slurred as I walked by.

“Travis, I think you’ve had enough to drink.” Jay said taking the cup out of his hand.

“I think that you are absolutely correctly right.” He slurred again. We walked to the front room where people were dancing. Summer and I started dancing for a while. Summer got a text and stopped dancing.

“Hey have you seen Payton?! Jay said they were dancing one second and the next he lost her in the crowd!” Summer yelled over the music.

“No!” I yelled shaking my head.

“Lets help find her! This is Payton’s first party and you know how she can be!”

“Yea sure!” I nodded my head. We started looking around the dance floor but couldn’t find her. She wasn’t in the kitchen or any of the down stairs bathrooms.

“Let’s check upstairs!” I yelled. We walked up the stairs checking the rooms to make sure she wasn’t in one. I opened a bedroom door and got pushed inside. The door closed behind me. But I didn’t even notice. Phoenix was standing in front of me. I turned around to open the door but it was locked.

“Summer! Open the door!” I yelled banging on it. I realized no one was going to open it.

“Hazel please listen.” Phoenix said.

“How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t want to listen?!” I yelled frustrated.

“They won’t open the door until I tell them to.” He sighed.

“Then tell them to open the door NOW!”

“I can’t.”

“Why the hell not?!”

“You have to listen to me.”

“I’m not getting out of here until I listen?” I asked.

“Nope.” He shook his head.

“Fine. But make it quick.”

“I love you Hazel. You used to be my best friend. But then something happened and we started insulting each other. You hated me but I never really hated you. I still liked you and wanted to be around you. That’s why I started hanging out with Jay more, so I could be by you. Jay became my best friend and guys don’t date their best friend’s little sister. I pretended to hate you even more. But it wasn’t because you hated me. It was for Jay. I had already lost one best friend and I didn’t want to lose another.

“I got so caught up in pretending to hate you, that I actually started to believe it. Then that day in the kitchen, all those feelings came rushing back. I wanted to kiss you then but you still hated me. When I went back up to Jay’s room he told me about his idea of me fake dating you. He had seen the little scene in the kitchen and that’s where he came up with the idea. I wasn’t going to do it at first. I knew it was a stupid idea and that it would end badly. But then he reminded me of what high school boys were like. Especially Brent. I knew then that I had to do it. I knew you were probably going to get hurt one way or another and I knew Brent could hurt you worse.

“That first time I kissed you I knew I loved you. Before I could stop myself though, I said something completely stupid. You thought I was only playing with your heart. But I wasn’t. I have always loved you and this plan was the only way I knew of to date you without your brother getting mad at me. When I asked you on your opinion at the beach, I knew what I had to do. Monday morning, I had gone to your house to break the deal. I was telling Jay that I really did love you and I couldn’t go through with the deal. Of course he got mad and started yelling. We were arguing about it when you came down. I know I’m a complete idiot for going along with the plan but I swear I really do love you.”

When he finished he just stared at me. There was a debate going on in my head about whether I should believe him or not. Part of me was saying ‘TAKE HIM BACK! HE’S TELLING THE TRUTH!’ While the other part was saying ‘Are you really going to believe that shit? He is so lying and you would be just as much of an idiot as he is if you believe him.’ Right now neither side was winning.

“Can you open the door now?” I whispered.

“Sure.” He said sadly. He texted someone and a minute later the door opened up.

“So? Did it work?” Payton asked as I walked out of the room. All four of my friends were standing there with hopeful expressions. I walked past them and back down to the party. I walked to the kitchen and got a beer. I chugged it down as fast as I could.

“Whoa. Take it easy.” I heard someone say behind me. I turned and saw Brent.

“Hi.” I mumbled.

“What’s wrong Hazel?” He asked concerned.

“Nothing.” I said as I got another cup filled with beer. I chugged that one down too. Brent grabbed my hand as I reach for a third cup.

“Seriously, no one drinks that fast unless something is bothering them.” He said. I glared at him and yanked my hand away.

“It’s none of your business.” I said before downing that beer too. I was starting to get a little dizzy, but I didn’t care.

“Hazel, you need to stop.” He ordered grabbing the fourth beer out of my hand.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why?”

“Because if I stop I’ll start thinking about Phoenix and right now I really don’t want to.”

“What did Phoenix do?”

“Nothing. Everything. I don’t know. He lied to me! And now he says he really did love me and I don’t know if I should believe him or not!” I confessed.

“You’re right. You do need to drink.” He handed me the cup and I drank it, slowly this time, as I told him about everything that’s been happening.

“Hazel! What are you doing?!” Jay asked walking up to us.

“I’m talking and drinking!” I slurred slightly.

“What the hell Brent?! You trying to get my sister drunk?!” Jay pushed Brent.

“She’s the one that started drinking!” Brent yelled pushing Jay back.

“You should have stopped her! She’s only fifteen!”

“And she’s old enough to make her own decisions! Maybe if you stopped trying to make her decisions, she wouldn’t drink!”

“Come on Hazel! We’re leaving!” Jay grabbed my arm and started pulling me away.

“I don’t want to leave!” I complained.

“Too bad! You’re drunk!”

“I am not!”

“You’re slurring your words!” Another hand grabbed my other wrist.

“Let go of her Brent.” Jay growled.

“She doesn’t want to leave. Like I said, let her make her own decisions.” Brent growled back.

“Like I’m really going to listen to you.”

“Jay leave me alone! Go fuck your girlfriend or something!” I slurred trying to pull my arm away from Jay.

“No!” He said firmly.

“Stop being an overprotective asshole!”

“I’m not being an overprotective asshole.”

“Yes you are! This is why my heart is broken! You try to protect me but I just keep getting hurt! Everything is your fault!” His grip on my arm loosened and I pulled away from him, stumbling back towards Brent.

“You don’t mean that.” Jay said.

“Yes I do! You made Phoenix lie to me and break my heart!”

“I said I was sorry.”

“That doesn’t make it better!”

“Come on Hazel.” Brent said. Pulling me away from Jay. We went to the front room and started dancing.

“Let’s get something to drink!” Brent yelled over the music. I lost track of how many songs we danced to. We went to the kitchen and Brent got me another beer. I chugged it down. Everything after that became blurry and distant. I felt lightheaded. I could see lights and hear voices but nothing was registering in my mind.

I heard someone say something to me but I couldn’t reply back. I felt someone pulling on my arm. I let them pull me somewhere but I couldn’t make out where I was. The person was pulling me towards something else. I was pushed down on something soft. A guy’s face appeared above me. He kissed me. It wasn’t right though. It didn’t feel right. His hands starting going up my shirt.

“No.” I mumbled pushing his hands away.

“Shhh.” He said breaking the kiss. There was a bright light. I heard some noises, like things were breaking. I felt myself being lifted.

“Hazel? Hazel?” The voice was distant. I put my arms around the voice’s neck just before passing out.

Phoenix’s pov

“She absolutely hates me.” Jay said as he walked over to me.

“What are you talking about? Did you find her?” I asked.

“She was with Brent. She was drinking and I tried to get her away. She said everything was my fault. She hates me.” He sighed.

“She was drinking with Brent?!” I yelled. Jay looked up at me confused. His eyes got wide as he realized what he just said.

“SHIT!” He yelled.

“Where were they at?!”

“They’re either in the kitchen or front room, dancing.”

“I’ll check the kitchen. You check the front room. Meet up at the stairs.” I ran off to the kitchen. They weren’t there. I ran to the front room and saw Brent pulling Hazel up the stairs.

“Did you find her?!” Jay yelled worriedly.

“Yea! Come on!” I yelled running up the stairs. They were already in a room. I just have to find which one. Jay and I split up checking the doors. I heard a loud crash coming from a room. I ran over and saw the door opened. Jay was beating the shit out of Brent and Hazel was on the bed staring into space.

“Fuck. Jay he drugged her!” I yelled. Jay started punching Brent harder. I ran over to Hazel and picked her up bridal style.

“Hazel? Hazel?” I kept repeating her name. She looked up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Then she just passed out.

“Jay she passed out!” I yelled.

“You fucking piece of shit! If you hurt her I swear-” He growled kicking Brent.

“Jay! We don’t have time for this! We need to take her to the hospital!” I yelled.

“Phoenix?! Phoenix what happened?!” I heard Summer yell as she ran up to me.

“Brent drugged her! We have to get her to a hospital!” I yelled again.

“I’m coming with you!” She yelled.

“JAY!!” I yelled. He stopped and looked over at us.

“Call the police! I’m taking her to the hospital!” I yelled again. Taylor ran over at that time.

“Taylor, make sure Jay doesn’t kill Brent!” Summer yelled. I ran down the stairs and to the car. Summer drove as fast as she could to the hospital. We ran inside and she was taken in right away.

*
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“This is all my fault.” Jay sighed pacing back and forth.

“No it isn’t.” Payton said.

“Yes it is! I left her alone with Brent! I should have dragged her away or something!” He sat down and put his head in his hands. I could hear him silently crying. Payton went over and hugged him.

“Are you guys with Hazel Smith?” A nurse asked.

“Yes! Is she ok?!” I yelled jumping up from my seat.

“We had to pump her stomach. She had ingested a lot of alcohol and drugs. But other than that she’s ok.”

“Can we see her?” I asked.

“She just woke up, but only one person at a time.” She walked away.

“Phoenix you should see her first.” Payton said.

“I don’t think I’m the first person she wants to see when she wakes up from almost being raped.” I said.

“Just go. It’ll be ok.” Jay said. I nodded my head and walked to her room. Her door was open so I knocked on the wall. She looked up and saw me.

“Phoenix? What are you doing here? What happened?” She asked. I walked in her room and closed the door.

“Phoenix what’s wrong? Why am I in the hospital?” Her voice was wavering.

“Brent tried to rape you.” I said swallowing the lump in my throat.

“What?” Tears were brimming her eyes. I walked over to her bed and held her hand.

“He slipped a date rape drug in your drink and tried to rape you.” I repeated.

“B-but he didn’t. Right? H-he didn’t touch me?” She asked.

“No, he didn’t touch you.” I shook my head. She let out a relieved sigh. It was silent for a while.

“So where’s everyone else?” She asked, breaking the silence.

“In the waiting room. The doctors said only one person at a time. I can go get Brent if you want me to. Or Summer. Or whoever.” I said looking in her eyes.

“No. I want you to stay.” She whispered. I nodded my head. It was silent again.

“So what happened to Brent?” She asked.

“After Jay beat the shit out of him, the cops were called and he’s in jail.”

“So how’d you find out? That he was going to rape me, I mean.”

“Brent has a reputation of getting what he wants no matter what. When I found out you were drinking with him me and Jay went to look for you. I saw him pulling you upstairs and searched the rooms until we found you.”

“Thanks Phoenix.” She said.

“You don’t need to thank me. I love you Hazel and I would do it again if I had to. But hopefully I won’t.” I smiled at her. She smiled a little.

“I love you too Phoenix.” She said.

“What?” I asked surprised. I thought she would have told me to leave or something. I didn’t expect her to say it back.

Hazel’s pov

I was so glad to see Phoenix. I would have been glad to see anyone! The nurses wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. When Phoenix told me about almost getting raped I was scared. But he told me that him and Jay stopped Brent before he did anything.

“You don’t need to thank me. I love you Hazel and I would do it again if I had to. But hopefully I won’t.” He smiled at me after I thanked him. I smiled back a little.

“I love you too Phoenix.” I said.

“What?” We were both surprised at what I said. But after a moment I realized it was true. I do love him and I always had.

“I love you too. I always have loved you. The only reason I hated you was because I thought you hated me for throwing food at your girlfriend in sixth grade. But you started hanging out with Jay and sisters don’t date their brother’s best friend. But when we started going out Jay was fine with it and here to find out he thought it was fake. But I thought it was real. I need to know Phoenix if it was real or fake. Please do not lie to me.” I begged.

“It started out fake. I thought the feelings I had in the kitchen that day were just old feelings that would soon go away. But after I kissed you on the way to school, I knew I really loved you. As soon as we started dating, it was real. And I’m not lying.” He said looking in my eyes. I leaned over and kissed him. The butterflies erupted in my stomach again.

“I believe you.” I whispered pulling away.