Bittersweet

It burned. Every cell burned in her body, an ache that she cannot distinguish from a simple fight. No, it wasn’t a simple fight. It was war; fury, disbelief, and sadness all balled up into one human being. Those hazel eyes that went through so many emotions at once and never did she think to console him.

Remembering his face only made her pedal faster letting the wind brush against her face carrying the tears that were spilling down her rosy cheeks. Georgie told herself that everything was going to be fine; that Adam would understand, but he didn’t. The look of betrayal hit hard.

“What is it, G?” Concern laced in his voice something she did not deserve at the moment. The guilt that has been slowly eating away at her is finally coming to its peak, it has devoured everything in sight and now there is this numbing feeling that she cannot get rid of. The urgency in Jesse’s voice forced her to utter what she has been hiding.

“I slept with Jesse.” She licked her dry lips, her mind completely blank. Not once did she notice that her voice cracked or that she is shaking like a leaf. “This is when you were trying to come back into my life; I had cases piled so high that I was suffocating within my job. I couldn’t breathe—had vivid nightmares that I couldn’t get r-rid of. I just…everything was taking my life source away and Jesse came to convince me to take you back. That you or none of you are like h-him and for some sick reason I kissed him. I reverted back to when I was a teenager blocking out everything to remember nothing.”

Fat tears streamed down her face, breaking into multiple trails down her cheeks. Forming under her chin before dropping onto her hand; the overflow and immense pain that she felt could not be measured. Fear shook her as she looked at Adam.

All those emotions that she knew would come across him did and watching him physically removes himself from her hurt beyond words. Adam sat so close to her, glue to the hip when she came back from the call and now he is out of reach. A wall formed as his hazel eyes burned.

His jaw tightened, his lips pursed tightly as he placed his fist against it. Clenching and unclenching, he spoke, “Did you like it? What I mean is do you love him?”

Subtle undertones of did she regret what she did or was this a build up to an unconceivable love story that could make any adult hurl. The consoling of one friend that is trying to get another friend into the good graces of her, but only to discover that they had feelings for each other and said friend is left out in the cold wondering what had happened, but after time got over it.

No, that’s not how it worked. It made him sick to his stomach that his oldest friend, Georgie and one of his most trusted, Jesse had sex. Perceivably fucked each other’s brains out in order to ‘console’ her; he stifled a laugh at her explanation.

Not leaving any room for her to answer his previous questions, he continued, “So I’m guessing his comforting hand worked since you took me back. Is this when you tell me that you two are together?”

Georgie noticed the flare in his nostrils, the vein that is throbbing in his temple and his impatient pacing back and forth. Shaking her head, he gave her enough to reply, “No, we’re not together. He told me…” Her heart thundered in her chest as the faintest whisper came forth, “that you love.”

Adam furrowed his brows, biting back, “Of course I love you. What kind of question is that?”

Stiffly she rephrased her meaning, that he is in love with her, her heart broke at his laughter. “I’m not saying that I’m not it’s just—he knew and he still did what he did and now you are giving me this pitiful look because now you know and think I need sympathy. I don’t fucking need it, Georgia. I could care less what you think right now. You can say that you love me too, it doesn’t cover the fact that you two slept together!”

There are no hidden agendas in this bitter conversation that held truth and hurt. His current girlfriend never came into the picture, Adam did not want to think about her because all he can think about is Georgie being with Jesse. His best friend that knew his feelings for the woman beside him and was too afraid to say anything because of their close knit friendship.

Georgie flinched as she heard her full name, one that she despised and Adam swore never to use. One that he never uttered in the last ten years of their friendship.

“You know what sucks?” His eyes hit hers that rage disappeared as it was filled with hurt instead. “Is that you knew you loved me and you still decided to go through with it? You’re just as much fault as Jesse and I can’t stand to look at you right now.”

Kicking off from where he was sitting, Georgie sniffed as the door gave a harsh slam. Grimacing, a sob escaped her, covering her face with her hands as the eerie silence fed her loneliness.

Her legs pushed faster ignoring the vibrant ringtone that flooded in her ears as she whizzed down the winding trail. It has been days since she has last seen Adam, concerned on what was going to happen with him and Jesse. Another call came in; she slowly came to a halt, taking off to the side as she watched another rider casually letting the downhill trail take him.

“Hello?”

“Georgie! Thank God, I reached you. Listen, I need you to do a favor for me.” Jesse’s voice almost made her end the call; not once did he tell her how it went with Adam if he even spoke to him. Georgie is done with favors, she had enough. More friendships have been broken because of these favors that will remain hidden until it comes into the light.

Huffing, she retorted, “No more favors. I’m done, Jesse.”

“Don’t hang up! Whatever you do, don’t!” She froze at his frantic tone when her thumb hovered over the end call. Pressing the cell against her ear, she listened to what he had to say. “Can you bail us out?”

Apparently, Adam took those few days to recollect himself to not cause a scene after his conversation with Georgie, but it didn’t go as planned. Adam saw Jesse and saw red, without thinking he tackled him and went into a full brawl which Jesse also joined after becoming frustrated. Now they were locked up until someone posts bail.

Adam called his girlfriend, Behati to release him and right before she did, she demanded what happened. Much to her dismay, his hot temper is still in place when she questioned him and told her the full truth, feeling used, she left him there thinking he needs more time to think things through once she broke up with him on the spot.

Now the rest of the band could bail them out, but decided not to consider they are acting like a bunch of children. “I don’t work cases like this, Jesse.”

“Can you just…bail us out? Please?”

Considering everything that has happened, she rebuffed, “I’ll come get you when I have time.” Hearing the disgruntle voice of Jesse, she hung up. As much fault it is what transpired between the two of them, she still saw the attitude still portraying in his voice and she will not drop what she is doing for just anyone. If he wanted to get out earlier than what she had planned than he can suck a cop’s cock if he wanted to get out so badly.

Georgie then took the time and called the rest of the bandmates, setting up a meeting once she bailed them out. She took her time, had her workout, ate something even though she barely touched it and tried to go over a few things with the band. Spilling her side of the story before everything went awry when Jesse and Adam were together in the same room.

“You want one of us to go with you?” Mickey asked, Georgie declined. This was there problem, the three of them and adding someone into it will not make things better. They were there for reinforcement if anything went bad.

Few hours later, she arrived at the station where they were being held. Paparazzi snapping photos of her demanding what is going on. Pushing them aside, she handled the paperwork before Adam and Jesse slowly emerged from their cells. Both stood within distance of each other, looking them square in the eye, she told them, “You are going to go in my car, no questions.”

The muffle sounds of the paparazzi quickly had them being understanding, not without bitter grumbling under their breath. The media speculated this is going to be the end of Maroon 5 because of some scandal of Adam’s untamed wild ways and Jesse having some drug problem.

Rolling her eyes at the rumors, she drove to her house with Jesse in the front and Adam in the back. Setting into her home, she made sure the door was locked as she followed the two who found the rest of the band sitting on the couch.

“What the hell is this?”

“Reinforcement. The three of us need to work this out, one way or another.” Georgie stepped in, standing beside Adam as he scowled clearly not amused by her plan to trap him. Every member stood close to an exit, casually sitting there daring for Jesse or Adam to go through them. Seeing that this is not just her effort, but the entire group, both decided to sit.

Georgie exhaled, sitting across from them, “Where do we-”

“You fucked up. Big time, I can’t believe you slept with her.” Adam instantly went into attack mode, seething from his lips as he dared his so called friend to defend himself from the truth.

Jesse didn’t take the bait, narrowing his eyes as he countered, “I know I fucked up and being caught up in the moment is no excuse.” He paused when Adam grumbled in discontent. “I felt sorry for her and she wanted a warm body. That’s just a disaster in waiting and I’m sorry for that. I never meant to hurt you.”

“So sorry that you hid this from me? You should have told me the minute you left, but instead you held this secret from me for months! Months! Jess! Not hours, or days, months!”

“It’s not like you ever hid anything from me before, Adam.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Juliana-”

Adam groaned, “Give me a break! This has nothing to do with Juliana!”

“Then stop acting like you’ve done nothing wrong because you have done plenty wrong, Adam. You have been a complete fuck up since Jane-” Within seconds Adam threw a punch colliding with Jesse’s face, Georgie stood up in shock as the rest of the boys held them back.

Both men attempting to claw their way out of their friends’ grasp. “STOP IT!”

Standing in between the flustered men, she stood there angry at the whole debacle. “This has to stop; this is so stupid. Yes, Adam me and Jesse did have sex. It was fucked up since he knew how you felt about me and yes, I am a coward for not telling you how I feel once I realized it. But this friendship being severed because of what we’ve done, it’s not worth it. None of this is worth it. You both need to get over your differences and settle into being friends again.”

Georgie sighed, wishing she didn’t bail them out. Maybe if they stayed in there longer hours or days it might have straightened them out in some possible way. Silence filled the room until Adam murmured, “Are you in love her?”

Jesse glanced at Georgie, distraught by this whole mess and turned his attention back to his best friend, “No. It felt…weird afterwards. I wasn’t really thinking when it happened. We’re both disgusted how it happened. I’m so sorry for doing that to you, bro.”

Then he turned his attention to Georgie, “And Mason?”

“He’s was a cover-up.” She mumbled.

Adam gave a watery smile, “Thought so. It’s going to take some time, but I’ll let it go.”

“What about Behati?” Adam frowned, scratching his tattooed arm.

“That’s over and done with, can’t really fix that.” Not that he wanted to anyways; there was nothing special that held them together. She was just a warm body to comfort him at night and looking at Georgie he didn’t know what to feel. His heart ached just staring at her; he looked away not daring to have any further emotions surge through him.

He needed some time, some distance will do him some good and Georgie had to allow that.