Sequel: Seven Days ›
Just You
Eight
The first thing I noticed as I regained consciousness the next morning was the incessant pounding over my left eye. It felt like someone tried to do an icepick lobotomy that went horribly wrong. This was not okay.
Groaning, I slowly sat up on the bed and placed my head in my hands. I rubbed my hands slowly over my face, trying to take in what happened the night before. It was coming back in flashes. Drinking, dancing… and I kissed Jensen.
I bounced up at the memory of his velvet lips on mine. The movement was too quick for my hangover and I fell over, slapping the wall next to the bed with my hand with a loud bang. I heard rapid footsteps coming toward the room as I cursed myself and rolled over onto my back.
“You okay?” Mikayla asked as she opened the door. “Oh shit.”
“That’s the proper reaction.” I muttered bitterly. I felt like an idiot. Only I would fall over after I sobered.
“Come on, up you go.” She said, bending to grab my hands. She pulled and I groaned as she unsuccessfully tried to stand me up. “Ah, fuck it. Jared! Come here!” I heard his loud stomp of a gait coming toward us, and as he rounded the doorframe, he doubled over in laughter.
“What are you laughing at, jackass?” I growled.
“Only you,” giggle, “would fall over,” giggle, “after you sobered up.” He gasped.
“Shut up and help me.” Mikayla glared playfully at him and sighed, straightening up.
“Come on,” He bent down, grabbed my forearms, and pulled me up. I pushed away and sat slowly on the bed, placing my head in my hands.
“Guys,” I murmured. “What am I going to do?” I hung my head, staring at the carpet under my toes.
“Apologize?” Jared asked. “You were drunk. That’s the reason.” There was a pause. “That is the reason, right?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah, that’s the reason.”
That has to be the reason. I can’t be in love with him. He’s getting married and I’m looking for a rebound. He’s happy and though I’m not, I’m happy for him. He’s found a girl who can take his bullshit, who can take the months on end without him, who loves him for him. And I betrayed that.
“Should I call him?” I asked, looking up at Jared. He looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Wait for him to call you. You know he will.”
“Yeah. He’ll call.”
Around three in the afternoon, my phone started ringing. It was “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin, Jensen’s ringtone. With shaking hands, I answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, can you talk?” He asked.
“Um, yeah.” I bit my lip nervously.
“So, what was last night?”
“Look, I’m sorry; I never meant to put you in that position. You’re my best friend and you’ve done so much for me, and I’m so sorry for doing that to you. I’ve been so lonely, and I was drunk and looking for comfort, and I was looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place. But that’s not an excuse.” He sighed in my ear after my rant was over.
“I understand that you’re lonely. But I’m not the one to help you with that. I love you, but not like that. You’re my best friend Anjilika. You’ve been there when nobody else has, but you’re my friend. Danneel, she’s my fiancée. She’s my future. And I want you to be part of that future, but I won’t put my life in jeopardy for it. I’m not saying I won’t be your friend. I’m just saying I won’t be as active as I am now.” My heart hurt to hear what he was saying, but it made sense. It was the way things were supposed to be.
“I understand. It won’t happen again Jay. I swear to you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Does,” I paused for a second. “Does Danneel know?” There was another pause.
“No. And I don’t think she’s going to.” I nodded, forgetting that he couldn’t see me. “She really likes you Angel. And I want to keep it that way.”
“Fair enough.” I ran a hand through my hair. “And just for the record, I like her too. She’s amazing for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
“Bye hon.” And as I hung up, I smiled for the first time all day. He wasn’t mad at me. Everything would be alright.
Groaning, I slowly sat up on the bed and placed my head in my hands. I rubbed my hands slowly over my face, trying to take in what happened the night before. It was coming back in flashes. Drinking, dancing… and I kissed Jensen.
I bounced up at the memory of his velvet lips on mine. The movement was too quick for my hangover and I fell over, slapping the wall next to the bed with my hand with a loud bang. I heard rapid footsteps coming toward the room as I cursed myself and rolled over onto my back.
“You okay?” Mikayla asked as she opened the door. “Oh shit.”
“That’s the proper reaction.” I muttered bitterly. I felt like an idiot. Only I would fall over after I sobered.
“Come on, up you go.” She said, bending to grab my hands. She pulled and I groaned as she unsuccessfully tried to stand me up. “Ah, fuck it. Jared! Come here!” I heard his loud stomp of a gait coming toward us, and as he rounded the doorframe, he doubled over in laughter.
“What are you laughing at, jackass?” I growled.
“Only you,” giggle, “would fall over,” giggle, “after you sobered up.” He gasped.
“Shut up and help me.” Mikayla glared playfully at him and sighed, straightening up.
“Come on,” He bent down, grabbed my forearms, and pulled me up. I pushed away and sat slowly on the bed, placing my head in my hands.
“Guys,” I murmured. “What am I going to do?” I hung my head, staring at the carpet under my toes.
“Apologize?” Jared asked. “You were drunk. That’s the reason.” There was a pause. “That is the reason, right?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Yeah, that’s the reason.”
That has to be the reason. I can’t be in love with him. He’s getting married and I’m looking for a rebound. He’s happy and though I’m not, I’m happy for him. He’s found a girl who can take his bullshit, who can take the months on end without him, who loves him for him. And I betrayed that.
“Should I call him?” I asked, looking up at Jared. He looked thoughtful for a moment.
“Wait for him to call you. You know he will.”
“Yeah. He’ll call.”
Around three in the afternoon, my phone started ringing. It was “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin, Jensen’s ringtone. With shaking hands, I answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey, can you talk?” He asked.
“Um, yeah.” I bit my lip nervously.
“So, what was last night?”
“Look, I’m sorry; I never meant to put you in that position. You’re my best friend and you’ve done so much for me, and I’m so sorry for doing that to you. I’ve been so lonely, and I was drunk and looking for comfort, and I was looking for the wrong thing in the wrong place. But that’s not an excuse.” He sighed in my ear after my rant was over.
“I understand that you’re lonely. But I’m not the one to help you with that. I love you, but not like that. You’re my best friend Anjilika. You’ve been there when nobody else has, but you’re my friend. Danneel, she’s my fiancée. She’s my future. And I want you to be part of that future, but I won’t put my life in jeopardy for it. I’m not saying I won’t be your friend. I’m just saying I won’t be as active as I am now.” My heart hurt to hear what he was saying, but it made sense. It was the way things were supposed to be.
“I understand. It won’t happen again Jay. I swear to you.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Does,” I paused for a second. “Does Danneel know?” There was another pause.
“No. And I don’t think she’s going to.” I nodded, forgetting that he couldn’t see me. “She really likes you Angel. And I want to keep it that way.”
“Fair enough.” I ran a hand through my hair. “And just for the record, I like her too. She’s amazing for you.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
“Bye hon.” And as I hung up, I smiled for the first time all day. He wasn’t mad at me. Everything would be alright.