Wide Awake

Jake laid in bed, his arms tucked under his head.

He glanced at the clock for what had to be the hundredth time.

1:17 a.m.

He should have been asleep hours ago.
After all, he was getting married tomorrow.

Albeit he was marrying the wrong girl but...

Well its not like she was the wrong girl. He was sure Nicole was right for someone, just not him. So why did he ask her to marry him? He really didn't have an answer for that. It just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Besides...the right girl, well...she was out there. She just didn't want him anymore.

He had fucked that up long ago, but right now laying in the dark alone in the big bed they had once shared, Anna was all he could think about.

But he and Anna didn't just have a past.
They had history.
A history that could never be unwritten.

Jake let out a loud huff, finally sitting up, letting his legs hang over the edge of the bed as he switched the bedside lamp on. He grabbed his phone off the stand, lighting the screen up his son's smiling face staring back at him, his short blonde hair was sculpted into a perfect faux hawk. He felt his thin lips curl into a small smile before he quickly slid his finger across the screen.

He hit the green square, his favorite contacts popped up.

Anna was first.
After her was Nicole Beck.

Nicole had always hated that, and they had had many arguments over the issue but Anna was the mother of his child.

Jake's shaking finger hovered over Anna's name for what seemed like an eternity.

"Fuck," Jake huffed, running his free hand through his curly hair. He finally pressed his finger to the screen, 'Calling Anna' flashed quickly as he took a deep breath, pressing the phone to his ear.

He honestly hadn't even expected her to pick up.

But much to his surprise it only rang twice before she picked up, "Jake?" her voice asked, but his mind began to reel, she sounded much like she was in the same position he had been. Like she had yet to sleep a wink, "Jake? Is everything okay?" her voice asked again, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Yeah Anna," he spoke, letting out a slow breath, "everything's fine-" he heard a brief pause.

"You're lying. You wouldn't be calling me if you were okay..." he closed his eyes, she had always known him better than he had known him self, "Jake why are you awake? You're getting married tomorrow..." he let out an exasperated sigh.

"Well you sound like you haven't fuckin' slept either-" he mentally kicked himself, that was his brilliant comeback? Idiot.

"I'm also not getting married tomorrow, it doesn't matter if I sleep..."

He hesitated for a moment.

"Can you meet me somewhere?" he blurted it was almost like word vomit. He honestly wasn't even really sure where it came from.

"Jake I don't think we should-"

"Please?" he pleaded before lifting his exhausted body from the bed. He walked to his closet where he began to frantically pull clothing off their hangers.

"I um...I guess. Let me have my mom watch Noah..." she was hesitant, it was obvious in her every word. Probably because the last time someone left them alone together they ended up with a child, "where do you want to meet?" she asked, he only thought for a second, finding somewhere that was going to be open at this hour would be hard. Even in Southern California. In all likelihood, a bar would be their best options.

"Sidelines?" he asked as he positioned the phone between his shoulder and head, pulling on a pair of jeans. Anna let out an audible sigh, "Please Anna..." he grumbled again, laying his head against the door frame of the walk in closet.

"I can be there in a half an hour..."

"Thank you..." he breathed quickly. She didn't bother to say good bye, instead she just hung up. He quickly shoved his phone into his jean pocket, grabbing a black Monster shirt off its hanger, pulling it over his head before he grabbed the first snapback hat he spotted, it was white with a big green 'M' on it.

He practically ran down the stairs, grabbing his keys off the counter as he passed by before he flew out the front door, not even bothering to lock it.

He jumped into his white Tundra, placing the key in the ignition he turned it letting the engine roar to life from beneath the hood.

His mind raced almost as fast as his heart, and before he knew it he was sitting in front of the bar. But to his surprise Anna's black Lexus was already in the parking lot. He got out of his truck, pacing over, glancing in but the car was empty.

He shoved his shaking hands deep into his pockets before he pushed through the doors.

He stopped, looking around.
For the hour they still had quite a crowd.

"Can I help you?" a girl in a striped shirt asked as she held a menu close to her chest.

"I'm looking for a girl, shes brunette. Her hair is probably curly, no doubt carrying an expensive ass purse..." she let out a low laugh.

"Pretty?" she asked with one eyebrow raised, a smile daring to find its way over her perfectly glossed lips.

"Gorgeous," he mumbled softly before rubbing at the back of his neck.

"To the right, the booth in the very back corner." she stated simply, Jake just nodded muttering a 'thank you' before he began to walk through the tables.

Jake walked, his black Vans hitting at the floor. He was mentally psyching himself up because in all honesty, he didn't know what in the hell was going to happen. He stopped, finally getting a glance of her. She was in dark skinny jeans, a white tank with black sugar skulls printed all over it and a loose black sweater. She had a black beanie on, her wavy hair flowing out and down her back and sitting at her side was a bright orange leather purse with a gold lock hanging from the bag that had an 'MK' imprinted in it. She was watching at the t.v. just beyond the table SportsCenter was playing and they were doing a segment on the Yankees, her team.

The corner of his mouth curled into a smile.

He walked over, sliding into the booth.

She didn't say a word, Jake took off his hat sitting it on the table.

She had a glass with a sugared rim sitting in front of her. It was yellow, probably a Lemmon Drop. One of Anna's favorites. A pale colored lip print was on the edge of the glass.

Jake placed his elbows on the table, leaning forward, "What are you drinking about?" he asked quietly, her cloudy blue eyes glanced up, connecting with his.

"Some old love..." Jake twiddled with his thumbs as she took another drink of her cocktail.

"I hope you mean me..." she just looked up at him as she wiped at a tear, "do you remember the day Noah was born?" Jake asked quickly, Anna finally managed a smile.

"Most of it..." she mumbled honestly.

"That was the scariest day of my life..." he spoke, they both knew what he was talking about.

While in labor with Noah, Anna hemorrhaged, she was rushed to surgery after they couldn't stop the bleeding. She almost died.

"I wouldn't trade him for the world..." she spoke quickly, before glancing at the script on her wrist which read 'Noah Jacob', Jake just shook his head.

"I wouldn't either." a silence fell over the two, "I still love you...I always have. Hell, I never stopped..." Anna looked up, her eyes wide.

"Then don't marry her." Anna spoke, a tear ran its way down her porcelain cheek, "It would be such a mistake..."

Jake sat in total shock.
He had come here, not knowing what he wanted to say or how to say it.
Fully expecting her to stop any and all advances he may or not make.

After she gave birth to Noah, they decided they would just be friends. They refused to let a romance of convenience develop because of Noah. That wouldn't be fair to any of them, but especially Noah. But what he had never told Anna was he had always had feelings for her. Long before Noah was ever a possibility and just as Anna and Jake had started to get closer, Nicole came back into the picture after an affair with another rider.

"Anna," Jake grumbled, reaching across the table as he took her hand into his, "I don't think you understand. I am in love with you." Anna bit at her lip.

"You're engaged." Anna spoke, pulling her hand free from his.

"I don't have to be-" Jake insisted. But Anna took the last sip of her drink before she grabbed her purse, letting it rest in the crook of her arm.

"Um-" Anna said, looking up, fighting the tears, "you go to the ceremony tomorrow and if you still feel this way then? Come see me. But I won't destroy someone's fairy tale...not like Nicole did mine." Anna leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Jake's cheek. "Good bye..."

Jake watched as she walked out of the restaurant before taking his head into his hands.
And he began to cry.

Jake didn't bother to drink.
He knew that would only intensify the situation and he didn't need any help making things worse. He had done a fine job on his own.

He went home, kicking his shoes off at the door.
Climbing the stairs he walked into the bedroom.

Climbing back into the bed he knew it was useless to even attempt to go back to bed.
He was wide awake.

The clock on the night stand was taunting him.
4:04 a.m.

He thought for a moment, but he knew Nicole was probably up.

He hopped out of bed once more.
And he hopped back into his truck, taking off for Katy's place. Where he knew Nicole had spent the night with her bridesmaids.

He showed up at the house, and as he suspected all kinds of lights were on.

He got out, walking up to the door. Pushing the button he heard the doorbell chime throughout the house, he also heard all kinds of frantic voices but the door was quick to open. Revealing Katy, Nicole's maid of honor.

"Jake?" she piqued, but a smile fell over her make-up free face, "Oh my God! You just can't wait to see her can you?"

"I need to see her actually," Jake mumbled. Katy's face fell.

She closed the door in his face. Not bothering to invite him. Katy was a fairly bright girl, so she probably had a good idea of what was going to happen. It wasn't long before the door pulled open, revealing Nicole.

"What are you doing here?" Nicole snapped, stepping out onto the porch, she was barefoot and wearing flannel pj bottoms and a wife beater, "You know it's bad luck!" she snapped.

"Look Nic," Jake began, "I can't marry you today." he was quick. But something he had never seen before, happened. Nicole was left speechless, "I love someone else-"

"Its that whore...isn't it?" she spat as her eyes clouded over. Jake let out a huff.

"Yeah..." he wasn't going to argue, "look, keep the ring, hock it, sell it, throw it into the Pacific Ocean if you want. But I can't marry you..." but before he could speak another word Nicole reached up, striking him against his face, hard, "I'll have my mom start calling people and let them know it's off." Jake spoke, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

Nicole stood watching as Jake got into his truck and backed out of the driveway.

His face stung, but he put that aside ignoring it as best he could as he sped through Murietta. It wasn't long before he found himself sitting in Anna's driveway.

He got out of the truck quickly almost running to the door.
He started to pound quickly.

His heart sank as the door pulled open.
There she stood.

She stepped out onto the cool concrete.

"I'm so sorry..." Jake mumbled, but Anna let out a soft sob before wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled her in even closer, wrapping his strong arms tight around her waist.

"Me too..." she cried before her gaze finally met his, he pressed his lips softly to hers, she let out a sigh before pulling away stroking at Jake's hair, "I love you...so much..."

"Me too baby...me too..."