Caught in the Middle

I woke with a dryness in my mouth and a pounding in my head, feeling overly warm with someone's arms wrapped around me. I shifted to find Garrett in bed next to me, his face peaceful as he slept with his arms circling my body.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep with this headache, so I tried to roll over without stirring Garrett, but failed. The moment I turned, his breathing changed and a low whine came from the back of his throat as he began to wake up.

"What time is it?" he mumbled, not opening his eyes or moving his arms from me. I reached out to the table next to his bed, finding my purse and phone on it.

"Nearly 9:30," I answered, looking at my phone. Garrett groaned and pulled me in closer.

"Go back to sleep," he moaned.

"I can't sleep, I have a headache," I whined. Garrett sighed and removed his arms from around me, getting out of bed and disappearing downstairs, returning with two painkillers and a glass of water. I thanked him as I took them, laying back on the pillow as I waited for them to take effect. Garrett laid back down next to me, however he kept himself more distanced now we were both fully awake.

"So, why am I in your bed?" I asked after a moment of silence. Garrett chuckled, looking over at me, his blue eyes unmasked by his glasses.

"How much of last night do you remember?" he asked me, not answering my question.

"I remember up until the tequila shot that you bought me. After that it's pretty hazy until it completely blacks out," I said honestly.

Garrett laughed again. "Well, we were at the bar for about another hour. You had another couple of tequila shots, moaned about your love/hate relationship with John, then pounded back half a dozen beers. We left the bar and you threw up in the gutter outside, so I brought you here so I could keep an eye on you overnight, you also didn't bring your house keys because we thought we'd be back before your parents went to bed. I took the liberty of texting your dad saying that you were sick and going to spend the night here."

I frowned. "You have my dad's cell number? When did that happen?"

"Out of that whole story, that was the only part you took in? He gave it to me last night before you came downstairs, just in case something happened and he couldn't get a hold of you."

It was then that I realised just how much my dad liked Garrett, because I didn't think that John or Kennedy even knew that my father even had a cell phone. But like Garrett said, it was probably just because he brought me home before my curfew, unlike all my other friends.

I was able to fall back asleep for half an hour, only to be woken by my father calling me saying that I had a guest arrive at the house. He didn't sound too pleased with whoever it was so I was guessing that it was John and Rachel. Garrett drove me to my house and I froze when I saw the familiar black Prius in the driveway behind my car.

"Garrett, I can't go in there," I said with a shaky voice. He looked over at me, puzzled.

"Why? Who's in there?" he asked. I could feel tears coming to my eyes as I remembered the last time I saw him, in my bed with one of this work colleagues, their clothes tossed carelessly to the floor.

I got out of the car and started walking up the pathway to my front door. The combination of seeing Dylan again and my hangover from the night before made me feel like I was going to be sick.

"Are you okay? You've gone pale, are you feeling sick from last night?" Garrett asked as he walked me up to the door.

"I'm not ready to face him again," I said in a small voice, tears leaking out of my eyes.

"You'll be okay, I'm here and if whoever he is does anything wrong, I'll be here for you, okay?" Garrett consoled me, wiping my tears away.

I smiled weakly at him. "You're probably the best friend I have here, you know that? Kennedy has good advice, but he's not great with feelings, and I don't even know where I stand with John right now. Thanks Garrett."

I opened the door and found my father waiting by it, looking slightly annoyed.

"He got here about an hour ago and he's been nothing but rude to me. I don't see how you could have ever dated him, he was definitely batting above his average. Thank god your mother isn't home to witness this," he muttered.

Garrett squeezed my hand before releasing it. "I'm here if you need me." I nodded and walked into the living room, my heart dropping into the pit of my stomach the moment I laid eyes on him.

Dylan looked just like he used to, dark hair in a stylishly messy array, muscular arms, and a slight tan. He was probably banging his new slut on the beach.

"Jessy, you look good," he said, his eyes going up and down my body with a slight smile. I crossed my arms and glared at him.

"Why are you here?" I asked him coldly, not bothering to say hello.

"I made a mistake Jessy, I'm sorry," he said, softly. My bottom lip began to tremble. Did he actually think that he could get away with what he did and I'd come back to him regardless?

"Dylan that doesn't change anything. How could you? Thanks to you I'm no longer an independent adult. I live with my parents, have a shitty job that barely pays and soon I'm going to be left all alone while all my friends from high school are off around the world. You ruined my life, Dylan."

"I know, and I'm sorry Jessy. I screwed up majorly and I've regretted it every single day since you left me. Please come back, I miss you." Dylan looked like someone kicked his puppy and I nearly gave in, those blue eyes so tempting... Blue eyes that looked just like Garrett's, who was waiting in the kitchen for me.

I shook my head firmly, feeling a few tears falling out. "No. We were together for five years and you cheated on me now? I don't even wanna know what you did during the five years before that. Why would you do it? Was I not good enough for you?" I said, my voice getting louder and breaking between each sentence. I could hear footsteps coming towards the living room.

Dylan sighed. "C'mon, Jessy. I tried. I drove all the way down here from Chicago. At least give me some kind of chance."

"But that's the thing Dylan, you don't deserve a chance. I gave you plenty of chances before but you hurt me so badly. I'm sorry that you drove all this way for nothing."

"Jessy, do you wanna know why I cheated on you? Because you were a frigid bitch and it looks like nothing has changed. I don't know why I even bothered trying to get you back, you weren't even a good fuck." Dylan's expression soured and he moved to walk past me, but was stopped by Garrett.

"Don't you ever, EVER, say anything like that about Jessy ever again. Jessy is a better human being than you could ever hope to be. The next time you say anything about Jessy, you'll have me and four other guys to deal with, got it?" Garrett warned Dylan in a low voice, taking hold of the collar of his shirt. Dylan swallowed roughly, then gained his tough face once again.

"Whatever. Call me when you're done being stuck up and want to spread your legs," Dylan sneered before slamming the front door shut. I let the tears come out as I fell down to the carpet and sobbed into my hands.

"Jessy, it's okay, he's gone now and he's an absolute asshole. You don't owe him anything," Garrett consoled me, rubbing my back as I continued to cry. He wrapped his arms around me and held me until I stopped crying and was able to talk.

"I'm done with asshole guys. I need to get drunk again. Let's go around to Kenny's."

I changed from last night's clothes into something more comfortable and headed back out to Garrett's car and we headed off towards Kennedy's place.

Once we reached Kennedy's, he was waiting for us with two open bottles of beer. I grabbed the first one and immediately began to down it, while Garrett took the second one and took a sip.

"I called all the other guys and they're gonna be here in half an hour," Kennedy explained and I grimaced, taking another long drink at the thought of seeing John again after our fight last night. By the time they showed up, I was on my fourth beer and was venting my frustrations to Kennedy and Garrett, both looking glad that someone else was there.

"I am so over boys, I think I'm gonna be a lesbian," I slurred out.

John furrowed his brow. "But you have a boyfriend."

I realised my slip up and quickly covered up. "Yeah, but Garrett doesn't count as a guy, he's way too feminine so I'm basically already dating a girl," I teased.

"Hey, at least I'm a girl and not an asshole," Garrett countered.

"That's true. I'm gonna go to the bathroom, save me a couple of beers when I get back," I slid off my seat and made my way to the bathroom, quickly using it before heading back downstairs. I stopped just before the doorway as I heard Garrett talking to the guys.

"... He just showed up out of the blue, was an asshole to her, then left. If I'd have known what he had done to her before, I wouldn't have let her see him. People like that deserve every piece of bad karma they get."

Garrett's comment made me sober up enough to realise that he was there for me, no matter what I had been through or was going through at the time. The last time I had someone like that for me was in high school, when John would act like my older brother, even though I was older than him by a few months.

I noisily made my entrance into the room so that they wouldn't suspect that I had been listening to their conversation and grabbed another beer, continuing where I had left off.

Several hours later, I was drunk and ready to go to sleep. Garrett and I said our goodbyes and he helped me get into the car, which I fell asleep in on the way back to my house.

"Jessy, wake up. You're home now." My movements were slow and sluggish and I felt as if all the energy had drained out of me. Garrett got out of the car, opened my door and took off my seatbelt. I leaned drunkenly and drowsily into his side as he helped walk me to the door.

"Can you make it inside by yourself?" he asked me. I shook my head slowly, feeling myself falling asleep as Garrett's body heat began to feel like I was already in bed.

He sighed and turned the door handle, thankful that it was unlocked, and led me inside, walking me slowly up the stairs and keeping me upright as I stumbled over the difficult platforms.

Once in my room, Garrett seemed a little awkward as he didn't know what to do. All I knew is that I wanted these jeans off and to be in my comfy pyjamas in bed. I began to unbutton my jeans, but was having quite a bit of difficulty as my fingers kept falling asleep and not co-operating.

"Garrett, help me," I whined. Garrett's face was pink as he realised what I wanted him to help me with and he moved my hands away and undid my jeans. I flopped back onto my bed, not having the energy to pull them off.

"Are you just going to go to sleep like that?" Garrett asked me with a smile. I shook my head, feeling like a small child.

"I wanna put my pyjama pants on but I can't get my jeans off," I pouted. Garrett chuckled and I heard him move across the room and throw a light piece of fabric on me.

"Here, I'll pull your jeans off if you put your pyjama shorts on, okay?" I nodded slowly as Garrett took the ends of my jeans and began to pull them down my legs. I started to slide down the bed with them, so I gripped the side of my bed as hard as I could as Garrett successfully managed to peel my jeans off. I was giggling by the end of it and Garrett had joined me.

"So, think you can manage getting your pants on now?" I nodded and put my feet in the top of the pants, wriggling them up my legs and making sure they were secure on my hips before I patted the spot next to me on the bed, inviting Garrett to lie down with me.

He accepted my offer and laid down, his slow breathing lulling me to sleep.

"Thank you for today Garrett, I really appreciate it," I mumbled out as I felt my body grow heavy.

"Anytime, Jessy," Garrett replied, kissing the top of my head and pushing my hair away from my face as I succumbed to the slumber my mind was telling me to accept.