Past or Future?

I walked into the bar where Jella was waiting, it was nearly nine pm when I arrived, the crowd was starting to settle in. I scanned the area and spotted her sitting in one of the stools of the bar a blue margarita in hand. I walked towards her and settled down on the other stool and ordered a bottle of beer. She heard my voice and turned around smiling happily.

"What's the occasion?" I asked confused, as far as I know our birthdays are still months away and work was a bit of a disaster.

"US. The occasion is us" Jella swayed as she held her drink in the air.

"Didn't we celebrate when we were at the beach?" I took a sip of my beer.

"That was different, we didn't know we were gonna happen" Jella smiled widely but her eyes were droopy.

"How many of those have you had?" I groaned inwardly, I was not in the mood for a drink.

"Dunno, four? Seven? Who cares?" Jella was motioning the bartender for another round but I shook my head in his direction.

"So, I finally meet you face to face in close proximity" a voice suddenly spoke up making me and Jella jump. It was Joville. All the color drained my face, Joville stood on my left and Jella was on my right, this is not gonna end well.

Jella scanned her from foot up to her face then faced me "I told you there was a competition, seeing that this lady has something to say"

"Do you?" I faced Joville

"Oh yes, I'll give her the piece of my mind. Hey! Drunkard! out of all the men and women in the world, why does it have to be her? She's mine" Joville stepped forward now in front of me a few inches from Jella.

Jella looked unaffected but I can see the irritation in her eyes "She. Is. Mine. We are together. How hard is that to understand?"

Joville faced me "I don't care that she was your ex, that was finished but why are you dating her again? It's like throwing a diamond and choosing a rock" she spat the words so disgustingly, the last line hit the nerve.

I swallowed a lump on my throat "I told you didn't I ? You have no right to choose who I should or should not date. You're just a friend"

Suddenly, Jella tipped her glass and splashed her margarita on Joville soaking her top, a few drops landed on me but the damage has been done. My mouth hanged open looking at Jella "What the heck?? That was not necessary Jella you did it for show"

Joville wiped her face and yanked Jella's hair making her tumble on her chair losing balance. A non existent crowd began to form and people were cheering them on taking sides and yelling colors based on what they were dressed. Jella got up and charged Joville, I extended my arm on the middle of them trying to stop their childish play.

"Joville! Jella! Please! can't this be a mature adult talk? We might end up in jail for Christ's sake"

"She started it first!"

"No, you provoked me!"

"Art is mine!"

"She's not owned by anybody! You're delusional!"

"All right ladies, that's enough!" a bouncer made his way in the middle, Jella attempted to pour another drink, Joville struggled to throw a fist but was blocked by the bouncer's enormous arm "I said that's enough" his booming voice echoed.

I feel so exhausted and embarrassed, I've never hosted a fight in a bar and seriously not a fight about me. I gave money to the bartender, thanked the bouncer and dragged both of them outside. The cold breeze whipping my face but I was too tired to complain specially when I had these two to thank for. I instructed them to get in the car in which they obediently obeyed and headed to my place. As we arrived, looking at Atlas made no difference to my mood, I was furious at both of them pulling a stunt like that. Jella walked in then Joville, Atlas perked up at them and hid under the table. Well, I'm sensing he knows what's going on. I prepared a glass of water for them and instructed to sit down while I paced around.

"Well? What did you get out with that fight? Any of you satisfied? Huh? Do you feel the Alpha dog rising in you that's why you wanted to do a show tonight? What the hell were the two of you thinking? I belong to no one all right? And with what you pulled, you just gave me a reason not to date any of you two idiots" a lump was starting to form in my throat, my breathing was ragged and I couldn't look the two of them in the eye. Could things get any worse? Neither of them looked at me nor spoke.

"Joville, what do you have to say?"

She didn't make a sound completely ignoring me.

"Fine. Then you can leave now. I hope this incident doesn't revolve around in the shop"

She didn't say a word and left. I closed the door and sat beside Jella, she flinched and avoided to look at me.

"Hey, why did provoke her?" I spoke the words as softly as I could.

"I don't like it when I see her around you, something inside me snapped and I'm sorry for that" tears were brimming in the corners of her eyes making my heart clench.

"Still it wouldn't have happened if your didn't pour the drink on her. Are your okay? Did she manage to scratch you?"

Jella nodded crying. Oh man, here we go with the tears. I fished my extra handkerchief and gently wiped the corners of her eyes. Jella cried silently placing her head on my chest. I rubbed her back soothingly and placed my chin on her head, the smell of sweet flowers engulfing my senses made me inhale deeply.

"You smell so sweet and familiar" I cooed, Jella slowly calmed down taking deep breaths but didn't remove her head.

"Did you mean what you said?" she mumbled her voice cracking.

"About not dating any of you two? I know we only started like a couple of weeks ago and I've never seen this side of you. I guess when I was thinking at the beach that things would change, I never thought that it would include you. I pictured it just like old times but with what happened tonight, I don't know."

"Maybe fate has other plans for us"