I frown as a blue sports car comes to a stop at the curb.That's Jude's car.Trey and I are outside the hospital, waiting for Isaac to pick us up. It's about three in the afternoon and the doctor said Trey could leave, but he should rest up and avoid any activities that strain his wound. He's scheduled to come back for an appointment a week later.Earlier on, I went by his dorm room and packed up some of his clothes. He's going to be staying with Isaac and Simon for the next few days until his wound has healed enough that nobody will notice when he goes home.Trey stares at the blue car, eyes squinting. "What a sweet ride..." he trails off and rises from the bench we are sitting on. "Is that Jude?"Jude appears from the driver's side and looks over at us."Are you guys coming or not?"Trey walks over, one hand clasping the side where his wound is. "Wow. Nice car, Jude.""Thanks," Jude says, opening the back door for him. "Hop in."Trey gets into the car and leans back into the plush l
I groan inwardly when I get back to my apartment and Tori is already there, making something in the kitchen. I was hoping she wouldn’t be back yet and I could get some time to myself without worrying about her saying or doing something that will ruin my mood further. But no worries. All I have to do is stay in my room and avoid all sorts of contact with her. My hope for a peaceful evening goes down the drain seconds later as I cross the living area, headed for my room. “You’re here to pack, right?” she asks. I’m of half a mind to ignore her, but I can’t resist the urge to disappoint her. “No,” I reply, retrieving my room key from my bag. “You have three days to move,” she says. I stick my key into my lock. “I don’t have to go anywhere. This is my apartment too. You can move if you want.” The sound of her scoff fills the room. “Did you forget that it’s my name on the lease?” Damn, she’s right. When I agreed to move in with her from the school dorms, she had already found the ap
“That’s everything, right?” Simon asks, piling the last of my boxes in one corner of his room. “Yeah,” I nod, looking at all my belongings, now piled nicely in the corner. There wasn’t much to move, so we were able to get everything from my apartment in one trip using Isaac’s truck. Tori will be pleased to get back in the evening to find me gone. The last three days have been unpleasant. While the month is not over yet, I decided to move out early as she had demanded for the sake of my sanity. Simon’s place is already fully occupied with Trey and Jude around, but he insisted we’ll find a way. “When you told Eli you are staying here while looking for a new place, did you mention that Jude is still here?” Simon asks, leading the way back to the living room. I follow after him. “Yes.” “And he had no problem with it?” “Yeah,” I reply, heading for the kitchen and filling a glass with water at the sink. Taking a sip, I shrug, “He said it was fine.” “I think that’s a sign,” Simon muses
“Want a ride?” I look up, startled, to find Jude standing over me, an apple in one hand and his car key in the other. I blink. “What?” “Want a ride to practice?” I stare at him, uncomprehending. Yes, I get what he’s offering. But… Since he showed up last evening with Trey, he has avoided me like the plague. He didn’t spare me a glance, much less say a word to me. I’ve never felt so invisible in my life. So, why is he suddenly offering me a ride as if we are on friendly terms? He’s going to give me whiplash. I give Isaac, who’s also sitting at the table, a glance, but he shrugs. I’m still trying to get over the confusion when Jude grabs my bag from the top of the table and heads towards the door. “Hurry up or we’ll be late.” I didn’t even agree… What exactly is he doing? Coming to my feet, I shove the last of my pancake into my mouth and finish up my coffee. Isaac coughs, and I look over to find him trying to hide a smile behind his wrist. “What’s wrong with him?” I ask,
“Wait for me! I’ll go!” The two boys stop and turn to look at me. They are almost out of the door. They exchange a glance before looking back at me. “Sure?” Isaac asks. I nod. “Yeah. Just give me five minutes to change,” I tell them, then hurry back into Simon’s room. Rummaging through my suitcase, I pick out a pair of blue denim shorts, stockings, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket. I change into them and then hurry into the bathroom to wash my face so it doesn’t look like I’ve been crying. I apply moisturizer and lip balm, then gather my hair in a bun at the top of my head. Hurrying back into the bedroom, I get my black strappy boots and head back into the living room. Isaac and Jude are still waiting, one sitting on the couch, the other over at the balcony. “We can go!” I tell them. Isaac rises from the couch and approaches, giving me a once-over. “You look nice,” he compliments. “Thanks.” “What changed your mind?” A few minutes ago, I was against the idea of going to the pa
Out here, the party is full-blown.There’s a patio outside the French doors, with a few outdoor seats that are occupied by a bunch of kids. Then there’s a lawn after that, where more kids are milling around, drinks in hand and dancing to loud electronic music. Past the lawn is a huge swimming pool, where more partygoers are, in swimwear, lounging around or in the water. But what catches my attention is the aroma in the air. Sniffing, my nose leads me to one end of the lawn to find a barbecue in place.My stomach growls. “I’ll be back, guys,” I say, paying no attention to them as I make my way through the throng of kids and head for the barbecue.Trent, one of the football players on the team, is behind the barbecue, turning skewers of meat on the hot grill. There are a few other people around, feasting on grilled skewers.“Hi Trent,” I greet, eyes stuck on the sizzling meat.“What’s up, Jo! You made it!”“Yeah,” I nod. I swallow and point to the pork. “Can I have the next one?”“Sur
I gape at him.Is he aware that people can hear him?“You’re climbing up the wrong tree, Jude,” Kimberly tells him. “She’s Eli’s girl.”He arches his brow. “Is she?” His blue eyes are staring relentlessly into mine. “Are we game?”I can barely breathe. How can I reply?“I’ll take that as a yes,” he says, turning back to the table.“You’re not going to kiss him, are you?” Kimberly asks, her eyes digging into me.“He’s joking,” I say, taking a swig of my beer.Only when I swallow do I realise it’s not my beer. Looking at my other hand, I realise my own can is empty, and I’m now drinking from Jude’s. When did I finish mine?It doesn’t take Jude long to win the game. He pockets his balls one by one and seamlessly pockets the black one at the end.“Too bad,” Daisy pouts, but she doesn’t look as sad when she shimmies out of her shorts, eyes stuck on Jude. “How about another round?” She turns around, giving everyone an unobstructed view of her mostly naked ass. The guys hoot while the girls
“You did what?” Simon’s disbelieving voice comes across the phone.I groan and turn onto my stomach, burying my face into the pillow. “I know, it was a bad idea. Can one beer affect someone’s reasoning?”“You drank beer?” Simon’s already disbelieving voice goes a tone higher.“Can it?”“I don’t know about you, since I’ve never seen you drink one,” he replies, the jab in his voice obvious, “but for normal people, no.”“Ugh.” I turn onto my side again. I guess I can’t use that as an excuse.“How did you end up kissing him, anyway? When Trey and I left, you were all sad about Eli.”“He tempted me by saying it didn’t have to mean anything,” I say, as if Jude is to blame for my decision-making.“You’re calling me at half-past six on a Saturday morning, so I guess it meant something to you.”“It doesn’t,” I claim hastily. “I agreed with him, and I still do. I’m just not sure how to face him. Should I act as if nothing happened?”“Can you?”No, I keep replaying our kiss and I doubt I'd be ab