Chapter Seven

Elena's POV:

“I think both of your friends are pretty drunk.” Steve said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I turned to look at Anna and Sharon; they were making silly faces at each other and laughing their ass off. Anna pushed Sharoon and she fell on her butt. Steve and I were in shock staring at them. 

"They are going fight," I said in displeasure.

"Like throw punches at each other kind of fight?" Steve asked innocently.

"No, not that," I said.

However, instead of yelling at each other like they usually do. They begin to laugh loudly, making people look at us with disappointed look. Steve and I gave them an apologetic smile. And then suddenly, Sharoon begin to cry loudly. Her cries made Anna cry too and they begin to coddle each other. 

"Anna, your pants are so cute, Sharoon. If I was wearing them, Steve would've ripped them apart with the promise of bying new one." Anna said, wipping her tears.

"He can rip my pants apart because they are ugly! I hate them!" Sharoon yelled, crying like a baby.

"Fuck, how do you handle this?" Steve asked me.

You glance at them with pity and smirk at him.

"By avoiding ladies nightout," I answered him.

"I'm never letting her go to ladies nightout after we get married," Steve said.

"Ah, I don't think so that will work very well in your favour because Anna is kind of a leader when it comes to arranging ladies nightout. She never stops bugging you until you agree. She so admant and needs everything her way when it comes nightout. Even Sharoon cancels her shoots if she tells us to have ladies nightout," I explained Steve.

"Wow, sounds like she takes it very seriously," Steve said.

"She does. So, you won't be getting your way when it comes to nightout,"  She said.

Sharoon and Anna are hugging each other now. They tried to lay on the floor while hugging with their bodies attached.

"My boo boo," Anna yelled, looking at Steve.

Steve's cheek turned red when he heard his petname.

"Oh, nice name, boo boo," I teased Steve.

"Shut up," He said, looking down in shame.

“This is their kid version. Drinks always mess up with their minds,” I said.

"Come on, boo boo, kiss my bobbies," Anna yelled, making you straigten up.

"They are getting out of hand now," I said.

"I am never letting her drink in any party again. NEVER!" Steve said, looking embarrassed.

“Come, I’ll drop you all home.” He said.

“I came here in my own car, and I’m not even drunk.” I said.

He frowned.

“You’re not lying, right? If Brandon will find out that you get drunk in my club and I let you drive back home, he will kill me.” He said.

“I’m fine. Go, drop them home, boo boo.” I said.

Steve glared at me and I chuckled.

"I mean Steve," I said, covering my chuckles.

“Okay.” He said and walked to his girlfriend.

She protested at first then took his hand.

“Sharon, are you coming?” Steve asked her.

She put her head down on the table and mumbled something then followed them out while trying to walk straight.

My eyes went back to Jake and he got up slapping some money on the counter but stumbled. The bartender came to hold Jake and said something to him, but he just waved his hand in a dismissing manner.

I swore under my breath and walked to Jake.

“Hi, is everything fine here?” I asked.

“Elena is that you? How can you be here?” Jake asked, looking at me with wide eyes and then blinking.

"It's me, Jake?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"You are fragment of my imagination," Jake said, looking sad.

"I'm not fragment of your imagination," I said.

"Can I pinch you?" He asked.

"You want to pinch me?" I asked him.

The bartender and I looked at Jake in disappointment as he stay admant on wanting to pinch you.

"If you don't want me to pinch you, then can I feel you up," He asked with a straight face.

I stumble in shock with my face scarlet red.

"Fuck, are you serious, Jake?" I asked Jake.

The bartender smirked at you and said, "Why don't you give him a chance to feel you up? Obviously if you are not his relative. Go for it." 

"I... I'm not his relative or anything," I replied sheepishly.

"Then let the man have some fun," The bartender said.

"I would rather let him pinch me," I said.

Jake groaned in disappointment.

"Party pooper," he yelled.

"Come on, pinch me and get over it," I said.

"I'll pinch you on the but then," he said.

"Hey, you didn't say anything about pinching on the butt," I said.

"That's what I want," he said like a spoiled little kid.

"What's wrong with these people and becoming kids after getting drunk?" I said.

"Okay, pinch me on the butt," I said.

Before he can pinch me, his head fell on the counter and he began snoring.

"What the hell?" I said.

"You wanted it, didn't you?" The bartender asked.

"No, it's not like that," I snapped at him.

“He’s too drunk to drive himself, so I asked him if I could call a cab for him. But he is insisting on driving himself.” The bartender said, looking at Jake with pitty.

“Can you help me to take him to my car? I will drop him home.” I said to the bartender.

“Sure.” He said, following me out.

The bartender left while we waited for the valet to bring my car.

Jake stumbled again, and I took a hold of his bicep so he wouldn’t fall face flat.

With the help of the security guys, I put Jake inside the passenger seat of the car and strapped the seat belt, and then I got settled in the driving seat.

I drove towards his house while he was snoring.

After fifteen minutes, we were outside his house.

“Where are your keys, Jake?” I asked him.

He groaned, and I slapped his face twice.

“Tell me, where your damn keys are?” I asked him.

“In my pockets,” He mumbled, closing his eyes again and leaning his head on the window glass.

I put my hand in his pocket to search for the keys, and he giggled.

“You’re... tickling me.” He said.

I rolled my eyes at him and searched further then pulled out the keys.

Why does he have to act cute? I asked myself.

Getting out of my car, I made my way to the main and open it then went back to my car to pull out Jake of the car.

I put his arm on my shoulder and helped him get out of the car. With the help of my leg, I closed the door of my car.

Jake wasn’t very cooperative at that time. I had to drag him inside the house. His room was upstairs, but I refused to drag him up.

The room located downstairs was a guest room, so I dragged him there.

I dropped him on the bed, and he started mumbling something incoherent.

“Jake, when will you stop doing this to yourself?” I asked him.

“What?” He asked me, kicking his shoes off.

Then he started to unbutton his shirt, and I gulped.

He threw his shirt on the floor and slumped down on his bed on his back, staring at the ceiling silently.

“I’m leaving, just stop drinking if you want to live,” I

said, ready to leave when he captured my wrist

“Elena, can you stay.” He asked.

I looked at his tired and sad face, and lost the fight between my heart and mind.

“Jake, I can’t stay.” I said.

He closed his eyes and took the deep breath.

“I know you can’t stay.” He said, looking solemn.

“But I’m staying, until you’re awake.” I said pushing him back on the bed and kicking my stilettos then jumped on the bed beside him.

He laughed at me and I smiled, settling my head on the pillow.

We stared at each other in peaceful silence.

He looked sleepy but his face was relaxed and it made me happy. My hand moved forward and touched his soft hair.

I always wanted to do that and at that moment, I was doing what my heart was telling me to do.

“Your hair feels soft.” I mumbled, touching them.Playing with them. Holding them, caressing them.

He smiled at my words.

“My mom’s hair was just like mine.” He said.

I frowned at his words because his adoptive mother’s hair is curly and doesn’t look like his hair in any way. The color of her hair and texture was different.

“You mean Amanda? But her hair isn’t like yours.” I said to him.

“No, I’m talking about my real mom. Her hair was like mine, chestnut color with the hint of blonde in them. She told me that I loved playing with her hair when I was a baby.” He said.

I was in shock after hearing him. Thousands of questions started to run in my mind.

“You know who your real mom is?” I asked him, in surprise.

How does he know? When did he find out? Why did she leave him? 

Thousands of things start to run into my mind. I wanted to know everything about him and who would knew everything except his mother.

“Yes.” He replied, looking sad. His eyes looked lost as if he was recalling his past.

“You never told us anything about her.” I said while running my fingers through his soft his hair.

“I don’t want to talk about her. She brings back bad memories of my past.” He said, shocking me.

The sadness and pain on his face made me stop from inquiring about his past. I thought I knew him but there were still secrets in his life that no one knew. 

Why didn't Brandon notice? He was his best friend. He should have known everything. He should have helped him. Why didn't he tried to help Jake? If only he knew what Jake was going through, things would have been different.

“Okay, let’s talk about your bad habit of drinking.” I said leaning closer and whispering in his ear.

“I can’t stop thinking about her. Whenever I am alone, her memories came back to haunt me and it pains me to think about the future that I wanted with her. She was everything to me and getting drunk where I couldn’t remember my name, is my escape.” He said looking at the ceiling.

My throat was clog with emotions. He has lost so much in his life. Now, the girl that he loved with his heart and soul has been taken away from him.

“Jake, you need to understand that she’s gone. She’s not coming back and you need to move on.” I said.

My heart was breaking at his pained face.

“I know that I need to stop otherwise I will go insane but it’s not easy. Sometimes, I feel like giving up.” He whispered.

The tears that I was holding back fell from my eyes and I wiped them, hurriedly. I didn’t want him to think that I feel sorry for him and my feelings towards him are sympathy.

“Jake, whenever you feel like giving up, thinks about Brandon, Noah and my parents; they call you son. All of them will miss you, especially Brandon.” I said.

“What about you, Elena? Will you miss me? If someday I wouldn’t be here like Hanna?” He asked.

“I wish I would never see that day in my life, when you’re not here with me.” I mumbled in his ear, placing a kiss on his cheek.

He pulled me closer to his chest and I placed my head on his chest, just above his beating his heart then he fell asleep while I stayed awake thinking about him.