Lovers

Ch 32: I Think We Should Stay in Love

I Think We Should Stay in Love- Jesse Rutherford

"The hardest part of makin' love is breakin' up. So if you don't mind, I think we should stay in love, alright."

-

Dawn POV

The party disperses immediately. Gen and Jeff disappear, and Alice and I hold Jake between our arms. Was it true of what Terry said? So many different variables and questions stained my brain. Still, it is hard to concentrate when Jake sobs and yells aimlessly at the air, his cheeks burning red and spit spewing from his mouth. I push his sunglasses back on his face, concealing his puffy eyes. They fell during the fight, and I scrambled to get them before someone stepped on them. I look to Alice for answers. But, instead, she looks solely back to me; confusion buries in her eyes. All I can do is rub his back as he wallows.

It's about a few minutes before Alice snaps, "Hey! Hey! That's enough," she shakes both of his shoulders, "Stop crying! Grow the fuck up, and get a hold of yourself!"

"Fuck off!" he shrieks as he pushes her off, he cowers into me further, and I look helplessly at Alice.

"Don't baby him," Alice mumbles, "He needs to calm down, and it gets answers. No one will get them for him."

I comb through his hair and begin to hum, "Jake, it's okay-"

"No, it's not. Nothings okay." he jerks from me, and his last tears turn to grunts. It's hard to pinpoint when the tears ended and the range started. He is switch to quick his emotions, especially with Alice scolding his cries.

"It's not, but you know Terry." Alice interjects, "He hates your Uncle with a passion. He wanted to ruin the night, and you got in the middle."

"Me? In the middle? Sounds to me, your madder at me when I didn't do shit!" he stands from the steps, and I follow right next to him. Alice glances at me, and I realize she is not mad at Jake for getting in the middle, but the whole situation between Jake and I is where her anger stems the most.

"Why would he lie specifically about letters," he repeats, thumbing at the hem of my dress in concentration.

"I don't know," I interject, trying to keep the pressure off Alice as she scowls strictly at Jake's chest, "But we will find out together. Okay? But you can't ask him now when your boiling. He will just antagonize you."

"I can give a fuck-"

"Don't turn to fury." I stammer, "You're upset. You're not angry. You're unhappy, not fuming."

"But anger is so much easier to feel," he lamely admits, letting his hand graze mine in a relaxing matter.

"I know, baby," I whisper in his ear, hesitantly massaging his scalp. "We can talk to him in the morning. You should go back to your apartment and sleep."

"Stay the night."

"Okay."

"I wasn't asking," he says, pulling me closer to his side. Alice watches us and lets her cousin give her a side hug.

"Call me in the morning," she mumbles.

Jake nods and lets me pull him out of the reception.

--

Lenny was eating pizza in the living room, grease still an accessory to his meal. He smiles at the two of us, but Jake hangs his head low, not giving him much recognition. Instead, he heads straight to his bedroom. I linger behind, "It was not a good wedding," I exclaim quickly.