Fast Forward

Chapter 25: Come Hell or High Water

Chapter 25: Come Hell or High Water

After having a terrible night, I'm up before Jay for once. I can't make peace with the fact that he still has two more bombshells to drop on me. What if they are worse than first revelation? How will I handle it?

With all that in mind, I lean over Jay and stare at him intensely, attempting to read his thoughts. As if sensing my close presence, he opens his eyes and startles awake at seeing me up close and in his face.

"What are the other two things?!" I immediately ask, not waiting a second longer to find out. He's put me through enough torture.

"What the hell, Aqueela?" he questions, placing a hand over his chest before carefully pushing me away from his face. "My heart is pounding. I want to wake up to you every day with a racing heart but not like this," he tells me, taking a second to register his surroundings before relaxing.

"What are the two other things?" I repeat, eager to know.

Jay blinks, still bleary-eyed and groggy, only computing now. "Did you seriously stare me awake again?"

"No," I lie to his face, "those childish days are behind me. I've since matured."

"Oh, have you? I didn't notice," he teases, in a playful mood...again.

I jab his shoulder with my fist and he dramatically slumps over in fake pain. "You're stupid," I tell him, biting back a smile.

"Stupid in love," he agrees.

"No, just stupid," I argue.

He ignores me and checks the time. "Wow. It's five in the morning. Are you sick or something?" he asks, concerned. He leans into me to feel my forehead with the back of his hand. "You feel cool, but this...." he drawls after tapping my head twice, "I'm worried, it's completely hollow."

I glare up at him, shooting daggers with my eyes.

He grins and shrugs. "Huh. Weird."

I cross my arms over my chest and pout. "I want a divorce."

"I honestly think that I'd rather die," he replies in earnest, bending his head to give me a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm gonna go make breakfast and check on the muscle head," he informs me, leaving the bed to put on a shirt.

I nod. "Okay."

He's already left the room when I remember that I'm supposed to be interrogating him. He completely side-tracked me with his apparent ladies' man charms!

"Hey! We're not done here! Get back in here! Get back in here right this instant!" I shout after him, hoping he'll magically return to the room. "Jay! Come back!" I plead but it falls on deaf ears. "I can't wait any longer!"

"Gross, Aqueela! Coming off as a lot desperate," Greg lectures me as he walks past. He stops to shut the door. "I think it's best if I just close this...for everyone's sake."

I run a hand down my face in despair, on the verge of losing my mind. "Jay! What were the other two things?!"

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

It's two hours later when I finally find the strength and willpower to drag myself out of bed.

"Morning, princess!" Laiken greets me with an enthusiastic smile the second I walk into the kitchen – not the reaction I was expecting from a rich kid being forced to sleep on a humbling couch.

"Morning," I greet him tiredly, still in search of Jay, but he and Slobs are nowhere in sight.

"Don't you look pretty," Laik states even though I'm still in my pajamas, I've yet to shower and my hair is a knotty rat's nest. "Pretty princess," he concludes and smiles warmly at me.