Jai and Lukas drove back to her house. Listening to tunes, singing along, laughing and stealing glances at each other.
"Can you make me pancakes, please?" Lukas asks Jai.
Her mind drifts back to when Paolo was the one who asks her that question. The times when he would call early in the morning to ask for her pancakes. When he would pester her to answer his call.
"Jaimie?"
"Hmm?"
"Pancakes? Please?" He pouts at her.
"Yeah, sure." She shrugs.
Lukas smiles widely. Parking his car, he went out and opened Jai's door.
"Milady." He says jokingly, lending out his hand.
"Oh what a thoughtful prince!" Jai played along.
"What would my lady want early this morning?" He asks using a british accent.
"I would like tea and pancakes." She says.
"Oh my lady wounds me with her words, for I thought you would've wanted a kiss." He says jokingly.
"Who said I was against the idea?" She raises her eyebrow.
"My heart mou- wait really?" He snaps his head towards her direction.
Jai cups his cheek and leans in, making Lukas hold his breath. Kissing Jai would change his life. The girl he longed for and the love of his life. He leans in and closes his eyes, puckering his lips. Hoping to be met with Jai's soft lips, he was met with a hand. He opens his eyes in confusion to see Jai stifling a laugh. He leans away and sees her trying so hard to hide her laugh.
"Rude. I wanted a kiss." He says.
"Well, sad for you, no one ever gets what they want." She says, patting his cheek.
"Just one kiss." He bargains.
"Fine." She agrees.
Jai leans in and kisses his cheek. Letting it linger for a while before pulling away.
"What was that?" Lukas asks.
"A kiss." She answered.
"But i thought you'd kiss my lips." He pouts.
"You never specified." She says, giggling.
"Mean." He says, crossing his arms and looking away from Jai.
"Come on, look at me." Jai says.
No answer came from the boy.
"Lukas." She calls.
Again, silence.
"Luke." She tries again.
Silence.
"Love." She says.
Lukas turns to look at Jai. His pout still evident on his lips. Jai sighs and pulls at the collar of his shirt, pecking his lips and pulling away.
Lukas was left stunned at the driveway. His mind was processing what tbe fuck just happened. Jaimie just pecked his lips. As he looks at Jai, he noticed that her gaze was fixated on her door. Seeing the boy on her door made his blood boil.
"Jai?" Paolo says.
"Paolo." She breathes out. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you. But it seems that your lips would rather be doing something else. I'll go now." He says, picking up his duffle bag and walking away. Not before bumping his shoulder at Lukas, making him stumble back.
"What's your problem?" She snaps at him.
"You. You're my problem. I risked my position on my team for you. I risked being late today just to talk to you. Only to find out you're spending your oh so precious time with that dumbass." He says.
"You know damn well about precious time. Lukas go in. You're the one who doesn't see how much I've waited for you." She scoffs.
"You didn't wait for me." He says, monotone.
"Yeah, that's what you see. Because everytime I wanted to hang out with you. You're always busy! You never see what I do for you! You never spared a glance ever since you've joined that goddamned team!" She yells at him.
"You never knew how long i waited for you each day. Waiting for your texts, your calls. Heck, not even a glance. A single hello would've sufficed, Paolo!"
"You know damn well how important that team is to me!" He shouts at her.
"Yeah, because without them you would be nothing! You would just be that kid who was stuck with me! You would be that boy who no one likes and no one talks to! You would be nobody! That's right, Nobody." She finishes.
Suddenly, her head was turned to the side. A stinging sensation on her left cheek. Her eyes became teary as she looked back to Paolo who had a shocked face.
"Jai, I'm-"
"Save it. You're not my best friend. You're not the boy I love. You stoop so low that you erased everything you are to me." She says, a tear dropping down her cheek.
Jaimie turns around, leaving a stunned Paolo, standing on her driveway. She opens her door and slams it shut as she broke down. Two arms embraced her. She let out an ear-piercing scream, hitting Lukas' chest. Tears flowed down her eyes like a river as she remembered the words and the pain that Lukas had caused her.
"Shhh, love. I'm here, I'm here. Let it out." he says, comforting the sobbing girl in his arms.
"I fucking loved him and I wasted my time waiting for his dumbass hoping that maybe one day, he would wake up and see that I'm the only person who would stay behind. That after every sunset, I would be the one who would listen to him rant about how hard it is for him." She sobs out.
"He's a piece of shit , he's not worth every tear that you cry out. Heck, he shouldn't be even allowed to breathe the same air as you or even be in the same room as you." He jokes, making Jai let out a giggle. "Yay! I made you giggle. Forget about that jerk. Remember, I'm here for you and would be waiting for you every step of the way."
A small smile making it's way to Jai's face. She looks at him, her eyes staring deep into his. Why didn't she see this before. Here, right in front of her, is the man who stood beside her and comforted her every breakdown she had. He was the anchor who was keeping her down, making sure that she would not be taken by the strong current. He was here, and he was real.
"You would be worth every tear, every laugh and every wait." She whispers.
