Love to Hate You

Chapter 9

EZRA'S POV
It is taking absolutely everything in me not to turn back and make Jasper mine. I did the right thing though. My heart is racing in my chest. The music, the people, the entire party was suddenly aggravating me. I just wanted to be home now. Unfortunately, Cindy caught sight of me and she was walking directly towards me.
"Hey, is everything ok?? Where's Jasper?? The way he left was so weird." She shouted over the music.
I tried to think of something to say to her that would make her feel like nothing was wrong but all I could think about was the guilt I was feeling for kissing her boyfriend and enjoying it. "Everything is fine. He's in the bathroom. He'll be out soon." I finally said with a fake smile.
She nodded her head in understanding and went to talk to a group of friends. A few minutes later, Jasper made his way to her. I awkwardly stood around, watching the party go on. Feeling suffocated and uncomfortable, I decided to step outside. I light a cigarette and look at the moon. My mind races with a million thoughts. Why did I want to make Jasper jealous?? What would I get out of forcing him to admit his feelings for me?? He has a girlfriend. I should be a better friend to Jasper and Cindy. Maybe I should put some distance between us. What am I even talking about?? It was just a kiss. No big deal. It's not like Jasper confessed he's in love with me or some shit. I'm clearly freaking out over nothing. I laugh at myself. What is it about Jasper that makes me feel like an insecure teenager?? I take a drag of my cigarette and exhale smoke.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, breaking me out of my thoughts.
Jasper: Where are you??
Me: outside.
Jasper: why??
Me: smoking.
Jasper: come inside and have some drinks with me.
Me: I'm not really in the mood to drink.
Jasper: Don't be a party pooper. Come have drinks with me! :)
Me: lol no.
Jasper: Don't make me drag you in here kicking and screaming.
Me: nice try but I'm stronger than you. Lol
Jasper: I live in the gym. You are not stronger than me. xD
Me: Hey man enjoy your night. I'm gon' head home in a cab.
Jasper: ....

The following morning I woke up to fifteen missed calls and four voicemails. I play the voicemails first.
"Ezra, it's Jasper. Pick up the phone!! I need to talk to you!!"
"Duuuddeee!! I'm calling you. Why won't you answer?! I'm too damn drunk for this."
"Alright. I'm driving to your place and I'm knocking the door down. Since you don't know how to pick up the phone!!"
"Hey, Ezra. It's Cindy. I'm calling from the hospital. Jasper got into a car accident. You're his best friend, he's going to need you. I'll keep you updated."
What in the actual fuck!? I quickly rush out of bed and throw on clothes. I run outside, start up my motorcycle and head to the closet hospital.
I run to the front desk, asking the woman sitting there, for Jasper Rowan.
"Room 373. Take a left down that hall and take the elevator to the 5th floor." She directed, handing me a visitors pass.
The directions were easy to follow. I knock the door to room 373 and peek in.
Cindy is asleep in her chair but Jasper is wide awake in the hospital bed with monitors strapped to his body and an IV pumping fluids. His face was bruised and his left arm had a cast on it. He definitely looked beat up but he still looked beautiful. His blue eyes lit up when they caught sight of me.
"What happened to you??" I whisper yelled, trying not to wake his girlfriend.
"I'm fine. I'll be out in a few hours." He said, not bothering to whisper.
"Drinking and driving. Are you stupid?!" I shook my head.
"Don't be mad at me, Ezra. You know I hate it when you're mad at me." He groaned.
I sat on the bed and just glared at him.
"You're lucky to be alive. I don't appreciate waking up to rush to the hospital in a panic. You need to stop drinking." I lectured him.
Jasper smiles uncontrollably, making me frown. He's not taking this seriously.
"You were worried about me?? You're so cute." He chuckled.
I glanced at Cindy and then back at Jasper.
"Are you seriously flirting with me right now??" I whispered incredulously.
Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door and in came the doctor.
"How are we feeling, Jasper?? I just got the results back. No internal bleeding. No broken ribs. Everything looks pretty well. You will be sore for awhile but that is to be expected. Any questions??" The doctor said.
"Um, nope. Just want to go home." Jasper replied.
"Is he going to be ok enough to go to work and continue his normal routine??" I asked.
"Jasper should definitely have a few days of rest. It's not safe to go to work while recovering from a concussion. He'll need someone to watch him for any sudden changes to his speech or mobility." The doctor said.
Cindy thanked the doctor and walked out with him, asking more questions. I didn't even notice when she woke up and started listening to what the doctor had to say. I turn to face Jasper, he was already looking at me.
"What??" I said.
"Just thinking." He said in a low voice.
"About what??"
Jasper gripped my shirt and pulled me forward, smashing his lips onto mine. I quickly pulled away.
"What are you doing??" I said, clearly surprised.
"Yeahh, what are you doing??" Cindy spat angrily.
Jasper blanched at the sight of Cindy.
"Babe, I...What you saw...Um, I'm sorry." He struggled to find the words.
I felt so awkward sitting there as the tension in the room became suffocating.
"I'm going to leave." I finally said.
"You don't have to leave." Jasper spoke quickly.
Cindy scoffed in disbelief and stormed out of the room.
"What just happened??" I said, trying to wrap my mind around the situation.
"Doesn't matter. It already happened."
"She didn't deserve that, Jasper."
"I needed to kiss you again. Did I want her to see me do it?? No. But I wouldn't change it. I was going to break up with her anyway. That's why I was calling you. Unfortunately, I got into a car accident before I could reach your apartment." He shrugged his shoulders like everything he just said was nothing.
"When I met you, you tried to punch me in the face because you weren't 'a homo fruity boy'. You freaked out when you found yourself in my bed with a hangover. Now you're getting jealous when I'm dancing with other people and kissing me?? Why would you break up with Cindy??" I furrowed my brows, trying to keep a calm exterior.
"You're asking questions I don't have answers to,E. Cindy just isn't working out." He replied simply.
"I didn't say break up with her. I implied that I couldn't kiss a taken man but that didn't mean break up with her. She's a person with feelings." I replied.
"Obviously, she has feelings. She stormed out of here fuming." Jasper was flustered. I knew he struggled with expressing his feelings and facing his emotions. He didn't exactly say he likes me back but who goes around kissing people they don't like?? I can read between the lines. I just wish he would say it out loud.
"Are we going to talk about you kissing me?? Twice. Actually, three times." I said.
Jasper just gawked at my face like he couldn't comprehend the words that were coming out of my mouth.
"I guess tattoos, cigarettes and leather jackets hypnotized me into doing it." He said. I couldn't help the grin that appeared on my face from his evasive answer.
"I highly doubt that." I replied.
In came a nurse with papers in her hands. She unhooked the monitors and took the IV out.
"You're all set to go." She said happily.
I took the papers and folded them up.
"You can crash at my place, if you don't have anyone else to watch over you. Where's your family?? Do they even know??" I said.
Jasper rolled his eyes and got up from the bed in the hospital gown. He was silent as he strategically angled himself so I couldn't see any nakedness and put his pants on. Then untied the hospital gown. I tried not to stare as he got dressed but mostly I just waited for an answer.
"Can you stop staring at me?! I don't have family. Just a sister and she's busy planning a wedding. She doesn't need to worry about me." He was obviously struggling with his emotions. I assumed he has family issues. Seeming as he never once brought up his family in any of our conversations over the past few months. So I dropped the subject.
"Alright. Well, what's your next move??" I asked.
We walked out of the room and headed for the elevators.
"I need to deal with Cindy. Can you take me to her house??"
And just like that, we hopped on my motorcycle.