Till The End

Chapter 21

Aelia

I shouldn't have come. I don't know what's worse: the million questions everyone is asking me, the creepy guy who keeps staring at me, or the woman who is trying to get me to marry her son. I had to come, though; how could I refuse to come to my own welcoming party? Jevon has been nice to me since my first day at work, and most of all, he helped me get the apartment. Luckily, the apartment next to his was free, and as soon as he learned that I was looking for one, he negotiated with the landlord, and I got to move in yesterday. He even organized a whole party for me in so few hours so that I could meet everyone in the building. This should be enough reason for me to enjoy this party. I could stay for an hour or two, then excuse myself, saying I have a lot of unpacking to do, which is not a lie.

I am pouring myself my third glass of the delicious punch when I am startled by the voice—I am ashamed to admit it—I have been dying to hear. What the hell is he doing here? How did he know I was here? How dare he just show up here like that? We haven't talked since when he admitted to cheating on me three days ago. At least he did not try to fool me and deny it, I guess. I have used all these hours I wasn't able to sleep to think about a million ways to make him suffer. I sat down and thought about what I would say to him when I finally see him, because I knew that this was something I couldn't avoid, but right now, as I stare at him, I can't think of anything to say. All I can think of is the excruciating pain in my chest.

"Hi," Jake repeats softly, bringing me back to reality. All the sounds in the room crash over me, and it all suddenly feels too loud and the room too small. I am suffocating. I blink back the tears that sting my eyes. I can't cry right now. Not in front of everyone. Not in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" I finally manage to mutter.

"We need to talk."

"I have nothing to tell you."

"Please, Aelia-"

"Everything okay, Elly?" Jevon's voice startles me. I can feel his breath on my ear while he talks, putting his arm around me, his hand resting on my arm. He is so close—too close—that it makes me uncomfortable. "May I help you?" He asks, now facing Jake. When I look back at Jake, the temperature of the room suddenly goes up a hundred degrees. He is staring at Jevon's hand as if he could melt it off of me with his eyes.

"You have three seconds to take your hand off her," he hisses. I immediately shift away from Jevon, not because of Jake but because it was feeling way too awkward.

"This is a private party, and I don't remember inviting you," Jevon says.

"First of all, I don't give a single fuck about your little gathering. Secondly, we're leaving anyway," Jake says, staring at me.

"No, we're not!"

"Okay, we're not," he says casually, as if I were inviting him to stay.

"I mean, I am not leaving. You are!"

"I am not going anywhere without talking to you first. We can do it here or wherever you want to, but I'm not leaving without you."

Panic invades me when Jevon walks up to Jake and grabs him by the arm. Jevon might be big, but I don't think he stands a chance against Jake, so I immediately move between them and push Jake back slightly, making him hit the wall behind him, half because I wanted to hurt him and half because I was dying to touch him, but no one has to know about that part.

"It's okay, Jevon. We are leaving." I say, turning back to him.

"Are you sure you want to go with him?"