jailey one-shots ☆♫

- ☆ alone with thoughts and late-night car ambience ☆ -

Type: Fluff, Light Angst

Word Count: 1321

-

- 10:40 PM -

The only sound that could be heard from inside the car was the whirring of wheels against the highway. Jake looked out his window, the night sky dark, the moon's image a blur from behind the clouds.

The six club members had just gone to a concert. A very long, energetic concert, and it was safe to say that everyone was very tired afterwards. They were drained of energy, to the point where nobody wished to make conversation. The radio was turned off too; they'd had enough music for the night. Besides the traditional car ambience, it was completely silent.

It wasn't the most comfortable in the car either. Sean was driving, and Milly had claimed the passenger seat as they were walking through the parking lot, which left Jake, Hailey, Zander, and Luke to be squished together in the back.

Luke and Zander were sitting next to each other, quietly watching a movie. Hailey was adjacent to them on their left, and Jake was on the far left, trying with all his might to ignore how close he was to the aforementioned girl.

If there was enough light in the car, anyone would've been able to see the red-ish color his face was tinted. Their legs were pressed against each other, and whenever the car made a turn their shoulders would collide. And every so often their hands would, for a second, just barely graze each other... Jake was going to lose his mind.

He wondered what was going through Hailey's brain. Was she even aware of the close proximity they were in? And if so, did she think of it the same way he did? Did she think of him the same way he thought of her?

He took a subtle glance at her.

Hailey was mindlessly scrolling through her phone, in a slow, almost rhythmic loop, seeming to show no care for the content being displayed on her screen. Her head would lean slightly from side to side like a buoy, as if she didn't possess the energy to hold its weight.

She's tired. He realized.

Of course she was, who wouldn't be?

He smiled to himself, and went back to looking out the window before she noticed he was staring.

His mind was plagued with thoughts of her. It had been, for a while now. He didn't know when it happened, but at some point, all he could think about was Hailey, and her stormy gray eyes, as dark as the night outside the small car.

Part of his brain was still in denial, most likely the overthinking part that believed he didn't have a chance. Or maybe it was the part that believed he was still in love with Daisy. Whatever it was, Jake seemed to be at war with himself.

The car hit a small bump on the road, and their hands touched again, sending Jake's conscious mind into another round of internal panic.

Oh my god, oh my god, I'm gonna lose it... He thought.

You're killing me, Hails, you know that? Thank god she couldn't hear what he didn't say out loud.

He took another quick glance at her again.

She's so sweet.

He immediately went back on his previous thought.

No, no, don't say that, nope, nope, stop it, Jake. What if she's secretly reading your mind right now and can hear everything??

Hailey, if you're reading my mind right now, give me a sign.

Of course, Hailey did not give him a sign.