𝕞𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕨𝕖𝕖𝕟 || 𝚅𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚎 𝙷𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚛

Epilogue

10 months ago

Lena's pov

I hate this party. Or maybe it's the people, I'm not sure. I wish Gigi was here. We would make fun of literally everyone in this room. Aaron's arm is tight around my neck, but he's too busy drinking to realize he's almost suffocating me.

"Marcus, pass me that bottle, would you?" Aaron asks Marcus, who's on the couch opposite ours.

"Aaron, don't you think that's enough?" I whisper in his ear, to avoid 'embarrassing' him, as he has corrected me on before.

"Jones," the Marcus guy laughs, "Don't you have to drive your chick back home?"

Marcus reeks of weed, I can literally smell it from here. It's awful. And god knows Aaron is not taking me back home on his bike in this state. I don't want to die and I don't want to risk it either.

"Lena wait for me outside a moment?" Aaron says, twirling my blue braid in his finger. I make a move to stand to my feet, making him lift his hand off me. I walk away, trying to make a way in the crowd. Once I finally get outside I sit on his bike and wait. I think about how tonight would have been different, had Aaron not insisted on it being only the two of us and not bringing Gigi along. It ended up not being just the two of us anyway.

"Yeah, he is in on it. It's gon be all good man, don't worry about it."

That's Marcus's voice. and immediately after I hear Aaron's.

"Yeah I know, but I wish she would just stay. Fuck this long-distance shit. It's a fucking continent away."

"You really like this chick, don't you? I mean she is hot-"

"yo watch it."

"Chill out, I'm just playing with you." Marcus laughs. "Aaron Jones, losing your edge for a girl?"

I hear Aaron, almost laughing, but just then the front door opens and I find myself standing right in front of Aaron and Marcus. So I might have tried to eavesdrop on their conversation. Aaron looks at me suspiciously and Marcus walks back into the house after patting Aaron on his back.

"Who's 'he'?" I ask before I overthink it and decide against talking. "And what does he have to do with me moving?"

"Why are you listening to my conversations Lena? Put your helmet on and get on the bike!" He completely ignores me. I'm angry. He's always making me comply and admitting shit to him.He walks right past me towards his bike but I pull his jacket.

"Why won't you answer me? Answer me!"

"Are you high? I said get on the damn bike." He spits, shocked that I actually countered him. I seldom say anything back at him, but a random person being 'in' on this plan of me moving? What does that even mean?

"No."

"Huh?"

"I'm not getting on your bike."

His hands go through his hair in frustration and I see he's getting angry.

"You're pissing me off." He says in a sing-song voice, like he's warning me.

"Well that makes two of us." I cross my hands.

"What the fuck is your problem, Lena?! You're so goddanm annoying, it's never just about us! You're always dragging people in our time!" He says pacing around, yelling, like he owns the place. I get a few stares from people walking by and I try my best to ignore them.

"It's this about me wanting Gigi to have come to the party with us? And what happened in there is exactly why I wanted Gigi to come. You don't do anything but boss me around. That's fucking annoying!" I yell, but not as loud as him, cause if he gets angrier than this, coupled with the fact that he's drunk, I know how that would go.

"I can't with you right now. Get on the bike, we're going home."

"You're drunk. I'm not getting on the bike." I don't want to make him angry but it's just too risky.

"So how do you intend to get home?" He asks, mocking me. I just roll my eyes. I haven't figured that out yet. I can't just call Esme to pick me up anymore.

Aaron steps closer to me, closing the space between us. He grabs my upper arm so tight, tears almost automatically form in my eyes.

"Listen to me. You will get on my bike and I will drive you home and you will not ask me about that guy again. Got it?" I'm scared. And I know this isn't the first time, so I should get used to it at some point, but it's scary because you won't ever imagine he could have this side of him when you see us together in our good times, which have been reducing lately.

"You're hurting me." I say, looking into his eyes, hoping to make him stop. He keeps saying he won't do it again and regrets it every time, but in moments like this, where he's supposed to be touched by my words, he acts like an emotionless robot.

"Got it?" He tightens his grip on my arm and I'm sure he's leaving a mark.

"Yes." I whisper with a tear finally dropping down my cheek. He lets go of me and I quickly wipe my eyes with the back of my palms. He's already adjusting on his bike, putting his helmet on and passing me the black and purple helmet he got for me on our first month anniversary, two months ago. I put it on and get on his bike.

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Present day

Jack's pov

By the time I get home with the information I went out searching, it's midnight. It took way too long to get what I needed and it's probably not worth it, but I'm definitely ready for some drama in my life again. Not exactly in mine, but nevertheless.

"Back already, Jack?" Quinton mocks me as I drop my jacket on his couch. Quinton told me not to bother, that I wouldn't get answers from anyone, but I told him I could and I'd be back in less than an hour. I was wrong. I left around six p.m., thinking I would only have to ask Jordan to give me something, anything. He laughed, almost fessing up, but probably reconsidered and told me it's none of my business. Vinnie doesn't talk to many people about Lena anymore, so I wasn't sure who I could ask.

"Jordan was useless. He didn't say anything." I fall onto the couch, looking down at Quinton, who's taking a line.

"So nothing?" Quinton sniffs.

"Oh, of course I got something. I'm no quitter." I grin, resting my arms on the back of the couch.

Quinton smirks, lazily. "Who'd you force it out of?"

"Oh, no one. She willingly told me." I beam, proud of my tactics.

"She?"

"I was thinking 'Hmm, who can I ask to ask someone who would know?' and then I got it. Ava. So I called her, asked her what she knows and she said nothing. I told her to ask Vinnie, but she said they don't talk anymore and that would be too suspicious. But then I remembered she's Lena's friend's roommate. So I told her to ask Esther and Esther told her what I needed to know." I explain and I finally get to the useful part of the story. 

"Lena left the country." I finally conclude.

Quinton lifts his head, asking me with his eyes. I nod. His eyes go wide.

"He doesn't know, right?" Quinton asks.

"Obviously not. She didn't tell him when she was leaving, why'd she tell him she's coming back?" I state the obvious because whatever is on the table in front of Quinton, is starting to get to his head.

"But I'm going to tell him. Right now." I grin, pulling out my phone and scrolling through my contacts.

"Shit." Quinton laughs. "Shit's about to get messy."

He picks up after a couple of rings.

"Yo, what's up, Wright?" I can tell he's surprised I'm calling, but also pleased.

"I have news for you, Jones." I smile slyly, pleased with myself. Things are finally about to get interesting in everyone's boring life.

"What's up?" He repeats, more interested this time.

"Guess who's back home."

To Be Continued...