The heartbeats

Chapter 9

>Ian:

Two weeks have passed since I let her come. And I never touched her even this evening, after the high school party where she was wearing a dress that was extremely beautiful on her. I wanted to kiss her, I wanted to see her with accelerated breathing and a broken voice, I wanted to see her fight so as not to come. I love seeing her like that even if I've only seen her twice. I help Ethan get James up to his room "he's fucking heavy" Ethan says, forcing his teeth and trying to carry it. We put him in his bed and then we go back down to take the girls. Christian took care of his girl. Abbie went up to her room without looking behind her. I pay that she fell asleep right away without changing her outfit or removing her make-up.

No one wakes up before the afternoon, we are sitting outside, each of us has a cup of coffee in our hands and our four alcoholics have a little too much headache.
"My head is going to explode, fucking shit," Laura screams,
"I know baby, I know," whispers James.
Abbie gets up, places her cup on the table,
"thank you for the coffee" she says in a low and broken voice.
"You're welcome darling," Lili answers without noticing that Abbie is pale.
"Can you help me get to my room?" She whispers to me while trying to keep her eyes open.
"Of course, butterfly".
I help her get up. She has trouble climbing the stairs, I grab her from below her knees by placing my hand under her shoulders, on her back and I carry her. She relaxes completely between my arms. She puts her head on my chest and wraps her hands on her chest. I lay her on her bed but she straightens up and places her back on the head of the bed.
"What medications should you take?" I ask a little worried, I open the cabinet of her meds, next to her. She doesn't answer me, she shows me precisely with her finger what she must take. I hate to see her like that, she's not herself. I give her one pill after another. Then I leave her night room, without saying any words, so that she can sleep and rest.

"Are you sure, you don't want to come with us?" Jane asks us.
"Yes, Jane we are sure" Lili answers her coldly by rolling her eyes.
Christian, Jane, Laura and James are going on a double date. Ethan and I head to the game room while Lili enters Abbie's room. I haven't talked to her since this afternoon. I don't know how she's doing. And it worries me.
"Ian!" Ethan yells at me, throwing his controller on the sofa.
He gets angry quickly when we play together especially when I'm lost in my thoughts, like now. "Sorry man" I apologize by mocking him.
"First, stop mocking, secondly if you make us win the next round I forgive you," he laughs.
"Okay, but give me a few minutes, I'm hungry. I'm going to bring a few things".
I get up and go to the kitchen. The door rings, a man who is, I think my age, who is the same height as me but a little more muscular, stands in front of the door.
"Hi" he greets me by entering and tapping on my shoulder.
"Abbie is there?"
Who is he? What does he want from her?
"Yes, she's in her ro—"
"Jasper?"
She shouts behind me all excited and surprised. She runs towards him, he opens his arms and catches her once she jumps on him. Her feet wrap around his waist and her hands around his neck. Jasper's hands are directly above her ass. He turns her and she gives him a hug while staying in his arms. She screams with joy. Since when have they known each other? And why is she so happy to see him?
"Fucker, why didn't you warn me that you were coming? "She shouts.
He walks to the living room sofa and sits down. She's fucking on him.
"Hi Jasper" Lili and Ethan greet him together.
Why am I the only one who doesn't know him? I look at Ethan with a surprised air.
"I'll tell you later," he mutters to me.
"Hi" greets Jasper while looking at them.
His gaze returns to Abbie.
"I wanted to surprise you," he finally answers.
"How long are you staying for?"
"I don't know yet, my beauty".
My beauty? He looks at me and then asks Abbie, who is still sitting on him, who I am.
"Ah, yes. I had forgotten sorry. Jasper I introduce you to Ian, my boyfriend" she sits next to him, finally, thank God, she continues,
"and Ian I introduce you to Jasper, my best friend". He gets up and approaches me. I extend my hand to him, he extends his in return.
"Nice to meet you Ian",
I force a little on his hand,
"enchanted too, Jasper", the tone of my voice is cold and serious quite the opposite of Jasper's.
We all sit down. She tells him what happened a month ago with her parents and her heart injury. He stands up suddenly once she's done. The expressions on his face are incomprehensible.
"But fuck Abbie, why now? Why are you telling me now? And you guys, why didn't you call me?"
He shouts. Abbie doesn't answer him, she looks on the floor and closes her eyes every time he raises his voice a little. Her leg trembles, I put my hand on her leg to calm her down a little. She looks at me, gives me a little smile.
"Listen Jasper, I know I had to call you and inform you but I didn't want to bother you since it was your exam period," she answers him in a low voice as if she was afraid of him.
But why?
"Abbie" he expires.
He goes out to the terrace.

Our two couples who went on a double date last night are still asleep, while we, with Jasper, are preparing breakfast. After a few hours of their little argument, Ethan told me that they have been best friends for a long time now and I don't know him because he comes from time to time and it always falls when I'm not there. That's normal.
"I'm sorry for my reaction yesterday, but you didn't have to be so selfish and hide it from me for a month".
Abbie, selfish? I can't stand him, I'm going to kill him one day. He moves towards her, grabs her face by both hands and kisses her forehead. Instead of answering him, she smiles at him one of her false smiles.
"And I want to know everything about him and your relationship," he orders Abbie.
His tone is much too serious for a best friend. He always has his palms on her beautiful cheeks. I advance towards Abbie, I cross my hand behind her back, place it on her hip and I push Abbie towards me.
"Of course, Jasper, I'll tell you everything you want to know," I answer, in Abbie's place, coldly and staring at him directly in his eyes as if I were going to tear him out of his skin.
We finished eating, the girls did the dishes and put everything away since they refused our help. Ethan has things to do that leave me with Abbie's so-called best friend. We're outside, none of us is talking.

———————————————————————————
Don't forget to comment and vote !!