LOSING IT ALL //HAYLEY PARKER

17

~LOSING IT ALL~

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17| JAYDEN'S RAMPAGE
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RUNNING MY HANDS UP AND down my arms, I stare intriguingly outside the french window at the bustling streets below the apartment complex. The view is magnificent. Below, it's appears as though smattering starlights is tossed into a blanket of darkness.

"You like the place?" Dale quips, sidling in beside me. I fold my arms across my chest and faintly hum in satisfaction. "Mmm-hmm. I like the view better." I say.

"Garrison will start the proceedings tomorrow." He narrates, stuffing his hands into his black denim pockets. "I'm thinking about shopping for some furnitures."

I dramatically turn to stare up at him. "Woow, is that how fast you want to run away?" He turns towards me and our eyes meets and hold. Against the faint neon light from outside, his eyes looks like rubies. "I've told you before, I'm not leaving because of anyone, I'm simply relocating because I prefer being-"

"-alone." I conclude with a firm nod of understanding.

He bends his head and looks at me warily. "Why, do you think you'll miss me?"

My jaw hits the floor as the question knocks the air out of my chest. "W-what?" I stutter incredulously. "W-why do y-you think that?"

He arches a brow. "I don't know, but I have a feeling that you don't want me to go." I flip my hair over my shoulder and stifle an incredulous laugh. "As if." But inside, my heart drums erratically against my chest.

"Well.." Dale starts, averting his gaze back outside. "To be very honest with you, I think I'll miss your company."

Then don't relocate. I want to say, but instead I scoff at his words and turn away. It's going to be boring without him in that house. I pause my lips tightly in quick realization.

A couple of minutes later, we say "goodnight" to Mr. Garrison as a taxi whisks him away, and then perambulate side-by-side towards the parking lot. "Are you hungry?" Dale asks as we reach the car.

"Mmm." I nod in response, my tummy silently grumbling at the thought of food. "I took oatmeal in the morning and nothing else since then."

A wide smile blights his handsome face. "Let's go get coffee then." He suggests, unlocking the driver's door. I nod again in agreement while pulling the passenger's door. "Okay, sure."

"Mmmm." I moan, chewing on a generous mouthful of hot deliciously filled hamburger. "This is worth the stress."

"Stress?" Dale cackles, taking a slurp of coffee from a plastic cup from across the booth. I swallow my mouthful and shrug. "Yes. Hunting for an apartment isn't in my line of expertise, but I did it regardless. So, I deserve a warm, greasy food after such work. Nothing's for free."

Dale scoffs incredulously and then grabs his wrapped burger from the table. "Of course." He says simply, taking a huge bite.

My phone suddenly rings with Jayden's face flashing across the screen. My brows involuntarily furrows quizzically. "Excuse me." I mutter, picking the call. "Jay?"

"Where are you?" Jayden slurs into my ear. I straighten up, brows tightening in both concern and curiosity. "Are you drunk?" I ask. Dale snaps his gaze inquisitively my way.

"I asked where you were, Parker." His voice rises a notch higher. "I came back from school and Jenny told me you left with Dale. Where are you?"

I exhale a frustrating breath. "I went to check out an apartment with him. I'm actually grabbing a bite now." I narrate calmly. "I'll be home soon, you don't have to worry about me."

"You'll be home soon." He parrots irritably. "Why'd you go without first informing me. I'm your boyfriend for fuck sake not your roomie. Why'd you have to take off without my permission. MY PERMISSION!"

"Is everything alright?" Dale queries wearily across the table. "Yes." I say, still listening to Jayden's rampage on the other end of the line. "Look Jay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before going. I should've and I didn't, I'm sorry. Can we talk about this when I get back?"

"You've so much to explain." He replies coarsely and ends the call. I tunnel a hand through my hair and sigh, deflated. "Is everything okay?" Dale asks again, and I reply in an exaggerated patience. "No."

Snatching up my Tote bag, I heft it over my shoulder. "I suggest we head back now, everyone seems to be worrying about me." Dale nods softly in understanding pushing back his chair. "All right. We should."

The ride back to the house is silent. My mind keeps floundering over I and Jayden's earlier conversation. Why's he drunk? Jayden has a high tolerance to alcohol, and the prospect of him being drunk is unnerving to me because if he's drunk he probably drank too much alcohol. Why'd he sound so pissed? Normally I and Jayden, we argue over a lot of things, we disagree over a lot of stuffs, that's us. A toxic relationship you can say but we always find a way to fix our disputes and disagreements. We are humble enough to accept our differences and faults and try as much as possible to resolve them. However, we aren't physically aggressive towards each other. It's only verbally or attitude wise. But today is different. Jayden was fuming. I could tell because I know him that much. And somehow, it's scares the shit out of me. I've never really seen him extremely agitated. He often charades that part of himself from me, but today, he didn't even try to hide his rage.

However, with everything that just happened, I can't stop questioning his sudden change in mood. Why's he drunk, why'd he sound so pissed, what transpired that made him suddenly so possessive of me?

Its scary when he's like this.

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