The Jaws of Life

24

Alia and Tony threw a party at their house that very next weekend. The party is crawling with all kinds of people, some from the music industry, some from Alia and I's friend group and Jaime and I. 

I purposely avoided Jaime for the majority of the party. He was the first person that I saw when I came in so I made a beeline in the opposite direction of him, right to my friends instead. It's only when I went to go get a drink that I ran into him. Well, he ran into me, really. He stopped me as soon as I left the kitchen.

"Come home with me." Jaime whispers into my ear. 

"I shouldn't." I whisper back, turning my head slightly towards him. 

He grins back at me. "Why shouldn't you?"

My eyes leave his and float across the room. Alia is sitting on the couch, her dark hair pulled up into a ponytail, her shorts rolled up a little too high on her legs. She's leaning into Tony who has his arm around her. Neither of them are giving Jaime or I any attention, they're focused on their conversation with the people around them.

"That's the reason." I say with a nod in Alia's direction.

He turns and sees what I'm referring to and I see the smile on his face fade. His eyes linger on them just like mine had moments before, both of us thinking the same thoughts.

"Up there it was one thing." I say, referring to the cabin. "Up there wasn't really reality. But here? In our lives? I don't know..."

"So I was just some fling?" Jaime asks, his eyes returning back to mine. I can see the hurt in them as he talks. "I thought it was more than that, especially after everything."

"It obviously was, you know that. I just think maybe friends is a safer option right now?"

"Friends?" Jaime says, his voice loud. I can see Alia turn her attention towards Jaime and I, a confused look on her face. I purposely make sure I don't make eye contact with her.

"For now, Jaime." I clarify. "Until we figure this out."

"What's there to figure out, Karlie?" he says, looking stunned. He lowers his voice as he leans into me. "You lost your virginity to me. You told me you loved me. And now a week later you think we should be friends?"

"I know, I know." I say quickly. I'm caught up in Jaime and his words and the moment so much so that the room is starting to feel like it's spinning. "It's just a lot to process, okay, and I'm sorry that I said that-"

"You're sorry you said that?" he asks, his voice rising again. "What the fuck is this?"

From behind him I see Alia get up from the couch, her eyes still on us. We've clearly got her attention by talking too loud and now she's coming over to see why her best friend and brother are seemingly fighting at her party.

"Alia's behind you." I whisper right before she gets to us.

"Hey, guys." Alia says, her tone cautious. "Everything good?"

"Yeah." Jaime says. 

"You sure? Kind of sounds like you're having a fight." she replies, her eyes on me and not Jaime. 

"Just a disagreement, I guess." I reply. I hadn't come up with a cover story to tell her, my mind is too focused on Jaime and hoping he doesn't say anything. 

Alia furrows her brows as she looks between Jaime and I. "About what?"

Jaime sighs loudly in anger. "Nothing. You don't need to know everything that goes on, Alia."

Alia gives Jaime a rightful dirty look. "You don't need to be a dick."

Jaime doesn't even miss a beat. "And you don't need to insert yourself in everything I do!" he says. He downs the rest of his drink and puts it down next to him. "I'm out of here."

Alia and I don't try to stop him. It's not a common sight to see Jaime mad, so when he is mad everyone knows to leave him do this thing. He usually gets over it within twenty minutes anyways. 

"What the hell was that about?" Alia asks me, her eyes still on the door where Jaime just left through.

"Like he said, just a disagreement." I reply. "I think he was just in a bad mood, honestly."

Alia crosses her arms over her chest and frowns. "He still doesn't need to be rude to you."

"It's fine, he wasn't even rude." I say, trying to keep my tone as light as possible, but I'm starting to get pissed off too now.

I wish I hadn't even come here at this point. Jaime just ambushes me as soon as he sees that I'm alone and asks me to come home with him while his sister is sitting like ten feet away from us, then gets all pissy when I say we should cool it a little? He's acting like I'm an asshole, when he's the guy who's hardly texted me since we got back from our little vacation. 

"You good?" Alia asks, her eyes on me. I hadn't even realized she'd been looking at me, I was too busy zoning out and getting angry.

"I think I need a stronger drink." I tell her.

I make my way back to the kitchen and make myself enough drinks to make me forget about Jaime.