My Beloved//Jake Kiszka

Ch.13

The next evening, you found yourself in Jake and Josh's garage, the usual hangout spot for the group. Jake was tuning his guitar, the familiar strumming sounds filling the space. You sat on the old couch, flipping through a magazine, while Josh and Sam played a video game on the TV.

The garage door creaked open, and Izzy walked in, her face lit up with excitement. "Hey, guess what!" she exclaimed, making everyone look up. "Alex invited us to a party tonight!"

"A party?" Josh said, pausing the game. "Whose party?"

"His," Izzy replied, grinning. "He said it's going to be huge, and we're all invited."

Jake glanced up from his guitar, his expression neutral. "Sounds like fun," he said, though you could see a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

"Come on, it'll be great," Izzy insisted. "We need to let loose a little. What do you say, Y/N?"

"Sure, why not?" you replied, trying to sound enthusiastic. You looked at Jake, giving him a reassuring smile. "It'll be fun."

Jake nodded, though you could tell he wasn't entirely thrilled about the idea.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

That night, the group arrived at Alex's house, the place already buzzing with energy. Music blared from the speakers, and people were scattered everywhere, dancing, talking, and having a good time. The lights were dim, giving the place a party atmosphere, and there were drinks everywhere.

You stuck close to Jake initially, feeling the familiar comfort of his presence. However, as the night went on, everyone mingled, and the group found themselves in the living room, where a circle had formed for a game of truth or dare.

"Come on, join us!" Alex called out, motioning for you all to sit down.

With a bit of hesitation, you and your friends joined the circle, the excitement of the game palpable. Alex passed around a few more drinks, and you took a sip, feeling the alcohol warm you up and ease your nerves.

"I'll go first!" Alex announced, spinning a bottle in the center. It landed on Sam. "Truth or dare?"

"Uh, dare," Sam said, looking a bit nervous.

"I dare you to kiss the prettiest girl in the room," Alex challenged, a mischievous grin on his face.

Sam's eyes darted around the circle before settling on Alice, who was sitting next to him. He leaned in and gave her a quick, shy kiss, causing everyone to cheer and clap. Alice blushed but seemed pleased.

Next up was a girl named Jenna, a friend of Alex's. The bottle landed on her, and she chose truth. "Who do you have a crush on right now?" asked another kid, Mark.

Jenna blushed. "Um, actually, it's Alex," she admitted, causing Alex to grin and everyone else to cheer.

The game continued, with various dares and truths flying around. Izzy got dared to do a handstand, which she managed to pull off despite her giggles and slight tipsiness. Josh got dared to drink an entire beer in one go, and he did so with gusto, earning more cheers.

Finally, the bottle landed on you. "Y/N, truth or dare?" a kid named Ryan asked.

"Dare," you said, feeling a bit brave.

"I dare you to kiss Zach," Ryan said, a smirk on his face.

The room went silent for a moment, everyone looking at you expectantly. You glanced at Jake, who tried to keep his expression neutral but failed to hide the tension in his eyes.

"It's just a stupid game," you thought, convincing yourself. You turned to Zach, who was sitting across the circle, and leaned in to give him a quick kiss. The room erupted in whistles and applause, but you could feel the tension in the air.

Jake's face hardened, and he stood up abruptly, storming out of the room. The suddenness of his departure left everyone in stunned silence. Josh quickly got up and followed him out.

You felt a knot form in your stomach, the weight of your actions sinking in. You excused yourself from the game and went to find Jake.

❀ ❀ ❀ ❀ ❀

Outside, in the driveway, you saw Josh talking to Jake. Jake was pacing, clearly agitated.

"Jake, come on, it was just a game," Josh was saying, trying to calm him down.

Jake stopped pacing and looked at Josh, his expression a mix of anger and hurt. "I know, but it's not just about the kiss. It's about everything. Keeping our relationship a secret, feeling like I have to compete with Zach... I just can't stand it."

Josh takes a sip of his beer. "Wait... Hold up, you two are dating?" Josh asks, with confusion all over his face.

"Fuck. Shit. It was supposed to be a secret. We both agreed it would be best, for the group. So if anything happened, nothing would be weird." Jake says frustrated running his fingers through his hair.

Josh put a hand on Jake's shoulder. "You know Y/N cares about you. She wouldn't do anything to hurt you on purpose. Also I promise I won't say a word."

"I know, but it still sucks, and thank you." Jake muttered, running a hand through his hair.

You approached them cautiously, your heart pounding. "Jake, I'm sorry," you said softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. It was just a stupid dare."

"I'm going to go inside and make sure my girlfriend isn't doing anymore handstands. Please don't tell her I called her that...she will probably murder me." Josh smiled drinking his beer before heading off inside.

Jake looked at you, his expression softening a bit. "I know. I just... I hate feeling like this. Like I'm losing you."

"You're not losing me," you said, stepping closer. "I'm here, and I care about you. We'll figure this out."

Jake took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."

You looked at Jake, feeling a sense of relief. "Okay."

As you all headed back inside, you knew that things wouldn't be easy, but you were determined to make it work. The night had been a rollercoaster of emotions, but you were ready to face whatever came next, as long as you had Jake by your side.