The Great War

🤍 No Time To Die 🤍

The song in the title is "No Time To Die" by Billie Eilish.

Jake's POV

I should've known
I'd regret this
Just goes to show
That the blood you bleed
Is just the blood you owe

We were a pair
But I saw you here
Too much to bear
You were my best friend
But friendship is far away from fair

Was I stupid to believe you?
Was I reckless to help?
Was it obvious to everybody else
That I'd fallen for a lie?

You were never on my side
Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?
Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die

I let it burn
You're no longer my concern
Faces from my past return
Another lesson yet to learn
That I'd fallen for a lie

You were never on my side
Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?
Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die

No time to die

3rd Person POV

Jake's heart sinks. "What?"

Drew continues, "You heard me. If you want her free, you have to leave her. Break up with her, and never look back. That's my condition."

Jake feels his anger rise again, mixing with disbelief. "You're joking, right? You want me to break up with her? Are you out of your mind?"

Drew's smirk widens. "I'm not joking, Jake. That's my condition. You have two choices. Either you break up with her, or she stays here in those chains. Choose."

Jake looks at Hailey, seeing the shock in her eyes as she gives Jake a look that very clearly states that they can't break up. He can't leave her. He can't break up with her. The idea alone seems absurd. But he realises he's not in a position to argue. He has to make a choice, for her sake.

He turns back to Drew, his voice filled with frustration. "You know I can't break up with her. She's... everything to me. I won't do it."

Drew's expression hardens, and he takes a step closer to Jake. "Then you leave me no choice. She stays chained up. And I hope you'll enjoy watching her suffer, knowing that you could have let her go free if you just ended things with her."

Hailey summons all her strength and speaks up, her voice raspy and weak.

"Don't... do it, Jake."

Jake looks down at her, his heart heavy. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable, breaks him inside. He wants to hold her, to comfort her, to take away all her pain.

"Hailey..." he begins, his voice hoarse, but she cuts him off, shaking her head slightly.

Hailey looks up at him, her eyes filled with determination. "Don't break up with me. Please. I can handle this. I can take all this pain. But I can't... live without you, Jake."

Every word she speaks tugs at Jake's heartstrings, making it harder for him to think straight. His chest tightens and he feels tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. The love he feels for her is so immense that the thought of leaving her, even for her own sake, is unbearable.

Drew laughs again, clearly enjoying the scene playing out in front of him. "Oh, this is priceless! You two really are made for each other, aren't you? This is some real Romeo and Juliet crap right here."

Jake glares at Drew, his gaze filled with contempt. "Shut the hell up!!! This is real life, and what you're doing is wrong! You're torturing her because you can't handle the fact that I finally saw through your bullshit!!"

Drew just sneers back at him, unfazed by Jake's tone. "You call it bullshit, I call it payback. You left us behind for that freak, and this is what she deserves. You owe us, Jake. You owe us for abandoning us for her. This is just the price you have to pay."

Jake's fists clench at his sides, anger and helplessness coursing through him. He wants to punch Drew square in the face, to make him feel even a fraction of the pain he's causing Hailey. But he knows that wouldn't solve anything. He's in a powerless situation, and he hates it.

He looks back down at Hailey, seeing the pleading in her eyes. She's silently begging him not to do what Drew says, to not break up with her no matter what. It's tearing him apart, knowing that he has to hurt her to save her.

He takes her face in his hands again, gently cupping her cheeks. "Hailey... Princess, listen to me. You don't know what you're asking. If I break up with you, you'll be free. You'll be safe. Isn't that what you want?"

Hailey slowly shakes her head, her eyes never leaving his. "No, Jake.. I don't care, I'm willing to die if I have to be without you... I care about you. I can't lose you. Not after everything that has happened. I can't live without you..."

Jake's heart breaks as he hears her words. She's willing to risk everything, even her own life, just to keep him in hers. The depth of her love, her fierce determination, it's astounding. But it only makes the decision harder.

He looks up at Drew, his anger and frustration reaching a boiling point. "Dammit, Drew! Is this what you want? For me to leave the woman I love? Is your petty vengeance worth torturing her?"

Drew grins, clearly enjoying this. "This isn't just about vengeance, Jake. This is about you learning a lesson. It's about teaching you that you can't just ditch us, your real friends, for some freak. She's not worth it. And this is your punishment for choosing her over us."

Jake grits his teeth, his whole body tensing as he fights to keep his anger in check. "She's worth everything. You don't understand. You'll never understand what she means to me."

Jake, seeing no other choice, steps away from Hailey. He looks Drew square in the eye, his gaze hard and set.

"Fine, Drew. If that's what it takes, I'll fight you. I'll fight you for her. If I win then she's going back home with me and if I lose you get to do whatever you want."

This is gonna escalate quickly in the next chapter so, take care <3
Thank you for reading 💞