Bad Memories // a.u.

chapter 17: it's not over

jake's pov

I stood up from the table thinking that maybe Skylar was going to walk through the front door and that I should go with Noelle into the living room. I stopped short when I heard shouting. I peered around the wall and saw Noelle talking to a girl I didn't recognize, not that I would recognize anyone really. The first thing I noticed that she was gorgeous with that long almost black hair. I could tell that Noelle didn't like her though. 

Where is she? I heard Noelle practically screamed at her. The other girl didn't seem fazed by it at all though. 

I intently listened to her response, but what caught my ear was when she said, she goes in and rings some room but gets no answer. She leaves a frantic message. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Skylar went back to my hotel? But why? I shook my head to myself and walked back to the kitchen, not wanting to hear the rest of their conversation. I didn't want Noelle to find me spying either. 

She came in a bit later asking if I would be fine sitting by myself in the kitchen, treating me like a child. I laid my head on the table, wishing that I'd never even come here looking to resolve things with Skylar. It looked like she was doing just fine on her own and had created a new life for herself without me. I just wish I knew why she'd gone back to my hotel, but I guess it doesn't matter. 

**********

I woke up the next morning in my hotel room and I'm not entirely sure how I ended up back here. I twisted my head to look at the time, causing me to wince as it cracked. It was 12:45. My eyes widened and then blinked a few times before noticing a flashing light on the phone. "Hmm," I said, sitting up. I inspected it, trying to figure out how to get to the voicemail, memories of last night flooding into my mind of that girl telling Noelle that Skylar had left me one. After ten minutes of trying to figure it out, I finally did. With the phone pressed up to my ear, I waited for her voice to fill my ears. 

Jake? Why aren't you in your room? Where else would you even go? It doesn't even matter. Oh, God. Why am I doing this, why am I even here? 

I could see her shaking, down in the lobby while leaving me the message. 

I'm sorry, I sound so fucking stupid. I love you ok? I know I said we were over for good, but I think I still love you. 

And then she hung up.

noelle's pov

"I'm not going to be able to face Jake ever again!" Skylar groaned. 

We were sitting in town, eating breakfast at Keaton's diner. I liked to call it that even though it wasn't actually his. Today Skylar was the one to only pick at her breakfast. I had finished mine twenty minutes ago.

"Your bacon not any good today?" I asked, not feeling like discussing the topic of Jake anymore.

"Hmmm? Oh. I'm just not hungry," she states, picking at it with her fork some more. I wave Keaton over so he can take her plate. I can't take seeing her pick at her food any longer.

"I don't know why you ladies keep eating here. I hear the service is terrible," Keaton says as he picks up Skylar's dishes.

"Especially this guy named Keaton," I joked.

"Oh yeah. He's the worst," he laughed before walking back to the kitchen.

 "But really, Noelle. How am I going to face Jake? I need to see him before he goes back to Rhode Island. I don't even know when he goes back."

"Do you even know what you're going to say to him? Or what you're going to tell Drew because you can't keep stringing him along if you really do love Jake."

She rolled her eyes. "I told you Noelle. I don't love Jake. And what's with your sudden approval of Jake. You always hated when I was with him."

I shrugged. "I don't know. He was sort of sweet the other night, I guess. But yeah, it doesn't discount everything he's done in the past."

"Sweet about what?"

I sighed, knowing I should've kept my mouth shut. "I had one of my moments and he calmed me down."

"Noelle..." 

"What?" 

"Anyone would help someone when they're like that. He's not going to just let you faint or have a spaz attack or whatever."

"Well thanks for letting me know how you feel about what I'm going through!" I stood up from the booth and stormed off. 

"Noelle!" she called after me. 

I ran as best as I could in my flip flops, making a smacking noise with each step I took. I didn't look back to see if she was following me, but I knew she wasn't. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I wanted to get away. All of a sudden I ran into someone walking in the street. 

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry," I apologized, brushing my hair out my face to recognize the person as Jake. "Jake?"

"Noelle? Hey," he said. "You gotta watch where you're going. Why are you in such a hurry?"

I took a second to catch my breath. "Uh, I was just um, running?" 

He nodded. "Alright. Well, it was good to see you."

"Yeah, you too Jake," I avoided his eyes as I spoke. I wasn't sure why but our conversation was awkward. I gave him a little wave before walking away. I thought about running again, but it didn't feel as though it would be as rewarding as it was before. I felt exhausted all of a sudden, so my pace was slower than normal. My phone beeped in my pocket and I checked it knowing I didn't want to scare anyone like Skylar did. 

Hey, babe. Skylar said you ran out of the diner. You ok?

I slowed to a stop, thinking about how to respond. Yeah, sorry. I'm fine. I'll see you later tonight, I typed back. I wanted to keep walking around with no direction, but I figured I should get back home. My phone rang a few moments later and I answered it, assuming it would be Keaton.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm fine."

"Noelle?" my aunt's voice came through the speaker. 

"Aunt Kathryn?" I asked, concerned. She hasn't contacted me once since I've been to California so I assumed that something must be wrong. 

"Yes, sweetie. It's me. Were you expecting someone else?"

"Uh, yeah. I just figured it was my boyfriend," I said before realizing that she didn't know anything about Keaton. 

"Boyfriend?" she inquired.

"Um...." I trailed off, not really wanting to get into it right then with her. My aunt wasn't a very nosy person, but she could be about certain things. "So what were you calling me about?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, darling. There have been some new developments in your parents' case."

"New developments? What kind of developments?" My parents' case had gone cold a year ago. They had never found the killer. 

"I'm not quite sure if I'm supposed to be telling you this or not, but they've found some new evidence and there's a new suspect." My breath caught and I tried to speak, but I felt frozen. "Noelle? Are you there, sweetie?"

A few moments later, I found my breath. "Sorry. Do they have the suspect?"

"I need you to be safe, dear."

"Safe from what? What aren't you telling me? Where is the suspect?" I was getting really nervous from her hushed tone.

"Someone last saw him boarding a plane to California." 

hi (: so that happened. please vote and leave your thoughts in the comments xx zoe