Meant To Be: A Jerika Story

Chapter Three

One Week Later-

Erika POV: As Jake's views kept getting higher and higher, my job was becoming more and more stressful. It's as if everyone wanted him to be everywhere. Managing his schedule was a complete nightmare. Luckily, I had gotten a break so Tessa and I decided to go get froyo. While we ate, I could tell she was anxious about something.
"T, what's wrong?" I asked, setting my cup down. She sighed.
"It's just.. it's just I think I'm like low key crushing on Chance." I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
"Like for more than just Jake's vlog. He's actually super chill and funny, and he has the prettiest eyes," she begins to stare off in space. I smile. "But E, I don't know what to do?! Like us becoming a thing is a huge risk. I don't want to ruin team ten's vibe." I take a deep breath. "Do you want the advice I want to give you, or the advice I don't want to but probably should give you?" "Both?" She says.
"First off, you guys would be adorable.. I can just picture the cute Instagrams! But there's also so much that could go wrong. If things don't work out, you would have to live in the same house as your ex, and that would hurt you more than you think. For yourself and team ten as a whole, I think it's best if you stick to light hearted flirting, and wait out on expressing your feelings." I give her a sympathetic smile and lace my fingers through hers. Squeezing my hand she says, "you're right. You literally always know what to do. What would I do without you."
"Aw I luh you pickle," I croon in a southern accent. "I luh you more pickle," she says back. We both laugh and go back to finishing up our froyo.

Later-
Tessa pulls up into the team ten house driveway, and we sit parked for awhile, jamming out to the country music everyone else despised. When we finally go inside, the house is eerily quiet. I then see Jake in the living room, cozying up to some vaguely known Instagram model. I groan. Great, another girl who will soon be hopelessly in love with a guy who will have lost all interest after the first night. Another girl I would then have to console and convince not to talk about him and ruin his image. Gotta love my life. Jake looks up momentarily and smiles at Tessa and I. He turns the girl in our direction.
"Sage, this is Erika and Tessa, the two girls on team ten." "Hi girls! You have such a nice house," she says, looking around. I give her a warm smile. "Thanks. Also Jake, I can see you're busy but don't forget, you have your conference call in like 10 minutes. It's with Forbes." He nods. "Can you guys hang out with Sage until I'm done? Give her some company?"
"Of course," says Tessa, and we both sit down as Jake leaves to do business. Immediately, Sage turns and pulls us close.
"So I've always wanted to know, what is Jake like in real life? Like he's so funny in his vlogs but right now he's nothing like that. Is that normal? Is something wrong?" I laugh.
"No.. see, he puts on an exaggerated act for the camera, to keep things interesting. He's actually super chill and quiet. And more mature than you'd think." Tessa nods in agreement.
"Ohh, I see. Either way, he's so hot. Like I legit can't stop staring at his lips," says Sage, blushing. At the very mention of his lips, My mind is overwhelmed with the memory of him all over my body; the rushed passion we had had that night. My breath hitches and I look away; the chatter between Tessa and Sage now seemed so far away.
"Erika? Earth to Erika," says Tessa, waving her hand in front of my face. "Sorry, zoned out for a bit. What's up?" Sage was asking me about how I met Jake, and now she wants to know how you guys got to know each other." I smile. "Well, it's a pretty funny story, if you could call it that."

Jake POV: It is, isn't it?" I say, walking into the room. "Jake Paul, were you spying on us?" says Sage with a giant grin on her face.
"Maybe I was," I say, coming close enough to bop her on the nose.
"What about the call?" asks Erika.
"Kevin's busy, so I gotta wait for another two hours." I wedged myself in between Sage and Erika. "So where were we.. oh right, how Erika and I met. Around this time last year, before the vlogs and team ten, I was still trying to make a name for myself and meet as many people as I could, constantly going to different parties and meetings. So at one of these networking things, I really had to pee. So I go out and of course in my rush my dumbass goes into the girls restroom. But I had to go so bad I was just like "fuck it." Right as I'm finishing up I can hear this girl walk in. Now I was screwed. No guy wants to be caught coming out of a girls toilet stall. So I try and wait it out, but like twenty minutes and the girl is still there. With no other options I decide to come out. Unfortunately the girl literally jumps when she sees me, then starts screaming. Turns out she was doing her makeup, and the scare made her drag her eye liner across her face. She starts swearing up a storm and I would have left right there, but for all I knew this girl could be a big shot in the industry and I didn't want to risk pissing her off more than I already had. So I gave her my number and information, then finally got the fuck out of there. And what do you know, that girl turned out to be Erika." They all laughed. "He was adorable, calling me later to see if I was okay. Then we talked for a bit and he decided to hire me as his assistant," said Erika, looking at me with a wistful smile.
"Wow that's honestly precious," said Sage as she rested her hand on my thigh. We all talked for a bit, then Erika got up.
"All right guys, I think I'm going to bed." she said as she walked away.
"Erika, hold up," I said while running up to her. She stopped, then turns toward me. "Yeah?"
"You thought I was adorable?"
She laughed, then simply smiled.
"I still think you're adorable." And with that, she waved good bye and shut the door behind her.