The Kings II

37

Jo

I jolted up from the bed, my breathing heavy and erratic.

I regained my breath, raking my hands through my hair. I looked over at my clock, noticing the time. 12:21 A.M.

If I was still seventeen, I wouldn't have even been asleep right now. I'd be up, probably hooking up with some girl. Or up in general, not asleep.

I looked down at my sweatpants and sighed, leaning back against my headboard. I hadn't had an actual wet dream since I was probably sixteen.

I stood up and walked over to my bag, squatting down. Abuela had offered Lena her own room considering the circumstances, so I had an actual room rather than the couch.

I grabbed out a pair of joggers and stepped into them, throwing the other pair in the corner of the room. I sighed and opened my door, walking downstairs.

I walked into the kitchen and stopped in my tracks when I saw Lena standing at the counter.

I wasn't buttering her up anymore, I was as angry as she was. If it wasn't fixed by now, it was her fault. I'd done everything I could.

"What are you doing up?" I asked, opening the fridge.

"Couldn't sleep," she muttered, "and ice cream sounded appealing."

I closed the fridge, leaning against the counter. I took a sip of my water, closing my eyes at the satisfying feeling of it quenching my thirst.

I looked back at her and cocked an eyebrow up. "Sorry, about you not being able to sleep."

"Why are you up?" She softly asked.

"Pass."

I pushed myself off of the counter and she sighed. "Jo, maybe we need to talk."

"Oh, you want to talk now," I muttered, placing my water back in the fridge, "we could've talked when it wasn't midnight, all the other times I offered to."

"I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about how stupid this was," she said.

"You're right, it is stupid," I deadpanned, folding my arms over my bare chest.

She just looked at me. "Me being confused wasn't far-fetched-"

"Lena, I just woke up from a wet dream about you, don't make me regret waking up and wanting to fuck you," I said.

"I'm telling you," she said, "we're talking, I'm telling you that me being confused shouldn't be something that surprised you."

"I'm not mad that you're confused, I'm mad that you waited until midnight to want to talk," I said, "I tried, Lena."

"I'm aware," she said, nodding as she folded her arms over her chest.

"So why couldn't we sit down like grown adults and talk about it?" I asked, shrugging, "I'm still waiting on a reason. We could be in bed fucking right now if you would've been a little less hard-headed."

"Jo, I didn't want to think about it," she said, "that lady's life is ruined now-"

"I'm sure she's damn well off," I said, nodding.

"I can't wrap my head around you thinking it's okay," she said, shaking her head.

"Who said I thought it was okay?" I asked, my brows in a deep furrow, "I sure as hell didn't, I told you to your face that I regretted it."

"She probably didn't, Jo," she said, shrugging, "everyone around you told me you forgot about her. As soon as the next best thing came along, she was in the back of your mind. That's not what I wanted to hear, that didn't ease my mind, Jo-"