Celestial: Fallen

Chapter 13-A Knock at the Door

"I am so busy today!" I exclaimed to no one in particular, lounging on the couch and staring mindlessly at the TV. In reality, I'd been busy doing absolutely nothing, glued to the screen for hours as I finished binge-watching Lucifer Season 4.

My brain wrestled with a critical decision: rewatch the season or finally find something new? The war against boredom was fierce. As I lay there, pondering this deep existential dilemma, it hit me—I needed a bath.

Brilliant.

That should occupy at least an hour of my so-called "busy" day. I pushed myself off the couch, brushing invisible crumbs off my dress, and switched off the TV. As I turned to head to my room, I caught sight of my reflection in the hallway mirror and froze.

I stared back at myself, the tangled mess that was my hair, the tired eyes from a full day of doing nothing, and the general sense of lethargy that clung to me like an oversized sweater. Ugh. I sighed heavily, reaching out to smooth down my hair. It was a mess. But then again, so were my emotions.

And I knew exactly why.

I bit my lip, forcing the thought away, and headed into my bedroom. My phone buzzed from the side table. It was Josh.

"Yeah?" I answered, my eyes half-focused as I rifled through my clothes, looking for something more comfortable.

"Babe! Have you seen the video?" Josh's voice crackled through the phone with excitement.

"What video?" I asked, holding a soft sweater up against myself, debating whether it was time to trade my dress for something cozy.

"Oh, she hasn't seen it yet!" I heard him whisper, probably to Leroy, who was likely within earshot.

"What video, Josh?" I asked again, a little more forcefully now, putting him on speaker as I sat on the bed.

"Well..." Josh began, his voice dripping with drama. "Someone said Jaimes was at the party last Friday."

My heart skipped a beat. "Oh... really? I didn't see him."

There was muffled whispering between Josh and Leroy before Leroy's voice piped up. "Should we tell her?"

"Shhh! Of course, my girl needs to know!" Josh replied, his voice not bothering to hide the scheming tone.

"You know I can hear both of you, right?" I said, rolling my eyes even as a smile tugged at my lips.

Josh laughed. "Alright, alright. We'll come over, and we'll bring snacks."

"And root beer!" Leroy chimed in. "Cheese popcorn or butter flavor?"

"Both, obviously," I said, already feeling my mood lift. They always knew how to distract me from... everything.

"Take a bath, girl. We can smell you from here!" Josh teased before hanging up.

I rolled my eyes at the phone and dragged myself to the bathroom. Josh and Leroy were lifesavers—chaotic ones, but lifesavers nonetheless.

An hour later, I was freshly bathed, lounging comfortably in sweats when Josh and Leroy burst into the apartment like a mini tornado, arms overflowing with snacks—root beer, popcorn, chips, and ice cream. Josh, as usual, was already in full gossip mode.

"Okay, so," Josh began, settling on the couch beside me. "You haven't seen the video. Now you will." He pulled out his phone with a dramatic flourish.

"Wait, what video?" I asked, my curiosity piqued despite myself.

Josh handed me his phone, and I watched as the video played. It was short, but there was no mistaking what I saw. Jaimes—Jaimes Sullivan—bolting out of a bedroom at the party, with Aubrey, one of those popular girls, still sitting on the bed looking thoroughly frustrated. It was unmistakable.

I handed the phone back, trying to keep my face neutral. "So... that's it?"

Josh exchanged a glance with Leroy before saying, "Well, Jaimes kind of... stormed out. And apparently, people are talking."

My mind wandered back to that night. I hadn't realized Jaimes was in the room until... well, until I barged in. Afterward, I'd quickly left, embarrassed. I hadn't expected Jaimes to follow me out, though part of me had hoped he would. Maybe he didn't. Maybe he just wanted to leave Aubrey.

Either way, he never texted. Not that I expected him to.

Shaking off the thoughts, I stuffed a handful of popcorn into my mouth, hoping to focus on the movie playing on the screen.

About twenty minutes later, a sharp knock on the door snapped me out of my popcorn-induced stupor. I glanced at the clock—just past six. Nick wasn't supposed to be back until ten.

"I'll get it," I said, standing up.

"Is that Nick?" Josh asked lazily, his eyes glued to the screen.

"Maybe." I wandered to the door, casually unlocking it.

And then I saw him.

Jaimes Sullivan, standing there in a plain white shirt and jeans, his glasses dangling from his hand. He looked... calm. Too calm for the storm brewing inside me.

My brain blanked for a solid five seconds. My pulse raced, and all I could manage was a weak, "Oh, hi. What are you doing here?"

"I was, uh, around the corner and thought I'd drop by," he said, scratching his eyebrow nervously, as if he didn't know how to explain his own presence.

I stepped aside, still processing. "Sure, come in."

The moment Jaimes entered the living room, Leroy's voice rang out from the couch, "Hey! How are you?"

Jaimes nodded at Leroy with a small smile. Then, Josh, ever the drama queen, practically launched himself off the couch. "OMG! Is this Jaimes?" he exclaimed, dramatically flinging his arms around him.

"We literally saw each other last week," Jaimes said, laughing, his eyes darting briefly to me.

"That was eons ago, darling," Josh teased, flopping back down beside Leroy, who was still demolishing a chocolate bar.

I stood there, awkward, unsure where to sit. Do I sit next to Josh? Would that seem weird? Leroy coughed, sensing my hesitation. "Why don't you sit?" he gestured to the space right next to Jaimes.

With an awkward laugh, I grabbed a root beer from the table and sat beside Jaimes, nerves buzzing under my skin. I could feel him looking at me, as if trying to figure something out. Was he mad at me for... something? The tension hung in the air like a thick fog.

Josh, ever the opportunist, couldn't resist stirring the pot. "So, Jaimes," he began with a sly grin. "Have you heard the latest news?"

Jaimes glanced from Josh to me, confusion clear on his face. "What news?"

Josh's eyes sparkled mischievously. "You're the talk of the town."

"Me?" Jaimes frowned, looking genuinely bewildered. "Why?"

I nearly choked on my drink, coughing as Jaimes turned toward me. His eyes locked on mine, and I felt like a deer caught in headlights.

Josh, of course, seized the moment, shoving his phone into Jaimes' hand. "Allow me to enlighten you."

Jaimes hesitated, then took the phone, his face growing darker as he watched the video.

I held my breath.

And then...