The Middle - Volume Two ✔️

Chapter 47

Jamie

After stripping my bed and putting the sheets in the laundry, I help myself to some Cornflakes and coffee, and sit down on the back patio step with my coat on, watching as Benji happily sniffs around the garden. I'll take him for a walk after I've eaten my cereal and gotten dressed into warm clothes.

Will left a fruit basket on my kitchen table with a card from him and Maddie. Totally sweet. I already texted him to say thanks. He hasn't replied, which is fine by me. He's probably still in shock after what he heard this morning. I cringe at the thought.

The gate at the bottom of my back yard opens, and Jay walks through. I am so fucking glad Jay didn't come by an hour earlier.

"Morning, J1." I call out to him. He smiles at Benji before walking over to me, stealing my coffee mug and sparking up a cigarette.

"You were done with this, right?" He asks, before taking a gulp of my coffee.

"Would it matter if I was?" I challenge him with a laugh.

"Nope. Coffee and cigarettes, better than sex."

"I wouldn't know." I reply casually. I've never tried smoking, and I don't ever intend to.

"I'm kidding. Sex is better. But only just." Jay says with a grin. I'm glad he's talking about sex lightly like this. Since he hooked up with Erin, this kinda thing has been a touchy subject. He seems cool today, though.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" He asks me. "Study, study and more study?"

"Pretty much." I sigh before getting to my feet. "House work mixed in with all the studying too."

"Well, before you start all of that, how about we go for a ride?" He asks with a smile. I haven't driven my new car yet. Is he actually suggesting that he's gonna let me get behind the wheel of a car again...this soon?! I thought the guys would taxi me around for months. This is amazing!

"We can take Benji to the beach." He says, and Benji starts wagging his tail excitedly.

"Well, we have to now!" I say with a big smile.

I got it wrong, of course. Jay didn't let me drive. He drove to the beach in my new car, and meticulously explained how everything in the car works, like I'm a 15 year old that's never driven a car before. Honestly. It is so cool though. I can connect my phone over the Bluetooth, there's some kinda parking assist camera thing, but I think that's totally lazy and I won't ever use it. Built in Sat Nav, heated seats (which is pretty damn handy at this time of year). I love it, and I love Jay. I told him so, over and over, and he kindly reminded me that Walter was the one who wanted to get me the car, not him.

Jay asked me how it went with Noah the previous night, so... I told him the truth. The whole truth. I promised myself I would be honest with my best friends now, and I'm sticking to that. Jay didn't exactly die of shock when I told him I slept with Noah this morning, but he wasn't overly impressed. And now, we're about to have dinner with Patrick, so I'll tell him the truth too. Here goes.

"So..." I start, opening up the bag containing our Chinese takeout.

"You slept with Noah?" Patrick says casually, helping himself to a beer from my fridge.

"You told him?" I accuse Jay. He shakes his head at me before helping himself to some spicy duck rolls.

"I have a sixth sense, remember." Patrick adds, taking a swig from his beer and smirking at me. How the hell does he do that!?

"Have you heard from him yet?" Jay asks me, and I check my phone on reflex.

"No, still nothing." I inform the boys with a heavy heart. I shouldn't have slept with him, I know that already. But...I actually thought things might be different this time. I thought maybe, just maybe. He'd wake up and realise that he actually likes me. But I was wrong. He woke up horny, that's it. I'm an idiot.