The Bad Boy • Jonah Marais

Chapter 19

I get home and Axel looks to see me. I was keeping a strong face up and I knew, out of everyone, my dog could probably see through it. I close the door and lock it and I go to my room changing back into pajamas and wiping the makeup off my face. I take my hair out, comb it through and then end up back in my room. Laying on my back and just staring at the ceiling. Obviously Axel knows something is wrong so he cuddled up against me. I blinked and a tear rolls down my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a light appear from my phone and the rhythmic buzz of someone calling me sets off.

I wipe my face and look at my phone, Jonah is calling. I quickly push decline and go back to sulking in my own sadness. But before I could he calls again. I start to lose my patience and decline again. But he just calls a third time. I become infuriated and answer, "What Jonah? What?" I shouted into my phone.

"Ava..." I heard the sincerity in his voice and wanted to crawl back to him, invite him over and have the night we were planning to. "Please, you have to understand-"

"How long Jonah?" I asked him.

He hesitates, "What?"

"How long have you been cheating?" I said as tears rolled down my cheek.

He doesn't waste a moment, "Just tonight."

"Bullshit." I said to him. "You've been acting weird for the past week! You really think I wouldn't notice?! Then tonight, I questioned myself and my worth all to find out the one guy I thought I actually fell for was cheating on me with Amelia goddamn Evans." I couldn't stop myself from crying and yelling at him at the same time but I stopped to sob. "I'm not gonna ask again Jonah." I said in a whisper because any louder and I think I'd break down, "How long?"

"You wanna know why I've been acting weird?!" He starts to yell at me, "My mom was just diagnosed with cancer and I didn't wanna bring you into it!"

I rolled my eyes, "You know you could've told me anything and that's what you did, until recently anyway."

"I didn't want you to worry." He says calming down.

"And instead I got paranoid! You can obviously tell why I was." I sobbed again, "You did the one thing I was scared you'd do, you promised me you wouldn't and I wanted to believe you'd changed but obviously I was just one of those stupid girls who fell for Jonah Frantzich." I said coldly.

"No Ava, you're not one of those girls-" Jonah started to say.

I shook my head, "Don't give me that bullshit. I wish your mom the best." With those words I hang up and turn my phone off, I couldn't deal with anyone else right now. All I wanted to do is sit in my bed with my dog and cry.

**2 A.M.**

I get up, my face all hot and dry from crying, my hair a total mess. It was 2 in the morning and someone was fricking knocking at my door, "Ugh I'm coming!" I called out to whoever.

I open the door and see Jonah who looked just as awful as I did, tears streaming down his face. I froze right there, I did not expect him to come here or look so vulnerable. He wipes his face, "Ava..." Jonah says, his voice all shaky. "I don't know where else to go, please don't kick me out."

I moved out of the way and let him inside. He goes to his normal spot on the couch and just stares at the ground. I closed the door to lock it and went to the kitchen to get Jonah some water. As I do so I questioned myself, why would I let the guy who has left me crying all night into my house again? I'm such a dumbass. When I go back out to give him his water, Jonah looks completely broken. I couldn't describe it, the look in his eye made my own heart hurt. A tear runs down his cheek and he doesn't stop it.

I walk over to him and give him water. He shakily sits upright and with trembling hands takes the glass in his hands. "Jonah..." I started but I realized I didn't know what I was going to say.

He just blinks and tears fall down his face again. He shook his head, "I can't right now Ava... please..." I bit my lip and nodded. Before I get up, Jonah grabs my hand, "Please stay." Someone with half a brain would've been smart enough to say no, but my dumb ass just stared into his eyes. The sadness in his eyes could convince the Pope to worship the devil.

Before I could say a thing, I hesitated and tears threatened to fall out of my eyes. The image of Jonah with Amelia made my heart ache. I closed my eyes and the tears fell, I looked back over at him and couldn't give him an answer. I just sat back on the couch and he leaned on me.

I didn't focus on the morning or any of what comes after, now all I cared about was spending one last night with the only boy I've loved and getting over it tomorrow.