Tormented love

Chapter 19

I could smell the sweat in the room, my own choice led me to believe the beer pong table was where it originated from. The two pair of guys had been frantically competing for nearly twenty minutes. The match was so close nearly ten people stood around watching.

Across the room Amber stood with Rohan, her on again off again fling of the year. After Shawn I let myself assume, Rohan was done with her. I imagined he was better than letting her back into his life. Romantically, at least. Goes to show how well I actually knew any of them if I'm honest. Ashley wondered off around ten minutes ago claiming she would get us drinks, that was a lie. She's standing in the kitchen, leaned against the counter. A stranger holds all of her attention.

Ally has been the only faithful friend tonight and I'm being selfish with her. I have her lounged around on Evans mother's couch sipping cranberry vodka out of a pastel purple colored cup. "Ally, you can go party." I smile as I swirl my drink inside the cup. "You look miserable." I take another sip of the drink as she plays with a strand of hair.

"Anna, you're a great friend babe. You're really going to make it through this. I hope you know that." She stands to her feet after kissing my cheek and saunters towards the beer pong table. If I were in some alternate universe we would've argued about how she wanted to be here for me. We're in my reality though and nothing in my reality is like that.

After much consideration, I decided to involve myself more by going to grab another drink. I never realized the amount of people we had in our class maybe this was different classes though. Hell for all I know these people are from different schools. I see maybe ten familiar faces.

"Anna." The one and only Tyler leans across the bar to greet me from the end. I only roll my eyes. At first at least, but I worked up the courage to build words.

"Don't pity me. Don't tell me you told me so either. I don't have the energy for your shit Tyler. Don't scold me." I scan his surprises face as I see him slide a blue kinky towards me.

"A piece offering." He stated sarcastically. I didn't smile, I didn't budge. "Fine, you tell me what you want and I'll go get it." I did not react. "Anna, I'm trying here. I don't want to scold you. I don't even know what your talking about honestly. We're just at a party and I figured you needed company seeing as though Zach isn't here tonight. I'm sorry." I grabbed the blue kinky from the bar and helped myself to sit where it was.

"He cheated on me Tyler." I felt the tears and I bit them back. I played with the bottle cap, trying to twist it off. "I ruined my friendship with Jake because I wanted to try things with Zach I thought I liked him Tyler. He was with a girl in his bed. She was on my side of the..well I guess it wasn't my side but.." my voice was shaking. "Tyler he really hurt me." I sobbed. "I'm fucked up Tyler." I almost began to cry the tears were there and I had to fight my way away from them. "I can't even open this damn bottle." A hand took the bottle from me and twisted the cap off before I brought it to my lips. "Thank you." I wiped my hand across my lower eye and luckily had no marks of the black eyeliner smudged onto it.

"I'm sorry Anna." The voice was not Tyler's, so I looked up. Jake has found himself in the kitchen and listened to my rant and was now apologizing to me for my stupidity. I glance over to Tyler who only looked to the fridge. "If I'd had known he would do this much damage I would've tried harder to get you away from him but Anna you have to believe me. I did try. I didn't want to see you hurt." The sadness in his eyes I saw before now radiated off of his body. I never knew how much pain Jake was going through, I didn't even know he was hurting along with me. It was apparent now and I was very glad to have the close proximity without the yelling. I felt his large hand lay on my very exposed thigh and give a gentle squeeze. "I missed you A. I wish you weren't hurting. I wish you weren't still mad at me." I wasn't anymore. I couldn't be.

"Jake I'm.." I was going to tell him. I wanted to tell him. I could've told him honestly. Then again, I could show him.

I used the leg he was holding to pull him to the counter in a swift movement as I pressed my lips to his very surprised own lips. He didn't respond quickly, it took him a while. It scared me at first. Had I ruined it all? All over again.

But he did respond.

And when he did, when he wrapped his calloused hand around the back of my neck and pulled my body into his, I knew I couldn't let Jake go. Jake was what I missed. The hate I felt for him diminished the second his hand touched my leg.

In the back ground I heard Rohan scream like a girl as the large group watched the two of us. Tyler and Rohan had apparently worked up the entire group to yell with them before Jake smiled against my lips and pulled me off the counter. "Okay, shows over." Jake announced before Rohan pumped a fist into the air.

"We going upstairs." I blurt out and Jake yanks his head to me, surprised.

"My boy!" Rohan continued. Rohan bit his bottom lip and pointed his index finger at Jake. I wanted to laugh at the show he's staging.

"Upstairs?" Jake whispered into my ear.

"Upstairs, Jake." I leaned closer to him and softly kissed his neck as I began towards the steps. After a not so hesitant glance, he began to follow.

Evans guest room or what I'd assumed was his guest room was quiet small but very welcoming. I walked in the door and Jake quickly followed and bumped the door closed with his foot. "Anna?"

"Jake." I softly stated.

"Don't let this happen if you're going to run back to him." He pressed. It hurt, Jake was no rebound. He should know that.

"Jake. You're worrying." He clicked the door shut.

"No I'm serious." I walked closer to him and held his stare. He was watching me as if I were a vivid dream. Something that he couldn't look away from.

I pulled the sheer sleeves down my shoulders and the dress stopped at my waist. "Don't be so serious, Jacob." His eyes became stern at the mention of his legal name before he moved closer urging our body's together and pressing his lips back to mine. He didn't bother the dress that rested at my hips he only wrapped my legs around his body and moved us over to the bed, laying me in the center.

"Don't leave me Anna." He whispered it to me and I watched as the friend I thought I had turned into so much more.