Three is a crowd

Chapter 15

Jade stretched her hand and flapped them on her bedside but instead of finding her phone she touched a piece of fabric. Her eyes flew open resulting in a splitting headache. Immediately her other hand touched her head and she winced as her eyes took in her surroundings.

She wasn't in her dorm, and she was holding a pair of underwear. Jade screamed and threw the underwear across the room just as the owner of the room showed up. Peter. Peter was the owner of the room. Jade sat up with a start realizing where she was.

He looked like he was coming from a jog judging from his attire and heavy breathing. As soon as he saw her he grinned before pulling over the chair by his desk so that he was sitted staring at Jade.

"What am I doing in here?" Jade questioned scanning the room once again.

It was messy but not too messy. It looked like a typical boy's room, except the walls were void of any posters. Instead there was a small bookcase filled with novels in a corner, a neatly organized desk and a couple of clothes strewn all over the floor.

Peter looked flustered at the question and Jade smiled to ease his nerves. It seemed to work because he visibly relaxed.

"You were drunk and somehow we ended up here," Peter explained but Jade wasn't convinced.

She looked at her clothes and found out she was in pants and an oversized t-shirt. Those were definitely not her clothes. Jade bit her lip worriedly. She could hardly remember anything that had happened the night before.

"Did we?" Jade asked cautiously making Peter chuckle with a slow shake of his head.

"No, we just made out, a lot," Peter replied and Jade closed her eyes in embarrassment but she smiled.

Flashes of memory began cropping up and she could remember straddling Peter while desperately kissing him.

"And you undressed me?" Jade teased to cover up for her embarrassment while gesturing to her outfit and Peter blushed.

"No that was all you," Peter replied and Jade remembered going through Peter's clothes for an outfit to wear.

"Do you have any Advil?" Jade asked after an awkward silence and Peter scrambled to the drawer by the bedside.

He handed Jade two pills which she gratefully took.

"So about yesterday," Peter began and Jade stared hardly at Peter which made him squirm.

"What about it?" Jade questioned with a tone of indifference that usually intimidated most people and Peter scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Are you going to tell your boyfriend?" Peter continued and Jade laughed even though her stomach twisted in thoughts at the thought.

What the hell was she thinking? Peter was a freshman! He was young, younger than her by like a year but still...young!

"I won't if you don't," Jade responded with a wink which made Peter blush and smile.

"So, you're not going to tell him about us?" Peter asked lightly but Jade could feel the seriousness under his question.

Jade's heart sank. She didn't want to hurt him but she had no option.

"What do you mean us?" Jade asked pronouncing the word us mockingly. "Yesterday was fun, we messed around but I love my boyfriend and what happened between you and me changes nothing."

Peter's face fell along with Jade's heart. Peter looked like he wanted to cry which made Jade feel terrible for him. She didn't want to lie to him but somehow it seemed that was all she was doing to Peter. Lying. Over and over again.

"Oh," Peter finally said and Jade almost took her words back.

But what would she say then? She'd lead him on and that was worse than ripping off the band-aid one time like she had. Jade's phone buzzed and she spotted it on the bedside. Jade reached for it while keeping an eye on Peter who was trying to mask the hurt on his face with indifference. He was failing miserably.

It was Nigel and Jade silently swore. He wanted to know where she was.

"It's him isn't it?" Peter asked bitterly and Jade nodded. "You have to go."

She hated that she made him sound bitter when all the times she had met him he was a ray of sunshine. Jade was also annoyed at the fact that he was dismissing her. With the little dignity Jade had, she got up and took her stuff. Before she left she turned to look at him.

"We're good right pretty boy?" she said with a smile.

Peter struggled to continue frowning so he cracked a small smile but it barely passed off as a smile.

"See you around," Jade whispered with a wink before closing the door behind her.

As soon as she left the frat house where Peter lived, she called Nigel.

"My love," Nigel said as soon as Jade had said hey.

Jade's stomach twisted into tighter knots and she breathed out hoping to feel better.

"You've been blowing up my phone nonstop," Jade teased Nigel who laughed.

It was a hearty sound Jade couldn't hear enough of.

"What can I say, I miss you," Nigel admitted and Jade bit her lip.

"I miss you more," Jade replied automatically until she realized she actually did miss him.

She wasn't lying like she had to Peter.

"I miss you the most," Nigel countered and Jade laughed.

"Impossible," she argued and Nigel laughed. "So why were you blowing up my phone?"

"I was at your room but you weren't there so I dropped something for you there," Nigel told her and Jade's heart warmed before it sank. "Where were you anyway?"

Jade froze.

"Celia's apartment."

The lie rolled off easily off Jade's tongue and she felt terrible for being such a liar. Nigel believed her without a doubt and they talked a bit more before Jade hung up.

True to Nigel's words he had dropped off something for her. It was a big box perched on Jade's bed.

Jade dropped her clothes to the side before opening the box and she found a big teddy bear, boxes of chocolates and a rose. She didn't need to ask what the present was for; Nigel always told her he didn't need a reason to show he loved her. Looking at the gifts a painful realization dawned on Jade...

Hanging with the ex was never a good thing. Part of Jade actually cared about Nigel, heck she still loved him. After a year, she still cared about him.

Jade took the furry teddy bear and cradled it as she plopped herself on her bed.

She loved Nigel

Loved him

Loved him

Loved him

And he love

Love

Loved her back.

The realization broke her heart. They didn't deserve each other.

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