Dedicated to LiduBerhe for being so amazing to me. I appreciate all the support love! Thank You.



I ignore his phone call once again, and after a moment, a text comes through.

I open it.

Why are you doing this? You are not going to spend the night with him, Jess. I mean it! Now pick up.

Excuse me! He can do whatever he wants, and I can't even spend a night with a friend? I don't think so.

I decide to reply because I am beyond irritated by his attitude.

Stop calling me. I'm busy. Just focus on entertaining Red for the night.

A reply comes almost instantly.

What do you mean?

I roll my eyes and put my phone on silent, shoving it back in my pocket.

"Who keeps texting you?" Jayden asks, looking at me for a brief second before returning his gaze back to the road.

"No one important."

We had to go by my house so I could drop my car and get a few things. I am already dreading the conversation I am going to have with my mother tomorrow. She did not like the idea of me spending a night at Jayden's house at all, but I convinced her Steff and Jeremy would be there too. If only she knew what her daughter has been up to for the past couple of weeks.

When we get to Jayden's house, I'm surprised by the modern simplicity of it. It has a glass front and is very spacious. It is decorated in a sleek, minimalist manner with neutrals and gives off a feeling of calmness. Jayden gives me a quick tour, and I admire every corner. I guess when he said he was staying with his grandmother I assumed the house would be somewhat traditional.

"I love your house," I tell him as we walk down a corridor to his room.

"Most people can't stand living in a glasshouse. They feel too exposed."

"You don't feel that way?"

"No. I'm claustrophobic, so this makes me feel like I can breathe." He tells me, opening the door to his bedroom.

In comparison to Liam's overly organized room, Jayden's bedroom is a bit cluttered. It is painted dark grey and black, and there's a large poster of guns and roses on the right side of his wall. I walk further inside to invade his privacy, eyeing everything curiously. Above his bed frame, there is a floating shelf stacked with DVDs along with some trophies. And there is an empty fish tank on his nightstand.

I look up at him with question.

"Steve used to live there before I forgot to feed him. He was a great fish, that Steve. Never said much. He just communicated through silence. I felt so guilty when he passed. So I kept his home." He says, and even though it's tragic, I can't help but laugh.

"You starved your fish to death and then kept his tank as a memoir?"

"Hey! I am not proud of it, okay? And I'm planning to get Steve Junior," He says defensively, and my eyes go wide.

I dramatically shake my head.

"Please don't! You will kill him too. I can't be friends with a serial killer." I say, and he laughs.

I smile, returning to my exploration. My eyes land on a framed picture of a beautiful blonde on the shelf. I step closer so I can admire her. She has deep green eyes similar to Jade's, and something about her is very familiar.

"That's my sister."

I whip my head around to face him. His eyes are focused on the framed picture.

"She's really pretty," I tell him.

"She was. I took that picture." He looks at me, and the sadness in his eyes breaks my heart.

"Was?" I ask.

"She passed away a year ago." He says, suddenly looking grim.

I knew his parents died in a car crash when he was young, and that he was raised by his aunt in New York. But he never mentioned a sister.

Poor, Jade! I have never seen this side of him. He is always so happy and cheerful. I admire people like him. People who have seen enough pain to cripple them for life but still manage to keep their heads up and put a smile on their face. I don't know if I have it in me  to do that.

Some force makes me turn around and give him a hug. For a moment, his body freezes in surprise, but then he wraps his arms so suddenly and so tightly around me, it's almost hard to breathe.

"Thank you for coming over tonight. It gets lonely sometimes." He confesses his face still buried in my neck, and I feel my heart break for him.

"I'm glad I'm here," I tell him.

"Now you are. But he will eventually convince you to stay away, and you will listen." He says, and I know he is referring to Liam.

I pull away and stare at him, not hiding my shock.

"How did you..." I don't know what exactly it is I want to ask him. I didn't tell anyone.

"Jess, come on. I'm not that oblivious. I see the way you two look at each other. He literally acts like a caveman when you're in the room. It's like he wants to beat up every single guy that looks your way for too long. I've never seen him act like this." He frowns, and I am embarrassed that we've been so transparent.

I should have just told my friends what was going on, but I didn't want anyone to give me a reality check and burst my bubble. I thought I was being discreet. I guess I was wrong. But then again, Jayden is the most observant person I know.

"It's not what you think," I tell him even though it is exactly like that.

He gives me a small smile and looks away.

"They told me my grandmother went on a church retreat, but I have this awful feeling that she is somewhere on a hospital bed. She would never leave without saying goodbye. And I haven't been able to reach her." He says, changing the conversation.

"I'm sure she's not, Jade. If it was something serious, your aunt would have told you." I tell him, and he nods, unconvinced.

"Can you promise me something?" He asks.

I nod.

"Be careful around Liam. He is..." He shakes his head, stopping himself. "Just be careful."

My mind immediately goes to that day I went out with Liam. Be careful around Jayden, he said. I wish I knew what happened between the two of them.

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"It means keep your eyes open. Don't trust him. I don't want him to hurt you" He looks me in the eye, and I look away.

It is a little too late for that.

I need to change the subject before this gets awkward. I jump up and down several times and twirl around.

"See," I smile at him. "I'm fine. No harm done," I tell him, and he bites his lips to keep from laughing.

"Do that again." He says, and I repeat, jumping up and down and twirling. This time he laughs out loud.

"So, are you gonna let me pick out the movie or what?" I arch my brows at him.

He sighs dramatically and pulls a pillow dropping it to the floor. He sits and leans back on it, staring up at me.

"Fine, fine! Choose." He says.

I smile brightly, fisting my hands together in excitement. Somehow being around Jayden eases the ache in my chest. If I try hard enough, I can almost pretend that it isn't there.

"I'm guessing you don't believe in Netflix," I say, looking through the stash of DVD's.

"No. I like going out to the movies or buying them. What is the fun in Netflix? It just makes you take movies for granted. You know you can find whatever you want with a single click, so you don't fully appreciate it." He says, and I stop to consider this.

"Hmm,"

"Have you seen Hugo?" He asks.

"Yeah. I love that movie."

"It really shows the magic of film making. It's one of my favorite movies."

I smile and nod in agreement.

"What do we have here? Indiana Jones, Nop." I throw it on the bed.

"Hey! That's a great movie." He complains.

My eyes widen when I see his James bond collection.

"Gold finger, Quantum of solace, Octopussy, Skyfall, The spy who loved me, License to Kill, Casino Royale..." I put the rest down and stare at him in bewilderment. "How many do you have?"

He gives me a wide smile.

"All. Come on, it's 007. The great J. Bond." He says, enjoying my stunned reaction.

"Was being a Spy like your dream or something?" I ask, eyeing him.

He gets up and faces me.

"I didn't want you to find out this way, but I can't keep this from you any longer." He takes my hands in his. "I am a secret agent from the future sent to find someone worth saving. The Apocalypse is near. And I choose you. You must not tell a soul. Go home and prepare for the long journey. We leave at a quarter to zero." He says.

I stare at him with amusement before I burst into fits of laughter.

"Jeez, you almost got me. You're such a great actor."

"Why, Thank you, Ma'am!" He bows and picks up one of his trophies from the shelf.

"I didn't prepare a speech because I honestly didn't think I would win. I mean, this is the Oscars!" He says, holding the trophy close to his chest.

"I'm so flattered to have been chosen as the best actor among all of you geniuses. I know Leo," He says, looking at the wall in front as if he's talking to a person. "You really wanted to win, and trust me, I think you deserve it," He acts like he's struggling not to cry. "Oh, and Denzel over there," He turns to the right. "I can hear you sobbing all the way here, man! It's alright. There's always a next time." He says and finally looks at me.

I'm desperately trying to stifle a burst of loud laughter as I look at him.

"A special thanks to the beautiful Jess over there. She is the one on the left, giving me the middle finger. I know, I know, she is perfection." He smiles at me fondly. "Without you, none of this would have been possible. This is for you." He says, raising the trophy, and I laugh like a crazy maniac.

"Wow!" I look at him after catching my breath. "You're hilarious!"

"I love watching you laugh." He smiles at me, and I feel the energy in the room change once again.

I quickly get back to looking through the DVD's not wanting to create tension.

"Aha! Interview With a Vampire. This will do." I smile and hand it to him.

Tom Cruise and Brad Pit as sexy vampires. Yes, please!

Jayden offers to make popcorn to compensate for the lack of Ice Cream. And it starts raining pretty heavily as we settle on the carpet under a blanket with a bowl of popcorn.

As the movie plays out, I find my thoughts drifting to Liam once again. I miss him. I shouldn't, but I do. I briefly picture Red seated on the kitchen counter watching Liam cook. I envision him touching her, their hands all over each other. I literally want to get violent. I can't stand the thought.

I reach over and grab my phone. I look at it for the first time in hours, and my eyes almost pop out of their sockets. There are 23 missed calls, and 6 text messages from Liam and 3 missed calls and 1 text message from Steff.

What? He has lost his mind!

I open the text messages from Liam first, and I scroll down.

Jess! Don't play games. Pick up!

You are not spending a whole night with him. I'm serious. I don't know what Ellyn said to you, but you are not going to spend the night there!

Why are you not picking up? If you're trying to piss me off, congratulations, it's working!

Fine, don't pick up. Just text me the address, and I'll come get you.

Damn it, Jess! Why are you doing this? You know I won't get any sleep knowing he's next to you. Should I call Stefani or Jeremiah and ask for the address? Because I will. You're giving me no choice!

Be ready to leave. I'm on my way.

What the actual hell? I can't believe this!

I look over at Jayden. He has paused the movie and is staring at me.

I open the text from Steff.

Dude! Why aren't you picking up? Liam called and asked for Jayden's address. And I gave it to him. Now before you yell at me, you should know that he sounded really pissed off. I didn't know what else to do.

Jesus, Steff!

This means Liam will be here any second now. He is unbelievable. I knew he would be pissed, but I seriously can't believe he would take it this far.

"What's going on?" Jayden asks.

"Liam is on his way."

"Here?" He frowns.

"Apparently, he called Steff and got your address."

"You're kidding!" He is amused, and I have no idea why.

I, on the other hand, am mad and frustrated and confused. I honestly didn't think he would overreact like this.

Right on cue, there is a ring on the doorbell.

"It's showtime," Jayden says, getting up.

He looks like he is enjoying this, and I have no clue why. As ridiculous as it is, I am kind of scared to face Liam. I feel guilty for putting my phone on silent and ignoring him completely.

But then I remember the phone call with Red, his voice in the background. And it's enough to enrage me all over again.

***

Hey, friends! I hope you're having a wonderful day... or night depending on where you are. Thank you for sticking with the story. We are almost at 11,000 reads OFGHBGDG! Thank you guys so much. Please, don't forget to vote and comment.

Much love, 

Becca :)