In My Shoes | The Music Freaks AU | A Jailey Fanfiction

Chapter 29 - Irresistible Tension

☆Jake☆

"You want to just talk until someone finds us?" I ask, and Hailey physically jolts at my question.

She nods her head after a few seconds, and looks down at her lap, playing with the drawstrings on her hoodie.

She's been acting so weird all night, but I'm not the least bit surprised. I'd bet money that she's been non-stop thinking about her ex-boyfriend since the moment she stepped through the front double doors. Longer than even that, probably. She's been switching between joking and looking like she's about to burst into tears, and I don't know how much longer I can stand to see her like this.

I've flipped upside down on the couch, and my arms are crossed. I feel a bit lightheaded, but it's so fun, so who gives a shit. Hailey doesn't seem to mind either, because although she loves to act like nothing fazes her, my ridiculous antics definitely amuse her.

And she likes me. Maybe not has a crush on me kind of like, but she likes me as a person. She likes my personality, and she wants to be my friend. And for right now, that's enough.

She admitted it herself by the water fountain when I was honest with her about how I felt. She grabbed my hand and said she wanted to be my friend. Then she told me she thinks about me and wants to be honest with me. I zoned out after she admitted that she was hiding stuff from me, and basically waited for her to stop talking so I could kiss her.

It was irrational and risky, but my mind was so foggy and unfocused that I didn't care. 

I almost did kiss her, but some angry middle-aged woman rounded the corner and spotted us. Screw her. If it wasn't for her snooping Hailey and I might have made it back to the gym, and not been forced to spend the night in Mrs. Lysel's room. Then again, maybe I should thank the lady because she stopped me from kissing Hailey, which would have undoubtedly ended horrifically, and forced us together into a confined space.

So in my opinion, it's a win.

Now I get to ask Hailey as many questions as I want, and she surely can't ignore all of them.

I glance up from the wall and notice that she's already looking at me. Her cheeks are shaded in a dark shade of pink, and she quickly averts her eyes when she sees me.

So, what will my first question be? That's an easy one. It's time to address the elephant in the room.

"So." I clear my throat. "Tell me about Adam."

Hailey's gaze whips to me, and her expression morphs into one of confusion and surprise.

"What?" Hailey asks as her eyes widen.

"We'll you've obviously been thinking a lot about him tonight, it's written all over your face," I tell her. "You don't have to talk about him if you want, but if you need to vent I'm right here."

Hailey continues playing with the drawstrings on her hoodie and loops the ropey material around her index fingers several times. She considers what I'm saying for a few seconds. Then she sighs and ignores my previous statement, asking one herself. "Tell me about Lia."

This takes me by surprise, and for a moment I'm sure she's joking. However, as the seconds begin to tick by, I realize she's not. She wants an actual answer out of me.

I swallow and ask, "Why?"

She goes back and forth in her head for about ten seconds, then says, "Okay, you want the truth? I'm so confused about your relationship with her. You always seem so uncomfortable and awkward when she's around, and she acts weird as well. She switches between throwing herself at you and...well...ignoring your existence. What is up with you guys?"