darling you'll be okay

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

*Disclaimer, haven't done a proof read for this one so please inform me of any mistakes. I'll go through it tomorrow. Enjoy*

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It's been a week. We've been going out, consecutively, all this week. I've had fun all this week. I haven't seen Vic all this week. He hasn't even crossed my mind. Maybe this as a good change.

"You know, I've always thought you had the most beautiful eyes," Jaime says, stretching on the hood of the red convertible. I kick him and laugh. He looks at me, "I mean it." I smile and say I know and rest my head on his shoulder, feeling his arm wrap around me. I feel safe and warm and wanted. Loved. We haven't said it yet, love. I know he wants to, I'm just not sure I want to.

"We haven't been turning up for practice since last Thursday. They're going to ask questions," he says tracing little circles on my fore arm.

"I know."

"Yeah. So um... I mean, I don't know if I'm the only one wondering but, you don't have to tell me just.... I don't know.. I don't know what are we?"

"What are we?"

"Yeah, what are we?"

"You're Jaime Preciado and I'm Kayla Withers."

"No, I mean. I mean are we together? Are we steady? Are we a couple? Are we b-word and g-word?"

I sit up straight and look at him. He's wearing his black beanie and plain white shirt today. I focus on the crease on his forehead, "I don't know."

He puts his hands behind his head and breathes out, "I think we are."

"Then," I get off the hood and walk towards the brown fence we're parked at, "I guess we are."

He looks up, "Yeah, yeah."

I look back at him and smile. Should I be happy? Should I go up and hug him?

He gets off the hood and stands next to me, "I think I love you, Kayla."

I feel the atmosphere getting heavier and beads of sweat develop at my hairline. I fiddle my thumbs and look down at my shoes, scuffed grey Vans. And before I can even think, my mouth opens, "Yeah, same here."

He hugs me tightly and I wrap my arms around him. What the fuck am I doing? He drives me home and kisses me goodbye, "I'll come around at 7 with movies." I smile and kiss him on the cheek and quickly eject from the car seat, rushing into the house. I close the door and lean against it, "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"What?" I hear a voice. That familiar voice, that pitch, that cap, that shirt, those shoes. Vic. "Hey, I let myself in. Your mom was home and we watched some Dance Moms then she left to Bart's house? Who's Bart?"

I manage to stutter out, "My mom's boss."

"Ew."

I take off my jean jacket and head upstairs, Vic follows pursuit.

"So, um, where have you been all week? We've been missing our bassist and our number one supporter. Plus Tony's new hook up got us a gig at her sweet sixteen."

"Yeah, sorry. Just bonding. Jaime's coming over at 7 though."

"Oh great, we can catch up. Maybe I can call Shirley over, she's having her Spring Break."

Shirley, dammit. "Um, it's kinda, I guess you could call it, a date? One on one."

Vic's eyebrows drop, "Oh, um, sorry."

"Sorry, too."

"I was going to stay over, you know, I miss it. Sleeping over. You even have part of your closet sectioned off with my clothes."

"Yeah."

"It's really cool."

The air just seems to hang around. I cross my arms and walk over to my bathroom and lean over the sink to touch up my eyeliner. "Maybe you can stay over tomorrow?"

"Yeah but, you might have plans with Jaime and I don't wanna intrude."

"No way, come around tomorrow. We can catch up and you can tell me about Shirley." Fucking Shirley.

"Really? Um, okay. Yeah, great"

I look back at him and smile. He makes himself comfortable and opens up my laptop. What the fuck are you doing again, Kayla? You do not give a shit about stupid Shirley. How could you actually say that? Forget about it, you've got Jaime and you're both happy and you are a couple now. I cap the tube of liner and reach for my phone. Two text messages from Jaime. 'I love you, beautiful." and "I hope you like horror movies". Vic catches me smiling and hits me with a pillow.

"I'd better split and let you powder your nose for tonight. Tomorrow, after practice?"

I nod as he walks down the stairs and makes his way out of the door. I peer out the window, he's making his way down the driveway then turns around and waves.

Jaime rings the doorbell at 6:30 and kisses me. "I've got The Ring 1 and 2 and The Grudge and this crazy Japanese film. And also I got some snackage," he raises the bags full of goodies. We camp out on the couch for the entire evening as it slowly turned to night, munching on popcorn, candy and oreos. After The Grudge, it was getting pretty late.

"It's 12, aren't your parents worried about you out this late?" I ask Jaime.

"Nah, I said I was staying over at a friend's place."

"What?"

"Yeah, you don't mind right? I mean Vic does this all the time."

I sit up and tuck my hair behind my ear. He looks at me and raises his eyebrows. "Yeah, I mean, yeah. But I've known Vic forever and my mom."

"Oh, I see. It's different with him."

"No, it's not like that."

"Clearly it is if you have no problem with him staying over than me, your..."

"It's not like that."

"Then why can't I stay over?"

"I don't know, okay."

We both sit at different sides of the couch. Then he grabs my hand, "Look I just, I just want to get closer."

"Yeah, I get it."

"It just kinda feels like you're not letting me. One night? What harm can it do?"

I look at him and look at his hands holding firmly to mine. "Fine."

He leans in a kisses me, I kiss back. That night we sleep in the same room, on the same bed, under the same covers. He holds me close and I feel safe and warm and wanted. Loved. I snuggle in under his chin and he whispers, "I love you."

He pulls me closer and I sleepily answer back, "I love you too."