The Middle - Volume Three ✔️

Chapter 51 (Noah)

Aubrey waves at Kim, trying to change the topic of conversation, which tells me that she thinks Jamie doesn't wanna talk about this.

"You guys have always been close though, I've never heard you complain about any of the guys. Did something happen?" I ask Jamie. I know I'm pushing it, but I really wanna know.

"No, nothing happened." Jamie says quickly.

"Was it Jay's idea?" Zach asks. "He was in New York with Erin all last week, right?"

So Joel and Jamie were shacking up together, and Jay was staying in New York. What the hell is going on?

"No, it wasn't Jay's idea." Jamie says. "We're all just taking some time, it's not a big deal you guys, seriously."

"You didn't wanna talk to Patrick when we saw him in here with Amanda last week." I point out.

There's a pause in the conversation while everyone looks at Jamie with interest. Even Aubrey is looking at Jamie, waiting to see what she has to say about this. It is bizarre that she and the guys are taking time away from the band. We all wanna know what happened, because something must have happened.

Finally, Jamie sighs and says, "Look, Patrick has started teaching drum at the youth centre a few nights a week, including Thursdays. Joel, Jay and I weren't exactly thrilled about it, we argued and things have been a bit weird since. But it's gonna be fine, seriously. Don't worry about it."

"So it was Patrick's idea." John notes.

"Maybe it has something to do with him dating that Amanda girl." Zach points out. "He's never dated anyone before her, right? Maybe she's changing him."

"Yeah, maybe." Jamie says, looking down at the salt shaker again just as Kim approaches our table.

"Hey, Jamie. What can I getcha?" She winks at Jamie and pulls her pen and notepad out of her apron. We all laugh, but Jamie just manages a weak smile.

I listen as Jamie orders a latte, no food. She says she already ate. But I can't help but wonder if she's just lost her appetite all of a sudden. This thing with the band is clearly having a huge impact on her. More than she wants to let on. Talk about shitty timing too, after everything she's gone through with me. You would think the guys (well, Patrick, I guess) would wanna be there for her right now and support her through this. I mean, she broke things off with me because she's in love with some other guy. I don't know who, and I don't know what's going on between her and this guy. But I remember suspecting that it was Jay. She told me it wasn't though.

What was it she said again? "Have you ever wished that you could just go back to the first moment you met me and change everything? So that all of those memories weren't clouded over by friendship. And things might be different now." Yeah, the word 'friendship' really stuck with me out of everything she said.

So... I guess if it isn't Jay, it could be Joel or Patrick. Jesus, why didn't I think of them before?

But she said she slept with this guy the day after New Year's. There's no fucking way she slept with Joel or Patrick. It's laughable. I mean, even if they weren't like brothers to her, Joel wouldn't do that to Sarah. No chance in hell. And Patrick...

Wait.

Fuck. Off.

Patrick?!

My mind is racing. It totally makes sense. Jesus Christ, why didn't I see this sooner!?

When we had coffee the other week, Amanda said Patrick had been hot and cold with her since New Year's, she was totally cut up about him. Then he walked in with Jay and he looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole. I assumed that was because of his feelings for Amanda. But maybe...was it because I was there? Yes! That makes so much sense! Because Jamie and I were still a thing then, and he felt awkward around me because he fucking slept with her the day after New Year's!

I cannot believe Jamie and Patrick have had sex!

No way.

I must be wrong about this. I must be.

But... He couldn't stop looking over at her the other day, when he was here with Amanda and I was here with Jamie. He didn't look particularly happy. Because Jamie was with me? Or because he and Jamie aren't talking anymore or whatever? Jesus fuck!

Okay, think about this logically. Patrick is a player. But Patrick is Jamie's best friend. He wouldn't fuck around with her. Would he?

But all of a sudden he wants to take time away from the band. Or is it time away from Jamie that he wants? And he's still seeing Amanda. I just don't understand this at all. I need to confirm my suspicions. I need to find out if Jamie is in love with Patrick.

"Noah!" I look up, and everyone is staring at me. I was so lost in thought just now, oops.

"Are you coming?" John says.

"Uh, sure. Where?"

"Your dorm or our dorm, whatever." Zach replies. "We'll give these two some privacy so they can have their girl talk."

I look at Aubrey and Jamie. Aubrey is smiling at me, and Jamie isn't. Jamie looks extremely worried, actually. I wonder if I'm the only person who knows that she's in love with someone else. My guess is I am. I think she only told me about it because she wanted to be real with me when she broke things off with me, which I appreciate. But I bet she's panicking now, because she can probably tell that I've just figured it out.

"See you guys later." I say to them both, before sliding out of the booth and leaving with Zach and John.

Zach stops by the door to say goodbye to Kim, so I pull my phone out and quickly type a message to Jamie. I hit send, then wait. Kim is complaining about her feet hurting and Zach is telling her to stop wearing heels to work. John is laughing. I glance over at Jamie and see her looking down at her phone, her eyes wide. Aubrey is rambling away to Jamie about something, but Jamie looks up and her eyes meet mine. She gives me a small nod, before rubbing her forehead, plastering on a fake smile and turning her attention back to Aubrey.