Kismet

Kismet Part 1

Pairing: Josh x Reader, Jake x Reader

Word Count: 15.0k

Warnings: Cursing, Alcohol Consumption, Fluff. Angst: Mentions of Moving, Mentions of Parental Death, Mentions of Relationship Problems, Mentions of Family Problems, Loneliness, Degradation, Name Calling. Smut: Kissing, Mentions of Sex.

LATE MAY 2022

With shaking hands you made your way down the gravel path to your parents mailbox, wondering if today would be the day. You watched Bloo off in the distance chasing after the bumblebees as the warm May wind blew across the slightly overgrown grass. His ears flopped in the breeze as he tromped curiously through your mothers flower beds. With a deep breath you opened the mailbox door, your heart dropping as you finally saw the envelope sitting, waiting for you to grab it.

Without hesitation you ripped the envelope from the mailbox, the golden V of the Vanderbilt logo emblazoned in the top corner. The envelope was thick, and your heart started to race at the possibility of the 'Yes' you so desperately wanted. You paused, taking a second to look over to Bloo, digging up the freshly planted Petunias, with haste.

"Bloo!" you shouted, watching as he turned his head towards you with guilt. "Out of the flowers, now!" you continued, snapping your fingers as he took off running in the opposite direction.

You shook your head in laughter as you turned your attention back to the envelope in your hands. No time like the present...

You swallowed nervously as you began to rip open the envelope that held the piece of paper with the decision that could possibly change your life. You took a deep breath as you slid out the packet of papers, letting your eyes travel down to the very first line.

'Congratulations! We are delighted to offer you admission to the Owen Graduate School of Management to continue your studies in Marketing. We recognize your past successes and your leadership potential, and we feel confident that you will make a significant impact on the Vanderbilt community and in your career.

By enrolling in Vanderbilt you will be challenged to achieve your potential and develop essential skills for success. For the duration of this ten month program, you will join a dynamic group of students who are equally committed to maximizing their potential, and discovering lifelong friends and mentors. The time you spend at Vanderbilt will allow you to find support as you shape your future. The program begins August 2022 with a scheduled and anticipated finish in July 2023.'

You felt your heart lurch out of your chest at the words on the page, eyes filling with tears before you could even read the rest. After countless 'no's' you finally got your 'yes'. Was it your first choice school, well, no. But you could feel it in your bones that this 'yes' was going to change your life.

You walked quickly back towards your parents house, calling Bloo to go inside as you read the letter again, just to make sure you weren't delusional. But there it was in black print.

"Congratulations..." you whispered to yourself. You waited at the door as your dog came running, his silver coat shining in the late May sun, before scampering off through the front door. Your heart was pounding as the door shut behind you, your feet carrying you to the kitchen to find your mom. When you stepped through the doorway and her eyes caught sight of the papers in your hands she gasped.

"No!" she urged.

"Yes!" you squealed.

"Yes? Yes, yes?!" she asked, walking cautiously towards you.

"Yes yes!" you nodded, flipping around the paper to let her read.

Her arms flung around you as she took you into her embrace, "Oh honey I am so happy for you! Which school? Is it the one you wanted?" she asks, pulling away. The wrinkles next to her eyes showing her graceful aging and reminding you of her story of her grad school acceptance, years ago.

"It's Vanderbilt. In Nashville. Was in my top three!" you smiled.

"Nashville...Nashville...That's not too far honey! In fact, I think...I'm pretty positive Karen's boys moved there not too long ago. Oh you are going to have the time of your life. I am so proud of you." she pauses, running her hand over your hair. "Dad would have been proud too, sweetie."

You nod tearfully, the sting of his death still painfully fresh two years later.

"When does it start? How long do we have to get you prepared? Oh my gosh, we need to find you an apartment! Maybe I will call Karen and see if her boys have any rec–" she says in succession.

"Mom...I will look for a place. Don't stress. Classes don't start for two months." you laugh, placing the letter on the counter.

"Well, I'm still going to call Karen. She will be so happy for you honey. Plus, it might be nice to have Jake or Josh show you around once you're settled. They were always such sweet boys." she smiles.

"Mom I haven't seen them since I was like fifteen! I'm not going to burden them with giving me the grand tour of Nashville!" you continue to laugh.

"Oh I'm sure it wouldn't be a burden...And if I know Karen, she will make sure they do." she says, raising an eyebrow.

"Mom pleeeease. That is so embarrassing. Please, please don't have her make those poor guys feel obligated to me." you beg.

"Alright, alright...Well, I am proud of you baby, can't wait for you to get there and start your next chapter." she says, squeezing your arms. "I'm going to get back out front, need to finish planting the rest of those perennials."

"Oohhh... about that..." you groan. "Bloo kinda..."

"Oh don't you blame anything on my sweet, precious granddog..." she laughs. "Whatever it is, it was probably those pesky squirrels."

You laugh and shake your head, "Yeah... right... the squirrels."

A groan sounded from the floor next to your bed, the room piled high with boxes of your belongings, packed and waiting there for the past few months, pending your move to wherever Grad school would take you. You felt cramped in your tiny childhood bedroom, scrolling through listing after listing of houses for rent, none of them feeling quite right.

"I know, I know. I promise our next place will have a big backyard, just for you. Just hang in there a little bit longer buddy." you said, glancing down to Bloo stretched out across the carpet.

He laid his head back down on the floor with a dramatic sigh, eliciting a smile from your lips. Bloo, your two year old Weimaraner was still growing rapidly, with energy levels doubling on the daily. His shiny silver coat had thickened up and his muscle was finally filled out with all of the trail running the two of you had taken up with your move back home to South Carolina.

It was a Thursday afternoon on a perfect sunny day, same as this one, when you got the call from your mom. One hour and fifty-four panic filled minutes later, you were pulling into the hospital to receive the news of your father's sudden passing. Your world as you knew it was shattered and seemingly irreparable.

It was a few months later you found yourself at the Greenville County Animal Shelter, picking up an owner's surrender of a Weimaraner puppy, stating that he wasn't a good fit for her busy family. You could see the sadness in the puppy's eyes as you saw him for the first time, knowing that both of you were feeling scared and abandoned by the only life you'd ever known. You left that day with the nervous silver puppy in your passenger seat, looking at you, silently begging to be loved and to love in return, and not a single day in the two years that have passed, has anything but love and affection been shared between the two of you.

As you continue to flip through listings, an alert flashes across the screen for a new listing, immediately drawing your attention. You sigh as you tap the banner, and wait for the listing to open, knowing that like the others, it wouldn't work. To your surprise it looked like it could have potential. It fit your price range, and location preference... It was recently renovated and the right size. All it needed was a backyard and it would be perfect. You nervously flipped through the photos, and there on the very last photo was what you were looking for. A brand new fence encasing the backyard.

You sat up quickly in your bed with shock, "Oh my god..."

Your fingers furiously typed in your renter information and sent the request to the renter, your heart pounding in your chest at the possibility of finding the perfect home for the two of you. When the message marked itself sent, you let out a sigh of relief and sat back against your pillows, feeling a wave of warmth wash over you.

"I think that's the one, Bloo." you spoke out loud. "I think this is gonna be good for us. I just have a feeling."

EARLY AUGUST 2022

"Don't be sad honey, and don't worry about me. I'll be just fine. Going to take up some new hobbies and see a few places I've always wanted to see." your mom says, pulling away from your hug.

"You promise you'll call me anytime you feel lonely?" you ask, watching her dig around in her purse for her keys.

"Absolutely I will... And I'll see you at Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and of course for our vacation in the spring..." She smiles tearfully, tilting her head as she takes one last look at you.

"Yes yes, of course." you laugh. "I wouldn't miss it."

"Be thinking of places we could do it this year. Maybe somewhere warm and tropical..." she says, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Wherever you want, you know I'll be there." You giggle, giving her one last hug before she leaves you in the emptiness of your new rental.

"Love you honey, take care of yourself okay?" she says, before turning her attention to Bloo, "And you...be good for your mom okay?"

Bloo licks her hand as she pets his ears one last time before turning to head out to her car.

"Thanks for everything mom, I love you!" you call out to her.

"Love you too, talk to you soon."

You watched her car as it slowly made its way down the street, after spending the past few days helping you unpack and get settled in your new city. It was only eight hours away from home, close enough to make the drive if you needed to, but far enough away that you felt alone. But you wouldn't tell her that, she didn't need to worry.

As you walked back inside, you smirked at the dog nose prints already streaking across the front window, knowing there's no use in cleaning them off. You shut the door behind you, sighing as you leaned against it, taking in the view of your now quiet living room. Your brown leather couch sat up against the wall, your old 70's record console sitting waiting for its first play in its new home. You still had to unpack your albums, but that would be a task for another day. You made your way towards the backdoor, letting Bloo sprint past you as you opened the door to let him out. The sun was out and the light was filtering through the leaves of the large oak tree in your backyard as a dirty old tennis ball was deposited at your feet.

"Oh, gross..." You said, picking it up between your fingers and tossing it back out into the grassy yard.

This repeated several times before he finally had enough, and laid down in the grass with a huff.

"I promise I will find us some trails soon buddy..." you cooed, knowing he needed to run and get out the energy pulsing through his veins.

You carried yourself back inside to begin breaking down boxes to leave at the curb. When the sun began to set a few hours later, you heard your phone buzzing on the coffee table causing Bloo's ears to perk up in its direction. Snatching it off the table you smiled when you saw your mom's contact photo.

"Make it home finally?" you asked, with a laugh.

"Yes, just walked in the door." she replied. "You getting settled in?"

"Yeah, got some boxes broken down and organized my closet. Probably going to go to bed early tonight, I am exhausted." you answer.

"You should get some rest, I know you only have a few days until classes start, right?" she asks.

"Yep. Monday morning at 10AM is my first lecture."

"I know it's gonna be great honey. Oh hey, I talked to Karen on my drive...gave her your number to give to the boys..." she trails off.

"Mom, no..." you groan, smacking your hand to your face as you began to pace your living room.

"Oh, you guys were all great friends on our vacations! I don't see the big deal..."

"The big deal is that I haven't seen them or spoken to them in ten years! They're like... famous or something! Now their mother is going to guilt them into hanging out with me?" you quip.

"I don't think it will be like that sweetie. Just give it a chance...I think you'll be surprised. But I will let you get to bed. Love you and I'll talk to you soon."

"Love you, bye mom." you said, hitting the red button on the screen.

A groan left your chest as you flopped down onto your couch, your mind swirling with memories of the vacations she mentioned. Some good, some...not.

It was a yearly occurrence, your family vacation with the Kiszkas. Karen and your mother scheming each year to meet up and bring along the whole family, which left you forced to spend a week with a gaggle of boys you'd only see once a year. At first you would look forward to it, the location changing each year, providing a multitude of new activities for you to explore with each new city. Watersports or skiing, hiking, or lounging on the beach, but the part you looked forward to the most was always game night.

Long after the adults would go to bed, you, Jake, Josh and Sam would stay up late, battling it out over whatever game they brought along that year. Jake would pair up with Sam, which always left you with Josh. Your heart would race in your chest every year when partners were picked wondering if it would be another year of shared laughter and whispers of strategy that would send a shiver down your spine with every word. Your want to be near him grew stronger with every day that passed until you were loading the cars and saying your goodbyes with hugs that grew a little bit longer, and a little bit closer every time.

As the years progressed and puberty hit, things shifted. You realized that your schoolgirl crush was starting to turn into something more. Both of you could sense it, sharing subtle glances and lingering touches at any given opportunity. Spending the entire day waiting for the adults to nod off so the four of you could go night swimming in the lake, or have a completely illegal bonfire on the beach. When you could be near each other, closer to each other, without the watchful eye of your parents.

The summer you turned fifteen, on the rickety old boat dock behind the beach house, you and Josh shared your first kiss. You had never kissed anyone before, and the pillowy softness of the lips you stared at for years felt almost sinful. You never wanted it to end but with Jake calling out for him, it startled the both of you, causing you to quickly pull away. But with the whispered promise of next time, you left the vacation that year, different than when you came. Completely consumed by Josh Kiszka.

You counted down the days until the next year, scratching them off on your calendar with a bright red marker, one by one, until the day came. Your heart was pounding in your chest as your parents pulled into the circle drive of the log cabin, seeing the Kiszka's van already parked outside. They were there, and you were ready to run straight into Josh's arms, like you'd thought of everyday for the past year. But when you opened the door and it was quiet, you wanted to fall through the floor. He wasn't there, and he wouldn't be ever again.

Ten years passed, every year just the same. Waiting, hoping and wishing he would walk through the door, only to be disappointed when he never did. Your heart ached at his absence, but from the way it sounded, the band they always talked about had really taken off. Of course you'd listened to Jake strum on his guitar the last time you'd seen him, but famous? Touring? He could only play a few songs back then, but to be completely honest you were so enamored by his brother's singing you didn't listen too closely to the accompaniment.

You were happy for them. Happy they were successful and got to live the dreams they always talked about, but part of you was hurt that they never came back after that summer. Never reached out. How easy it was for Josh to forget your existence. The last thing he ever said to you was 'next time', but with each passing year, you knew that next time would never come, and the boy you fell in love with had slipped through your fingers.

You flicked off your bedside lamp and plugged in your phone, pushing the painful memories away, praying that Nashville would be the fresh start you hoped for. The fresh start you needed. You and Bloo. But now that you were here, and starting to settle into your new life, you refused to let that fresh start include Josh Kiszka. He was part of the reason you wanted a fresh start anyways. You weren't going to let him back into your life after he had tossed you away so easily. No, no way. You were taking control of your life, and he wasn't going to be in it.

Or so you thought.

You let out a sigh as you opened the dishwasher, ready to put away the final load of clean dishes, after spending much of the morning debating on which set to buy. Music played through the speakers in your living room, as Bloo stood next to the open dishwasher door, slowly wagging his tail as you slid the cups into the cabinets. "What do you want? Go away?" you laughed, shooing him away from your clean plates.

Peering over the granite counters you watch him sulk over to his dog bed and throw himself down with a huff. You roll your eyes and continue to put away the dishes, finally wiping your wet hands with a towel.

"How about this...How about we go try that coffee place down the street and get some fresh air? Make some friends?" you ask, looking over towards the sulking dog, his snoot shoved in the corner of the bed as his little eyes peer up at you.

You slide on your shoes, and grab your purse, jingling your keys to get his attention, causing him to throw himself towards the front door, slipping as he tries to gain traction on your hardwood floors.

"That's what I thought." you laughed, grabbing his brown leather leash and attaching it to his collar.

After loading him up into the car, you rolled down the front windows, letting the warm summer air into the car as you drove the short distance to the coffee shop you saw a few days ago. There were a number of people outside as you pulled into the gravel driveway, and put the car in park. You got out, Bloo following behind you as you held his leash short, and close to your body. Unfortunately Bloo was an overly friendly dog, begging to make friends with everyone he came in contact with, licking and headbutting them until they paid attention to him.

Excusing yourself through the crowd of people you stepped up to the counter, waiting your turn in line as you felt your phone buzz in your pocket. You pulled your phone out and furrowed your brow as you saw the unknown number flash across the screen.

Unknown

3:34pm: Hey Y/N, it's Jake Kiszka...Heard you just got into town and were looking for a few recommendations. I've got some if you are looking for anything in particular, just let me know.

You stared at your phone in disbelief. Jake? You silently scoffed at your mother for instigating this.

Should you reply? Should you wait, then reply? God.

Whatever it's just Jake.

You step up to the counter and order your coffee to-go, watching the barista as he crafts the iced beverage before handing it over to you and complimenting Bloo's good behavior.

The two of you made your way outside to the patio, taking a seat at one of the white metal tables as Bloo stared down the birds in the parking lot. You read the message again, adding his contact to your phone and trying to decide how to respond, typing and deleting before finally settling on a short and sweet response.

You

3:48pm: Hi Jake! Thanks so much for reaching out. I'm still getting a feel for the area and settling in but if I can think of anything I will let you know!

Phew. Okay, you did it. Dodged a bullet.

Jake

3:50pm: Sounds good. A few of us are going to Golden Pony tonight if you want to join. Would be nice to catch up with an old friend.

He wants to catch up? But we hardly... I wonder who else... No.

You

3:54pm: Oh that's so nice. Thanks for offering! I'll think about it, but I start classes tomorrow morning and a hangover might not be the best look for the first day. Lol

God you sound so boring.

Jake

3:58pm: Understandable. Going around 9 if you change your mind.

You

4:00pm: Thanks Jake!

Why are you sweating?

You're pulled from your thoughts by Bloo pulling on the leash as he lunges towards the menacing birds, the metal chair scraping across the patio and causing your heart to lurch out of your chest.

"Bloo! Absolutely not!" you yell, getting his attention.

You snatch your phone and your coffee from the table and direct the two of you towards the car, settling into the driver's seat with a huff. Don't think about him. Why would your brain even go there? No.

You spend the entire drive home going over every possible scenario of what could happen if you did change your mind, eventually deciding that every outcome would end badly for you and convincing yourself that you should stay home and prepare for your first day of classes tomorrow. Afterall, that's the whole reason you ended up here in the first place, right?

The caffeine from the mid-afternoon coffee did nothing to quell the bubbling of nerves in your stomach at the prospect of seeing Josh. Which was stupid because Jake didn't even mention Josh, but they were twins, right? They did everything together?

Over the course of the next two hours you debated with yourself over and over whether you should just go and be sociable in your new city, or if you should stay home and do what you came here to do, which was study. Finally deciding on the latter, you slid into your bed, turning on a movie as you sipped from a glass of red wine.

This of course was all just a pipe-dream, as you spent the entirety of the movie letting your mind swirl with thoughts of Josh and how he must look all these years later. Wondering if he had filled out, was he still the small statured guy you remember? Has he had let his hair grow longer like he always said he would? Was he still rocking his thrift store chic wardrobe? Maybe. But mostly, you were wondering if he ever thought about you, and how you left things. Not that you would ever ask him.

Still feeling jittery from the coffee, the wine did nothing to help you wind down, and you weren't sure if it was really the coffee, or the unknown you'd be walking into on the first day of classes. You rolled over in your bed, grabbing your phone and tapping the screen to life. 9:23.

It was like a sign from the gods. See, it's too late anyways.

God, you shouldn't even be thinking about him to begin with!

"Bloo, I think I need something stronger than wine to kick this..." you groaned, setting the empty glass on your nightstand.

He stared up at you, not a thought behind those pretty blue eyes. "What do you think? Should I just..." you paused, leaning back onto your elbows. "Should I just... go?"

His ears perked up at the word 'go', curling your lips into a grin. "What's the worst that could happen, they aren't there? I turn around and come home?" you say, swinging your feet onto the floor.

Next thing you know, you're rifling through your closet looking for something cute, but not too cute. Something that says, 'Yeah I decided to come last minute and just threw this on...I totally didn't put too much thought into this...'

Did you just convince yourself that your dog insisted you go to the bar? Yes. It doesn't mean you should be too eager.

"I mean honestly, I might walk in there and things will be totally great, you know? They are just old friends. I'm probably overthinking this way too much." You were still talking to Bloo despite being a room away, and despite the fact that he is a dog.

"He only invited me to be nice, so, I should be nice back. That's the right thing to do." you said, pulling out a pair of light wash jeans, and tossing them on the bed.

You reach for your white high neck tank top, knowing that if you wear it, you can pull your hair into a bun, furthering your, 'totally unplanned' look.

You quickly dress yourself, slicking your hair back into a bun and adding your favorite gold necklace to finish your look. You step into the bathroom to quickly brush your teeth, knowing that meeting them for the first time in years with wine stained lips would be embarrassing. But you know, while you're here, a little concealer wouldn't hurt. Maybe a little mascara and brow gel? Just a little blush so you don't look dead... Lipgloss maybe?

"Okay. Enough." you scold yourself in the mirror and take a deep breath, trying to ground yourself. Your eyes catch sight of your perfume on the shelf, "Well... Maybe just a spray of perfume." you mutter.

You step back into your bedroom, sliding on a pair of sandals and turning off the TV before heading towards the living room.

"Alright bud, I won't be too long, okay? Be good!" you say, as he follows you to the front door.

He lays down next to the couch, sighing as you pull your keys from your purse. "You'll be alright. I'll see you later..." and with that you shut the door, locking it behind you, simultaneously wondering if you were about to make a huge mistake.

You're surprised at the proximity of the bar to your house, only 6 minutes away by car, and honestly you could probably walk here if it turned out to be a cool place. You kept your mind occupied with following the directions on your phone, doing anything you could to keep your nerves at bay. As you pulled into the parking lot the glowing string lights on the front of the building lured you in, the shiny metallic sign out front giving off the vibe that this was not your average college town bar. This place was...decadent.

You took a deep breath, placing your phone into your purse before stepping out of the car, hearing the crunch of the gravel beneath your shoes. You wiped your hands on your jeans, and smoothed back your bun one more time as you approached the door, pulling it open to reveal a lively and dimly lit bar teaming with what was sure to be every socialite in East Nashville.

You took a second to slow your breathing, your nerves manifesting in ways far too obvious for your liking. Your eyes scanned the bar, looking for any sign that they were still here. You started to second guess yourself for even coming, knowing he only invited you because he felt like he had to. Your heart was racing as the negative thoughts started to fill your head, causing you to turn around and head back towards the door in retreat, but as you did you saw a hand reach up from one of the quiet little booths along the wall.

A long-haired man was waving you over with a smile. A familiar, toothy grin. A shy smile crosses your own lips as you realize it's Jake, and that he picked you out of the crowd, like he was looking for you.

Okay. You're totally fine. You're cool. You've got this. You repeat internally as your legs carry you over to the booth his group was occupying. You nervously approach, watching as Jake slid over in the booth to make room for you. You hesitantly took a seat next to Jake, and there sitting across from you with his eyes cast downward to his phone, was Josh.

It felt like all the air was stolen from your lungs at the sight of him, looking nothing like you expected him to look, but somehow exactly how he was always supposed to. You swallowed nervously as you waited for him to look up, but as the seconds passed, he didn't, completely engrossed in whatever he was doing on his phone.

Jake spoke up, turning your attention away from Josh, "See you changed your mind..." he smirked, sipping from his pint glass.

Wow. His voice had definitely changed since the last time you spoke.

You let your eyes flash over to Josh, who was still not acknowledging your presence, before looking back to Jake, "Yeah, I figured one drink couldn't hurt." you smiled.

"Well I'm glad you changed your mind." he said, letting his eyes linger on yours before turning his attention back to Josh. You felt his leg strike under the table, kicking Josh to get his attention.

"Goddamn, what... we can't go one fuckin' place without a pho–" he stops, as he looks up and sees you, his face softening just a touch.

"Oh...hey." he says, giving you a half smile as a toothpick hangs out of the other side of his lips.

"Hi..." you manage, taking in the sight of him. His hair is different, a mohawk of sandy brunette curls with freshly shaved sides. A mustache, like his brother, with a sprinkle of hair on his chin. His dimple, still present even in his half assed attempt at a smile, that makes your insides flutter just the same. You wonder if the small gap in his teeth still persists.

"Sorry, thought you were a fan." he dismisses.

"If you looked up from your phone for five seconds you would have seen that she isn't." Jake challenges. "It's actually quite remarkable. With how much you're on your phone, you should have known that I invited her to join us tonight. Remember mom texting us yesterday?"

Just as you think he's going to say something else, he raises his eyebrows and turns his attention back to his phone.

What? That–that's it? Ten years and that's it? That's all you get? Oh hey?

You turn to Jake, who is letting out a sigh, "You need a drink? I need a refill."

You nod your head eagerly and slide out of the booth, following his lead towards the bar. You can tell he fits right in with the crowd. You duck your head a little, following his lead. Most of the people you pass are throwing him a nod or a handshake. They know him here, or at least know of him. As you look around you start to feel underdressed, most of the girls in dresses and heels. A stark contrast to your jeans and sandals.

However, Jake is dressed similarly to you in a black knit short sleeve button up, and a pair of black jeans and boots. A pair of sunglasses hangs from the pocket of his shirt, and his hair is long and windswept at the ends. Your eyes caught a silver necklace swinging out from his barely buttoned shirt as he leaned into the bar top to order.

Seconds later you feel a presence behind you, turning to see Josh scanning over the menu board in front of you. He sees you look at him and nods his head in acknowledgement before looking away.

Jake turns to you, "What do you want? My treat..." he asks.

Suddenly feeling put on the spot, you turn to Josh and attempt to make conversation.

"Oh, what should I get? Any good local beer recs?" you ask quickly.

"Huh? Oh, uh... I don't know. Just get a Blue Moon or something." he says, stepping to the side to order from another bartender.

Jake huffs and turns back to the bartender and orders for the both of you. "Two Blackberry Farms IPA's, thanks."

He steps back from the bar and turns to face you, the soft yellow glow of the pendant lights overhead perfectly showcasing his tanned skin. "You like IPA's?"

"Yeah! I do. I'm always looking for something new to try." you nod.

"Perfect. Maybe you'll like this one. It's local and one of my favorites. Well, local-ish." he chuckles, and you think you can see every single one of his perfect teeth.

"Local-ish works too..." you say and laugh along, seeing the bartender approach with the two pints. He grabs them both and hands yours to you.

"To... changing your mind." he toasts, tapping his glass to yours. You sip the foamy top and to your surprise, he's right. It's not bad at all.

Josh pushes away from the bar with his drink, paying no mind to you or Jake standing next to him. Your eyes follow him before looking back to Jake, who is scoffing under his breath.

"Sorry about him. He's... having a day." he says, gesturing for you to follow him back to their table.

"Oh it's totally fine. We haven't seen each other in years, he doesn't owe me anything." you reply.

You slide back into the booth, you first this time, letting Jake effectively box you in as you catch the tail end of a story a short haired blonde is telling. She sends you a smile through her story, before turning her attention back to Josh who is smiling and laughing next to her.

The gap. It's still there. You feel a little bit of heat come to your cheeks, so you hide behind your glass and sip your beer as you continue to listen in, but truthfully you're just thinking about how different Josh looks, wondering what else about him has changed.

"Y/N?" you hear, turning your head to the other side of the table. "Oh my god it is you!"

Sam.

"Hi Sam! Long time no see! Wow you're so..."

"Devilishly handsome?" he laughs, the same unmistakable laugh you remembered.

"Yep, that's exactly what I was going to say! How did you know?" you taunt, seeing him slide in next to Josh.

He clicks his tongue, "You know, just had a feeling." he winks. "Good to see you! It's been a long time!"

"I know, it really has." you answer, sipping your beer. "Seems like you all are doing well, though?"

"I'd say we're getting by? What say you, Sammy boy?" Jake answers, tipping his chin.

"Something like that." he smiles smugly.

"Sammy, did you get the Pimm for me?" the blonde questions.

"Shit, I'll be right back. Sorry babe." he says, quickly scurrying off to the bar.

You look at her again, being met with another smile as she waves, "Hey! I'm Greer. Nice to meet you."

After a quick introduction Sam was returning with her drink, sliding it across the table in front of Josh and into her hands. You briefly locked eyes with Josh, the same as you remember before he looks away and starts talking to Sam.

"So, my mom gave us about the bare minimum details about why you moved here, just that we should show you around..." Jake says, hoping for a glimpse into your life.

Your eyes flash to Josh, who is still in conversation with Sam, but clearly listening to what you and Jake are talking about.

"Well, I start grad school tomorrow at Vanderbilt. Applied a few places, and ultimately this is where it led me." you answer, earning you a nod of approval.

"Grad school... What are you studying?" he asks, sipping his beer.

"Marketing. Specifically Consumer Analysis..."

He purses his lips, and squints an eye playfully, "And that means..."

"Basically...I help businesses target their desired customers and help them understand their needs, to help them successfully market the right products to them." you answer confidently.

"Oh, so you can like...read people..." he says, setting his empty glass on the table.

"In a way. I just...know what certain people want, and I know how to sell it to them."

A hum leaves his lips as you turn back to Josh and Sam who have been intently listening to what you've been saying.

"Okay, so...if you think you can read people, tell me...why I chose this bar." Josh challenges.

Oh, this is too easy.

"Well, Josh. You didn't." you answer matter-of-factly. Your eyes flick to Sam, "He did."

Josh removes the straw from his drink, placing it between his teeth, and lifting his hand encouraging you to continue.

"This place is seemingly new based on the ongoing construction next door. Probably opened within the last six months. Sam is younger and more likely to be in touch with what is happening locally as far as new and upcoming bar life, and if not him, Greer. The vibe here is very exclusive to say the least, everyone seems to know each other, and you guys are no exception to that based on the number of people gawking at you. Sam and Greer are dressed like everyone else here, they knew what to expect walking in. Whereas you, Jake and I are dressed a bit too casually to be regular clientele. I asked you at the bar what I should order, and you tossed out that I should order a Blue Moon. If you were a regular here you would have known they don't serve Blue Moon, and you wouldn't have spent five minutes trying to decide what you wanted to order for yourself, you would have known what you wanted."

"How do you know it's not just my first time here?" he asks, throwing his arm back over the top of the booth.

"Well, if it was your first time here you would care what's happening around you. And since you didn't even notice that I walked up and thought I was a fan, that would indicate that you didn't even really want to be here in the first place. You're simply here fulfilling an obligation. You have barely looked up from your phone the whole time I've been here, and haven't spoken to a single person apart from this group other than the bartender." you say.

"How do you know that I didn't choose it?" Jake asks, as you turn to meet his gaze.

"You kept your head down as you walked through the bar earlier, trying to make eye contact with as few people as possible. You're dressed similarly to me, which really is the dead giveaway that you had no idea what you were walking into either. This place seems to be known for their mixed drinks based on the multitude of people sipping them around us, and yet you ordered a beer. I can tell you would be more comfortable in a seedy bar buried deep in the side roads of a quiet neighborhood, where no one would bother you while you drink, but Sam has probably asked the two of you to come here at least five times since it opened, and today you finally caved but not without dragging Josh along with you."

"Daaaaamn..." Sam howled. "She nailed it."

"Shut up Sam." Josh barked.

"And you learned how to do all of that with a Marketing degree?" Jake laughed.

"No. I learned that from years and years of being the wallflower of the group and just...observing. It's just a useful tool in the field I chose." you laughed.

"So, I'm right then?" you questioned.

"Yeah. You're right." Josh answers, snapping your attention to him. You feel his foot brush along your ankle, sending a shock through your body. He smiles smugly when he sees your reaction and does it again, just to taunt you.

You lean back into the booth and swallow nervously, "Maybe I just know you all better than you'd like to think I do."

"Cheers..." Josh says, holding his glass up to yours, and tapping the rim. You swallow down the last of your beer, your eyes never breaking from his, as he tosses back the rest of his mixed drink.

Seconds later Josh is motioning for Sam to move so he can slide out of the booth, no doubt to fetch another drink to nurse his wounded ego, but as he walks away he looks over his shoulder, catching another glimpse of you before disappearing towards the bar.

You pull your phone from your purse, seeing the time and kicking yourself for staying out this late. Jake must have noticed your reaction, and as he turns to you, his leg brushes against yours. "You good?"

"I need to get home, I've been gone too long." you reply.

"Got someone waiting for you?" he asks with a smirk.

"Something like that...But really, I have my first lecture in the morning. Actually...off the top of your head, do you think traffic will be bad in the morning around, I don't know...9AM?" you ask.

Well, depends where you're coming from but it is Nashville so my initial reaction is to say yes." he laughs, the alcohol seeping into his bloodstream and lowering the stoic facade he'd been wearing.

"Actually, I only live like five minutes from here, so I guess from this area?" you add.

"Oh shit, really? Me too. Yeah, over to Vandy... I'd say give yourself like twenty extra minutes. Your map is gonna tell you to take I-24, but don't. It's going to drive you right through the center of Broadway which is going to add another fifteen minutes. Take 65, it's going to say it's longer but you avoid almost all of downtown and it will drop you out right at Midtown." he says.

"Okay, so no 24, do 65. Got it." you smile. "Thanks for the invite tonight. I will be sure to pass along the message to my mother, so that she will tell your mother that you fulfilled your obligation." you giggle.

"Hey, no...Don't think I invited you because I felt like I had to. I very much didn't. Thought it would be nice to see you again after all these years. And it was. I'm sure Josh feels the same, even though he's being an ass. You just caught him on a bad night. But hey– anyways, I'll let you get out of here. Good luck with your classes and everything. Let me know if you need any recommendations." he finishes, letting you slide out of the booth.

"I will, and thanks for the drink. It was nice to meet you Greer, and Sammy, always a pleasure." you smile, giving him a side hug.

You glanced towards the bar, seeing Josh in conversation with someone, blowing a breath through your nose and smiling as you pushed the door open to head to your car. You walk down the sidewalk towards the parking lot as just as you grab your door handle you hear your name.

"Y/N!" the voice calls out.

You spin around to see Josh, leaning on his elbows up against the railing of the elevated deck, looking down at you as you pause at your car door.

"Was good to see you tonight..." he croons. You take in his full appearance, noticing that even though the years have passed, he is still very fond of the tight pants look, swapping the corduroy for light wash denim, and the thrift store blouse for a crisp white t-shirt and a beaded necklace. His new style suits him, so perfectly simple that on anyone else it would be too much. But you realize at that moment that the two of you are dressed practically the same.

"Good to see you too Josh..." you say, pulling your door handle.

"Off in a hurry?" he questions, crossing his legs.

"Yeah, gotta get home where I'm needed, and I have class tomorrow." you answer, still hesitating at your open door.

"Where you're needed, huh..." he questions, rubbing his fingers over his chin.

"Oh, now you want to talk?" you blurt out.

"Who said I didn't want to talk?" he volleys.

"Well... you didn't have to. You barely spoke three words to me all night." you answer. "You hardly acknowledged my existence..."

"Did you want me to acknowledge your existence, Y/N?" he asks, and you can see he's fighting a mischievous smile.

"Well...no, not like that... I just..." you stammer, feeling yourself become flustered under his piercing gaze. You can't help but laugh nervously, coming up short.

"I knew you were there the second you walked in." he counters, and your face drops.

"So why pretend you didn't? Why were you glued to your phone the whole time?" you ask.

He rubs his lips together and lets a breath escape his chest, "For one, I wasn't expecting you." He pauses and gauges your reaction to his words. He goes on a moment later. "Two, I had a bit of a trying day. My apologies."

Suddenly feeling a bit too needy, and a little too insensitive, you tossed your purse in the car before looking at him again. "Well, again, it was nice to see you Josh. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"I think it could be arranged..." he said, patting his hand on the metal railing. "Be safe driving."

You nodded your head and slid into the driver's seat, heart still racing from the back and forth. It could be arranged? The fuck does that mean?

You hurried home, inserting the key into the lock, and rushing inside your front door, letting it close harshly behind you. Bloo sat by the backdoor, silently begging to go outside, and tugging at your heartstrings as if they hadn't been used as a jump rope all night.

"I'm sorry buddy, here, go ahead." you said, opening the back door to let him relieve himself.

You took off your jewelry and did a quick version of your nightly routine, thanking yourself for getting your school items in order for the morning, earlier in the day. You put on your pajamas and return to the kitchen, letting Bloo inside and retrieving a glass of water and a few preemptive Advil before retiring to your bed for good this time.

With your mind still racing with memories of the evening, you found yourself reaching for your phone and typing in Josh's name to google, purely just to see what would come up. But when the results began to load your eyes practically bulged out of your head. Not only was their band successful to say the least, they were famous. Like really famous. Like, won a Grammy, famous.

No wonder everyone was staring at them in the bar.

You scrolled through tons of photos and videos, listening to snippets of their songs here and there, almost laughing at how naive you were, thinking they were playing small local venues and clubs, when in actuality they were selling out entire arenas. You saw pictures of the four of them, in various stages throughout their career thus far, but the one that caught your eye was not a photo of them with thousands of people in the audience watching. No, this couldn't have been long after that last summer. Josh's hair was still long, and Jake's was short. Sam was still practically a child and their outfits were perfectly mismatched. Back when they were just your friends around the bonfire, and your game night partners. Back when you still had hope for 'next time'.

But as you laid there, you couldn't help but let a new set of words swirl through your mind. Words that held a little more promise than the previous.

'It could be arranged.'

Maybe you could let Josh back into your life. Maybe he would fit into your fresh start. Maybe you were led to Nashville for a reason after all. Maybe the reason was him all along.

Okay so what if you did fall asleep with your phone in your hand? So what...Happens to everyone right? But is everyone looking at pictures of their insanely gorgeous rockstar ex? Ex? Could you call him that? What is he to you? Ugh whatever, it's time to get up.

Your stomach is swirling with excitement over your first day of classes, as you rush around your bedroom to make yourself look presentable. Checking the time you realize you have about ten minutes to get out the door, quickly giving the dog a scoop of food and grabbing your togo coffee as you rush out the door.

You pull up the directions on your phone and just as Jake said, it's telling you to take 24, not 65. You click the alternate route and turn on some music, taking in the sights of the city as you make your way to campus for the first time.

You sat nervously in the lecture hall, a group of about twenty other students sitting with you as you picked at your nails waiting for the professor to arrive. You could hear the ticking of the clock across the room, only adding to your anxiety. A few minutes later the wooden door opened and a man walked in looking slightly disheveled as he threw his bag and stack of papers onto the table.

"Sorry folks, got caught in Broadway traffic..." which earned him a collective groan from the class. You smiled to yourself as you thought about Jake and how you too, could have been stuck in traffic this morning had you decided not to go last night and ask his advice.

"I'm Professor Gimbal, and I'll be your instructor for the semester. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that this semester will be easy, because truthfully, this is a hard course. But you probably know that since you're here to get your Masters' after all. If you stay on top of things and study, you'll pass. If not, well, you won't. But anyways, here is the syllabus." he says, passing out papers to each row of seats.

You look over the syllabus and notice the workload for the semester and silently groan. This is going to kick your ass. You glance over to the guy next to you having a similar reaction and smile at him with the shrug of your shoulders. He sees your smile and laughs along. "He can't fail all of us, right?"

"I don't know, he kinda seems like the type." you smirk.

"I think I might have to live in the library..." he whispers.

"I'll see you there." you laugh, turning back towards the professor.

"Alright, if everyone is ready, let's begin."

You let the freezer door slam shut as you toss the frozen pizza into your shopping cart. It lays there sadly amongst the bananas and loose apples, and you sigh as you make your way through the aisles looking for the wine. The 5 o'clock after work crowd has filled the store to the brim, causing you to weave your cart around patrons with every step.

Finding a reprieve in the wine aisle you scour the shelves looking for a bottle of red to accompany your gourmet frozen pizza in a celebratory 'you made it through your first day' meal.

Finding what you're looking for, you grab two bottles and set them gently into your cart before peeking the nose of your cart into the main walkway. Assuming the coast is clear, you push the rest of the way out, almost colliding with someone and looking up at them as they stop short of being mowed over.

"Oh gosh, I am so sorry!" You blurt out, before realizing that it wasn't just some random person. It was Jake.

"Been driving long?" He smirks, taking you in.

"Sorry Jake! Remind me to not come here at rush hour..." you laugh.

"Nine o'clock. That's usually when I come. Hardly anyone is here." He says, glancing down into your cart. "The necessities, I see."

Your chest grows warm as you look down into your cart, "Oh, yep. My 'surviving the first day of classes' meal." You laugh.

"Oh that's right. How did it go? You hit traffic?" He asks.

"Thankfully I had a little insider tip from a local. so I got there right on time with no traffic at all..." you smile.

He suddenly looks down feeling his pocket buzz, before slipping his hand inside to retrieve his phone. He smirks at the screen and holds up a finger to you, asking you to wait.

"Hello?" He answers, a little sing-songy, resting a hand on the edge of your cart. It pulls a quiet giggle from you.

He laughs softly to whoever's on the line as he kicks his boot across the floor absentmindedly. "Yeah, actually, I did. In fact... Here I am standing with her right now."

His eyes flick up to yours, "Yes really..." he smiles, nodding his head in anticipation of his next words. "We met up last night, but I just ran into her at the grocery store."

You start to feel uneasy listening in on his conversation, trying to turn your attention elsewhere, but it's no use.

"Yes, Josh and Sam were also there..." he says, picking up the frozen pizza in your cart and examining it while he listens to who you can only assume to be his mother, talk.

"Ye– Yeah. Yes, I will. Okay...I'll tell him. Let me go, I'll call you soon. Love you." he says, hanging up the call.

"I think that was partially my fault for forgetting to inform my mother that we did in fact hang out, so she could call off your mom. I'm sorry..." you laugh nervously.

"Don't worry about it. You know her, she's always like that." he laughs, sliding his phone back into his pocket. "So... Is this your dinner?" he asks.

You feel a rush of redness creep into your cheeks, "Um...Yes."

"I thought you said you were celebrating?" he questions, running his fingers over his lips, pinching his bottom one like he's trying to physically fight a grin.

"It's DiGiorno..." you counter, raising your brows like it's obvious.

"Let me take you out." he says boldly, leaning into the shelf behind him.

"What? Out...Like tonight?" you gawk, questioning why he even cares.

"Yeah. Me and Josh. He was planning on coming over for a drink anyways... Came to pick up some limes, but I'm sure I could change his mind for dinner..." he offers.

Josh? Oh no...No no no no.

"Oh, no Jake... you don't have to do that. You did your due diligence–"

"Y/N, stop acting like a burden. If I didn't want to, I wouldn't be asking. It's just dinner and you had your first day of grad school. You should be celebrating, not eating a frozen pizza at home by yourself." he says sternly.

"How do you know it's just me?" you challenge, playfully.

"I don't." he smirks. "But you came alone last night, did you not?"

"I did..." you reply with a lilt in your voice.

"So dinner? I'll call Josh right now..." he says, pulling his phone out as his eyes meet yours. The two of you look at each other for a few seconds, before you finally cave.

"Alright. But I'm still buying the frozen pizza." you concede.

A valiant smile crosses his lips "Good. I'll text you in a bit?" he questions, stepping backwards away from your cart, but not turning until you relent and agree.

"Okay..." you say with a coy smile, watching as he turns and heads back towards the produce to secure his limes.

You struggle to unlock your door with the bags hanging from your arms, a cool breeze blowing your hair across your face as you turn to look at the gray sky. The lock finally gives as you barrel through the door and place the groceries on the counter.

"Hey buddy!" you cheerfully greet Bloo as he rubs his face against your legs. "Did you have a good day today?" you ask, beginning to unload the groceries into the refrigerator.

"You wanna go outside? It's not looking too good so you better go..." you say, walking over to unlock the back door. He scampers out and you make your way back to the groceries, smiling to yourself as you place your pizza in the freezer and shut the door.

Your phone buzzes in your purse, and your heart jumps as you consider that it may be Jake with your dinner plans. Much to your delight it is, but it's not just him, an unknown number is also in the text thread, who you can only assume is Josh.

Jake

5:51pm: How about Folk at 7:00?

You quickly google the restaurant to find out where it is, and what kind of food it is, and you grin as you glance through the menu, seeing a text come through as you browsed.

Unknown

5:53pm: Wait, you were serious about that? I would rather fucking die than drive all the way across town on a Monday night.

Right. That's Josh.

Jake

5:54pm: Yeah and this is a group text Joshua, you cock

You quickly add Josh's contact to your phone, as you contemplate canceling the whole thing.

Josh

5:55pm: Shit.

5:55pm: Yeah I'll be there.

You:

5:56pm: I swear, it's really okay, we don't have to do this. I don't want to impose on either of you.

Jake

5:57pm: You're not imposing, it was my idea.

Josh

5:57pm: Their food is good, you'll like it.

You

5:59pm: Okay... I'll see you there.

You let out a sigh as you toss your phone onto the couch, trying not to let the sting of Josh's initial reply hit you too hard. To be fair, Jake did kind of spring this on him, and with the way the two of you left things last night, he probably wasn't planning to see you this soon anyways.

Bloo scratching at the backdoor pulls you from your thoughts as you make your way to the door, letting him inside and giggling as his thunderous paws traipse through the house. With an hour until you're supposed to arrive you head towards your closet, ready to flip through options, deciding to up the ante a bit with something a little more...daring than what they'd seen last night. Something a little more... you.

Flipping through the hangers, your eyes search for the creamy colored fabric, and as your fingers brush across it you pull it from the rod and hold it up in front of you. This will do, this will do just fine.

Quickly slipping out of your current outfit, you remove your bra and slide the subtly floral covered dress over your head, feeling it drop to hug every curve of your waist as you refastened the top few buttons, then pulling the zipper on the side. You loved this dress, you felt your best in this dress, and if this was a celebration, you were going to look the part. The buttons extended the length of the dress, starting at the middle of your chest and ending just before the split at your knees. The ruched fabric of the cups perfectly accentuated your chest, while the hem of the dress fell just at the middle of your calf. A few purple irises were dotted across the fabric sparingly to add some color, finishing off with a slight ruffle at the hem to add some movement to the bottom of the skirt. It was easily one of the sexiest pieces of clothing you owned, not because it was revealing or flashy, but because of how perfectly it showcased what lies beneath without giving anything away. But if you were being honest, your tits did look great. Not that it mattered, right?

You ran a curling iron through your hair just enough to give it a little bit of wave, letting it hang loosely over your shoulders. A pair of gold earrings and a touch up of your makeup and you were ready to walk out the door. Bloo watched you as you put on your shoes, a disapproving look on his face as he sat by the door. Guilt crept into your chest as you realized this would be the second night you'll have left him alone. "It's just dinner, I swear I'll be back earlier than last night..." you bartered.

You swiped your phone from the kitchen counter and grabbed your keys, leaving a lamp on in the living room for Bloo as you scurried out the door, but not before he gave you some sad eyes again. Typing in the name of the restaurant you see that again, it's not too far away from your house which makes you feel like you kind of hit the jackpot location wise. So far everywhere you've needed to go has been under ten minutes away with the exception of campus.

You pull into the parking lot, and step out of your car as the wind starts to pick up again. You bite your lips together as you look to the sky, seeing clusters of dark gray clouds looming overhead. Shit.

You step inside and are instantly met with the delicious aroma of food and the twinkling of the candle lit tables, and thank yourself for wearing a dress. Your eyes glance around the dimly lit restaurant looking for Jake or Josh, but you don't see them, so you step to the side and pull out your phone. Nothing. Okay, well, it's 7 on the dot. Give them a minute.

A hostess approaches you with a kind smile, "How many this evening?" she asks cheerfully.

"Oh, hi, yes three, thank you." you say, turning to follow her through the restaurant. She leads you to the middle of the restaurant where the tables are spread out against a long bench of banquette seating, while the other side of the table sits traditional wooden chairs. Opting for comfort you slide into the booth side of the table and lay your purse beside you as you wait for them to arrive.

You pick up the drink menu, seeing a handful of tempting choices, but hoping that one of the guys might have a recommendation. Not too long after setting the menu down you see the front door open and a pair of eyes scanning the room before locking with yours. Dressed in a pair of gray cuffed slacks and a partially buttoned black shirt, Jake approaches your table with a smug expression.

"Been waiting long?" he asks, sliding into the booth seat next to you, folding his hands on top of the table.

"Not too long, though for a second I was debating on whether or not you two would show up." you quip.

"Sorry about Josh earlier, he–"

"You apologize for him a lot, you know..." you smirk, fiddling with the edge of your folded cloth napkin, running your nails along the seam.

The two of you look at each other for a moment. You can see the wheels spinning in his head as he tries to think of an excuse, but the chair across from you scraping across the floor draws both of your attention.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Josh asks, placing his phone down on the table.

"Nope!" you answer swiftly, flicking your eyes up to his, which were thoroughly examining your chest. A flash of warmth washed through your chest at the thought that you might be the object of his desire again, even if only for a second.

"So... what are we here for? What's the occasion again?" he asks, looking to Jake. He's unsmiling, his lips in a pout as he gets settled in his chair.

"Y/N got through her first day of grad school successfully." he smiles softly at you and nods in your direction before looking back to Josh. "Saw her at Kroger earlier planning to celebrate with a frozen pizza..." He gives you an unimpressed look. "And thought she might enjoy this a little bit more."

"Well, how thoughtful of you, brother." Josh quips flatly, as if he would rather be anywhere else, before picking up the drink menu from in front of you.

You tap your fingertips gently across the table, casually looking up at Josh, only to catch his eyes peering at you over the top of the menu. You look down at your menu where it sits on the table, trying to will your cheeks to stop burning.

You take a breath to center yourself, then break the tension by turning to Jake and asking for his opinion, "Any drinks here you would suggest?"

He snatches the menu from Josh's hands and eyes it carefully, his eyes squinting a little, as if looking for one in particular. When he finds it, he leans a little and points to it. "This one, The Great Pretender. Or... if you're into gin, you'd probably like The Ivory Tower."

"In my opposition, I think The Cat's Meow is the best drink on the menu." Josh counters, leaning back in his chair. "Not that you asked."

"I do like gin, so maybe I will give The Ivory Tower a try." you lock eyes with Josh as you answer, just as a cute brunette waitress approaches and cuts the tension before he can strike back at you.

"Hi guys, I'm Lexi, I'll be your server tonight! I see you're checking out our drink menu, can I get anything going for you?" she chirps.

"Yeah, I think she's going to try the Ivory Tower..." Jake says, checking with you, and you grant him a nod as he continues, "And I'm going to do the Great Pretender."

"I'd like The Cat's Meow, and three shots of Camarena for the table. Thanks." Josh says, tipping his chin to her as she saunters off towards the bar.

Jake sends him a questioning look as he chuckles under his breath, "You said it was a celebration, right?"

His voice grows low and gravely as he nods his head, "That I did..."

Your server returns a minute later with the tray of drinks. They're each in a different glass, garnished to perfection. She then presents the three shot glasses filled to the brim with tequila, offering a small bowl of limes to chase it with. After placing your dinner order the three of you turn your attention to the shots in front of you. You reach for the salt shaker in front of Josh, licking the back of your hand and then shaking some onto your skin. You look up to see Josh holding out a shot glass to you, his brows raised to the heavens. You take the little glass between your fingers, murmuring a shy word of thanks.

He lifts his own glass towards you as Jake takes his. When Josh starts to speak, it seems his tone has changed a little.

"To my dear old friend, what chance did we ever stand against kismet, hmm?" he says, tapping his glass to yours, before tipping the glass to his pink lips. You watch the liquor slide down as he swallows, your eyes so firmly glued to the movement of his Adam's apple that you almost forget to take the shot of your own. He lowers his head and once you see his eyes focus on you, you make a bit of a display of yourself, locking eyes with him and licking the salt from your hand with a flattened tongue. Then you close your eyes and raise the glass to your lips. They open again when you feel him bring his fingers to the bottom of the glass, tipping it further back with a smirk, making sure you get every last drop.

You swallow down the spicy drink, quickly grabbing the lime from Jake's fingers he so kindly offered, and sucking it between your teeth.

"Shit, now it's a party." Josh says, crossing his legs under the table. You almost see a little flush in the apples of his cheeks. Whether it's from the moment you just had or the tequila, either way, you find it endearing. Jake takes the three empty glasses and collects them to stack at the end of the table for the waitress.

"So tell us, Y/N. Why are you really here?" Josh asks, and it feels like he's appraising you.

You toss him a confused look, "What do you mean? I'm here for grad school..."

"Yeah, sure but why here? Why Nashville?" he asks, locking his fingers behind his head. He's not subtle when it comes to the glances of your neckline he's stealing.

"Well, because I got accepted to Vanderbilt. I thought we already established all of this..." you questioned.

"He wasn't listening." Jake interjects smartly before taking a sip of his drink from the tiny cocktail straw. Josh ignores his twin and continues on.

"Surely you chose Vanderbilt for a reason, though. Nashville is pretty far away from...Columbia, right? South Carolina?" he asks, tilting his head and feigning ignorance to the memory of where you grew up.

"Yeah, Columbia." You reply dryly,stirring your drink with your straw.

"So why here? Why not somewhere closer to home? Got rejected by your top choice? Running from something, perhaps?" he asks, arrogantly.

"I'm not running from anything, Josh. And even if I was, what business is it of yours?" you snap back, your brow a little furrowed. Wasn't he just giving you the eyes a minute ago?

"Ooooh, struck a nerve. I think I'm getting closer, Jake." he says with a playful timbre to his voice, trying to get his twin to join in on the fun.

You cross your legs and place your elbows on the table leaning in close to him, "I don't know what you think you know about me, but I can assure you that I'm not the quiet little wallflower you used to know all those years ago. I have a life and I'm building a career. I'm not running from anything."

"So, a failed relationship. Maybe a friendship in turmoil? Family troubles? Surely it's something..." he challenges.

"Josh." Jake warns.

You shake your head and sit back in the booth, willing the food to arrive to end this conversation. For a moment you consider validating his suspicions, but you've learned nothing puts a bigger damper on an evening than the dead Dad story.

"Let her talk, Jake. She's not a wallflower, remember?" he sneers. "Where is your boyfriend, Y/N?" he asks, catching you off guard.

You lick your lips and take a sip from your drink, fully intending to ignore his question.

"Cat got your tongue?" he quips.

"Josh, the fuck? Relax..." Jake says, a little exasperated, leaning forward in the booth. It's clearly not the first time he's had to tolerate this behavior from Josh.

"Don't have one right? Have you ever had one Y/N?" he continues, causing you to cut your eyes at him. He can't be serious.

"Of course I have." you reply, affording him one small glimpse into your life.

"But he ended things...Not you? Right? I'm guessing you probably wouldn't put out...Probably wanted him to settle down and it scared him off?" His voice, which you could usually listen to for hours, is suddenly so grating and irritating. He lowers his voice before he speaks again.

"Do tell me doll, am I close?" he says, sipping from his drink again. "Came all the way to Nashville just to get away after you got your little heart broken?"

"What in the everloving fuck has gotten into you?" Jake snaps, slamming his fist on the table, the metallic clanking of the silverware and glasses echoing through the small restaurant.

"Was just a simple question Jake. She doesn't have to answer, but the redness of her cheeks is telling me eeeeeeverything I need to know, really. She's so easy to read, always has been." he says, leaning back in his chair, a satisfied smile on his face. He picks up his phone, checking his notifications as if he doesn't have a care in the world.

As you sit in the booth, you can feel the embarrassment coursing through your veins like white hot lightning. Why does he care? Is that why he never called? Because I didn't put out?

Your server appears with a smile, taking notice of your empty drinks, "Should I grab fresh drinks before your food comes out? Shouldn't be too much longer."

"I'll have another." You speak up instantly, desperate for another at this point. Your voice is a little strained and by the look on his face, you can tell Josh has picked up on it.

"Yeah, I could do one more, thanks." Jake replies, turning to Josh.

"Oh, I'm actually done for the evening, if you wouldn't mind I'll take my drink tab." he smiles at her, before turning back to the two of you.

"You leaving?" Jake asks.

"Yeah, not feeling too hungry at the moment, but it was a strong attempt." he replies, sliding his card to the waitress as she walks off.

"Did you just come here to be an asshole?" he asks.

"Not entirely. Wanted to see my old friend, catch up, you know?" he smirks.

"Yeah I can see that you were super keen on catching up." he scoffs.

The waitress returns with his card, and as he slides the tip of the pen across the paper, he flicks his eyes up to yours, catching you in your gaze. "Better be careful with eyes like that, they'll get you into trouble one of these days."

His words make your lips part in shock, but maybe something else. You silently curse yourself for letting him have this effect on you.

He slides out of his chair and grabs his phone from the table, lifting his eyebrows to Jake. "Later." falling from his lips as he grabs his keys, and with that, the blur of his brown jumpsuit is disappearing out the door. He didn't even say goodbye to you. You didn't even get a second glance.

Jake sighs as the two of you sit in silence for a minute before the waitress appears with your fresh drinks. As you take yours from her hand, it doesn't even touch the table before you're drinking half of it down.

"I'm not even going to attempt an apology for that..." Jake says, taking a pull from his glass.

"I wouldn't take the fall for him if I were you." you say, turning to him with a defeated look.

"I don't know why he's being like this, honestly. Ever since him and Hayden called it quits..." he trails off, looking off into the distance.

"His ex I'm assuming?"

"Yeah, kind of. On again off again for a few years now. Seems like maybe it's for good this time based on his mood as of lately." he continues.

"Well, despite everything...Thanks for inviting me to dinner. You're right, this is much better than a frozen pizza alone." you smile, feeling the alcohol starting to warm your chest.

"Anytime. No one likes to eat alone. I would know." he smirks, turning his head as the waitress delivers the most delicious looking pizza you'd ever laid eyes on.

"Seems like kind of a lot for just the two of us, huh?" you giggle, causing a smile to turn the corners of his lips as he nods.

"Maybe just a bit, but at least you'll have leftovers." he laughs, placing a slice onto your plate. "Let me know what you think. I swear the hot honey just makes it." he says gesturing a chef's kiss.

"I know that it's going to be ten times better than the DiGiorno sitting in my freezer, and so far you are three for three with recommendations. I just might have to keep you around." you laugh, nudging his side with your elbow.

After devouring half of the pizza, the two of you sat continuing to sip on your cocktails as the restaurant started to slow down.

"Care for one more, or are we all done?" the waitress asks, making a stop at your table.

Jake looks to you and raises a brow, "Busy tomorrow?" he jokes.

"No actually..." you say, tapping your finger to your lips with a giggle.

"Get one more, we are finally having fun. Was kind of the point of the night right?" he asks.

He's so...compelling...

"Okay, I can do one more. Then that's it." you reply.

"Could I just do a Bulleit on the rocks please? Thanks so much." he says, before turning his attention back to you.

"I'm glad you didn't let Josh's shit mood ruin your fun. You should be proud of yourself, Vanderbilt isn't an easy school to get into. I'm glad you let me take you out to celebrate." he says, looking at you. The glow of the candle on the table is reflecting in his slightly more hooded eyes, and the low drawl of his voice is sucking you in. You're not sure if it's the alcohol, or what, but you can't peel your eyes away from him if your life depended on it.

You cross your legs and resituate yourself in the booth, watching as Jake's eyes travel to the slit in your dress where your bare thigh sits, now fully exposed. You watch as he swallows and tears his eyes away, sucking down the rest of his watered down cocktail as you await your new drinks.

"Thanks Jake. You're... sweet." you reply, trying to stifle down your dimple in your cheek you can feel starting to show, as a hum leaves his chest.

"Not all the time." he smiles, "Most people think I'm a real ass. They may be right, but I just think they don't really know me."

"How long have we known each other?" you blurt out, the alcohol clearly beginning to lower your inhibitions.

"Ahh... let's see. When was that first family vacation we took? I think we were like seven or eight?" he pauses, rubbing his finger over his mustache. "Where was it, didn't we go to fuckin'... Vermont or something?"

"Yes! Yes! That was the first trip! When Sam tipped the canoe, and he and Josh both went under! They almost sank the canoe thinking they were going to drown!" you said, causing both of you to erupt with laughter. You felt a warm hand come to rest on the exposed skin of your leg, sending a zap of electricity through your body as you continued to laugh.

Jake realizes his mistake and quickly pulls his hand away, "Shit, sorry about that. Habit."

"Habit, huh? It's alright, I didn't hate it..." you trailed off.

A slightly shocked expression crosses his face as he turns to the waitress, depositing the final round of drinks.

"How do you drink that straight like that?" you ask, as he starts to tilt the glass to his lips.

"Well, it's kinda straight, the water from the ice waters it down just a bit. It's really quite good, if you'd like to try it." he offers.

Feeling bold you accept the drink from his hands, and bring your lips to the glass, swallowing down the amber liquid with your eyes locked on his. He swallows harshly as he watches you, fidgeting in his seat as you hand the glass back to him.

"Well?" he asks, sipping from the glass.

"Right again..." you answer, letting your foot slightly graze his leg, so softly he barely notices.

"So she likes bourbon, huh? Didn't take you for a bourbon girl, but I could get behind that." he smirks.

You sip from your own drink, washing away the strong flavor of his, as a wave of courage washes over you. "Want to know a secret?" you ask, feeling your limbs start to tingle.

"Mmm..." he hums, in acknowledgement.

"Josh was my first kiss." you smirk. It still feels like a giddy secret, even if he just berated you at the dinner table.

"Is that right..." he answers slowly, and you can hear the gears turning.

"Mhmm...my first kiss, a-and my first love too, I think." you continue. You've never said the words out loud.

"Wow. And to think of the lovely display he just put on for you. I kinda get it though." he says, swirling his drink. "I'd probably be fucked up too if I let you get away."

What?

"Really..." you answer, peering over the top of your glass as you draw out the word.

"Mhmm...Definitely." he answers, his pinky grazing yours on the seat of the booth.

"He never called, texted...anything. Just told me he would see me the next summer and..."

"And we never came back." he says, nodding his head in understanding.

"Right." you murmured.

His hand crept further over, his fingertips brushing against yours as he spoke, "He should have told you."

"Last night at the bar was actually the first time I've spoken to him since that day." You try and hide the hurt in your voice, but it's not easy.

He shakes his head, clearly annoyed, and mumbles under his breath. Something slightly unintelligible.

"What?" you asked softly, hoping he'll tell you.

He blows out a bourbon soaked breath through his lips, pausing before he speaks, "I said, he didn't deserve you."

You take another pull from your drink, reaching the point of no return as you lean your head on his shoulder, your hand sliding to his thigh, "Mmm fifteen year old me would have told you you're wrong..." you say.

"How about now...Do you think he deserves you now?" he asks, with another toss of his glass. This question makes it clear he's noticed the way you look at Josh, the way you've been subtly vying for his attention.

You sit up and pull your hand back from his leg, grabbing your drink and finishing its contents with the shrug of your shoulders. You think about it for a moment.

"Well..." he pauses, leaning close to whisper into your ear, "Maybe he never called, because he wasn't the one that was supposed to..."

You close your eyes as the words flow from his lips into your ear, a smoke clouding your vision in the most addicting way. His hot breath on your ear has your heart rate skyrocketing, the thumping so loud you're sure he can hear it. He places his hand on your leg where it once sat so briefly, before speaking again. "And maybe he broke your heart... because he wasn't the one that should have possessed it in the first place..."

You turned your head, but he didn't move, your lips only millimeters away from his as you spoke, "If not him...then..."

"Let's get out of here." he says sternly, the bourbon so strong on his breath you can taste it on your tongue. He pulls away, and the sudden absence of his hand on your skin leaves you feeling bare.

"We... wait... we have to pay..." you stammer, watching him stand from the table.

"I paid with the last round. Come on, I'll drive." he says, pulling his keys from his pocket. You're grateful for his gesture, knowing that you were too far gone to drive. You grab the small pizza box of leftovers, then stand and head for the door. He places his hand on the small of your back as he guides you to the front door, the soft pattering of rain falling against the awning.

"Oh no..." you whine, seeing the weather. You know Bloo is at home having a hell of a time.

"It's just a little rain, and look, hey, I'm right there." He says, pointing to the Jeep in the second parking space. "You think you can make a run for it?" he asks, and you nod your head as he counts to three. "1, 2, 3..."

Both of you take off towards his car, pulling the doors open and jumping up into the leather seats, shutting the doors loudly behind you. Both of you are dripping wet and laughing, as he turns on the car, pausing for a second to look at you as you smooth down your wet hair and balance the to-go box on your knees.

"You're so fuckin' beautiful, Y/N..." he whispers, eyes searching yours.

A few tense seconds pass before both of you are crashing your lips to each other, in a fiery rush of pent up desire. Your hand cautiously finds the side of his head, weaving your fingers into his dampened locks, as his hand comes to rest on the side of your face, brushing his fingers beneath your ear.

You want to deepen the kiss. You want to feel his tongue on yours. You want to taste the sweet and pungent bourbon on his lips and get drunk off of him, and him alone. But you don't, because he pulls away, leaving your wet, swollen lips begging for more.

He places his hand behind your head rest, as he turns to back out of the parking space, like nothing even happened at all. You feel slightly embarrassed as you buckle your seatbelt, wondering if maybe the alcohol in your system caused you to act too quickly. But, he leaned in, right? He kissed you back?

"I can hear you overthinking..." he says, pulling out onto the street and coasting to the stop sign at the end of the road. He turns to look at you, placing his hand on your thigh, "I want it just as badly as you do, but I don't want to make out with you in my car like a sixteen year old. I want to take you home and do it right. Give you what you deserve. Because someone has to, and I'll be goddamned if it's not going to be me." He lets out an airy chuckle.

You just stare at him, watching as he pulls his bottom lip between his fingers. He turns back towards the road and starts to drive again, your nerves settling just a little. It still feels as if all the air has been stolen from your lungs as you struggle to take a breath. You try to form any type of response... but nothing comes out. The rain starts to fall harder and a flash of purple lights the sky, plummeting you back to reality.

"Wait!" you urge, causing him to whip his head towards you. You feel his grip on your leg soften, as he listens.

"Can you– can we go back to my place?" you ask.

"You sure? We're literally pulling up to mine..." he says, motioning towards his street.

"Yes. Yes, I have to go home. I'm sorry." you plead, your mind flashing to your poor dog probably cowering in the corner of your bedroom.

"Yeah, yeah. No problem. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I–"

"No, Jake. You should have. I'm glad you did. I want you, I really really do. I just have to go home."

"Okay, which way should I go?" he asks, pulling back onto the street.

"Umm...I recognize these street names, but it would probably just be easier if you followed google's directions."

You pull up your address, and hand him your phone, seeing a smile play upon his lips as he sees your address. "You live five blocks away from me."

"I do?"

"You do." he smirks, squeezing your thigh.

"Sorry to be a buzzkill, I completely understand if you don't want to come in." you offer.

"Do you not want me to?" he asks, glancing over to you.

"No, I very much do. I just...I don't know, feel like I killed the mood." you reply.

He slides the fabric of your dress off of your leg, and repositions his hand, "Well, tell me...Do you feel that?"

You did. You definitely did, the searing, burning hot fire pulsing through you with the touch of his hand on your skin.

"Yes..." you answer quietly, trying to slow your rapid breathing.

"Exactly...And I haven't even really touched you yet." he pauses, looking out the window at the house numbers, "Okay, is this it?" he asks, pulling up in front of your house.

"Yep this is us." you say, preparing to make another run through the pouring rain.

"Us?" he says, slightly panicked.

You smile, and nod, "Yeah, me and Bloo."

"Bloo? Who's Bloo?" he questions, turning off the car, and grabbing the togo box from your hands.

You turn to face him with a sly grin, "My dog."

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