I dedicate this chapter to qveenpariah for all the love and support for my story! Your comments are everything! Y'all be sure to go check out her awesome stories and imagines! 😍❤️❤️
**Pictured above is Robbie Jones (Quentin Fields from One Tree Hill if you watched that show) casted as Trenton.
Warning: This chapter alludes to physical and emotional abuse, so please be advised.
Blake
It was six o'clock, and we'd finally arrived in Houston. I checked my phone as soon as we got on the bus, and sighed with relief at the sight of a text from Jubilee.
Ju😋😏❤️
3:48pm
Thank you for the messages from earlier, BG. I had a lot going on at work today that I need to tell you about, which is why I haven't responded to you before now. Please call me once you get settled in Houston. If I'm in class, I'll call you back during one of our breaks.
Hmm. It's 6:30 here, which means it's 4:30 there, and Jubilee's class starts at 4 and ends at 7. So she's probably about to get a break in about a half hour. I quickly called her and left a message before hopping off the bus to head to my hotel room and get settled in before dinner at 7:30 in the hotel lobby.
I had talked with DJ and CP, and their advice was to just apologize over and over until she realized how sorry I really was. CP even went as far to say that being self-deprecating might help, too. I shook my head and chuckled as I hung my clothes up in the closet of my hotel room. They of course were talking trash about how CP tried to warn me that Jubilee was not going to be too happy about Arielle, and DJ called me an idiot for trying to bring up that she wanted us to take things slow. Which, to be honest, I have no idea why I brought that up. Jubilee was just acting like I had committed murder or something, and in the moment I couldn't believe that she was so upset when we'd only been involved for a few days. Especially since I knew that Jubilee had been through way worse in college with her ex Trenton, so for me to not even really do anything I was just surprised at how offended she was.
Oh no. That's why she freaked out! Because she has been through way worse with Trenton and didn't want to go through that again. Shit. I really am an idiot.
Six Years Ago
"Jubilee!" I called, announcing that I'd arrived at her apartment and was looking for her.
I got no reply and instead heard sniffling coming from her bedroom. Oh no, I wonder what could be wrong. Jubilee and I had been friends ever since we met last year at a party on her campus here at Texas. And although I have always been attracted to her and wanted a shot at a relationship, she'd immediately friend zoned me due to this asshole, Trenton, who she couldn't seem to shake. Trenton. That's probably why she's crying. I cursed under my breath in frustration as I made my way to her room. It was my turn to travel to Texas to visit since Jubilee came to Oklahoma two weeks ago, and I didn't want our time together to be ruined because of him. It was only August, so I could come visit her before basketball began in a couple months.
I slowly opened her bedroom door and walked in, finding Jubilee curled up in the fetal position on her bed, holding a tissue box. Her eyes were red and swollen, meaning I'd come in on the tail-end of the crying.
"Ju," I whispered sadly, my heart breaking to see her like this.
"Hey Blake," she barely whispered, her voice was raspy, and she was still sniffling.
I couldn't see her like this and not do something, so I picked Jubilee up bridal style and then sat on the bed, resting my back against the headboard. Jubilee placed her head on my chest and continued to sniffle, so I just wrapped my arms around her and waited for her to calm down even though I had so many questions. Eventually, Jubilee started to tell me.
"He cheated on me. Again. But this time I caught him in the act, and after the hoes wal--,"
"Wait, wait," I had to interrupt, "Hoes, plural?"
"Yes. There were two girls in bed with him," Jubilee answered, her voice getting shaky again.
"Son of a bitch, this asswipe is asking for it," I growled, gripping Jubilee tighter.
I felt wetness on my t-shirt and immediately looked down at Jubilee to see that she'd started silently crying again.
"He also," she said in between sniffs, "He also put his hands on me and umm and uhh threatened to kill me."
I immediately stood up, placing Jubilee back in bed gently before I started pacing. I was beginning to see red and wanted to go find this dude and end his life. Jubilee was the most amazing woman I'd ever met besides my mother, and I wanted to, needed to keep her safe. She didn't deserve this.
"What the fuck, Jubilee? Why haven't you told your dad?! Why didn't you call me as soon as it happened? Where is he right now? I'm gonna fucking kill him!" I roared.
"Blake, please," Jubilee's plea in that broken voice brought me out of my haze of anger, "I I I can't, you can't, I mean this can't get out to anyone. He didn't hit me, he just shoved me into a wall and then yanked me out on the balcony of his apartment and held me over the banister, threatening to push me off it if I ever got in the way of what he was doing, or should I say who he's doing, again."
"And how is this not grounds for informing your father or me going to find him right now and kicking his ass?!" I growled, balling up my fists and resisting the need to punch something.
Jubilee was sitting up now and looking me in the eye as if to say she really was serious about not doing anything to this dude.
"Because this will be a crap chute for my dad to be investigating a student-athlete, who is under his jurisdiction as the athletic director, but also that student-athlete happens to be dating his daughter? It would be horrible for him, and my family. The Carlisle name would be tarnished, not to mention Trenton is like a hero around here who is going to lead Texas to a basketball championship, so my life would be miserable for the rest of my senior year if I got him kicked off the team or something."
The tears began to well up in her eyes again.
"Jubilee, I don't give a flying fuck what happens to this dude, and I'm sure your dad would figure out how to handle this. He would be devastated if he ever found out that you didn't tell him about this," I tried to convince her, sitting in front of her on the bed and holding her hands in mine.
"Blake, I just won't do that to him. I will never forgive myself if everything my dad has worked for is ruined because of some guy I've been dating. Please, you have to promise me you won't say anything," Jubilee begged me with those big, brown eyes that were swollen and red from crying.
I sighed deeply, not wanting to make any promises, but knowing I had to, at least for now, to appease Jubilee, "Fine, Ju, I'll leave it alone. On one condition. You have to promise that you'll never get involved with him again. When I first met you, you acted like you were over him and then crawled right back to him a couple months later. This time, if you go back to him, I'm telling your father what he did. Do we have a deal?"
Jubilee looked down at our hands as if she had to think about this decision that should be a no-brainer. I squeezed her hands, causing her to look up at me with fear, anxiety, but also gratitude in her eyes.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Yes, what?" I asked, wanting more.
"I'll never go back to Trenton in any capacity," she promised, squeezing my hands as if to silently thank me.
"That's good to hear," I said with a small smile.
"Alright, sooo you clearly aren't in a state to cook and your boy is starving, so I'll go pick us up some dinner. Where would you like for me to go, Ju?" I asked, knowing good and well we could have something delivered, I just needed a reason to get out of her apartment and find Trenton.
While Jubilee looked up a restaurant, she was craving Chinese, I texted Taylor and asked him to ask the player from Texas he knew for the name of the apartment complex that the basketball team lived in.
A few minutes later I had Jubilee's food order and the information I needed to find this Trenton. I drove over to the apartment complex, hoping he'd be there at 8 on a Friday. I remembered this place because it was where the party was that we came to last year. I just knocked on a door on that same floor in hopes that I'd find Trenton or someone could point me to him. I knocked on a few doors, trying to stay calm as I knew I couldn't hit the guy because I'd get in trouble at Oklahoma, and Jubilee's desire to keep this under wraps wouldn't be fulfilled. The fourth door I knocked on was the right one. Trenton opened the door.
"What the hell are you doing here? Jubilee sent her pussywhipped best friend to fight her battles for her?" Trenton spat, putting best friend in quotes and further pissing me off.
My hand shot out and quickly grabbed hold of his throat before I pushed myself into his apartment, backing him into a wall and slamming the door behind me. He struggled, trying to claw my hand off his throat, but he wasn't strong enough. I had him by at least thirty pounds of muscle.
"Listen very closely you piece of shit," I growled, "Jubilee actually didn't send me, she wants to, for whatever reason, let your weak ass go free, but I'm not as pleasant as she is. Tonight I'm going to take pictures of the bruises on her arms and probably her back where you manhandled her and held her over your balcony and save them somewhere, so that if I ever hear about you contacting her, let alone putting your hands on her, even to pray, so help me I'm going to turn you in after I've beaten you within an inch of your life. Understood?"
I loosened my grip around his throat, so he could respond.
"Yea whatever," he croaked, gasping for air.
I then socked him in the stomach, and he crumpled to the ground cursing.
"You think coming to her rescue is going to make her fall in love with you?" Trenton croaked, laughing in between breaths, "She'll never love you or worship you like she's done for me all these years. I had that pussy first, and she'll never forget that."
Trenton laughed as he moved to get up. My blood was boiling, and I needed to leave before I lost my chance to play basketball, and he lost his life. So, I kicked him one good time in the ribs, getting pleasure from watching him crumple onto the floor again before I kneeled down to whisper in his ear.
"Just remember, you son of a bitch, if I get wind that you've even thought about her for too long, I will find you just like I did tonight. And you'll never see the basketball court or walk again if I have anything to do with it."
Then, I got up and walked out, slamming the door behind me.
An hour after leaving Jubilee, I was back at her apartment with our food. When I walked in, she had cleaned up a little bit because her face looked fresher, her eyes weren't red anymore, and she'd pulled her hair up into a bun and put on her glasses. God I loved when she wore her glasses. It showed she trusted who she was with because she hated how she looked with them even though she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She only wore them around family and close friends. I sighed, watching her mix her lemonade I loved so much and just admiring her.
"Hey there," Jubilee greeted with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "What took you so long, the place is only ten minutes away?"
"Oh well I got a lot of food because I'm pretty hungry, and the line was super long," I smoothly fibbed, trying to make myself busy by taking the food out and putting it on the table.
"Oh ok, well thank you for going to get it, BG," Jubilee said, accepting my excuse.
"Yea of course, Ju, now let's eat!"
We traveled back into her room and climbed into her bed to eat our Chinese and watch Netflix. Although we'd known each other for almost a year now, I'd never been in her bed and she'd never been in mine. Together at least. I was secretly excited but also still upset that what had brought us so close was her being victimized by Trenton.
Two movies later my arm was around Jubilee's shoulders, and her head was on my chest, and it was time for me to go make my bed on her couch.
"Jubilee," I whispered, not really wanting to disturb her, "I'm gonna go to bed on the couch now it's one am."
"No, BG, please don't leave," she pleaded.
My heart tightened in my chest as I was torn between the fact that she only wanted me in bed as her friend and the fact that I could love her if she'd let me.
I sighed heavily before responding, "Ok I won't. Let me just get out of these clothes and stuff."
I detangled myself from Jubilee and exited her room to grab my toiletries and basketball shorts to sleep in. When I reentered Jubilee's room she was pulling back the covers and climbing in bed. I followed suit and slid in behind her securely holding her around the waist. We laid in silence for a few minutes, getting used to this new cuddling thing we were doing. Jubilee eventually turned over in my arms and rested her head on my chest. I began to rub her back to soothe her, and she sighed and snuggled closer to me.
"You're the best friend a girl could ask for Blake Austin Griffin," she whispered with a smile, "Thank you. For everything."
I can't believe I forgot how broken Jubilee was because of the abuse she suffered at the hands of Trenton. I'm glad I remembered this because now I know I have to be consistent for her. Especially when it comes to being loyal and honest because she has such an issue with trust, and rightfully so. I couldn't wait for her to call me because I was going to make this right.
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This chapter was a little longer because I needed to include this flashback for some more background on Jubilee and Blake. But #TeamBlake, your boy is trying to get himself together! Let's hope he can reel Jubilee back in before Tim can establish himself! Another update to come later today! Comment, vote, and tell your Wattpad friends 😏❤️😘