“I didn’t think you would actually come.” Jared breathed after he weaved his way through the dancing crowd so he was standing in front of me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and rolled my eyes, “I guess I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see you dancing like an idiot again.”
Jared smirked, “You really don’t like me, do you Rochelle?”
“No, we’re clearly best friends!” I retorted sarcastically and Jared barked out a laugh.
“Don’t worry, we will be.” Jared said. It was something about the way he said it, with such determination and finality, that my head snapped away from the dancing bodies to meet his eyes. The familiar spark of amusement was hidden in their green depths and for the first time I allowed myself to notice how beautiful his eyes actually were.
He gazed down at me for a moment, his tall figure towering over my little one even though I was in heels. He suddenly took a step closer and I stepped back a fraction. His lips twitched up in a smile as he took another step closer, but this time he wrapped his arm around my waist to restrict myself from taking a step back.
“What are you doing?” I asked sharply as he pulled me against his chest and walked backwards so we were in the middle of the dancing crowd. The thick base vibrated around me as the sound of Nelly Furtado’s naisely voice sounded from the large speakers.
Jared chuckled throatily, “Relax Jade,” His hot breath fanned across my face and it made the hair at the back of my neck stand up. “I’m not going to molest you in the middle of the dance floor.” His hand pressed against the small of my back and I jolted when it urged my hips from side to side. “I just want one dance.”
I shoved his hand away from me, “I don’t dance.”
Jared sighed, “Come on Jade, just one dance, and then I promise I won’t bother you for the rest of the night.”
I eyed him warily. I thought about his offer for a moment, I really did not want to dance with Jared Felton, but on the other hand I wouldn’t have him annoying me for the rest of the night. “Promise?”
Jared rolled his eyes and offered me his pinkie, “Pinkie swear.”
I rolled my eyes as he gave me puppy dog eyes but I entwined my pinkie with his. I couldn’t help but laugh at his childishness and in return he smiled at me, as if he were pleased that I was laughing with him, a real laugh and not a sarcastic laugh.
He wasted no time in closing the distance between us, one of his hands pressing against the small of my back and the other one winding tightly around my waist. This time I allowed him to pull me against his chest and my eyes widened as I felt his tight muscles beneath his t-shirt. He momentarily removed his hand off the small of my back to grab hold of my hands. He lifted them so they wound around his neck before he returned his hand to his original position.
His cologne intoxicated my senses and I felt the urge to lean into him just so I could continue to smell the beautiful scent. He smelt amazing, like cinnamon, rain and boy. We swayed from side to side and I was pleased when Jared didn’t try and grind on me unlike all the other teenagers on the dance floor.
“You look different tonight,” Jared observed, his sea green eyes narrowing. “You’ve straightened your hair.”
I glanced down at my hair which went just past my boobs when it was straight. It was weird for me to see it down there; I was so used to it being a messy frizz bomb which bounced around my shoulders. I only ever straightened my hair for special occasions, I liked it straight, it was tidy and sleek, but I had to admit I did miss my curly hair. I hated it because it could never be tamed, but my curly hair was sort of my trademark, and I loved it for that.
“Yeah,” I shrugged, “Everyone always tells me it makes me look nicer.”
Jared frowned which made a wrinkle appear in-between his eyebrows, it was cute.
What? Cute? What is wrong with you Jade! Jared Felton is anything but cute! Get a grip!
“I prefer your natural hair, it’s…” He trailed off as he tried to think of a word. “It’s different.”
I raised one eyebrow, “I hope you mean a good different.”
Jared grinned, revealing his straight white teeth. “Yeah, good different.”
I felt his gaze burn into my face so I ducked my head down, my cheeks flushing pink. It was strange because I hardly ever blushed; I wasn’t a person who got embarrassed easy which was why it was strange that Jared got his reaction out of me.
“Are you blushing?” Jared gasped.
I ducked my head down further, “I am not blushing! Why would I?”
I felt fingers slide beneath my chin, forcing it up so that I would have no choice but to look at him. He was staring down at me, amusement clear on his handsome face. His lips tilted into a smirk and a flicker of triumph flashed through his eyes.
“Really? Because I swear that when your cheeks go pink, it means you’re blushing.” Jared questioned mockingly.
I glared up at him and swatted his fingers away, “I am not blushing!”
“What’s wrong Jade?” Jared smirked, “Are you annoyed that I made you blush, just by complimenting your hair.”
“I am not blushing!” I exclaimed although I felt my cheeks growing warming, which only meant they had gone from a light pink to a violent red.
“Oh really?” Jared tilted his head to the side, that stupid amused smirk still on his pink lips, “Then why are your cheeks getting redder by the second?”
“They are not!” I denied.
I went to turn away but two warm hands gripped my hips, forcing me to turn around. I slammed into Jared’s chest once again, my body pressing against his and my face coming inches away from his.
“Come on Jade, don’t be like that.” Jared sighed apologetically.
My heart stuttered in my chest as I took in my close proximity. His hot breath fanned across my face, sending my hair fluttering against my cheek. The music seemed to slow around us, the couples dancing disappearing. My body thrummed as I felt the warmth of his hands through the fabric of my dress. His smell wafted up my nostrils and I blinked dizzily. It seemed that being this close to Jared Felton lulled your senses.
I cleared my throat and stepped away from him.
“You said one dance,” I said shakily. “I gave you one dance.”
I didn’t look back as I shoved my way through the dancing crowd. I felt his eyes burn into my back as I struggled to escape his gaze. I swallowed hard and suddenly felt the urge to cry. Why had I danced with him? Why had I blushed when he said he like my hair natural? Why had I gotten so goddamn close to him? I felt so stupid and humiliated for even giving him the satisfaction of dancing with him. I had let him put his hands on me! What the hell was wrong with me?
“Hey Jade,” A tanned hand gripped my forearm, effectively restricting me from bursting through the back door. I didn’t know why but I needed to go outside, I needed to get some fresh air so I could pull myself together. I glanced over my shoulder to see Miles. His grin vanished when he took in my upset expression. “What’s wrong?”
I forced a smile, “I’m fine Miles, I’m just going outside for a minute. I’ll find you later, I owe you a dance.”
“Ok, do you want me to get Edward?” Miles offered and I shook my head.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” I reassured him.
I’ll be fine as soon as I got outside.
Then I can forget all about that ridiculous dance with Jared Felton.
The stupid prick.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The Felton’s back garden was huge. In fact, you couldn’t even call it a garden; grounds would be a better word to describe it. The green lawn looked as if it were mowed every day, and in every corner there were beautiful flowers sprouting from the grounds. I spotted a bench in the fair corner which was shielded by a large oak tree. I made a beeline for it and stayed unnoticed by the various making out couples pressed against the walls.
I slumped down onto the bench and took a few shaky breaths. The cool air washed over my flushed face, caressing my hair. I allowed my eyes to flutter closed and leaned my head back against the bench. I couldn’t wrap my head around what had happened moments ago on the dancefloor with Jared. He had caught me by surprised, I had never known a boy to come at me so boldly, the way Jared had just grabbed me and forced me into his body. It was have been an instinctive emotion to be surprised and maybe even a little scared, but for some reason my body had responded differently. I had leaned into him; I had allowed him to hold me even though I could have easily pushed him away.
“You look tired,” I jerked violently at the sound of the voice beside me. My eyes snapped open and a groan escaped my lips when my eyes landed on Darren. He was sat beside me on the bench, a beer bottle clutched in his tanned hand as his green eyes burned into my face. “Tired and hot.”
I scratched my forehead in distress, “Darren, I’m not being funny, but I really can’t be bothered talking to anyone right now.”
Darren nodded, but didn’t make any action to move.
We sat in silence and I squirmed as the tension began to grow between us. I could feel Darren’s eyes burning into my face and I knew that it was only a matter of time until he said something. In our years of being in a relationship, I had never once sat in silence with Darren. Darren was one of those people that always had to be saying or doing something, I used to tease him about it, but now I couldn’t help wonder if that was a sign that our relationship wasn’t working. Did it mean something to sit in a comfortable silence with someone?
“Jade, I’m sorry,” Darren blurted out. “I’m sorry about what happened in Spain. I never meant for it to happen, I didn’t know what I was thinking.”
"You don’t have to explain anything to me Darren, we’re over.” I shrugged, although I knew that Darren could tell I didn’t mean it.
“Yes, I do have to explain to you Jade,” Darren insisted softly. “I still have feelings for you, and to be honest, I regret that we broke up.”
I buried my face in my hands and tried to slow my breathing. “Why are you telling me this now Darren? Why are you telling me after six weeks of being apart?”
“I thought we were doing the right thing, but I’ve realized after these six weeks of being away from you,” He trailed off and grabbed my hand in his. It felt so strange to have Darren holding my hand again, a wave of nostalgia washed over me at the familiarity of the feel of his hand in mine. “I’ve realized that I need you.”
I had come outside to clear my head, but now I felt even more muddled. I felt as if someone was shaking me, sending my organs scrambling around my body and turning them into jelly. My heart was thudding against my ribcage and my head was spinning. I knew I had had too much to drink, and that didn’t make this conversation any easier.
I sighed and pulled my hand out from under his, “Darren, you don’t mean that.”
“Yes I do!” Darren exclaimed angrily.
I shook my head, my hair falling down my shoulders as I looked down at my hands, “Darren, you slept with another girl. You wouldn’t have done that if you still had feelings for me.”
“That was a mistake!” Darren yelled angrily. He tugged angrily at his dark hair before he turned his body towards me, his hands now running themselves through my hair. “I love you Jade. I want us to be the way we used to be.”
I cringed when I smelt beer on his breath. He was slurring his words and I knew that the next morning, he probably wouldn’t remember this conversation. I felt tears sting at the back of my eyes as he continued to run his hands through my hair. His face hovered near mine, his breath reeking of alcohol.
“Darren, please.” I begged quietly.
I tried to move away from him but he wrapped his arms around my back so that I was trapped against him. His lips lunged for my own but I swiftly ducked, causing his lips to smash against my forehead. I struggled against his grip and dodged his lunging lips which were desperately trying to land on my own. It seemed his strength was dominant compared to my resistance as his lips came closer and closer to my own.
“Darren! Stop it!” I whispered hoarsely.
I could feel wet tears rolling down my cheeks as I dug my fingernails into his chest. I ducked my head and felt Darren’s lips graze my ear. He was mumbling incoherently and it was obvious he was becoming impatient with my rejection.
"Darren, what the hell are you doing?”
Darren finally stopped his assault on me to look up at whoever had interrupted him. His eyes narrowed angrily and his arms pulled me even tighter against him. I winced as his elbow collided painfully with my ribcage; he didn’t seem to notice me struggling because he was too busy glaring up at Jared and another boy I didn’t recognize.
“We’re busy!” Darren snapped, his voice thick with irritation.
Jared seemed to ignore his words, his eyes travelling over to me as I peeked shyly up at them. His eyes softened when he took in my tear stained cheeks and trembling bottom lip before his face hardened with anger.
“Get off her,” Jared hissed. “Right now.”
“Piss off, she’s my girlfriend.” Darren yelled drunkenly. His arms dropped away from me as he lunged forward, he swayed slightly as he tried to stand up straight. I watched as his hands curled into fists, his intoxicated body failing to form a defensive position.
Jared regarded Darren uneasily. It was obviously that he was completely wasted; the guy could barely stand up. “I think you’ve had bit much mate.” He looked past Darren so his eyes landed on me. “Dexter, do you mind taking Jade up to my room, I’ll meet you two up there.”
The boy whom had been standing behind Jared nodded. He walked over to me and offered me his hand. I stared up at him through tear-filled eyes before I took his hand and allowed him to pull me up from the bench.
“She’s not going anywhere with you! She’s staying with me!” Darren spat as Dexter and I walked past a stumbling Darren. He was glaring angrily at us, his hands shaking. He took a step towards me but Jared immediately blocked his way. He stood in front of me protectively, his hands reaching out to shove Darren backwards.
“Leave her alone Darren,” Jared warned menacingly. The hairs at the back of my neck stood up at how scary he sounded, even though I was the one that he was protecting. “You’re drunk; I think it’s best if you speak to Jade when you’re sober.”
Darren growled angrily and tried to come at me again, this time Jared shoved him backwards more forcefully. Darren fell to the ground, a groan sounding from his lips as he landed painfully on his arms.
“You stupid bast-“He leaned to the side and violently threw up. I cringed as I watched him vomit the entire contents of his stomach onto the grass.
Jared cursed under his breath, “Great, the gardener is going to kill me tomorrow.”
“Jade…” Darren tried before he knelt over and gagged again.
“Dexter, take Jade to my room,” Jared sighed, running his fingers through his blonde hair. “I’ll sort this out and be up in a minute.”
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Jared’s room was surprisingly tidy. The denim blue carpet looked as if it had been hovered this morning and his white walls had no posters or any photographs. The bed had been freshly made and there were no clothes or technology devices cluttering the room. I frowned when I realized Jared’s room told me nothing about him. There wasn’t anything personal to see and it showed no hints of his life before he moved here.
I sat on his double bed, the mattress dipping from my weight. I could feel Dexter’s eyes on me as I wiped away the tears that were continuously rolling down my cheeks, no matter how hard I tried to stop them.
“Are you alright?” Dexter asked gruffly.
I could tell that my crying was making him uncomfortable, he was still stood by the doorway, his converse clad feet shuffling uncomfortably. I peered at him from under my wet eyelashes and noticed that he was very handsome, his skin was flawless porcelain white and he had dark wavy hair which was hidden beneath his blue beanie. His dark eyes watched me carefully, his lips in a grimace which gave me the impression that he was trying to think of something to say to me.
“I’m fine.” I replied weakly.
Dexter nodded and puffed out his cheeks, “Was that you’re boyfriend?”
I laughed bitterly, “Ex-boyfriend.”
“Oh,” Dexter mumbled, his eyebrows furrowing. “That’s rough.”
I shrugged, “Yeah.”
“Hmm.” Dexter hummed, effectively bringing the short conversation to a stop. I tapped my knuckles together and tried to ignore the awkward silence that had settled between us. I could tell that he hadn’t done it on purpose, he seemed like he was the strong and silent type, and to honest, if I were in his situation, I probably wouldn’t know what to say to a sniffling girl either.
The door suddenly jerked open and Jared quickly slid inside. He closed the door behind him so that the loud music became muted and faraway. Jared’s eyes quickly locked with my own and he grimaced when he saw the state I was in. I had been crying and shaking uncontrollably for the past ten minutes, and not matter how hard I tried to stop, I couldn’t. I hated the fact that Jared was seeing me like this, so pathetic and vulnerable.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Dexter said quietly. He glanced over his shoulder and gave me a nod. “I’ll see you around Jade.”
I gave him a shaky smile, “Bye Dexter.”
As soon as the door shut behind Dexter, Jared’s eyes were fixed on me once again. His eyes softened as he saw my shaking shoulders and he walked over to his wardrobe. I saw that all of his clothes were hung up and folded neatly. Jared grabbed a navy hoodie and offered it to me.
“I’m fine.” I lied.
Jared raised his eyebrows, “Of course you’re fine. You’re just crying and shaking because you feel like it.” Jared quipped sarcastically.
I scowled at him and made a move to walk out the door. Jared’s hand grabbed my forearm and pulled me back onto the bed. He sat down beside me and quickly pulled the hoodie over my shoulders. The material was warm against my skin and his intoxicating smell clung to the hoodies soft fabric.
Jared sighed, “I’m sorry Jade. I didn’t mean to be a dick.”
“Are you apologizing for just now or the past week?” I questioned and Jared chuckled.
“Alright, I’m sorry for being a dick for the past week.” Jared said, his sea green eyes burning into mine. I studied his face for a moment before I gave him a small smile. I put my arms through the sleeves of the hoodie and snuggled into its warmth.
“What did you do to Darren?” I asked uneasily. When Dexter had taken me away from Darren and Jared, Jared had looked furious. His jaw had been clenched and his hands were knotted into fists, I could feel his waves of anger across the lawn. I knew that if Jared had hit Darren, there would have been no chance that Darren could defend himself in his drunken state.
Jared clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with anger. “I wanted to hit him; I really wanted to hit him. But I sent him home instead,” He sighed unhappily. “I didn’t think you would want me to beat your ex-boyfriend to a bloody pulp when he was off his head.” He added when he saw my questioning look.
“You didn’t beat him up because it would have upset me?” I repeated slowly.
Jared shrugged, “I guess.”
I stared at him incredulously. My mind was reeling as I thought about the past events, my ex-boyfriend had claimed that he was still in love with me, and then Jared Felton, the boy which seemed intent on annoying the hell out of me, had swooped in to the rescue and had managed to restrain himself from beating him up, just because it would have upset me if he had. I was speechless.
“Why?” I shrieked.
“I wouldn’t want you to think low of me,” Jared smirked, “You’re not exactly my biggest fan.”
I cocked my head to the side in confusion, “Why does it bother you so much that I don’t like you?”
“I’m not sure,” Jared confessed, his expression troubled. “I think I just want to prove to you that I’m not a stupid prick.” He seemed to notice my uncertain look because he laughed, “Ok, I am a stupid prick, but I promise you that there is a lot more to me.”
I pursed my lips in thought, “I guess I’ll have to wait and see.”
Jared glanced at me, his eyes holding me captive as he continued to stare at me. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, causing a few stray hairs to flop down onto his forehead. His teeth gnawed at his bottom lip as a frown appeared in the middle of his forehead. I wanted to ask him what he was thinking so hard about, but part of me was unsure if I wanted to know the answer.
“Come on, I’ll take you home.” Jared said abruptly.
I nodded and followed him out the door, snuggling deeper into his hoodie and subconsciously inhaling his intoxicating smell.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I had planned to meet Jared and Dexter outside in ten minutes after I had located my friends. Dexter had offered to drive me home, seen as he was seventeen, and Jared had insisted that he was coming with us to make sure we all got home safe.
Rebecca had sent me a text twenty minutes ago saying she had left with Jim Tomlinson, so I was only looking for Edward, Violet and Lucy. I knew that tomorrow morning I would receive a wailing phone call from Rebecca when she realized how idiotic her decision was to go home with Jim Tomlinson; she hated the guy – when she was sober anyway.
I searched around for Lucy’s hot pink dress and blonde updo. After five minutes of searching, I finally located her by the bar. I groaned when I saw that she was snogging Karl Jenkins, one of Easton High’s ultimate players. He had her pressed against the bar, one of his hands clamped on her backside and the other squeezing her boobs. Lucy was never one to complain about PDA, but I knew that she would know that groping was little too much in a public place.
I gritted my teeth and stormed over to them, “Come on guys, keep it PG-13.”
Lucy pulled away from Karl to scowl at me, “What is it?”
“Are you ready to go home?” I questioned.
“Does it look like I’m ready to go home?” Lucy hissed, her head inclining to a smirking Karl.
“I’m sorry, but something happened with Darren and I really just want to go home Luce.” I said desperately. I knew I was being a party pooper, but I honestly couldn’t stand to spend another minute in this party. My head was hurting from listening to the loud music, my feet were aching in my heels, and I felt emotionally exhausted from all the drama.
Lucy bit her lip, her eyes peering up at Karl, “You go home; I’ll get a lift from Karl.”
I looked to Karl for conformation. His light blue eyes were twinkling at the idea and he nodded eagerly, “Yeah, I’ll get her home safe.”
I nodded but gave Lucy a warning glance. She only rolled her eyes in return before she continued to thrust her tongue into Karl’s mouth. I looked away in distaste but left them in peace. Although Karl was a player, I knew that he was a good guy and he would never hurt a girl, so it would just be a waste of time if I tried to pry Lucy away from him.
I scanned the dancefloor in search of Violet and Edward. The party was still in full swing, people yelling drunkenly, grinding against one another and some snogging relentlessly. I pushed my way through the crowd, speaking briefly to a few people who yelled a greeting at me.
“There you are!” Someone yelled behind me. A hand pressed against the small of my back and I sighed, I was in no mood for dancing with some horny teenager who probably wouldn’t remember this in the morning.
I sighed in relief when I turned around to see it was Edward, “Thank God it’s you!”
Edward grinned, “Wow calm down, I know you love me and everything but there’s no need for you to start having a hissy fit!”
“You wish Ed,” I smiled, “Do you mind if we go?”
Edward frowned in concern when he took in my tearstained face, “What happened?”
“It’s a long story.” I breathed.
Edward gave me a questioning look but thankfully didn’t press the matter. He took hold of my hand and entwined our fingers as he led me through the dancefloor. We walked into the kitchen where Miles and Violet were standing. They were talking animatedly about Harry Potter, and I almost felt bad for interrupting them just as they were talking about what animal they would want to be if they were an animagus?
What the hell was an animagus?
I shrugged; people said strange things when they were drunk.
“Hey guys!” Miles greeted us happily, “Where did you two disappear to?”
Violet eyed our entwined hands in confusion, “Did you two hook up?” She gasped, her brown eyes wide.
Edward and I immediately sprang away from each other.
“Of course not! Why does everyone seem to think that Jade and I are secretly shagging?”
“Are you? You two took an awfully long time yesterday when you left Biology,” Violet pressed, “Were you snogging behind the bike shed?”
I stared at my friend in shock, “Violet, only slags snog boys behind the bike shed.”
I had to admit I was slightly offended that my best friend was accusing me of hooking up with my other best friend just because we had been holding hands. As for Biology, Edward and I had left the classroom to go and get our textbooks, when Edward suddenly decided it would be hilarious to trap me in the storage room for fifteen minutes. I had no idea why Violet was suddenly questioning every move Edward and I made, we had been best friends for years, there would never be something going on between us, it would feel like incest or something!
“I was just checking!” Violet snapped defensively.
“Right,” Miles drawled out, obviously trying to get rid of the awkward tension that suddenly filled the air. “What did you guys want anyway?”
“Dexter is giving us a ride home; we were coming to get you.” Edward told Violet.
“Oh,” Violet stammered, her cheeks turning pink. “That makes sense.”
I gave her a questioning glance but she avoided my gaze. I made a note to call her tomorrow and ask her why she was suddenly paranoid about my nonexistent budding romance with my best friend.
“I’ll Facebook you guys, we should hang out sometime!” Miles called after us as we made our way out of the kitchen.
I smiled at him over my shoulder. “Yeah, definitely.” I replied before we disappeared into the crowd of grinding teenagers.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
“You have such an awesome sound system!” Edward said in delight as he continued to fiddle with Dexter’s radio. I could tell that Dexter was becoming more frustrated by the minutes, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he watched Edward mess drunkenly with his car radio. He had been changing the radio stations non-stop for the past ten minutes and I knew that Dexter’s patience was wearing thin.
“Yeah it is,” Dexter growled. He reached one hand from the steering wheel and swatted Edward’s hands away. “And I want it to stay that way.”
“Sorry, sorry.” Edward slurred. He slumped down in the passenger seat and stared out of the window, his lips pouting like a three year old.
Dexter eyed him wearily from the corner of his eye before he sighed, “Why don’t you look through my Ipod and choose a song, it’s connected to the sound system.” Dexter suggested begrudgingly.
Edward’s eyes lit up, “Really?”
I rolled my eyes at my best friend who was now excitedly searching through Dexter’s silver Ipod Nano. I rested my head against headrest and felt my eyes grow heavy. Violet was typing away on her BlackBerry and Jared was sat beside me, his eyes deep in through as he looked out the window. I squirmed in my seat as I failed to get comfortable in Dexter’s BMW.
“Hey,” Jared said quietly. “Use my shoulder.”
His hand urged my head onto his shoulder. I froze for a second as I got used to leaning against his muscular body, his warmth radiated over me and I found myself snuggling closer to him. Jared exhaled and started tracing patterns into the back of my hand. My eyes grew heavy and I allowed them to flutter shut, Jared’s fingers tracing patterns on my hand seemed to lull my senses and all I wanted to do was sleep.
“Jared,” I said sleepily.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” I whispered. I felt Jared press his head against mine and I sighed, allowing myself to finally give into sleep.
A/N - For some reason I wasn't very happy with this chapter and that is why it took me so long to write! I hope you guys liked it though? I can't believe how many reads this story has! IT IS CRAZY!
Thoughts? What do you think of Jared? Sweet? A Jerk? What do you think of Dexter? Of Darren's confession?xx