𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝙓
—𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩—
𝘽𝘼𝙄𝙇𝙀𝙔 𝙎𝙄𝙉𝙆𝙎 𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙊 her mattress, tossing her backpack onto the carpeted floor beside her bed. With a heavy sigh, the girl relaxes and places her hands on her torso. The day, to put it gently, had been absolutely terrible. Not only did Jax leave her for Emma, but she was late to her first period class and had tripped while in the cafeteria. And then, as if the day couldn't have possibly gotten any worse, a storm had blown in from the north, and had soaked Bailey on her short journey from her car to her house. And the storm made everything worse— because Bailey, since she was a child, hated storms.
The thunder would roll every few minutes, followed by a far-off strike of lightning. The sudden sounds always made the Dai girl terrified, which brought her to close her blinds and curtains, before cowering to her soft bed. But that wouldn't drown out the booms that echoed through the sky. And, of course, her parents still weren't home; so here she was, stuck in her room, and seeking a distraction from her current fear.
As if fate had heard her silent plead, the doorbell rang out. But Bailey didn't want to move from her spot. Almost no one knew where she lived, therefore it was a large possibility that her visitor was none other than the cause of her— literally— rainy day. The brunette didn't want to see Jax Novoa. She was almost sure that if she did, her actions would be drastic; maybe she'd break into tears, slam the door in his face, or even confess her heart's desires. And absolutely none of those were acceptable at the moment, at least in her eyes.
The girl sucks in a sharp breath as the doorbell rings again, sitting up as slowly as she could. While biting her lip, she exits her room, descends the stairs, and hesitated once she reaches the door. Bailey rubs her socks against the hardwood flooring, trying to convince herself that she should leave him standing outside in the rain— didn't he deserve it? After what he had pulled with her today, she should have done just that.
But her heart told her differently, and she listened to it.
Opening the door, she comes face-to-face with Jax. He looks relieved to see her, although he's not wet like she presumed he would be— instead, he holds an umbrella in his hand, adjusting his grip as his eyes meet hers.
"I think we should talk . . . " he trails off, clearing his throat. "Can I come in, please?"
Bailey stares blankly back at him, blinking in response. "Then give me one reason," her voice cracks, telling him all the secrets that she hadn't told him yet. "Just give me one reason as to why I should let you come inside."
"Because I am so sorry, Bailey, I—"
"Sorry isn't good enough, because we had a conversation about this yesterday." Bailey states, crossing her arms over her chest, and walking into the living room. Jax takes this as his invitation inside, stepping into the home, leaving his umbrella on the doorstep, and closing the door behind him. "You said that you were over Emma— in fact, you promised not only that the two of you weren't on speaking terms, but that you no longer had feelings for her."
As Bailey sits down on the sofa, Jax stays standing, exhaling as he looks to the floor. "But what if those feelings came back?"
"What?" her voice is soft, and laced with pure hurt. How had she let this happen when Jax clearly never felt anything for her in the first place? Her chest began aching, and she wanted to hide in her room again.
There was nothing but the silent pitter-patter of rain on the roof as Jax removed his leather jacket. He placed it on a rack at the corner of the room before taking a seat on the sofa across from her. With his hands clasped together, he finally looked up to meet her gaze— but Bailey's eyes no longer sparkled like they had earlier on in the day. Instead, they were foggy, and the emotion within them was beyond his comprehension.
"I . . . I guess I based my thoughts around the assumption that she blamed me for what happened," he shrugs, continuing slowly. "But it turns out that she never hated me— it was only Daniel who kept her away all this time. When I saw her today, it was like everything came back to me . . . my feelings, and I remembered the reason I fell for her in the first place."
Bailey Dai didn't want to be his second choice. She wished with all of her kind heart that it was her Jax was talking about. There was a twinkle in his smooth, chocolate eyes, and she almost fell into a daze. Perhaps she never truly had a chance with him— and perhaps she should've noticed when she first met him. Emma was always his main priority, the first thing that he always talked about, and the last thing on his mind before he fell asleep at night.
It would always be Emma— and maybe it was time that she tried to admit that to herself. It was a gut-wrenching reality that needed to be faced. Things for both of them would be better this way . . . if only she'd accept it.
"So you love her again?" Bailey's voice is weak, and almost shakes. She hoped Jax wouldn't notice the change in her voice.
And he didn't.
"I think deep down, I always have." Jax nods, his accent dripping off his tongue like sweet molasses. "Maybe I've just been denying it because I thought that I could never have a chance again— that I messed up badly, to the point of no return. But she's so forgiving, and kind, and understanding . . . gosh, I just want her back, Bailey. She's everything I've ever wanted."
And just like that, he forgot about the tingles he had felt when he had first touched hands with the girl in front of him. He forgot it felt when he stared into her golden eyes for the first time, and took pride in getting lost in them. He forgot how he had the absolute time of his life, just the day before. He forgot how his heartbeat sped up when she smiled at him, and how his mind told him that something was so different about her than any other girl he had ever met in his life.
Because of one look from Emma Alonso, he had completely forgotten about Bailey Dai.
And that broke Bailey's heart.
But that didn't mean that she wouldn't be a supporting friend.
"Then fight for her," she swallows back the lump in her throat, "and tell her how you feel."
"You really think I should?" He asks, his eyes wide with happiness as he raises an eyebrow. "Do you think she'd give me another chance?"
"I think that you should tell her about her options." Her voice is light and mellow, her eyes focused on a decorative pillow she had pulled into her lap somewhere in the conversation. "Try not to yank her away from Daniel. He deserves someone who cares about him . . . but from the way Emma just left him for you, one could assume that she'd choose you first. Just ease into it, don't go too fast this time. Take your time and make the best of it."
"You're the greatest," Jax stands, pulling her up from the sofa to pull her into a warm embrace. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Bailey."
And then he felt it; a wave of emotions that smashed into him the second his skin rested upon hers. It was as if everything fell into place when Bailey was with him, and every problem that resided in his mind was washed away. Jax was comforted, and warm, and got lost in the sensation.
But it left him all too quickly when she pulled away from his touch.
"Thanks," she offers him a weak smile. "I just want you to be happy, Jax."
His name was angelic from her lips, and sent chills up his spine. He wanted her to say it again . . . and now he was rethinking what he had told her. But that wasn't right— no. He wanted Emma, and only Emma. He felt the same way when he was with the raven-haired girl . . . didn't he?
"We should go do something," Jax proposes, composing himself and his thoughts as he pulls on his jacket once again. "I was going to offer earlier, but everything happened, and I completely forgot. Let's go spend some time together, Bay."
The nickname made her head spin. And suddenly she wanted to sit down— to be anywhere but here with him. Bailey couldn't bare to stare at him any longer.
"Actually, you should probably go see Emma and tell her everything." Bailey encourages, shaking her head as she leads him to the door. "Besides, I have homework, and I need to make dinner before my parents get home. I've got a busy schedule, so maybe another time."
Jax's face fell. But he understood— with everything he had just told her, he had made it clear that he wanted Emma. But what if he didn't? What if it was simply infatuation, and his feelings were only temporary? Perhaps Bailey wouldn't be waiting on him when he realized the truth behind his feelings.
"Oh, yeah. Of course," he coughs, opening the door and stepping out to grab his umbrella. "I guess I'll see you at school then."
"You will," Bailey assures him, forcing a smile. "Goodbye, Jax."
"Goodbye, Bailey."
And then she closes the door, and takes a step back— as if it were cursed, or poisonous. She pulls her hands to her chest, unsure of what to do with Jax's newfound emotions and the loneliness of the empty house. Thunder booms in the sky outside, scaring Bailey. The girl jumps, her body shaking. She shrinks to the floor, everything hitting her at once.
And then she cried.
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