Broken Promises
.o0o. Chapter Ten - Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now? .o0o.

A/N – Ridiculously short chapter. It was early morning here in Blighty when it started raining hard, which along with the wind (outside, not Mr next to me!) kept me awake. So I gave up trying to sleep and typed up this little filler chapter to get me from Chapter 9 to Chapter 11. So this snippet is what you've got for now! Chapters 11, 12 and 13 are also finished but not proof read yet! Thanks for reading and following :)

Song is by Miranda Lambert and is called Kerosene.

.o0o.

"It's a go bro." Chris said happily over the phone as Jesse answered his mobile roughly ten minutes after putting the phone down to his brother Chris earlier that evening. "We'll need to keep it quiet, but I've put you down as crew on the flight. I'm going to need to turn up in Nashville by 5am tomorrow. I'll lend you some threads for the flight. But you'll need passport, driving licence etc -"

"- Are you serious? It's not illegal is it? You can take me?"

"Yes, it's all fine, I've cleared you. But not a word to Mom, she'll do her nut."

"Why would she do that?"

"Come on Jesse, it's been hard for her to leave you in Barden after you knocked your noggins."

"I'll deal with Mom another time. Okay. 5am. Nashville airport. Go it. Shit. I've got to go now. I'll drive up. Shit. I need coffee. I'll see you soon."

Jesse hung up his phone and paused for the briefest of seconds, listening to the song coming through his iPod, which he had left with the volume on low on his desk.

I'm waitin' on the sun to set cause yesterday ain't over yet
I started smoking cigarettes, there's nothing else to do I guess
Dusty roads ain't made for walking, spinning tires ain't made for stoppin'
I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me

I gave it everything I had and everything I got was bad
Life ain't hard but it's too long to live it like some country song
Trade the truth in for a lie, cheatin' really ain't a crime
I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me

Forget you high society, I'm soakin' it in Kerosene
Light 'em up and watch them burn, teach them what they need to learn, ha!
Dirty hands ain't made for shakin', ain't a rule that ain't worth breakin'
Well I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me

Now I don't hate the one who left, you can't hate someone who's dead
He's out there holdin' on to someone, I'm holdin' up my smokin' gun
I'll find somewhere to lay my blame the day she changes her last name
Well I'm giving up on love cause love's given up on me

Well I'm giving up on love hey love's given up on me

'Should I tell Elena? No, not now. I'll call her later, when I am more clear headed. No, she'd need to know in case she came over first thing in the morning. I'll write her a note and slip it under her door. No, that's bad. I'll pack first and then make a decision. Okay, what to pack?' Jesse shook his head at his own behaviour. He decided he just felt a bit giddy at the thought of possibly seeing Beca. His friend Beca, he retrained himself to think. He took a minute to sit down because his legs felt wobbly all of a sudden and he was just so tired.

Rubbing a hand over his face, he reached for the bottle of water that he always kept by his bed. He gulped down three mouthfuls before tipping the remaining dregs over his face. His brain was desperately trying to work out how long the drive to Nashville would take. Seeing as this was a trip he had taken a dozen times, with his family home being just on the outskirts of Nashville, he couldn't understand where his mind was going. He knew he had just had a very good, satisfying but energetic evening with Elena but this was no reason to feel so damn drained.

Rubbing his eyes, he finally remembered that it was just under four hours to get to Nashville from Atlanta. Looking at his watch, he knew he had six hours before he had to be there. Jesse knew if he packed really quickly, he would have time to have a nap for an hour before heading off. Yes, that would be a good idea. He reached over to his desk where the remains of his second coffee were. Necking down most of the cup in one go, he grimaced as the dregs left a gritty, granular coating on his tongue. He took off the white plastic lid of his coffee cup and rested it on the desk. He swirled the remaining liquid around for a second or two, seeing white gritty particles in the bottom of his cup.

'Elena must have put sugar in here.' He thought to himself as drained the rest of his drink. Getting off his bed and walking to his closet felt like a mammoth task but he promised himself to be done in five minutes flat. He could pick up anything he forgot at the airport, nothing else was really as important as finding his passport and then getting some sleep before hitting the road.

Jesse knelt down on the floor of his closet, knowing full well in his sleep riddled brain that he kept his passport in a box on the bottom shelf, behind the teddy bear that his sister Lucy and his Mom had made him take with him to Barden. As he leant forward to reach for the box, his head gently rested about the wall and he closed his eyes for 'just a second' as the wall took the strain.

His fingers remained on the box lid and his face slumped against the wall, his shoulders dropped and his backside fell on to his feet as sleep overtook him. Part of his brain was still trying to get him to wake up as he slowly slid onto the floor, nesting himself in between the large pile of DVDs on the left of his closet and the small clothing mountain on the right but his confusing dream of two brunette girls quickly took over his subconscious as he submitted to the call of sleep.

Meanwhile, across his room, his phone lit up with the third unread text from Elena.

Message Elena - 11.01 I'm sorry Jesse. I've made a mistake. I'm frightened of losing you. Please call me and I'll explain. E xx
Message Elena - 11.03 Jesse, are you awake? Can you call me please? Exx
Message Elena - 11.04 Jesse! I thought you'd go to find Beca tonight. I can't lose you to her. I know she is the love of your life. Please give me a chance and I can show you that I love you more than she ever will. Jesse, I drugged your coffee tonight. Twice. I'm sorry. It was wrong and I'm sorry. I know you'll be mad with me. But I really am scared of losing you. I'm coming over to yours and I'll explain. I'm sorry. Exx