Shoutout to mtvscreamgirl for giving me the prompt to have Brooke want to give up and Stavo saves her :) I know a few others have given me suggestsions and I talk to way too many fan accounts to keep track of who, so please remind me when you read this. Thanks for reading yall!
The song for this chapter is Rihanna - Stay
The day passed by as they all had in the past week, with a lot of police questions and hospital patch-ups. At this point, I had enough pain meds to start a drug market at school. I think Audrey could be management while Emma used her good girl image to distribute it. Noah would be the brains, I'd be the eye candy, and Stavo would be the muscle. Well, Stavo could be the brains and the muscle. He was probably smarter than Noah. Kieran could be a spy for the other blonde chicks pushing pills. Eli could be...he could be the flunky. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to follow Emma around.
I shook the fantasy from my head and met the eyes of Officer Loomis. He looked a little concerned. All over little ole me.
"What's so funny, kid?" He asked as we walked through the hospital halls.
I shrugged. "You actually like me."
He scoffed. "No, I don't. I'm paid to protect you. And you got hurt when I was away. I just want to make sure that doesn't happen again."
"Whatever you have to tell yourself, Loomis. Go right ahead."
His green eyes rolled.
I cracked a grin.
"Brooke," Emma said from down the hall. "Oh, thank God." She rushed to me with Kieran and Audrey on her trail.
"Seriously, another attack?" Audrey demanded.
They surrounded me in a group hug.
"What can I say? We're made of steel."
Audrey's brow lifted. "We?"
I nodded. "Stavo was with me."
"Is he alright?" Kieran asked.
"A little banged up."
Noah and Eli rushed to us.
"We had to park the car. Buddy system you know." Eli supplied.
Noah hugged me tightly. "How you doing?"
I hugged him back. "As to be suspected." I gestured to my wrapped arm and hands. "Stavo's in room 12 if you want to go talk to him. He was worried about you."
Confusion crossed his face. "Why me?"
"The killer was able to sound just like you at the school. He used that to lure Stavo into the halls. He risked his life to protect you, or so he thought."
He looked touched. "Wow."
"Points for Stavo," Audrey muttered.
He patted my shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Thanks."
He headed towards Stavo's room. Eli tagged along with him after he gave me a shy wave.
I couldn't figure that kid out. I guess, it was a job for Emma.
"I'm going to go talk to your dad, I'll be right back," Loomis said with a stern look to let me know to stay out of trouble.
My hands raised to the air in surrender. "I'll be right here."
By the time we finished getting questioned at the station it was late, but everyone was still wide awake. No one wanted to separate, so everyone decided they would sleepover at my house. At least, this way we would all be safe in one place. In theory.
Before anyone arrived, I washed up at my bathroom sink. I couldn't afford to get my bandages drenched, but when I realized I'd never get fully clean this way I jumped in the shower. My dad would just have to change the bandages.
When I got out I wrapped myself in a towel and headed to my room. I rifled through my underwear drawer.
"Is now the time you give me that lingerie show you owe me?" A voice asked.
I jumped ten feet in the air. My heart jumped along with me. I turned to find Stavo lying on my bed with his hands behind his head. He wore gray sweatpants and a black ACDC shirt. "What is your problem? After everything that's happened you sneak into my room? Does my dad know you're up here?"
"Your dad loves me. He practically gave me a condom on the way up." He grinned.
I threw the bra in my hand at him.
He caught it with ease and inspected it. He gave an appreciative nod. "Nice. Got any more delicates you want to throw at me?" His brow arched.
My eyes rolled. That wasn't a smart move on my part.
"Not particularly." I held my hand out for my bra.
"If it's all the same to you, I'll keep it." He smirked.
I gave him a look. "Want to try that again?"
He held it by the strap in the air. "You take the fun out of everything."
I snaked my bra away. "Fun my ass. Why are you so early?" I grabbed the rest of my clothes and headed into the bathroom to change.
"Maybe it has something to do with my attachment issues." He said from my bedroom.
I sighed as I pulled my underwear on. "You know I'm incredibly sorry about that." I stepped into my yoga pants. "Besides, it wasn't you I was referring to in that particular part of the juicy gossip."
"Interesting."
My face flushed even though he couldn't see me. As I pushed my head into the shirt he leaned against the bathroom doorway. His eyes didn't leave me while I pulled my hair back into a topknot. "Something on your mind?" My eyes met his in the mirror. I reached for the deodorant and applied it to my pits. Normally, I wouldn't let a dude see me doing some ungirly act, but Stavo wasn't just any dude. He was my dude. My friend dude.
"Somehow I thought my attachment ran only one way."
My eyes couldn't roll hard enough. "Please, you know I how I feel about you. We're friends."
His head tilted. "We're a little more than friends." He pushed off the door and stood behind me, his hands rested on the counter as he towered over me. "I think you tolerate me because you're lonely and I'm around." When I tried to turn around with a protest, he leaned against my back locking me in place.
Our eyes met in the mirror. My whole body tingled where we met.
"I'm attached to you, Brooke. A lot. You know that." He said into my ear. "So forgive my apparent clinginess. Is that okay with you?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat, then blew out a shaky breath. "Yeah-sure. That's fine...with me."
He chuckled. "Are you sure?"
My head nodded slightly.
"Cool."
"Cool." I mentally fanned myself.
He pulled away and took my hands in his for inspection. "Do you have more bandages? I can change them for you."
"Uh, yeah." I grabbed the first aid basket we picked up from under the cabinet.
He patted the countertop. "Have a sit."
Amusement flitted across my face. "What are you, my nurse now?"
He unraveled the wet and bloody bandages. "That's Doctor to you."
I chuckled. "Alright, Dr. Acosta. Has a nice ring to it."
His head shook. "Not to me. Drawing is my life. Nothing else matters as much." He applied the ointment to my ripped up palms with a q-tip.
I wanted to ask what about me, but that was a loaded question. Instead, I said, "You never showed me the rest of your drawings." I realized I never asked him why he had the mask, but that had more to do with not wanting to know the answer than forgetting.
He met my eyes. "I'll have to do that sometime."
"It's a date," I said without thinking.
He wore that lazy grin. "Alright, I'll hold you to that."
I fought to keep a grin off my face. I swallowed my hesitation and said, "About the kiss,"
"Let me stop you right there," He stopped and rested a hand on my knee. "I know you thought I was about to die and you didn't mean it. I'm not mad. And I don't expect anything from you. Not in the way you think."
"How do you know how I think?"
His eyes narrowed as he grinned. "It's not hard to assume."
I nodded. My newly bandaged hand rested on top of his. "For the record, I didn't kiss you because I thought you were going to die. I kissed you because I thought I was going to die. And I didn't want to die not knowing..."
His eyes searched mine. "Not knowing what?"
Shame and guilt filled me. There was no delicate way to voice this and I really didn't want him to be mad at me. Like ever again.
"Hey," He rubbed my knee in support. "You can talk to me."
"I know," I nodded. "It's just that this is going to sound really bad."
He looked a little excited. "Now you have to tell me."
My eyes averted to the side. "Well...I kissed you...I wanted to kiss you to see if you still had feelings for Angie." I wanted to fold in on myself. Now he probably thought I was a calculating she-devil.
I peeked at him. He looked at me with...I didn't know. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, which scared me.
"Please, say something."
He huffed. "I'm afraid to say anything."
My hand rubbed his. "I won't be mad, just tell me the truth."
His eyes fell on my lap. "I guess, maybe I do. Love her still." He looked back up at me. "Not like how I used to, but there's always going to be a part of me that wants her back. If I had the chance to bring her back I would." His eyes glazed over. "That's messed up, I know, but that's how I feel."
My hand slid up to squeeze his shoulder, but when that wasn't enough I pulled him to me in a hug. "It's okay. Trust me, I know how that feels."
He hugged me tight. "But that's not fair. To me or you. Or anybody else."
I rubbed his back. "If it was fair it wouldn't hurt this much."
He pulled away after a few more seconds. "If I'm being honest, you kind of remind me of Angie. Maybe that's why I like you much."
I grinned at the almost compliment. "If I'm being honest, you kind of remind me of Jake. And maybe that's why I like you so much."
He offered a weak grin. "Maybe we're both just really screwed up."
I laughed. "Probably so."
He finished patching up my arm in comfortable silence right when the doorbell rung, probably our Chinese food. He turned around and bent over. "Hop on."
I didn't second guess it and did as told. My arms wrapped around his neck.
He held me into place then started for the stairs.
"I don't think my dad's done this in six years." I beamed in glee.
His head turned to look at me. "You can call me daddy then. I like that."
"No, I will not." I laughed. "That's gross."
He carefully raced us down the stairs. "Don't knock it until you've tri-"
We came to a halt at the sight of our friends in their pj's, holding snacks and pillows. They stared at us with narrowed eyes.
I slid off his back. "Hey, guys." I cleared my throat. "You're early."
"Not early enough," Kieran commented with a grin.
"I'm starving. Where's the grub?" Eli asked on his way to the kitchen.
Emma followed him. "You can't just barge into people's kitchens."
"Sure I can." He threw back as they disappeared.
"Anyway," Audrey pushed forward with her sleeping bag. "I was thinking the genre of entertainment tonight should definitely not be horror." She stared at Noah and Stavo.
They sagged.
"You're no fun," Noah whined.
"Agreed." Stavo chimed in.
She gave them both the middle finger. "That's what I think about your nerd love of the slasher kind. You can always have your own sleepover. Maybe make out a little while you're at it."
They flushed.
I pointed at Stavo with a laugh. "You got burned."
He playfully smacked my finger away. "You got burned." He mimicked back.
"You guys are gross," Audrey commented. "Get a room."
My arms folded across my chest. "You're just jealous, Ms. Why don't I have a girlfriend/boyfriend."
She made a face. "Oh, I could a boyfriend and a girlfriend if I wanted one." She pointed at Stavo. "You think I'm hot right, Stavo?"
He nodded. "Yeah, in a 'Will you kiss me or kill me kind of way'." He grinned with a wink.
Her head tilted. "I don't know if that was a compliment or not."
"He does that," I muttered.
"Don't be jealous, Brooke." He slung an arm over my shoulders. "You're still my number one."
The doorbell rung.
I shrugged his arm off of me with a roll of my eyes. "That better be our food." I huffed.
I opened the door to find the killer with delicious smelling Chinese in his arms. A scream ripped from my throat.
"Get away from the door," Kieran demanded.
Stavo dashed in front of me protectively. An idiot.
"What's going on?" My dad asked as he barreled out of his office.
The killer took off his mask with a laugh. He pointed at us in amusement. "Oh, man. You should've seen your faces." He keeled over in laughter.
I placed my hand on Stavo's arm. "Is he pranking us?"
Kieran rushed forward. "What the hell is your problem, man?" He grabbed the delivery boy by the cape.
"It was a joke, relax."
Everyone crowded in the doorway now.
"You think this is funny? You think them almost dying is funny?"
"Kieran," Emma pushed forward.
He looked back at her. "What?"
"Let's not make a scene."
My dad cleared his throat. "I think your supervisor will find this hilarious."
The guy paled. "Oh, come on. It was just a harmless prank."
Kieran shoved him back, then snatched the bags of food from him. "Get out of here."
"Honey, are you okay?" My dad asked.
Everyone turned to me like I was about to break. I wasn't made of glass, but I might as well have been in their eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I fled to the kitchen for a breather. I opened the fridge and pretended to look for something.
A moment later Stavo leaned against the closed fridge door, he looked down at me with his bedroom eyes. "You okay?"
"Yup, I just wish people would stop expecting me to crumble. I mean, I did earlier, but I'm fine now. I'm not going to break. Not anymore."
He placed one finger on my cheek and turned my head to look at him. "Your friends don't think you're weak. Neither does your dad. They're just worried about you. In the span of one week, you were attacked three times." He whispered the last part because only a select few knew about the barn incident. "They know you're strong. They saw you kick Hayley's ass." He gave a lazy grin. "I don't doubt your strength, neither should you."
"Why are you always right about everything?"
He smiled his dimpled smile. "I'm not always right. I just believe in you, Brooke. You should believe in yourself."
The fact that he was near perfect should've made me wary, but so far he'd been there for me in ways my friends and family couldn't. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I needed him. But I kind of think he needed me back, so I didn't feel so crazy for feeling that way.
I offered a grin. "You know you're making it really hard not to want to kiss you right?"
He smirked. "I know."
A laugh bubbled from me, he joined in. "Let's go eat."
He followed.
Everyone had already started eating while my dad yelled at who I assumed was the Chinese restaurant we ordered from. And he gave them an ear full.
"Boy," Stavo nudged me. "I would not want to piss your dad."
I nodded. "You'd be right."
They moved the table out of the way and spread out the blankets. Audrey and Eli were the only ones with sleeping bags. In fact, Eli had some special type of sleeping bag that had legs. It had a face hole. He zipped himself in as I grabbed a box of pork lo mein.
"So question," Audrey pointed at him. "What are you wearing?"
He walked a few paces in it then walked backward with the biggest grin on his face. "It's awesome right?"
Emma giggled. "No, where did you get that?"
"I don't know," Noah inspected it. "I kind of like it."
Audrey grinned at him. "Birthday present?"
He nodded. "You know me so well."
They did their little nerd handshake thing.
"We're probably not going to have school tomorrow," Kieran said. "What with Ms. Lang dead and all."
Everyone stared at him.
"Way to sound insensitive," Audrey noted.
He looked apologetic once he realized what he said. "Sorry."
Stavo waved it off. "I think my dad wants to enforce a town-wide curfew."
"That's not a bad idea actually," Noah added. "Smart, but the killer will find a way around it eventually."
Audrey kicked his foot. "Dude."
He shrugged. "Just saying."
"He's right, though," I spoke up. "The killer will come back for me. For all of us eventually. We need to think of a plan like yesterday."
Everyone nodded.
The usual 'No one goes anywhere alone' and 'avoid sketchy locations' was thrown around. Nothing new.
Crickets filled the room.
Stavo cleared his throat. "Brooke bought a punching bag."
I shot him a look of betrayal.
"Really?" Emma grinned.
"Awesome." Eli gave me a thumbs up while still in his weird sleeping bag.
Kieran looked interested. "You know how to use it?"
I made a face. "Not so much. I just sort of punch it."
Stavo laughed, clearly paying me back for making him carry it and put the whole thing together.
"I have one, too." Audrey looked at me. "I'll teach you how you punch and kick correctly."
"Can I sit in on that session?" Eli grinned.
Kieran punched him in the arm.
I still couldn't get over Eli in that damn thing, so I laughed as I leaned into Stavo.
He grinned down at me.
"Okay, so do you guys think we should all do some sort of defense training?" Emma asked. "I don't think that's a bad idea."
"I think that's a good idea." Kieran agreed. "I'm sure Stavo knows how to use a gun. Sheriff's kid and all."
He nodded. "You want to teach everyone to shoot?"
Kieran grinned. "If you're up for it?"
"I guess, sure."
I was so happy everyone tried to make him feel included. Even Audrey seemed to have come around.
"I think Audrey can teach you guys a few things. Remember when she totally put Will on his ass that one time, Em?"
"Who's Will?" Stavo asked.
A silence went around once I realized my mistake.
Emma sighed. "My ex-boyfriend. Piper killed him, too."
Stavo looked saddened by the news while Kieran just looked awkward. A sadness filled the room as we all remembered someone we lost.
"I have an idea," Noah perked up. "Why don't we go around the room and say what we missed the most about everyone we've lost? Their greatest hits. That kind of thing."
I realized that Stavo and Eli wouldn't be saying anything during this event and would most definitely feel left out and awkward, but I thought it was a good idea.
Things were said about Riley, Nina, Will, Rachel, Sheriff Hudson, and Tyler. Not everyone had something to say about them besides Emma and I. We were the only ones left of our original friend group, a feeling that no one else understood besides us.
"Jake Fitzgerald," Noah started. He gave a light laugh. "Jake and I didn't really get along at first."
A few of us grinned at the memory.
"But once I painted doosh on his car I think I won him over." He chuckled. "To this day I'm not even sure if he realized I spelled it wrong."
Jake wasn't the brightest bulb in the lamp, so probably not. I still laughed.
Audrey laughed loud. "I remember a few weeks ago I was at home and I went down to the kitchen for a snack and Jake was just there eating my leftover Thai food."
Classic Jake.
Kieran nodded. "Jake was a lot of things. He put on this frat boy act to hide the fact that he was lonely. It wasn't until you were really alone with him, just you and him, that he dropped it. And you'd get a glimpse of who he really was." He looked at me. "I really liked those glimpses."
Emma shifted and cleared her throat. She grinned up at the ceiling. "Jake...When I first became friends with you guys," She pointed at me. "I was convinced that Jake was trying to sleep with me."
"He probably was." I cracked a grin.
Her head shook. "No, he wasn't. I remember one day he pulled me aside and told me, 'You seem like a nice girl, so what are you doing with Will?' And I couldn't figure out for the life of me why he said that until you told me what Will did with Nina. Jake in his own Jake way was trying to warn me, I guess. He said things like that to me in private often actually. I just assumed he wanted to get a rise out of Will, but he was being a decent friend." Tears filled her eyes, but she wiped them away with a hopeful grin. "You remember that time he pranked us on Halloween?"
I nodded with a laugh. "Yeah. He got Will and Tyler to lure us to that abandoned house and they left us there for like thirty minutes."
"And they pretended like they were being chased around. Jake had that chainsaw and mask."
I could see it clear in my mind like it was yesterday, a time when all of our friends were alive.
"He scared the crap out of us. Nina almost ran him over with her car."
Sadness and nostalgia washed over me, but I wouldn't let it linger for more than a second. I wanted to remember happy things about Jake.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Jake Fitzgerald. My childhood tormentor." I gave a wry grin. "Like Kieran said, Jake was a lot of things. He was a liar and a manipulator, he was really awful a lot of the time. But he was a great friend when you needed him to be." I looked around at my friends and saw their sad expressions. "If he were here right now he'd be telling us to stop moping and start drinking because The Jake isn't the life of the party, he is the party." I turned to Stavo. "Tell us something good about Angie."
He looked shocked that I brought her up, but this was the time if he wanted to open up to the group.
I could tell everyone wanted to ask who Angie was, but they put together that she had to be dead if I brought her up.
He sat up straighter and looked around at us. "Angie Wyatt. My dead ex-girlfriend." He started to quench their thirst. "She was the smartest girl I'd ever come across. The funniest, too. I remember what she wore the first time I saw her. A green blouse and blue jeans. She rode right past me on her skateboard. A hot girl rides past you on her skateboard and you can't help but think about her, right?"
The guys nodded.
I watched as everyone listened to him with a newfound respect.
"Anyway, Angie would love all of you guys. She was open like that. May she rest in peace." He finished.
My hand grabbed his.
He gave me an appreciative nod.
Eli cleared his throat. "Well, everyone important in my life is still alive, so I'll just sit here awkwardly."
Noah looked at him. "Can I borrow that sleeping bag some time?"
Eli nodded. "Sure. Just make sure you wash it. It gets kind of sweaty in here."
Everyone got into a discussion about why the sleeping bag was both great and gross.
Stavo leaned down to whisper, "Thanks for that. I really needed it."
"What are friends for?"
My dad walked out of his office. "Brooke, I have to go take care of some things. I'll be back as soon as possible. Loomis and a few others are surrounding the perimeter. No one's going to hurt you guys with them here."
I followed him to the door. "Is this about mom?" I whispered.
He nodded. "Dr. Craven said it was an emergency. I'll call you if it's something serious."
In my book an emergency and something serious was the same damn thing, but who knew what went on in my father's head.
"Okay." I hugged him. "Be safe."
"Will do." He waved at everyone, then left.
I turned back to them. "Alcohol, anyone?"
There was a collective cheer.
"I'll get it." Emma jumped at the chance.
Audrey and I shared a concerned look, then followed her into the kitchen. She grabbed a bottle of tequila and shot glasses.
"Hey, are you okay?" Audrey asked.
She nodded.
"Anything you feel like getting off your chest?"
She shook her head.
"Are you sure about that? Because with this liquor in our system's secrets are bound to be spilled." I encouraged. "Like boy problems and such."
Her hand shook a little as she poured it. "There's nothing that needs to be talked about guys. I'm fine."
Audrey and I looked at each other.
"Oh, you are so not fine." I threw back a shot and winced. "Because I'm not fine watching you pretend like you're fine. Spill, Em."
She shrugged and finally looked at us. "What do you want me to say?"
Audrey rubbed her back. "Say what you feel."
She gave a wry grin. "I can't say what I feel without messing everything up. So let's go back to I'm fine, alright?"
With the agreement between us, we made our way back to the living room with the shots. Audrey held hers and Noah's. Emma held hers, Kieran's, and Eli's. I held mine and Stavo's. Only Stavo was nowhere to found.
Eli had taken off the sleeping bag. "He ran to the bathroom." He supplied as he took the shot from Emma with a grin.
She blushed.
Kieran watched them with careful eyes.
Noah watched Audrey as she watched them.
I cleared my throat. "Let's drink to our lost friends." I held my shot in the air. "Lost but not forgotten."
Everyone held their shots in the air.
"To Rachel." Audrey tipped back her shot.
"To Riley." Noah grimaced before he drank.
"To my dad." Kieran drank.
Emma squeezed his hand. "To Will and my deranged sister who had to grow up thinking the way she did." She offered a sad smile. "I would've liked to have known her without all the dramatics." She drank.
"To Uncle Clark." Eli patted Kieran's shoulder. "I didn't say anything for him earlier, but he was the best damn uncle I could've asked for. And I wish he was my father." He took the shot.
Kieran looked at him like he realized that Eli felt that pain too. "Thanks, man."
Eli offered a friendly grin.
I bit my lip. "To Jake. And to Ms. Lang. And anyone else who this new killer takes away from us." I threw it back. Because Stavo was still in the bathroom I his up his shot. "To Angie." I downed his shot, too. "God, that was gross."
Everyone nodded.
I went to get a refill on the shot for Stavo. I returned as he walked down the stairs.
"What's this?" He asked.
"It's a shot," I said sarcastically.
He rolled his eyes. "Obviously. Of what?"
"Tequila." I handed it to him.
"Uh..." He handed it back to me. "I actually don't drink anymore."
The room filled with silence.
"Excuse me?" I asked politely.
He looked around at all of us. "Well, ever since Angie's death I kind of don't drink alcohol anymore. Her hit and run was because of alcohol." He met my eyes. "So I don't drink anymore."
I felt like that was a moment that should've been between the two of us, but instead, it was in front of everyone. Now I was so attached to him I didn't want to share our moments with our friends.
Oh, God.
I threw it back.
"Brooke, maybe you should slow down," Kieran said. "That was your third shot."
Shit.
Stavo looked at me with amusement. "I was gone for like five minutes."
I shrugged. "I needed the vice."
"You and me both, but could it taste any more expired?" Audrey commented. "It smells a little ripe, too."
Emma held her finger in the air. "Hey, I did the honorable thing and grabbed the alcohol Jake gave you."
I stilled. "Roll that back one more time, Em."
"The Tequila," She shook her empty glass. "Was from Jake. It had his name on it. I just thought you were saving it for a special occasion...and this seemed like a perfect time." She sighed. "Why are you looking at me like?"
"Jake never brought me any..." I trailed off with the worst thought imaginable. My eyes went to Stavo. He was the only one that knew about my messages from the killer. He had read through all the messages, so I was little disappointed he hadn't picked up on what I pieced together.
"Spit it out, woman," Eli said.
"Jake was never in Mexico. He died probably on Sunday. So he never sent me that bottle of Tequila he promised for Kieran's party."
Stavo stiffened. "Crap."
"Wait, for the rest of us who don't know what you're talking about, can you fill us in?" Audrey asked irritated.
I sighed. "The killer has been sending me messages. He or she was pretending to be Jake." I gave an incredulous laugh. This was something I didn't want to be right about, but there was no other explanation. "We were texting with the killer. All of us in our group messages. If we had actually said anything important he would have the inside scoop. God, I'm such an idiot."
"Don't say that." Stavo placed a hand on my back. "How could you have known?"
My eyes widened. "Because it wasn't Jake. I should've known."
"It's not that hard to be Jake." Kieran defended. "Just say some douchey things and act cocky."
"Screw you, Kieran." I scowled at him.
Emma stepped. "Hey, chill out. What Kieran means is that it's easy to imitate someone through texts. You couldn't have known that it wasn't Jake."
"I was in love with, Em. I should've known."
Everyone gave me a pitiful look.
My eyes rolled. "If you were in my shoes and it was Kieran instead of Jake, would you have known it wasn't him?"
She looked put on the spot. "Of course."
"Because you're dedicated to him, right?" I couldn't keep the bitchiness out of my voice.
"Brooke," Audrey complained. "Stop."
"What? This is what everyone expects from me, right?" I looked around the room. "You still think I'm the old me. Am I wrong?"
No one said anything, which was proof enough.
I nodded. "That's what I thought."
"You're sweating," Stavo commented.
Nausea overtook me.
He looked at everyone else. "You all are sweating."
"I don't feel so good." Noah held his stomach.
"Me either." Audrey fanned her face.
I tried to sit down but stumbled. Stavo caught me.
Then everyone started running for the bathrooms.
Stavo ran me to one of the downstairs bathrooms. He held my hair back as I puked in the toilet. "Get it all out."
Why did I take three shots?
I hurled up some more Tequila and Chinese. Gross combination.
I rested my forehead on the lip of the toilet. "I hate that you have to see me like this." I groaned.
He handed me a tissue. "I really could care less how you look right now, Brooke. I just want to know that you're okay." Concern laced his voiced.
"Awww-" I threw up some more.
After I was sure I got it all out he helped me back to the living room where everyone else was pouring in.
"I'll get you guys some waters." He ran to the kitchen.
I felt oddly calm and light. Was that a bad thing?
"How do you guys feel?" Kieran asked as he held Emma.
"Wired." Audrey supplied.
Noah looked around. "Nervous,"
Eli grinned. "Chill as fuck." He laughed. "We should do this more often."
Stavo returned with an armful of bottled waters and passed them out.
"Wait, does this mean the Tequila is from the killer?" Emma asked.
Stavo and I looked at each other.
He sighed. "Probably." He sat by me, then picked up a shot glass and brought it to his nose.
"Then we should get everyone to the hospital, just to be safe," Audrey suggested.
Stavo sighed heavily. He looked at all of us. "Back in Phoenix, it was a thing to go to the desert and trip on Ayahuasca." He admitted. "I did it myself once. It had that same pungent smell as that Tequila. It made you hurl, too. I think you might've been doused."
"So what? Are we like going to die now?" I looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"No," He cracked a grin. "I'm not going to let that happen."
I tried to smile back, but crushing guilt washed over me.
"Ayahuasca," Noah started as he looked at his phone. "Use as a spiritual medicine in ceremonies among the indigenous people's of Amazonian Peru."
"Yeah," Stavo nodded. "So if that's what it is the puking should stop soon. It's fairly harmless."
Noah continued, "Individuals often feel like they gain access to higher dimensions. And make contact with spiritual guides." He looked up at Stavo. "What does that mean?"
"It means we start hallucinating."
Emma sighed. "Oh my God."
Stavo leaned forward on his knees. "Or not. It affects everyone differently. Some people feel wired." He gestured to Audrey. "Some people get tired and pass out." He gestured to Kieran who rested his head on Emma's shoulder. "Or if you're like me you get super relaxed." He gestured to Eli. "No inhibitions. It all depends on what's buried inside you. It brings that truth to the surface."
"You seem to know a lot about a drug you only did one time." Emma looked at him suspiciously.
His head tilted. "Suspicion. Paranoia. Ayahuasca can do that, too."
Audrey huffed and started to pace. "Look, if we're all about to start hallucinating we need to keep everyone inside. No wandering off. If this is what the killer wants, then he or she just made us easy targets." She looked at Stavo with old dislike. "And you're the only one here who didn't take a shot, so you're the only one who will know what's really happening. If we see the killer how do we know it's not a hallucination?"
"That's the whole point of this," Noah added. "They're getting off on our fear and paranoia. The killer might not ever show tonight, but the fact that we won't know for sure is what's exciting to them."
"Funny how all of a sudden you don't drink, Stavo." Audrey accused.
"Seriously, Audrey?" Emma asked. "Lay off. He didn't do anything wrong."
"How would you know? You're too busy paying attention to Kieran and Eli." She shot back.
Emma scoffed.
I shot up and headed for the kitchen. "I can't do this right now." I filled a glass with water and downed it in a few seconds, then refilled it and set the glass on the island. My hands gripped the counter.
Was I gonna throw up again? Was it hot in here?
My eyes zeroed in on the glass as it became aflame. Green flames to be exact. No, purple flames. And blue flames. What did it mean? Why was it happening to me? What did the flames mean?
Lightheadedness decided to take over my body, I let go of the island and readied myself to hit the floor when an arm wrapped around my stomach. The body heat almost melted me on contact. I struggled to look up at whoever was behind me, but my body already knew who it was even if my mind didn't.
My hand ran up the tan arm around me, touching it for reassurance. His skin was soft and hot, so I kept rubbing it until his sleeve came up. A tattoo revealed itself on his forearm. A knife. Had that always been there? I traced my fingers over it in awe. The ink started to swirl into something fleeting.
I looked up to find Stavo peering down at me. "You look like you needed a hand." He said.
His eyes burned with fire. "Your eyes," I leaned closer. "Do they always look like that?"
He chuckled. "Maybe you should lay down?"
I nodded, but my head weighed a ton. "Yeah."
Somehow we made it up to my room in a second flat. Or maybe I didn't have a concept of time anymore. He laid me on my bed and began rubbing my foot.
"Just keep your eyes clothes." His voice echoed in my head.
The room spun out of control. My head wouldn't clear of the remorse I felt.
"I don't like this," I told him. I didn't like feeling this way. I didn't like feeling this way about him. And I didn't like feeling this way about Jake.
Stavo looked up at me from the end of my bed. "You okay?"
My head shook. "Make it stop. Please, make it stop."
"You'll be okay. Just let me get guide you through this, alright?"
I didn't have a choice, did I? He was the only sober and clear headed person here right now and probably the person I trusted most at the moment.
He continued to rub my foot. "Just focus on my voice."
It felt so good I tried to hide my moan, but it leaked out. Shame washed over me.
"Tune everything else out."
I tried to do what he said, but everything was connected. My sheets tightened underneath my hands.
"What the hell are you doing with this guy, babe?" A familiar voice called to me. Jake appeared by my dresser.
There he was. Normal-looking. Alive. My Jake. But he wasn't my Jake. He was RIP Jake because he was dead. And this was a hallucination of the worst kind.
Stavo looked up at me. "You okay?"
"No." I cried. "No."
Jake moved to lean against my desk. "You think he wants to help you? Seriously? He just wants in your pants." He laughed in disbelief.
"Make it stop," I begged. "Please, make it stop."
Jake appeared next to me on the bed suddenly. "You want to have sex with him." He stood behind Stavo. "But you can't because you're still in love with me."
Anger filled me. "Shut up!"
Jake replaced Stavo as he rubbed my foot. "I'm just saying what you're thinking, babe." He moved closer. "You're not over me." He chuckled.
I shook his hand off as I scurried off the bed. "Leave me alone!" I ran for the bathroom.
Once in there, I locked the door behind me. I leaned against the counter as Jake spoke in my head the one thing that I didn't want to hear. This wasn't him talking. Or was it? Maybe it was Jake's spirit and he came back to talk some sense into me. Or haunt me. This was what nightmares were made of.
"Brooke," Stavo knocked on the door. "You want me to come in?"
My head shook. "No, please don't."
"Alright, I'm going to go check on the others and I'll be right back."
I slid down to the bathroom floor as I tried to block out Jake's screaming in my head.
"This isn't real," I whispered to myself. "You're not really here. Go away."
Jake appeared in front of me. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Get me out of the way so you can go sleep with the next guy that smiles at you. Did Branson even try with you or did you just give it up?"
My eyes squeezed shut. "Go away. Please."
"You don't want me here?"
I shook my head. "No, not like this."
Silence filled the room for so long that I opened my eyes. He was gone. I didn't know whether to feel relieved or saddened. That was the last time I'd see Jake how he used to be and not how he is now. No matter how much I tried to remember good things about him it still hurt. He was still gone. And I still missed him. I couldn't help but think back to the pool when I had a brief feeling of peace. The most serene feeling I've ever felt was only a few moments away and Stavo yanked me away from that.
By all accounts, I should be pissed at Stavo. If he hadn't talked me off the ledge in the halls or been there when I fell I might be happy right now. I might be with Jake. But I couldn't hate him because he'd been the only sane part of my life lately. He'd been the only thing that made me feel like I wasn't a total nutjob. He'd been the only one that made me feel safe and smart. It was almost like he set out to build me into a better person. For a fleeting second, I thought that maybe I'd been his charity case, but that thought flew out the window because I knew for a fact that he cared about me. He had invested a good chunk of time into me and our friendship. He liked me. So I didn't fault him for doing what he needed to do.
I couldn't think of him right now, I had to think about me and what I felt. Frankly, I didn't know if I could do this. I didn't know if enduring this pain made me stronger or an idiot when there was a simple solution at every turn.
With unstable hands, I reached for the sharp, metal razor in my makeup bag. I sat on the lip of my bathtub with the razor held to my wrist. The sharp blade tickled the skin, but I didn't move it. It just sat on the surface as it waited for me to make a decision.
This isn't who you are, I said to myself. But it hurts. It hurts so much. I've lost half the people I've cared about. I can't lose another.
The razor shifted on my skin as my mind battled for the right answer. I knew if I did this I would be disappointed my dad, my friends, and unfortunately Stavo. I didn't want to do this to him, especially after what happened with his mom and Angie. I didn't want to do this period, but I couldn't think of an alternative of us actually making it out alive this time. Knowing Stavo, he'd get himself killed trying to protect me or one of our friends. I couldn't be around to watch that. I couldn't be around to endure that pain. I cared about him too much.
The door opened suddenly. "Did you hear m-" Stavo cut himself off when he processed what it was that I debated. He snatched the razor away from. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
I couldn't look him in the eyes, so I shrugged.
He crouched down so we were eye level. He held the razor in his hand. "What is it that you wanted to do with this?" His eyes searched mine. In that moment I realized his eyes weren't on fire anymore and they weren't just brown. They were a light brown, a warm fall brown. "Brooke?"
I snapped out of it. "I wasn't going to do it. I couldn't."
He handed me the razor. "Are you sure? Cuz it looked like you were ready? And if you're going to off yourself then go ahead and do it." He didn't say it rudely, but in a way that made it clear he didn't want me to do. "Do it." His voice rose.
My head shook as I flinched. "I can't." I threw the razor onto the counter.
"Why is that?" His brow arched. "Don't hold back on my account, I can't make this decision for you."
"Because I'm a coward. And I can't leave my dad like that." My eyes fogged up. "No matter how easy it would be, how peaceful, I can't do it." Tears slid down my face as I nodded. "And I wish I could because the pain would just stop. I'd get to see all my friends again. I'd get to see Jake again. The real Jake, not some hallucination trying to make feel guilty."
Confusion crossed over his face. "What do you have to feel guilty about? Surviving?"
I gave a wry grin. "No, I wish it were that simple."
His hands grabbed mine. "Then what is it?"
Our eyes locked.
"You. I shouldn't feel this way about you, not when I feel this way about Jake. Not when he just died, but I do. That's not right, Stavo. I wish I didn't feel this way, at least not right now. But I do and it's making me feel really shitty."
He nodded. "Is that why you wanted to do that?" He gestured to the counter where the razor laid.
"No," I dismissed quickly. "I just don't know what I'm doing anymore. One minute I want to fight and they next I want to give up. I don't want to do either and at the same time I want to do both."
His thumb wiped my tears away. "If you need help we can get you some."
"And go to a therapist and pour all of my problems on them? That's going to help me?" Disbelief colored my tone.
"I don't know, but you have to ask for help if you feel like you're lost. There's no shame in admitting it."
I gave him a look. "Isn't there?"
A memory crossed his face, his far away eyes peered over my shoulder. "When I was dealing with life after Angie died I tried to kill myself a few times." He looked back at me. "Thank God Cage and Nikki were there. I owe them my life. They made sure I didn't give up, they made sure I knew how important my life was. They got me the help I needed. My dad couldn't get me to go to my therapist, but they could eventually. So I know what it is to feel like quitting. I know what it is to feel ashamed to ask for help. I don't think less of you for breaking down because you've been through so much so still be standing. In fact, when I look at you, Brooke, I see strength. I see courage. And sass." He grinned. "I see a beautiful girl that wants desperately to become a strong woman. If you continue to fight you're halfway there. If you let me I can help you."
"You think I'm strong? After all of this? After you've seen?" I stared at him incredulously.
He stared back, his gaze unwavering. "I know you're strong. Even if you don't believe it, you're a fighter. You went up against this psycho twice, you have the scars to prove it. You're still here, aren't you?"
I nodded. "I guess, I am."
"And if you want," He grinned. "I can tone down the sexy."
I laughed. He made me do that. I didn't think I'd laugh for a long while after tonight, but here I was. I think he has magic powers.
"No, I like the sexy. Besides, our foreplay only makes it hotter when I fuck you."
As soon as I said I knew what a mistake I made. So I just looked over his shoulder in hopes he didn't hear that. But when I looked at him I knew that was no such luck.
He smirked. "You know you make this friends thing equally as hard for me, quite literally."
I blushed. "I know. I didn't mean to say that."
"I think you did." He teased.
My head shook. I tried to hide my smile. "No, I don't think I did. In fact, I think your perfectness brings my guard and I say whatever pops into my head. I'm usually quite in control over these situations. There's just something about you." I stared at him like he was a puzzle. In a way he sort of was. One on hand, I knew so much about his character as a person. On the other hand, I knew very little about him. But one thing I knew for sure was that he cared about me.
"How do you do that?" I asked as I gazed at him.
"Do what?"
"How do you look at me the way you do after seeing how messed up I am? I told I was broken that night at the movies and I meant it. So how do you still look at me like that?"
He sighed, then grabbed my hips and sat me in his lap. "To risk a boner, I need you to know that my view of you hasn't gone down. It's only gone up, Brooke. You continuously show me that you'd risk your life for your friends. You show me that you want to grow up and get the hell away from here. And even though I may not deserve it you show me that you care me about me, too."
A thought occurred to me, that he didn't think he deserved to be loved after what happened with his mom and Angie, but I kept that thought to myself for fear of being right. He was so open with me that I found that heartbreaking to believe.
"Do you get it now?" He asked with a trace of a grin on his face. "We've both been through a lot together and I don't expect you be unscathed by it. I know I'm not."
My head tilted as I inspected him. "You don't it. Not like I do."
"That's because I've had a lot of practice learning how to hold everything in. If you met me a year ago you wouldn't say that. I used to go off at every little thing. Besides, we both can't be drama queens." His dimples appeared.
"You're aesthetically pleasing," I muttered.
He laughed. "If you keep blowing my head up this won't end well for anyone."
My eyebrows wiggled in mischief. "You're almost making this too easy for me, Acosta."
He flushed. "That was an accident, I swear."
I felt his erection poking me in the leg. My eyes widened. How big was it? The imprint looked like a freaking snake.
"You need to get off my lap." He laughed.
I did as instructed. "You're the one that put me there in first place." I held my hands up in surrender.
He stood up. "I would say it won't happen again, but we both know that's not true." He winked as he walked past me. "Let's go check on your friends."
My lady bits tingled while I watched him walk away in those sweatpants . One day, I promised myself.
"And stop staring at my ass." He said without looking back.
How did he know?
I followed him.
"Because you have a dirty mind like me." He glanced at me. "By the way, I highly recommend you call me daddy from now on." He grinned.
I deadpanned. "Not happening."
I think I Jake that once and didn't like it, but when I called Seth that I liked it a lot. I shuddered. Gross.
We walked down the stairs.
"Don't tell me Sex Offender Branson made you call him that in bed?" He whispered.
"I'm regretting a lot of decisions now. I knew I had daddy issue, but damn." I hadn't thought of it like that before. Aside from Seth being hot af, did I only have a sexual relationship with me because of my daddy issues? Well, I didn't have them anymore, but a few months ago I really did. Seth wasn't that old, but he was closer to daddy's age than mine.
I shuddered again. "I can't ever call you daddy. Not going to happen."
He shrugged. "I can call you mommy. And insert mommy issues."
"We're really fucked up, huh?"
He nodded. "At least, we're fucked up together. As friends."
I nodded.
The living room was empty when we got there.
I looked to him. "Where are my friends?"
He headed towards the kitchen. "I helped Kieran to one of the many rooms down here. Emma and Eli were with him the last I know of. I have no idea where Audrey and No-" He paused and turned around to face me with a caught look on his face.
"What?" I walked towards him. I peered over his shoulder to find Noah kissing Audrey. "Oh my God! Eww."
They pulled apart.
Audrey looked shocked herself to see Noah in front of her, then she turned to us with wild eyes. "This isn't what it looks like."
Noah freaked out. "Oh, shit." He high tailed it to anywhere but here.
"Noah," Audrey called after him but remained where she was.
I stared at her for a few moments as I tried to register what I just saw.
"I guess, I was right," Stavo whispered to me. "He does like her."
Audrey looked to him. "What did you say?"
"Nothing."
She walked towards us. "No, you said something. What was it?"
I loved Audrey, but she was like a pitbull half the time and she didn't even know it.
I stepped between them because he honestly looked scared. "Calm down for a sec, you're scaring my friend."
She sighed. "Sorry. Stavo, what did you say?" She said more calmly.
"If you don't it will you kill me?"
She nodded. "Probably."
I gave a forced laugh. "There will be no killing Stavo of any kind." I propped my hands on my hips.
"Oh, bite me." She directed at me, then turned to Stavo. "Spit it out."
Obviously, she was still a little dopey off the Ayahuasca, so I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but like I said Audrey was a pit bull.
"He likes you, okay," Stavo said.
She stilled. "That's not possible."
"Audrey, you were just kissing. How do you not know he likes you?" He asked in disbelief. "Are you so scared that your friendship will change if you admit you might have feelings for him?"
I looked at him confusion.
Why the sudden blow up at Audrey?
"Because he doesn't." She glared at him. "That kiss was nothing. I thought it was somebody else." She pushed past us. "Dick."
He tried to go after her to apologize, but my hand stopped on his chest.
"I'll go check on her."
He nodded. "Just tell her I'm sorry. I don't know why I went off like that."
"Was that about us?" I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean, do you think I doubt your feelings for me or something?"
He looked bewildered like the thought hadn't crossed his mind. "I'm going to go talk to Noah." He ignored my question completely and went off after Noah.
Okay. Mark me down for curious.
I found Audrey sitting on the stairs. "Hey," I sat beside her. "What's going on with you?"
She shrugged. "Nothing. Stavo just needs to learn to keep his big mouth shut. He doesn't know anything about me and Noah."
"I think it's Noah and I," I pointed out. "I think. Don't quote me on that."
She gave me a look. "It's 'Noah and me'."
"Sorry. Go on then. Vent."
She leaned her head onto my shoulder. "I thought I was kissing Rachel. That's what I hallucinated. If I had known it was actually Noah I wouldn't have done it. Cuz gross, he's like my brother."
I rubbed her arm. "Okay, but that's how you feel. Are you sure that's how Noah feels?"
Her head shook. "It's Noah. He couldn't possibly have feelings for me."
"Honey," I chuckled. "I'm sorry to say, but when two people kiss it means they like each other. It may not have been that on your part, but why did he kiss back?"
"How the hell should I know? Maybe he was thinking of Riley or even Zoe. I just happened to be nearby."
Well, the fact that Stavo and I have kind of talked about it before made me question if that was the case. It wasn't my place to tell her Noah definitely had feelings for her because I didn't know, but I had a pretty good feeling he did.
"He watches you a lot," I muttered.
She pulled away to look at me. "What?"
"Noah watches you a lot." I looked at her. "Just something I've noticed lately. It doesn't mean anything, but I find myself watching Stavo a lot and that means something."
Her forehead creased. Worry crossed her face.
"Why haven't you considered it before now?"
"It's Noah." She said like it was obvious.
I gave her a look. "Exactly. You two have been friends since like middle school and you're never apart. I think that you need to be practical here and accept that whatever just happened might change your friendship forever, but it doesn't have to be a bad thing."
She shook her head. "No, I won't accept that. I'm not ready for anything to change. Now is a bad time for change. Change is dangerous. And tell your boyfriend to chill out. He doesn't know me well enough to flip out on me yet."
I chuckled. "He says he's sorry. Yeah, I don't know what that was about either. I think in a strange way he cares about you. Also, he really likes Noah. I think he got a little defensive."
"Or it wasn't about me at all. Maybe it was about you two. Ever think of that?"
I huffed. "Well, I asked him and he just walked away, so I guess we're not talking about it."
She gave a half grin. "He stares at you a lot, too."
"He does?"
She nodded. "At first, I found it creepy. I didn't want to trust him and I still don't, but I have to admit that he's been there for you in a way we couldn't be."
"Audrey," I sagged.
She held her hand up. "No, it's fine. I get it. Sometimes it takes a person that's not someone you share everything with. And he's not so bad to look at it."
"You noticed that, too. Huh?" I grinned cheekily.
"How could you not?"
We laughed to ourselves.
"Do you think we need to talk to Emma again?" She asked. "Maybe you should apologize?"
Crap. I forgot that I was a mega bitch to her earlier.
"I should definitely apologize, but I don't think she wants to talk about whatever's going on between them. We should just give her some breathing room. For now."
"So, what did you see?"
"Nothing that I can't figure out on my own."
She stood. "You should go check on them. I'll get some coffee started."
I started the search after I left her in the kitchen. "Guys," I called. "Where are you? This house is too big to play a guessing game with a killer on the loose."
Someone jumped out at me and I screamed.
Eli laughed so hard he fell to the floor.
Jake reappeared. "I like this kid, he's funny."
Why was he back all of a sudden?
"I thought you left!" I angrily whispered.
"No, I'm still here," Eli answered.
Jake flashed in front of me. "I'm never leaving you."
"Go away." I swatted at him, but only hit thin air.
Eli stood. "You're no fun, Brooke. And a little mean. I thought we were becoming friends."
I looked at him. "I'm not talking to you."
"Are you okay?" Audrey ran into the room a few moments before everyone else joined us.
I pointed at Eli. "He scared me. I'm fine."
"So everyone's alright?" Kieran asked.
There was a collective head nod.
Jake appeared behind Stavo. "What do you see in this guy, babe? He's like a knock off of me."
I gave him a look. "Go away."
Everyone looked behind Stavo.
"Are you still hallucinating?" Emma asked.
I shrugged. "I thought it stopped, then he just popped back up again."
No one asked who it was, but it wasn't hard to guess.
Jake surveyed Stavo. "You certainly have type, don't you?"
"Please, leave me alone," I begged him.
"She had like three shots." Noah pointed out. "Her side effects are bound to last a little longer than ours."
I looked to Stavo. "How long is this supposed to last?"
"Well...because you guys seem to be recovering so fast, I'd say there wasn't much in that Tequila." He didn't look comfortable.
"Stavo?"
He sighed. "It's different for everybody. It says different time frames on different sites, but it could last up to ten to twelve hours if the dosage was higher." He stepped forward. "But it doesn't seem like it'll last that long for you guys." He looked at everyone
"What about me?" I pointed to the corner. "I can still see Jake. How long is that going to last?"
He shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. It may not just be because you had a higher dosage. It might be because you still have to talk to him and your mind's holding onto that because you still have it in your system."
I huffed. "Great." My hands ran over my face. "So I'm stuck with seeing him until I figure things out?"
"Basically." He headed for the kitchen.
"We'll leave you to it, then." Emma ushered everyone out of the room.
I waited until I heard chatter in the living room to sit down. My eyes stayed on the floor.
"Are you really playing hard to get? It suits you." Jake said from nearby.
"Why are you still here?"
He sat on the arm of my chair. "Because you still want me here."
I scooted over as far as possible. "No, I don't. You're not real. You're not really him."
He leaned closer. "Does that matter? Stavo's not me, but you seem to like him a lot."
"So that's what this is about? You don't want me to like him?"
He shrugged. "You said it, not me. I'm just the mouthpiece to your subconscious, babe."
My eyes rolled. "Don't call me, babe. You don't get to call me 'babe'. Not anymore."
"But he can? How is that fair?"
"None of this is fair." I finally stared at him directly. "But life goes on and sometimes people are put in your path before tragedy strikes to help you get through it. He's a good friend and I don't deserve to feel ashamed of whatever I feel for him because you died."
He gave me an expectant look. "Then why do you?"
"Because it's easier to blame you than it is to admit how much I really feel for him."
It felt like an anvil had lifted off my chest.
Jake seemed sad but gave me a relieved look. "I just wanted you to admit that you were using me to hold you back. The truth is, we weren't meant to last. Stavo was coming either way. He knows how to make you believe in yourself in a way I never could."
My head shook and he flickered in and out. "No, don't say that," I told him. "You were important to me, too."
"I know. But he's in your life for a reason, babe. You need him and he needs you. You make each other better. You make each other grow in a way we never did."
"You grew up, Jake. I grew up, too."
He nodded. "Yeah, but we grew up separately. Not together."
"So what? Now everything is clear? I just forget about you and go to Stavo?"
His forehead creased. "Is that what you want to do?"
Was it? I couldn't totally forget about Jake if I tried just like I couldn't totally allow myself to be with Stavo right now. It just wasn't going to happen yet.
"No," I admitted. "But you already knew that."
He nodded. "So did you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because you needed to face your inner demons." He grinned. "I know how it sounds."
A grin crept across my face. "It's all so after school special." I scratched at my eyebrow. "So what happens now? You just leave?"
"Is there anything else you want to talk about?"
"Yeah," I leaned forward. "Plenty, but it's not really you."
"Then this is goodbye." He stood.
I rose. "I guess so."
He gestured behind us to everyone talking. "He's not a bad guy. I like him for you."
"Really?"
He looked off in their direction. "He treats you right. Motivates you. Cooks for you."
I grinned. "Yeah, he does."
He looked back at me. "So why am I still here? You don't need me anymore."
Didn't I?
"But I don't want to let you go."
He nodded. "I know, but you have to. Sometimes you have to let go of things you're not ready to let go of. And sometimes you have to accept things you're not ready to accept. But you already know that." He gestured behind us. "He taught you that."
He taught me a lot of things.
"So this is goodbye then? I won't see you anymore."
He grinned. "Not unless you take more Ayahuasca and think of me."
There was always that, but I was sure I never wanted to feel this again. Even if it gave me closure.
"What do I do now?" I asked him.
"Go join your friends." He grinned as he faded out.
I stood there while I processed what just happened and got my thoughts together. Jake was projection of my subconscious. He told me everything I already knew but didn't want to hear. I just had to hear it from "Jake".
Another minute passed before I made my way to the living room. Everyone stopped chatting when I walked in.
"Are you still seeing Jake?" Audrey asked.
I shook my head. "No, he's gone. He told me some stuff I didn't want to hear, but I needed to hear it." I sat on the couch.
"I'll bring you some coffee." Stavo headed to the kitchen.
I looked around at everyone. "Are you guys okay?"
They nodded.
"We were talking about it and we think we should tell Stavo's dad about this," Noah said. "Sure, it won't look good for us, but better safe than sorry."
My brow rose. "What did Stavo say about it?"
"Go with whatever Brooke wants," Emma grinned.
Of course, I blushed. "Bite me." I mouthed to her.
Their chatter filled the room long enough for me to wonder what was taking Stavo so long when he offered me a bowl from behind the couch.
When I registered what it was I looked at him with hopeful eyes. "For me?"
He nodded with a grin.
I grabbed it and dug in.
"Is that oatmeal?" Kieran asked.
I nodded. "The best."
Noah reached for some, but I smacked his hand away. "Ow, damn."
"Mine," I said around a spoonful.
Emma laughed. "Someone likes oatmeal a lot."
"Or someone just likes Stavo a lot." Noah commented with a cough as he said, "Brooke."
Stavo laughed along with everyone else.
My eyes told Noah that he'd pay for that comment. Oh, he'd pay.
For another hour or so we found things to chat about, but people started falling asleep I went to turn off the lamps with a yawn. Stavo settled on the couch with me. He pulled the throw onto us as I snuggled into him. Extra toasty.
"Goodnight." He whispered. "Try not to dream about me,"
I grinned, but my eyes were so heavy. "I probably will," I whispered back.
His warmth lulled me into sleep, something I was eternally grateful for after the day I had.
