CHAPTER 28-ABOUT THAT POOL PARTY…
1 MONTH LATER…
Even though the last party ended in disaster, Smurf decided it was time to throw another one. She wanted her family to come together once again despite their differences. The toll Javi did on the family affected all of them in different ways. Even though the family remained close, all of them had differences with each other.
All the boys were mad at Baz for giving up the church money. They understood that it was to get Jessica back, but they all knew that Smurf had her own money to give up. On top of it, he kept it under wraps until it came time hand out the rest of it. When they all met up at Deran's bar when J's leg was ripped open, it was a small amount to hold them over until they laundered the rest of it. Baz thought he was going to get the money from Smurf before they found out, but things didn't end in his favor.
The yacht was still a go for most of them, but the wedding got pushed back so they were waiting to strike it. None of them were sure if Baz was even going to do it and still would try recruiting Jessica even though she said she wouldn't do it.
It had been a month since Jessica had been around the family and she once again made a fool of herself. When she was hooked on drugs, she behavior would become erratic and none of them wanted to deal with it. She didn't blame them though; she wouldn't want to deal with herself either. Smurf reached out to her which had taken Jessica by surprise because she never did that. Maybe she did with the other boys but never with her. Jessica of course hesitated but was curious to know what she wanted. She mentioned something about Javi to her on the phone which made her heart drop. It was still something she was trying to get over but watching an ex get shot in front of her really changed her view.
Jessica was lucky to keep in touch with someone she knew from rehab and reached out to him when she hit rock bottom again. He helped her get back on her feet while she asked for a release from her job as a nurse. She wanted to focus on getting better and staying sober again than making sure she wasn't late to help file papers. While her sobriety in tack for the time being, Jessica was cautious going back home. Smurf didn't state who was going to be there, but she figured everyone would show up. At the same time, she didn't expect to walk into a large party like last time.
If the Cody Matriarch was going to talk about jobs, Javi or money, Jessica assumed it meant in the family, in a tight knit group. Instead the blonde had to park her famous sky-blue Jeep Wrangler down the street from the house because she couldn't get into the driveway. It wasn't good for her to be back around the party scene so soon, but she was dying to know what Smurf wanted.
She didn't believe that she was hosting a pool party considering they had something important to talk about but here she was. Jessica felt that she had just been another party guest as she walked down the driveway to the garage. There was something in her mind telling her to turn around rather than get wrapped into the fold, but she wouldn't keep her feet from stopping in place. She at least blended in with everyone else and got the glow back that she used to have. Jessica wore white and pink stripped short sleeve button down shirt that she twisted into a knot at her stomach. It showed off her body perfectly with the hint of her white bikini top underneath. Matching it with light blue jean shorts, she would have worn bathing suit bottoms if she would have known it was a pool party. Her hair was down in perfect beach waves and she looked like her old self once more.
She wasn't sure where anyone would have been besides Pope would more than likely was hiding in a bedroom again. Even though everyone would look at her differently when she appeared, the person she didn't want to see most was Baz. Jessica hadn't talked to him since the huge fight and she remembered everything that happened. Even when she took Lena to the dance, she dropped her off at his house and left quickly once she got inside. Things changed instantly the moment she got wrapped into drugs again and it was embarrassing for her to deal with.
It was almost like Déjà vu as she cut through the living room due to all that happened a month ago. Jessica wasn't sure if she was ready to face anyone because she knew they would all look at her differently, or so she thought. When she made it into the kitchen, none of her brothers were anywhere to be seen and she wasn't about to hunt any of them down. If they didn't catch her before Smurf rallied them into a group, she'd handle it at that time. Excusing herself past a couple making out in the kitchen who she's sure she went to high school with, Jessica stepped out of the glass door and onto the patio. The music was blaring like always, people were scattered throughout the pool and yard. Red cups were all over the place along with pizza and various snacks and there were drugs floating around somewhere.
Holding her breath, she took a few steps forward to stare out into the crowd. Jessica saw a few familiar faces but again, none that were her brothers. She almost wondered if Smurf wanted her there by herself until she felt a hand fall upon her shoulder.
"Hey! I really love your shirt, where did you get it?" Nicky had a wide smile on her face as she spun around for Jessica to see her. She had a cup in her hand which was filled with a light pink liquid which she assumed to be spiked punch.
"Oh um…I found it at a thrift store a few years ago. Where is everyone at?" Jessica asked taking a look at the girl to make sure she'd be able to walk.
"I have no idea, J's sitting right over here. Come say hi!" Before Jessica could even protest, Nicky grabbed her hand and drug her over to the patio table. J was hidden behind a few people who were standing and talking so she didn't see him when she walked outside.
J had been taking a drink of beer when he watched Nicky drag Jessica over. He set the bottle down before standing up in order to see them. "Nicky, I think you need to sit down for a second" J noticed how she was walking in a zig-zag pattern.
"Shut up J, I'm perfectly capable of walking thank you very much. Look who I found! Isn't her shirt super cute? Do you have any that look like this?"
Jessica had a faint smile on her face in order to say hello. She didn't want to be pulled over to anyone but there was no way she could escape now. J reached over to the empty chair across from him and pulled it out for Jessica to sit down in. Before he could even answer Nicky, she waved to someone else walking through the door and hopped over to them.
"Wow…I've never seen her like this. Is she doing okay?" She asked watching her walk away before turning her attention to J. He nodded before looking after Nicky as well. "I mean, has she always partied like this? I don't want her abusing drugs and alcohol because of you know, everything that happened"
J brushed it off knowing that Nicky had always been a party girl. "Believe me, this isn't anything new. She's always been this way, probably why she hooked up with Craig in the first place. You don't have to worry about her"
It was different for Jessica to see her that way and it reminded her of her younger years. Julia also crept into her mind as she was usually worse than she was when it came to drugs. The eldest Cody sister could never stay sober no matter how much she tried.
"So um, how's the leg? I know I should have been here to check it out, but you say everything that was going on. How were the new stitches? I know I could have done better but we all know what I was going through" She commented feeling like there had been an elephant in the room.
"It's good, healed up nice so it's not like I have any nerve damage or anything" J stuck his leg out a little and lifted the hem of his boardshorts up. She leaned forward in order to check it over. There had been a white line down his thigh from scaring but it was hardly noticeable unless you got right on top of it. Jessica pulled away, leaned back in her chair and fumbled with the silver bracelet on her wrist. "You don't have to blame yourself, there wasn't anything you could do" J's eyes flickered to it and watched her. "How's the arm?"
Jessica was lucky enough to have her arm heal fine and without any complications. The cast came off weeks after she left so it was finally back to normal for her. "If I would have just shot his guys things probably wouldn't have been as bad as they were. I just wish everyone would have been here when it happened, I couldn't protect you two. It's fine, everything's good" She said looking at him once more. "I'm sorry about the way I acted before I left"
J could tell by the way Jessica was acting that it bothered her on how she left. It wasn't unusual for him though. "You don't need to apologize; I've been through all of that with my Mom. I mean, I've seen way worse than you trying to beat the shit out of Baz" He told her with a laugh, she joined in on the fun before rubbing the back of her head. "I'm serious, you hitting him with that cast on your arm was pretty funny. He came over here the next day with bruises all over his shoulder"
"Okay, I didn't hit him that hard" She responded with a laugh but really thought it over. "At least I didn't think I hit him that hard…You know what, he deserved it for the shit he kept putting me though" Jessica didn't really mean it but there was a part of her that did. She knew how her fits got when she was on drugs, but she was annoyed that he kept trying to follow her rather than help her. In actuality, he was guarding her so she didn't spin out of control, but it was hard for her to admit that. "Where is he anyway? I have to apologize to everyone for you know, me breaking the bathroom door down and making a run for it"
The younger Cody leaned his head back after he was done laughing too search around the backyard. "I don't know, I really haven't seen any of them tonight. I've been here with Nicky mostly but last I saw Deran and Baz hanging out by the pool"
Jessica turned her head as well in order to see if she spotted any of them. It was hard to tell through the crowd, but she was sure that it was Deran that she saw. Then again, the blonde was hanging by a female so that could possibly cross him out.
"I'm going to see if I can find them. I'll see you when Smurf decides to gather everyone together. Do you have any clue of what she wants?"
J shook his head no and watched her stand up. "You know you don't need to apologize to them Jessica. They'll understand, they always did with my Mom" He told her but that didn't matter much to her. She hung around them more so than Julia did and despite no one having bad blood against her, Julia stuck to herself and no one really came around.
She walked away from her nephew and headed towards the pool. Jessica saw Baz and Deran sitting behind the pool, mostly surrounded by females yet she couldn't tell if they were there for them or if Craig was nearby. Usually if a flock of girls were hanging around, Craig was present. She cut past a couple of people, reached the edge of the pool and took a deep breath. It was hard for her to see any of them, mostly Craig and Baz due to her actions. She wasn't sure what their reaction would be, but they always welcomed her back with open arms. She didn't even know if Smurf said anything to them about her showing back up. Then again, Jessica texted her Mother that she'd show but never got a response back.
Jessica braced herself for whatever reaction she was going to receive and pushed herself forward. "Hey…" She lingered off, loud enough for them to hear her. The three men turned their heads in her direction, and they all looked surprised, just as she would have guessed. Jessica put her left hand on her opposite arm and rubbed it slowly taking a glance between them all. The five girls that surrounded them all stared at well.
"Well look who it is, my sister who broke my door down" Craig said seriously before a smile appeared on his face. "I told you she was badass" He commented glancing at a brunette female who was attached at his hip, Jessica didn't recognize her.
"Please tell me you didn't tell anyone that…" She replied, her cheeks turning light pink out of embarrassment.
"Only the whole town" Deran said, jumping up from the lawn chair to give her a hug. He was joking around, but she wasn't sure if she should take it as a joke or not. Jessica had wrapped her arm around her younger brother. There was nothing awkward between then because he was at the party when she had her meltdown. Deran was just glad that she was okay as always. He didn't know what he'd do without her because they two of them had always been close. She helped him a lot when she was younger, and it was something Deran wouldn't forget.
"I didn't tell anyone even though it was pretty cool to see you do that. I didn't think you had that much strength. I'd beat this two up in wrestling all the time when we were kids" Craig told the random girl as well as the redhead at his other side.
Deran let go of Jessica and turned around to face him. "Yeah because you were already like six feet tall and weighed two eighty"
Scoffing at his remark, Jessica shook her head as a smile curled on her lips. He moved away from the girls and she gave him a hug as well. It was a go to family greeting for the Cody family. Smurf was signature for her kisses while Jessica was known for a hug. It was just her way of being comforting as well as knowing that everything was okay.
"You want a drink or something?" Craig asked her as he shifted to the other side of her, he then looked at Baz right away. "Before you decide to jump on my ass, I was going to ask if she wanted water…Unless you want to break another door down?" He then looked down at the blonde.
She held her tongue on his remark but smiled in his direction. Jessica agreed to him getting her a drink as it would send him away without any other comments. Her blue eyes shifted over towards Baz and they flickered between he and the dark-haired female he was sitting with. It sure wasn't Catherine and it wasn't Lucy, so it made her wonder if more who the girl was. She assumed it was just a random party girl because it wasn't uncommon for any of the boys to hook up with someone at the parties.
"So, are you just going to sit there and give me the silent treatment?" She questioned him as he looked back at her. Their eyes were locked on one another, but he hadn't said anything to her. Jessica gritted her teeth together before shaking her head lightly. "Whatever then" She said before turning away from them and walking away.
Jessica made her way towards the other side of the pool, opting to go get her own drink and lurk around the party. Deran had watched between the two of them waiting for Baz to follow her. After a few heartbeats, he jumped up to follow her. Baz called out to her, but she continued walking, he didn't know if she heard him or not. He walked faster to catch up and reached out for her wrist to get her to stop moving. Out of reaction, Jessica pulled back and spun around, getting face to face with him.
"Who's the girl? I thought Lucy and I were enough to handle? Well me in particular" She told him before crossing her arms over her chest.
"What? Are you getting jealous again?" Baz asked her, remembering the way she acted before. "Melissa is one of Craig's friends, I don't know who she is"
"Oh, so her name is Melissa?" Jessica said looking past to him to see her again. The woman had watched them for a moment before getting up and leaving where she was. It made her smirk as she focused back on him. "You know I don't get jealous; I just know what's mine"
Their eyes again were fixated on each other and it seemed that both had been looking over one another. There was some unspoken history between them and that was where their silence was coming from. Baz couldn't help but laugh at her statement, it was clear that Jessica had been jealous. She had always been with Cath; she was with Lucy and even random girls who lingered here and there. Jessica noticed that he wasn't dressed for a pool party as he sported his usual outfits, a black tee with jeans.
"Thank you for letting me take Lena to that thing at her school: She decided to break the tension they had with something easy. "She had a good time and I appreciate you letting me"
It was true, Lena really bonded with Jessica a week ago when she took her to the mother/daughter event. She also enjoyed it and it was nice to see the little girl smile once again. From what she knew, Lena still wondered and asked where Catherine was, switching between both Baz and Pope.
"She wouldn't stop asking about it, so I think she was more excited than you were. Besides, who was I going to send her with? Smurf?"
She shrugged her shoulders knowing that if Smurf would have known, Jessica would have been shoved out of the picture. She took a step closer to him and spoke, "How do I know? It could have been one of your other side chicks"
"Oh my God Jessica, the only side chicks you come up with are the other personalities you decide to have"
She laughed at his response because it was such a bold statement. Baz first hooked up with Julia which switched to Jessica, then Catherine entered the picture. He cheated on her with Jessica and Lucy, and now the argument is between the blonde and brunette. Jessica had been the one he kept going to, so it looked like she had the leverage overall. It seemed that the world wouldn't keep them apart and they always went back to one another.
"Why do you always accuse me of that?" Baz asked her.
"Are you serious Baz? Have you met you?" She fired back in a humorous tone. "You've always jumped around, remember those two sisters when you were in high school?" Jessica reminded him, remembering when they came around the house which made Craig mad.
The memory had him laugh faintly until he glanced at the pool. Baz was going to mess around with Jessica one more time in order to get her angry. It was always fun and games around Smurf's house, especially when a party came about. Jessica wasn't going to be too glad about the outcome but it was something he was willing to risk.
"Sometimes I really think you just like to start arguments"
Before Jessica even had a chance to respond, Baz grabbed a hold of her wrist, the one she formerly had a cast on. He yanked her hard enough to make her lose her balance and into the pool. Craig and Deran jumped up from the chairs as he had returned with her drink and laughed when they saw the splash of water. Both Baz and Jessica went into the water, causing others to swim away and the lands on land cheer with surprise.
"Dude, she's going to be so pissed when she comes up" Craig told Deran, moving around him to get a closer look.
Baz was the first to come up from the water and he shook his head to get the water out of his face. Craig had rushed over to him, bent down and told him that he was going to be dead. He still found it hysterical due to the number of times Jessica had been thrown in a pool
Jessica on the other hand looked like a phoenix rising out of the ashes. She rubbed her face quickly, mascara and eyeliner running down her cheeks. Her blue-grey eyes had landed on Baz, fury within them. They had been separated by a few feet which was good for Baz. She threw her hand out in rage and splashed water towards him. "You stupid ass! I swear to God I'm going to kill you!"
He made a jump for the edge of the pool in order to climb out. The partygoers watched with different emotions ranging from amusement, to confusion and to frustration due to all the noise. Craig moved out of the way, still laughing as Baz made his way to dry land. Jessica had splashed through the water, trying to catch him before he got out. She didn't make it in time, but it didn't stop her from trying to get him.
Running past some people, Baz was booking it back to the house as he glanced at Jessica just getting out of the pool. Both left a trail of a water behind them, their clothes sticking to their bodies. The Cody sister ignored her brothers laughing as she kicked off her platform sandals and began running right after him. He turned around watching her stalk him like prey, ready to lunge at his throat. Baz couldn't help but smile at her which only got a rise of out her more.
Baz stopped moving once she reached him, Jessica's eyes fuming, practically foaming at the mouth. "Next time you should try wearing a bathing suit" He told her, pointing to her dripping wet clothes. She wore a white bikini top underneath; Jessica was glad she put it on last second or everyone would have been able to see right through the top.
"You are such an asshole Baz!" She responded, still angry as she reached for him. He backed away still laughing and still getting on her nerves. Jessica didn't say anything else as she ran at him, but Baz was able to counter her movement. The second she reached for him, he swooped down and threw her over his shoulder. "Put me down! This isn't funny!" She cried out trying to laugh either. Jessica couldn't help it, it was amusing but she didn't want it to show.
Despite her trying to kick out of his grasp, Baz held onto her tight as he started to walk back over to the pool. Jessica's head had been whipping in any direction trying to see where he was going until the water caught her eye.
"Do it again!" Craig screamed over at him, pointing his red cup towards them. They exchanged glances before he slowly set Jessica back down directly in front of him, much to Craig's displeasure.
Jessica couldn't help but hold a smile on her face. "Are you done acting like a child?" She was careful not to take some steps back or she'd end up back in the pool. Baz glanced at Craig and Deran who split on up to each direction of them. Jessica turned her head to her left and right seeing her brothers racing towards her. "Don't you dare…I'm not kidding!"
Jessica made a run for it, but Baz grabbed her around the waist and held her there. As Deran and Craig finally arrived, he let go of her, but she had no place to go. All three of them tackled it, looking like a gigantic mess and going back into the pool.
Smurf had come out of the house after hearing all the commotion between the shouting, cheering and clapping that was going on from the crowd. Her eyes moved towards J who had still been watching but wasn't near the rest of his family. She fixed her bikini coverup and made her way towards the pool. Deran was the first to come up from the water, followed by the others.
She had reached the edge of the pool, stood their silently and stared at them. Smurf waited for all of them to notice her and when they did, she smirked. "Are you done tackling your sister or do I have to put everyone in timeout? Meeting in Jessica's old room"
All of them had seemed confused by her presence despite her calling them for the party. It seemed that none of them had seen her all night and it was the first time she decided to come around. They did as she said, letting Jessica go first because she didn't trust any of them. She grabbed a beach towel that was lying on a chair, ruffled her hair in it before wrapping it around her body. She wasn't about to share it, she hoped they would get yelled at for getting the carpet soaked.
When they entered the room, J and Pope were already inside with Pope sitting on the bed and J leaning against the window. "What the hell happened to all of you?" He questioned in his usual monotone voice.
"Your brothers are assholes, that's what" Jessica simply replied not wanting to use a different word for the night. She glared at them, before smiling playfully. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Smurf entered before slamming the door shut. Locking it behind her, she carried a black bag with her.
"So, what's this meeting all about?" Baz asked, running a hand through his wet, brown hair.
"I brought all of you a little present, to hold you over until your next job" Smurf steps towards everyone and J moved closer. Deran and Craig moved to the opposite it of the bed to see what it was. Pulling out manilla envelops, she handed on to each of them. As all of them took a folder, they peered inside knowing it was money but didn't know how much.
"What's all this for?" Deran asked, a confused expression sitting on his face.
"I never paid any of you for digging up the bones, did I? I'm sure all of you have waited for this money and here I am giving it to you. I want to show my appreciation, I know you just pulled the church job, but I wanted you all to know how grateful I am for all of you"
Jessica looked up in order to see everyone's face. She was as confused as Deran, mostly wondering why she was getting any money. She hadn't done anything but get kidnapped, maybe it was Smurf's way of apologizing.
The Matriarch scanned everyone once more before zipping her bag back up. "It's the church money that Baz gave me to pay Javi's debt. It's almost 30,000 divided up"
"How much?" J asked, not believing how much it was. Despite pulling the job with the boys, he didn't know how much they all made. When Baz gave everyone a cut at Deran's bar, it hadn't been the whole amount, just enough to hold them over until the rest was counted. That ended up being the money he gave her to get Jessica back.
"You really think giving Craig almost 30k is a good idea?" Baz turned to his Mother then glanced his way.
"Fuck you, I don't just waste money on coke and partying" He fired back easily annoyed.
Jessica laughed faintly before speaking, "Craig is right, he also spends it on strippers and one-night stands"
"I don't have to listen to either of you" Craig told before walking towards the door. Smurf called him back in order to get her usual thank you, a hug and a kiss. He did so and step out.
The others had followed through with the same action until it came to Jessica. She wrapped the towel around her closer as she shivered hard. Being soaking wet and in air condition wasn't helping her so she tucked the money inside of the towel and looked at Smurf.
"Thank you, I don't know why I get a cut but thanks" She said wishing to avoid her gaze as she always felt guilty of something.
Smurf smiled back before stepping closer to her. Now that Jessica was sober, her plan had fallen. Giving her the pills was her way of keeping her in line and away from Baz. It was a technique she did for Pope with his medication. Now she had to deal with Jessica sober again which was harder because she enjoyed the freedom she felt.
"You are family, aren't you?" She told her before holding out her arms for a hug. Jessica had hesitated since she was still dripping with water, but Smurf didn't care. It was a short hug but when they pulled apart, Jessica had something to say.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted before I disappeared. You know, breaking down the bathroom door. I was just using them to cope with what happened, but I was lucky for having a friend from rehab. He took care of me and got be sober. I know it's disappointing, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry"
Smurf listened closely before shaking her head faintly. "You're okay now and that's all that matters. Your arm is healed and now we can put the Javi thing behind us" She reached out and grabbed her arm to check it over. "Are you staying for the party?"
She watched her mother trace her arm up and down before she dropped it. "If I wasn't soaking wet yes, but I think I need a change of clothes at this moment"
As they concluded their conversation, Jessica went to say goodbye to her family members. Pope split shortly after she did as he was not staying for a party. The first thing she wanted to do was change into fresh clothes and curl on the couch with a good book. Jessica honestly debated on returning back to her childhood home, but she didn't trust any of the boys. She wasn't going get soaked again in order to change her clothes for the fourth or fifth time that day.
When Jessica arrived home, she turned on the lights in her apartment and tossed the beach towel she borrowed from whoever on the couch. Slamming the door closed, she raced through the place, being careful to not slip on the hardwood floor. Even though the towel helped soak up some of the water, her shorts were still leaking slightly. Running into the bathroom, Jessica peeled her clothes off and tossed them into the bathtub before heading to her room.
She navigated through the sea green bedroom and into the dark closet. Jessica reached back after being hidden behind the closet door to flick on the lamp that was sitting on her dresser. Her windows were wide open, so she was moving as quickly as possibly just in case someone decided to peek in. Grabbing a pair of red plaid pajama pants and a black tank top, Jessica threw those on before glancing into her full-length mirror on the opposite side of her room
Jessica had forgotten that she had a full face of makeup on so now it made sense as to why Pope asked what happened. Not only were they all dripping with water, she looked as if she had just been run down by truck. She now went back into the peach colored bathroom and grabbed a few tissues. She wiped the black make up off her cheeks with a little and rubbed until they turned red. Turning the faucet off, she heard a knock at the door. Tossing the tissues in the wastebasket, she hopped over to the door and opened it.
"Did you really follow me all the way over here?" She questioned, staring at Baz. Jessica notice he changed out of his clothes as well. He now sported a white t-shirt with dark pants.
"I was in the neighborhood" Baz replied with a faint smirk appearing on his lips. Her face was filled with skepticism because the two didn't live that close to one another. As Baz's house was right on the beach, Jessica's apartment was north of it and was ten minutes away from shore. It was approximately twenty minutes apart so there was no reason he would be in her neck of the woods.
"I'm sure you were…" Jessica peered out the door to her left then to the right, looking at the empty stairway. "There's no pool for you to throw me in so what's your reason of showing up now"
"Oh, come on, you are like a fish. You remember when we were kids and Smurf would send Pope or I to come get you when it got too dark? She'd throw a fit because you weren't back in time to eat dinner. We'd have to practically drag you because you wanted to stay by the water all night"
She remembered fondly of the days and nights that she'd spend at the beach. Out of all the Cody's Jessica probably had the most love for the ocean. Deran and Craig were always surfing but there was something else to her than just surfing. The way the sand felt underneath her feet, letting the waves carry her out into the open, the feeling of flying. She loved watching the sunrise and sunset, feeling like she owned the beach when no one was around. Smurf had mentioned before that she refused getting out of the pool when she was younger, hence the nickname and Jessica believed it was a trait she got from her.
"You know, I don't think anyone suspected a thing" He told her, hanging his arm on the doorway.
"Why would they? They last think I saw you a month ago. We've always been good at keeping this a secret, haven't we?" She asked with a smirk of her own. "Give me one good reason that I should invite you in"
"You know a good enough reason" He told her, watching her backing away and accepting the invite.
Little did anyone know, Jessica and Baz and continued to see each other despite her not showing up around Smurf or anyone else. When she started getting the help she needed, she went over to his house to apologize and to take Lena to the dance event. Once they returned, Baz invited her in because she wanted to talk about everything that happened between them. One thing led to another and they were back where they were as if nothing ever went on.
Th second Baz stepped through the door, she pushed forward, and their lips collided. Jessica smiled into the kiss as she wrapped her hands around his shoulders. He kicked the door closed with her fit while wrapped his arms around her waist. It had been this way for a while, and they were going full force into this relationship.
She removed her hands, put them on the hem of her tank top and ripped it off. Despite them having animosity at Smurf's, it was all on ploy on everyone else. They wanted to look like they were separated, they wanted to look like they were fighting. It was easier pretending to be like that in front of the family than being together. Their relationship was better hidden than anything else…
Pope had arrived at Jessica's apartment early in the morning and looked around the parking lot. He didn't bother pulling into a parking spot as he was just running inside. A familiar silver car caught his attention, so he was right where I wanted to be.
"Am I going to be late for school?" Lena asked, wiggling in her backseat to look at the scenery.
"Not if I can help it. Unbuckle, we're going up to the apartment. Grab your things" Pope told her before shutting the engine off and getting out.
He waited for Lena to step around the car, bookbag in tow. He had something planned already and expected Baz to show up last night. It wasn't unusual for him to not come home but he had other plans. After staying with Lena at Baz's, he stopped by Smurf's to check if he was there. The only obvious place was Jessica and he felt a wave of relief after finding out he was there.
The little girl trailed behind him up the stairs as Pope had been on a mission. Baz was going to take Lena to school like the parent he's supposed to be. After climbing two flights of stairs, Pope didn't bother knocking as he reached for the doorknob. Turning it, it wasn't locked so he pushed it open before stepping inside. His eyes noticed the black tank top on the ground, and he looked behind him at Lena.
"Stay here, go ahead and sit on the couch. I'll be right back" Lena nodded at his words and stepped around him in order to get to the sofa. Plopping down, she looked around the place realizing she had decorated more compared to when she was first there.
As Pope walked down the narrow hallway, he glanced behind him to make sure Lena hadn't followed. He didn't want her to be behind him because it was something that she didn't need to see. Once he reached the door, he cracked it open before marching inside.
Baz and Jessica were sound asleep and didn't even flinch after hearing the door. She had been facing the window to the left of her with him lying behind her. Pope scanned the room again, seeing clothes scattered all over the floor so he knew that they slept together.
Moving over to the bed, he stood next to Jessica and placed a hand on her shoulder. He shook gently at first but when she didn't stir, he did it more forcefully. She groaned then opened her groggy eyes. Blinking a couple of times, Jessica had assumed it was Baz trying to wake her for unknown reasons. She nearly hopped out of her skin when he saw Pope staring down at her.
"Jesus Christ! What the hell Pope?" Gripping the sheet around her, she quickly sat up and banged her back on the wooden headboard. The noise and movement woke Baz up who nearly had the same reaction as she did.
Pope's eyes wandered between the two of them and he wasn't about to comment on what transpired. "Get dressed. You need to take Lena to school"
"What? Why didn't you take her?" Baz asked him before rubbing his eyes.
"Because I have things to do. She's going to be late unless you hurry up. She's on the couch"
"She's here?" It was now Jessica's turn to asked hoping that she wasn't going to walk into the scene. She began looking for some clothes but then remembered they were out in the living room. Pope turned away sharply, moved to the door and closed it without another word.
Neither one of them knew exactly what he was thinking or if he was going to say anything to anyone. It was bad enough that he walked in on them but with Lena being present, their relationship could be in jeopardy. If she said anything to Smurf, the Matriarch could piece two and two together. Jessica had rubbed her forehead hard before grabbing her underwear that was right next to the bed. Slipping them on, she hopped up and ran over to the closet.
"I'll take Lena to school. I haven't seen her much since the dance" She said as she moved quickly. Jessica didn't know why she was hiding her body from him as she was relieved when she grabbed a shirt. Pulling on a black one shoulder sweater, Jessica reached into her dresser for a pair of pink shorts.
"I can take her, it's not a big deal" He told her, grabbing his pants as well.
"I want to, I'm sure she'd rather see me than you" She joked not knowing that it was probably the truth. She walked over towards him while tying her hair into a tight ponytail. "Text me later or something" As Baz stood up, she pecked him on the cheek.
The second she turned away, he reached for her wrist and pulled her back to him. They locked lips for what seemed like the hundredth time until Jessica was the first to pull away. Her smile lingered on her face as they stared at one another. The silence between them held noise but neither one of them had to say a word.