Chapter IV

Jack Fall Dead

Everything was still in Sherrys apartment on the next morning. The birds chirped as the rain poured, amazingly, no one woke up at the sound of the thunder. Jake Muller who lay at his best friends side simply pulled her body closer to his. This was the first time in a long time that Jake had slept through the night. Sherry didn't have nightmares, but they wouldn't know this until they woke up.

It was around 12 PM when Sherry's eyes slid open to the grey day. Her body felt oddly sore, but in a nice way. She lay there for a moment, remembering what happened and then biting her lip nervously. That's when Jake sighed heavily, breathing out and against the back of her neck and pulled her even closer. She resisted a smile.

Rolling over carefully she faced him. He was sleeping very peacefully. Jake was nice this way, it was rare to watch him like this, not so angry like usual. Her eyes slowly started to close again. He pulled her flush up against him, frowning slightly and then snuggling her to his hard body, she fell asleep again.

At around one in the afternoon Jake woke up. His eyes burst open with what a lot would call shock. But in fact that was the most peacefully Jake Muller had woken up in years. His eyes immediately found Sherrys face which lay directly In front of him. That's when it hit him.

Oh shit. Jake's eyes widened at her. She was draped in the bed sheets, just like he was, he seemed to be wearing one sock and her hair was oddly messed up. He noticed the way he had her pulled up against him, her hand rested right over his chest. And then he suddenly relaxed… he didn't mind this. The panic slowly faded.

Sherry's eyes opened a few minutes after his; she could feel him shifting around. When she opened her eyes he was staring up at the ceiling, her head was resting on his shoulder, and the arm of that shoulder was wrapped around her naked body carefully.

"Good morning," she whispered.

He looked down at her, his face stoic as ever, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I'm feeling fine."

"That's good," he noted and continued staring up at the ceiling. She made no attempt to move from her position, mainly because he didn't make an attempt to unwind his arm from her waist. He kept his grip firmly fixed and when she yawned and stretched beside him he let loose a bit. Only to tighten it slightly once again.

"Do you want breakfast?" she asked awkwardly.

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Pancakes?" He asked.

"Yeah, I want those too," she said and stood, dragging the bed sheets with her. Jake quickly grabbed the other bed sheet and wrapped himself around that one. Sherry took no notice and stretched more as she stood. "Are you getting out of bed soon?"

"Yeah, just hold on a few minutes, okay?"

She nodded shyly, adverting her gaze from him and moving towards her drawer – picking out a few things and then walking out towards the bathroom.

Jake Muller started to panic again.

She's going to regret what happened. I shouldn't have kissed her. And I shouldn't have come here in the first place. Why would I kiss her and then have sex with her in the same night? Oh this is so fucked up… this is not how this happens.

Sherry was at a loss for what to do. In the bathroom she changed and noticed the bruises on her neck where he had sucked and bitten, marked her. She noticed the ones on her wrists and sighed, she didn't want to get rid of them, but she knew she had to. Sherry focused lightly and healed herself instantly, the flesh – purple and stained, changed back to its normal color and she walked out of the bathroom in a black T shirt and cotton shorts.

She got to work making pancakes, she turned on the TV and set out some orange juice, she knew Jake liked it with pulp so she always made sure to buy a carton for whenever he was over. She gave him his cup with pulp and soon heard him padding out of her bedroom.

He wore a black T-shirt, the one he had one yesterday and his boxers. His muscled thighs were an eye magnet so she adverted her gaze and focused on her work. "Chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Yeah, thanks." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Strawberry too?"

"That'd be perfect."

She frowned and nodded. She didn't like this; he was acting like last night was nothing.

Jake Muller kept his eyes off of her, she was making her uncomfortable. She was acting like last night was nothing. He sat in the kitchen with her, watching her work on the pancake and look for cookies; he sipped on his orange juice thoughtfully and ever so often looked at her. He found it difficult. What they did last night was not things friends usually do – and they had to discuss it.

She finished and set the plate in front of him, she sat too and took two pancakes and he took his. They ate.

"So," she started, "How'd you sleep?"

He stopped chewing and simply stared at her. His eyes seemed steady but annoyed. "I slept fine."

"That's good. So what are you planning for the rest of the day?" Her teeth hurt her as she spoke, she wanted to ask one thing and one thing only. But the question could be disastrous, no, she wouldn't ask that to him, never ever.

"Me? Nothing, I'll probably visit my mom if nothing else shows up on my schedule. Maybe spend the evening with her or somethin'."

"That's sweet," she smiled, "I was thinking to go to an adoption center, I want to get a cat," Sherry informed him as he chewed with a raised eyebrow, "what?"

"Why not a dog?"

"Because cats are better."

Jake let out a small smirk, rare and golden, "listen, cat's are all arrogant creatures from the depths of hell."

"No, you see – the thing is that dogs are all over you. When you get home they want to be on you, when you're tired all they want to do is play. If you beat a dog, he'll be afraid but he'll still love you. A cat demands respect, that's the difference!" She laughed covering her mouth to try to not let out pancakes.

"No, cat's are useless."

"No, cat's are amazing, look, people think that because I'm a cat person that I immediately hate dogs. I love them both, but cat's win. I blame their haughty air on the Egyptians," she mused with a smile, "they worshipped them, the cats found this out all over the world and said, you know what - we're fucking Gods."

Jake rolled his eyes, amused. "Dog's are still better."

They smiled at each other, well, Jake didn't really smile, but he did so with his eyes. They continued to eat in silence for a long time. Sherry was growing more uncomfortable. She couldn't get the feel of his mouth out of her head. He was a great kisser.

"Jake," she whispered and shyly looked at him, "we can't pretend that last night didn't happen forever… what was that?"

He wiped his mouth and leaned back with a sigh, staring at her, "whatever you want it to be."

He chewed slowly, "What does that mean?"

He shrugged. "It means if you feel it's nothing then let it be nothing.

"You tell me what that was, I didn't initiate it-

"That was sex, Sherry," he stated. She stiffened, feeling almost hurt at the bleak tone. "You're still going to keep seeing your little boyfriend-

"He's not my boyfriend-

"He'll take you out and never know, and I'm still your friend, right?"

Sherry stared at him, naturally wide eyed and shocked. He looked bored and unwelcoming, he reached forward and grabbed his glass, drinking deeply and finishing it almost immediately. Sherry shifted, smirked sarcastically.

"You… why are you doing this?"

Jake's eyes sliced to her. "What?"

"Nothing…" she trailed off and continued eating her pancakes, she could feel his eyes gouging at her face. "It's not important," she whispered. They ate in silence.

Jake couldn't take the way she was eating, trying so hard to not make one sound as if she just wanted to disappear. He watched her out of the sides of his eye like he usually did. She looked uncomfortable in her own home. Her lips were curling onto the fork carefully, making sure to not make one sound. Now he wanted her to just keep talking.

"What type of cat do you want?" He asked.

She shrugged, "British shorthair, but those will be hard to find. So anything, really."

"Do you want me to tag along?" He asked quietly, finishing and reaching for more pancakes.

"I wouldn't mind." She said. He nodded at her and shrugged.

"Dogs are still better."

Sherry burst out laughing spitting pancake onto her table and clutching her stomach.

"This one is perfect," Sherry commented with a grin as she looked at the black cat with green eyes, it licked at her face like if it were a delicious treat of some unique flavor. "Don't you love him Jake?"

Jake Hmph'd and ignored the cat as it craned towards him from Sherry's arms. "Is that the one you are taking?" He tried hard to make no eye contact with the cats, they all had faces that made one feel guilty.

"Yes, but maybe I should get another one, the apartment is big enough, and also she needs a companion for when I'm not there, so why don't you pick one out?" She grinned at him. He raised a brow.

"You serious?"

"Yes," she said, kissing her cat on the head and walking towards a woman who worked there, Jake nodded to himself and started combing the cages for the right cat.

He didn't know what he was doing, it was hard to look at these cats, they all stretched for him as he passed by and he found it hard to not feel a twinge of pity for their situation.

Alas he found one; it was orange with eyes the same color as its fur. It stared at him stoically. Poised and blinking in a bored fashion, haughty as all cats usually were and monotone.

As Jake reached for it the cat sat sit, allowing Jake to pet it on the head and then sniffing him carefully and craning towards the strange man who massaged it below its tiny jaw. Jake grabbed it and pet it carefully, watching for any signs that the animal might attack, when it lay calmly and purred against him he walked towards Sherry who eyeballed the cat.

"Should we put them together and see if they get along?" She asked, a woman who worked at the shelter smiled, "they actually do get along, we give the cats free time and these two are best of friends. What an interesting coincidence, don't you think?" She asked with a humored light in her grey eyes. Jake looked to Sherry who was grinning broadly.

"We'll take them," Sherry announced.

It was exciting for Sherry to bring the cats home, they let her take them immediately and to her delight the cats were compliant the entire way home, they seemed to enjoy being held and given attention. She and Jake decided that the black one, a male, would be called Edgar after the poet. He seemed to have a dark mischievous side and that was how they got the idea. The orange one would be called Alistair because he seemed elegant and regal like that name sounded. In the apartment she let them sit in their crates for a bit to get used to the environment before stepping out.

"Jake are you sure you don't need my help?" She asked as he brought in the different play pens and resting places they bought for the couch. He seemed to need no help as he brought everything upstairs but she couldn't help but ask.

"Sherry, do I look tired to you?"

She laughed at him and walked off to her bedroom to throw off her jacket and gloves.

It amazed her how well they had seemed to forgotten about the events of last night, but as she walked into her bedroom and saw the messy sheets, her clothing still on the floor where they had been thrown off last night she suddenly remembered and the feelings came back.

She had sex with Jake Muller. Sherry Birkin had amazing, passionate sex with her best friend.

Shattering the moment her cell phone rang, she picked it up noticing that it was Jeff and tried to tear her eyes away from the bed sheets but failed, she couldn't forgot the way he had spoken to her, so… dominating. And now they were back to this friendly chatter? It was too much. "Hello?"

"Sherry!" Jeff's voice sounded overwhelming and infectiously happy. She smiled despite her state of awkward arousal, the bed sheets were like a torturous painting, beckoning her. "How are you?"

"I'm great, how are you?"

"Fantastic, a bit disappointed that I had to leave you last night to be honest. Muller didn't seem too happy about me being there."

She sighed and turned from the bed to take off her jacket, "I know, don't take it to heart he's just… moody."

And amazing in bed.

Shut the hell up!

"Nonetheless, he didn't take anything out on you did he? I would hope he's more mature than that." Jeff's voice took a serious turn.

"Oh," she realized what he meant, "no, Jake would never put a hand on me!" She defended with a laugh.

He put a hand on me last night. Her hormones flared lustfully.

Stop it! She commanded them.

"Good," he sighed almost relieved. "So, is there any chance I may get to see you today?" He asked.

"Mhm, yeah, I don't see why not. Jake and I actually just got back from going to see a shelter, we got two cats, and it was amazing they let us take them home so fast, two of them. One black, one orange, we named one Edgar and the other Alistair."

"That sounds amazing Sherry," Jeff grinned through the phone, "so what time would you like to meet up?"

"What about seven P.M? I can make us some dinner and we'll eat in tonight, how's that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful."

"What do you say – lasagna? White rice and chicken with corn?"

"Lasagna, I'll bake some brownies or something for us, can't have you doing all the work while I do nothing."

"Great, see you at seven!" She grinned.

Sherry hung up and looked around her room; she had to clean this mess up. It was four o' clock so she had plenty of time.

Sherry went back out to the living room and was amazed to find everything set up already. The cat things she had bought were all inside the room beside the huge TV stand that she hardly went into. Her apartment had a small bedroom which she hardly considered a bedroom. It was just empty space with a window. Jake stood there, admiring his speedy work.

He had set up all of the structures for the cats to climb and lay on, the bowls she had bought them were there too against the window to the far right side of the room, the only things left to do were set up the various cat toys.

"How's you do this!" She exclaimed, amazed and overwhelmed as she stared around the beige colored room.

"Speed is one of the better qualities I inherited from my father." He told her and walked to the cat crates where one was boxing with an invisible force outside the small crate door. He let out Edgar and watched curiously as the cat shyly stepped out and stared up at him with a look of shock and paranoia.

"Jake leave them alone for a few minutes, you can't just stand there." She rolled her eyes and he followed her into the kitchen after also releasing Alistair. She got out a few pans and Jake watched her with confusion.

"Are you cooking something?" He asked, sniffing and rubbing his nose. Jakes black fingerless gloves were making his palms itch so he got rid of those too.

"Yeah," she muttered awkwardly and continued to grab things from the kitchen. Her eyes were on everything but him.

"What are you making?"

"Lasagna." She told him.

"That's a bit fancy, isn't it?" She chuckled and agreed, trying to play off what she was hiding. "Why so fancy?"

"Uh, Jeff is coming over tonight; we're having a sort of, date-in." Her eyes didn't meet his as she spoke. She continued looking for something and running her hands through her hair, she glanced towards the living room and saw Alistair sniffing at the ground, she smiled brightly. "He's so cute!"

Jake ignored her, "at what time is he coming over?"

"Seven," she murmured and bent low as Alistair came and rubbed himself against her shins. Jake wasn't saying anything so she looked up at him only to find him tapping his foot almost impatiently and his eyes focused on something not in this room but in his own head, he was locking his jaw tensely. "What is it Jake?"

"Nothing. Just like you said earlier, it's nothing." He pushed himself off o f the wall with a shrug and walked up to her as she stood with a hurt look.

"That-that wasn't what I meant. I didn't mean about what happened last night-

"Stop trying to avoid it-

"I'm not –

"You are." He countered quietly, "you won't say what it was, you question what you believe it is, and you've been tryin' to get your head around it all day. Just get over it, we fucked and that was all." He didn't notice the flinch she gave and the look in her eyes. "I'll talk to you later, enjoy your date." She thought Jake was going to hug her, or at least kiss her on the cheek but he bent down and scratched Alistair's head and just nodded in her direction before walking out and leaving her in shock.

Confused and hurt Sherry decided to put it out of her mind. Jake would have it his way, from this day on she would pretend it never happened and they could resume with their lives. Jeff would be her sole focus and that would be that.

Now, while this chapter is much shorter I figured its best to get it out of the way now :)

Did you all enjoy this chapter? Last chapter didnt get many reviews (thank you soooo much to those who did give me feedback) so I thought, did they not like it or something? It got me a bit sad to see the low response but then I thought, hey maybe they were shy about reviewing since it was mostly a sex scene - IMAGINE HOW I FEEL WRITING THAT XD

Anyway - thank you all so much you beautiful people's! I hope that this chapter has given you some insight into the awkward dynamic that these two have going on and their states of being at the moment. The next chapter will be in two separate POV's probably, Jake and Sherry. Obviously, but not in the usual way I've been writing this story.

I'd really like to know what you think so far :) What do you think of their dynamic, what do you think of their mindsets, what would you do in this situation, have you been in this type of situation, do you think that they should be handling it differently or is each person going about it in the right way... that type of stuff :)

So- PLEASE REVIEW FOR THIS ONE, lack of reviews makes me feel - unmotivated :( :) BE SAFE, HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY, OR NIGHT, WHATEVER - JUST BE SAFE AND KIND TO OTHERS AND YOURSELF :)

-Krystal