You were staring at the ceiling, now. You didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry," "are you alright," and "thank you" came to mind, but those were all terrible. The feeling from before subsided a bit, but with Jane so close, it was quickly finding its way back up to the surface. You didn't know how to feel. You tried guilt. It had come so easily to you when it was just a dream; just a thought in your head. For some reason, it wouldn't come now. You then tried shame, but as far as your conscience was concerned, you hadn't really done anything wrong. Hadn't done anything wrong… But hadn't you? You looked over at Jane. She was still crying on the edge of the bed. You decided she needed her space. She wasn't like you, after all. Her conscience worked perfectly. As you got dressed, you finally found a few words to say. They weren't perfect, far from it, but they were something.
"Jane…It's alright. Jake never has to find out." You felt something in your chest, then. It wasn't the guilt you had been searching for; it was much too sharp for that. As the door closed behind you, it soon passed. More like it was washed away with a new feeling that was engulfing you like a flame. You tried to pinpoint what it was. As you walked down the stairs to join the others, laughing and hollering in the den, you started to recall it. It was love. The real thing; you knew it. That's right. That's why you did this. Why you made Jane cry; why you could walk into the room and lie straight to his face. It was easy. Because you loved her. They welcomed you to join in their fun, completely oblivious to what you had just done. The life you had just ruined. The heart you had just shattered. The heart that was yet to be broken. Jake just kept smiling and talking and you just went along as if nothing was wrong. Nothing was wrong.
You didn't mind when Jane came in. Not even when she went to sit by him. Held his hand, laid her head on his shoulder, when he'd kiss her in front of everyone. Not anymore. Not anything like before. You even smiled a bit. Jane barely spoke for the rest of the night. But then you realized, neither had Jade. In fact, she was unusually quiet for her usual spastic nature. It didn't seem as if anyone else had noticed, though. You came and sat next to her while everyone else was busy listening to one of Rose and Dave's infamous rap battles; a long running joke between the two of them with neither side admitting defeat. You didn't say anything, just stared at her through your shades. She wouldn't look at you, just kept her eyes straight ahead like the others. It was obvious she knew.
"I guess you heard," you said under your breath. It wasn't a question. She was still half dog. Even if she hadn't heard the two of you, she would have been able to smell Jane all over you, the testosterone pouring out of you and the implications of the two. You didn't get an answer. You let out a small grunt of amusement and turned back to Rose and Dave. It was Rose's turn and she was rhyming about Minotaurs and succubi. You never doubted she knew, too, but you knew she could keep a secret without being asked. You could feel Jade's eyes piercing into your head. The waves of judgment and very possibly hatred that came off them were more than enough to kill a man. You just smiled at Rose who had begun a new verse about Pluto and his forced bride. How he doted on her hand and foot and would give his life to make her smile. Of course she would go there. Because she wanted to make sure you knew she knew… And unlike Jade, wasn't angry at you. Not at all. Maybe she knew something you didn't, yet. Maybe this was what she meant earlier.
The party ended after the unwrapping of the gifts, which Jane barely even participated in, and everyone left with the exception of a few who were staying the rest of the night at Rose's. Jade made sure to put a great deal of distance between Jane and you as you all left. She even refused an offer from Dave to swing by the apartment with every bad intent heavily implied. You could see Jane flinch a bit at that. You guessed she had figured it out, too, but she didn't say anything.
That night, you had the same dream you'd been having on and off for the past two years… Only this time, it was a memory.