A/N: So overwhelmed by the response and the reviews for the first chapter. Thank you! I do hope you enjoy drawn out, torturous sexual tension...
Of course you do, you wouldn't be reading otherwise. ;) Reviews are always welcome - they might even speed along the update process. Who knows?
/TORI/
"No way. That's insane!"
I laugh over the glass rim of my milkshake, pinching the swirly purple straw between my fingers.
After Jade and Beck's argument, we had all attempted to play an awkward round of poker, trying to act as if everything was normal before the uncomfortable silence settled over the group and brought an early end to the evening. Andre was the only one who had stayed behind and we'd both decided it would be better to get out of the house, ending up in this cute little 80's themed diner he had heard about downtown.
I let my fingertip skim around the edge to gather up any stray drops of the spilled shake, idly drawing patterns on the glass.
It was oddly soothing, the sharp, cold sensation biting at my skin.
"So I turned to her and I said grandma, there's no monster underneath your bed, those are just your fuzzy slippers." He shakes his head and I join in with him, sucking at a particularly large and stubborn blob of ice cream.
"Did you ever find out what was wrong with that suspicious looking tree she found?" I start poking around the milkshake with the straw, breaking up the clump.
"Oh that, yeah. I had to go outside at four in the morning to get her to stop hitting it with a bat."
"Wow. She must have really hated that tree."
"Yeah, mother nature didn't stand a chance." He mutters and I grin in triumph, tipping the glass back to reward myself with a mint chocolate piece.
"So do you think Beck and Jade...?" He doesn't finish the question, letting it hang in the air.
I swallow nervously.
Up until now, I'd tried to let their argument fade from my mind.
"Maybe? I don't know. Jade drove home didn't she? I guess we won't hear anything about it until the morning." I shift in my seat, twirling the straw around my empty glass. "Hey, didn't you say you had a crush on someone who worked here?"
"Yep and there she is." Andre gets up quickly and smooths out his jacket. "Kay so I'm gonna go to the restroom. I need you to get me her number while I'm gone. Thanks, Chica. I appreciate it." He pats me on the shoulder with a wink. I swivel around to stare in disbelief. He hadn't even given me time to argue.
"Wait, Andre! You can't seriously expect me to-" but I stop talking because he's already halfway across the diner. I growl and twist back around on my bar stool, fidgeting for a few seconds. It now became obvious to me as to why he was so eager to get here. My fingers pluck awkwardly at the sleeve of my sweater and I wait for an opening, holding up my hand reluctantly to signal to the dark haired waitress.
Andre so owed me for this!
"Hi there..." I squint to read the name badge. "Cassie, right? Yeah so my um- my friend's just gone to the restroom."
"Okay?" She gives me a questioning look. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn.
"Well see, the thing is I'd really like your... digits." Why did I have to wiggle my eyebrows?
She blinks and takes a step back. "Wait. Are you hitting on me?"
"No!" I start to stutter. "No -no. He is - or I am but it's really for a friend. I'm hitting on you for a friend. He's actually the one that wants your numb-"
My brain fails to complete the rest of the sentence, my eyes drawn to the large window. A passing car drives by, the headlights suddenly illuminating a familiar pale figure in a blast of light. Through the slightly frosted glass, I'm almost certain I could see the colored green streaks on black before it all melted back into the shadows. I couldn't be completely sure about what I had just witnessed but something in my gut was telling me to go after them.
"Uh actually, hang on one second." I drop down from the bar stool without another word, watching the figure suddenly turn and vanish down an alleyway. I don't hesitate to grab my jacket and follow, shoving open the door to the diner.
The black night has long since claimed the Los Angeles skyline and the freezing chill sweeps inside, sending an uneasy sensation down my spine. I wrap my jacket tighter around myself, crushing my arms to my chest to keep out the cold.
What are you doing, Tori? I could hear my brain yelling at me, shouting at my common sense to break through and reason with me. I shouldn't be out here alone. The warm lights and the safety of the restaurant tried to beckon me back but my instinct kept screaming at me, pushing my feet forward.
"Just back off alright? I'm not in the mood!"
I freeze.
My heart stops at the sound of the voice before full awareness takes over my body.
I'm running.
I'm racing as fast as I can down the alleyway before I could even stop myself or let my brain catch up with what I was doing. I see a hooded group of men at the end of the back street, see the half empty bottles clutched in shaky hands as they surround a much smaller, more fragile figure. My fingers fumble hurriedly in my jacket pocket for my assault whistle and I blow out three shrill screeches, satisfied as the group of men panic, scattering in all directions.
I pocket the whistle quickly and rush over to the shaking form huddled against the wall. She had sunken to the floor and curled herself up tight against the corner, trembling like a small frightened animal. I crouch down to be at her level, slowly pulling back the hood so I didn't startle her. Immediately, terrified and frenzied hands lash out to try fight me off but I quickly wrap my fingers around each wrist, holding them still in a gentle yet firm grasp. My murmured reassurances coil and twist in the cold night air.
"Hey, hey. It's me, it's Tori. Tori Vega. You're okay. You're safe now." I release her wrists when she's finally calm enough, moving my head to look into those familiar blue eyes. What I see terrifies me.
They were lifeless.
Where the usual bright irises would glint back playfully, there was nothing. No emotion, no feeling behind them. Her black hair was tangled and her cheeks were marked with tear stains. I settle down on the ground and carefully wrap my arms around her. I'm not sure why, and I couldn't explain it, but I carefully gather her up in my lap. One hand rests on the small of her back while I gently rock us back and forth. It felt almost natural, like the right thing to do. Her fingertips cling to my shirt to confirm it.
The person I held in my arms wasn't the person I knew. This was some... stranger who had taken over her body. I honestly had no idea what had come over me but I felt the responsibility, the need to shield her and protect her tonight. Even if she said over and over that we weren't friends. She was open, vulnerable and I wasn't leaving her alone. There was no one else around. Clearly, she needed help, and who knows what those... creeps would have done if I hadn't pushed myself to come outside.
"Jade..." The name feels unfamiliar on my lips, which is strange because I was certain I'd said it about a hundred times. But this felt different. This time she was numb, unfeeling and...empty. Deadened emotions that clashed with her headstrong character. Had it been a regular night and she'd been upset, I knew she would have just barged into my house and immediately started to rant to me about her problems. But I don't even think she realized where she was right now.
I rub my hands over her back.
I had found Jade West. I was holding her and I'd most likely just saved her from...well it didn't bear thinking about. I notice her shivering and quickly take off my jacket, ignoring the chill that passes through me, wrapping it around her body to keep her warm. She burrows into my chest and I inhale the scent of leather and rich coffee. So very Jade but yet at the same time, she wasn't.
"Jade." It was all I could manage to say, my other words forming, only to dissolve on my tongue. I think I hear her whimper, my arms pulling her closer so her head was resting directly against my heart, the steady thrum beating against my rib cage.
This had to be wrong. I wasn't supposed to see this side of her, ever. Yes, Jade had been upset before but it had never been as serious as this. I knew if she had been in her right state of mind, she would have shoved me off and stormed away in disgust. She hated asking for help. I knew her well enough to know that it took a lot for her to even swallow her pride. But here she was, curled up in my lap and almost silently asking to be comforted.
The noises of the city seem to echo distantly as we continue to sit together. I don't want to move her. I can't even say how long we'd been out there, with me simply listening to the steady sounds of her breathing. I watch her eyelids start to flicker, my heart squeezing with that strange rush of protection. Jade knew she was safe with me so she lets her eyes finally close, shutting out the world.