A/N: Hi hi! Happy Monday! I can't believe we're at Chapter 5 :) I've had a lot of fun writing this fic, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it! Thank you for everything!
If there was one good thing to come from the heat, it was the sunshine. Hailey loved walking to the bus stop and feeling the sun on her skin. The flowers were in full bloom and decorating the shops and sidewalks with all the colors of the rainbow. Kids were riding their bikes when they weren't in school. It brought some peace to the city.
The bad thing about the heat, though, was the heat. Walking up the stairs to the apartment became almost unbearable. The fans at work weren't ever fast enough. Those same buses she enjoyed walking to were sticky and smelt of sweat.
And Jay…Jay tended to be shirtless.
Well, all the guys were, but Jay was distracting.
It had started as a joke the first day it hit 90 degrees outside. Vanessa was wearing biker shorts and a sports bra when Kevin and Mouse walked in their apartment for a snack that neither of them ever seemed to have in their own cupboards. They'd teased her, she'd shot back her own comments, they'd quickly shut up, but then it started a new war between them all with who could walk around in the least amount of clothing.
While all the guys were fans of simply being shirtless, Hailey found herself most distracted when Jay would wear an unbuttoned shirt over his shorts. She'd practically gotten used to seeing his chest, but the thought of it being partially covered until he reached for a drink or the remote led her to watching his every move. Vanessa had called her out for staring until Hailey reminded her of the heart-eyes she'd been given Kevin each day.
They were all leaving Adam and Kevin's apartment one night in various states of dress when Platt had let loose on them about indecency and proper clothing choices no matter the weather. It prompted Hailey and Vanessa to host the next dinner night to prevent another lecture.
Hailey had just slipped into her black one-piece swimsuit when there was a knock on the door and Jay and Mouse walked in. She stepped out of her room while holding the front of her suit up. "Hey," she said on her way to knock on Vanessa's door.
Jay held up a fan and said, "Thought we could use a breeze."
"You're amazing," Hailey replied with a laugh. She knocked on Vanessa's door again and said, "Ness, I need you to tie my suit."
"I'm braiding right now!" Vanessa called out.
"Hey, I got you," Mouse said and jumped over the couch earning an eye roll from Hailey. She agreed to it, though, and turned to allow him to tie the bow in the middle of her back. If she saw Jay look up from plugging in the fan with a jealous expression on his face, she just smirked and looked down at her feet as Mouse's fingers brushed against her skin. "All set," Mouse announced before falling onto the chair and asking, "What're we ordering?"
"I was thinking Thai," Hailey said.
"Too spicy for this heat," Jay countered. He stood in front of the fan while pulling his shirt off. "What're your thoughts on deli subs?"
"Boring," Hailey said quickly, "You can survive Thai food."
"It's not all spicy, man," Mouse added, "We'll get you a kiddy meal."
Hailey laughed as Jay stuck his middle finger up and settled onto the couch. Sitting next to him, she asked, "What about sushi?"
"Because raw fish is something you should eat when it's hot as hell outside," he countered.
She laughed again and kicked her feet up on the coffee table. "You need to loosen up, Halstead."
"Oh really, Upton?" Jay shot back and put his feet next to hers, "I may have taken you to the hospital for an allergic reaction, but that doesn't mean I'll do it for food poisoning too."
"You would," Mouse said, "You one hundred percent would."
"What would he do?" Vanessa asked as she stepped out of her room.
"Take Hailey to the ER for food poisoning," Mouse said.
"I'm not doing it," Jay cut in.
"Yeah, you would," Vanessa said. She sat next to Hailey and let out a breath while throwing open her flowered kimono.
Mouse whistled and said, "You sure you don't want a round two?"
"Screw you, Gregory," Vanessa said, closing her eyes and tilting her head back.
"That's what I'm saying," Mouse said, a laugh apparent in his voice.
The front door opened and Hailey turned to see Kevin leading Adam with Kim on his back inside. "Princess Kimberly got drunk and twisted her ankle," he explained.
"Don't lie," Kim mumbled as Adam set her at the kitchen table.
"It's a lot cooler than what actually happened," Adam said.
Kim rolled her eyes and set her foot up on a chair. "I'm fine," she said.
"She tripped over Adam's big ass feet," Kevin explained while unbuttoning his shirt. He smiled at Vanessa then held up his case of beer toward her. When she nodded, he tossed one to her and added, "It was pretty funny."
"I'll get you ice," Hailey said and walked to the kitchen. As she passed an ice pack to Kim, she said, "Jay doesn't want Thai, but what about you three?"
"I'm down for Thai," Kevin said.
"Same," Adam said while kneeling next to Kim's foot. "Hey, Jay, I'll buy you dinner if you come check-out my girlfriend's ankle," he said.
Jay rolled his eyes and pushed off the couch. "I'm not a doctor," he grumbled, but still squatted next to Kim.
"You're seriously gonna buy him dinner?" Hailey asked.
"I'll buy him Thai, yeah," Adam chuckled.
"You suck," Jay breathed as he looked over Kim's ankle.
"Ow, hey!" she said and shoved his head.
"Knock it off," Jay replied and shoved her back. Straightening up, he said, "It's probably just sprained. I'll wrap it if you want."
"Thank you," Kim said.
"Mhmm," he hummed while turning back to Hailey, "Do you have a first-aid kit?"
"Um, maybe?" Hailey guessed. She passed him the menu for the Thai restaurant before going into the bathroom.
Searching under the sink, she sighed and bit her lip. They had a box of band-aids, a handful of pill bottles, the muscle cream Jay had given her, Vanessa's empty box of condoms, but no wraps for Kim.
"Sorry, we don't have anything," she announced upon returning to the living area.
"I'll go out and get something," Vanessa said, "I can pick up our food too."
"I'll go with you," Kevin said.
"Really?" Vanessa asked.
Kevin nodded and gestured to everyone. "Pretty sure we're the most dressed out of everyone here," he said.
Hailey glanced around at her own bathing suit that was very similar to Kim's, Adam and Jay's basketball shorts, and Mouse's own board shorts. All of them looked rather bare compared to Kevin and Vanessa.
"I can throw something on," Hailey said.
Vanessa waved her off and said, "It's fine. We'll go. Kevin has a car anyways."
"How'd you know?" Kevin asked as he buttoned his shirt back up.
"I'm cute and observant, Kevin," Vanessa said, a smirk gracing her lips while she led the way out of the apartment. "Text me your Thai orders!" she called over her shoulder before closing the door.
"Anyone have her number?" Mouse joked.
Hailey laughed softly and returned to her spot on the couch. "You two really only slept together the one time?" she asked.
"Yup," Mouse said, standing up so Adam could help Kim into the chair he'd just been in.
"Thanks," Kim breathed as she settled down. Once her ankle was propped up on an ottoman and Mouse was in the other chair, she asked, "And plans on doing it again?"
"None that I'm aware of," Mouse answered.
Jay snorted and sat next to Hailey. "Do you ever plan on sleeping with a girl more than once?" he asked.
"Occasionally," Mouse answered, prompting Hailey and Kim to meet each other's gaze then roll their eyes.
"Typical," Kim scoffed.
"This is why I'm swearing men off," Hailey added.
"Whoa, you said you'd date me," Jay said.
Adam coughed and straightened in his seat. "You two are gonna date?" he asked.
Hailey put a hand up and said, "I told him he could ask eventually - when I'm established in my career and am ready."
"And you're willing to wait?" Kim asked Jay.
"Like he has better offers," Mouse said, a smirk teasing his lips.
"You're an ass," Jay said while tossing a pillow at him.
Hailey laughed softly and shook her head. "If he has better offers, he's more than welcome to take them up," she said.
"But he doesn't," Mouse said.
"I will kill you," Jay snapped causing everyone else to laugh.
"Let's get some food into you, okay?" Hailey said, squeezing his arm with a smile evident on her face.
Jay rolled his eyes and lightly nudged her away from him. "He's just annoying," he muttered.
"Ignore him," she said while reaching over to grab her phone from the pillow next to him. With her hair brushing his chest as she passed, she said, "I'm not much of a catch anyways."
"Whoa, whoa," Kim said quickly, "You are certainly a catch."
Adam nodded and added, "I'd date you."
Hailey let out a quiet laugh and settled back in the cushions.
Jay simply shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm also a fan," Mouse said, "But since I slept with your roommate, pretty sure you're off limits."
"Glad to hear you have morals," Hailey laughed softly. She glanced around the room and asked, "What are we ordering?"
As everyone rattled off their orders, Jay albeit reluctantly, Hailey wrote out her text to Vanessa. She continuously glanced up at Jay and tried studying him when he wasn't looking. Her only problem was that he was doing the same thing.
His face was flushed a light red, and she was certain hers was the same. She was well-aware that she was pretty – she'd never struggled being confident in that way. She knew exactly who she was and what she wanted in life…that's just what made her less than desirable when it came to long-term relationships.
Garrett had not only distracted her from her life goals, but he'd also then used them against her when she tried standing up for herself. She'd gone and seemingly fallen in love with him only for him to so easily crush her.
It was the end of her belief in love especially since it just reminded her of her parents.
She was most certainly sure her father had had a similar attitude at her age and that was not the type of man – boy – that she wanted to date. She'd sworn early on in her life that she would not end up like her mother, and that desire needed to begin now.
While Jay, who was still waving off Mouse's lame attempts at humor, didn't even hint at being like her father, part of him reminded her of Garrett – especially the part that believed in love. Garrett had tried convincing her that love was real, and she'd believed him. He'd just then also been the one to destroy that same belief two months later.
She was too scared that Jay would do the same.
So she pushed all thoughts of love and Jay and dating aside, and instead focused on Vanessa's reply that she would stop and get the food after she and Kevin had picked up the first-aid supplies at the store. Just as she was sending her reply, the lights flickered for a moment before completely turning off.
Everyone stopped talking. There was no noise within the apartment. No whir of the air conditioner. No buzz from the fridge. No soft music from the TV. The only way they could see each other was from the bright sun still shining through the window. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing right now, but Hailey gave it four hours and then it was going to get dark.
"Maybe if we don't move, it'll come back on," Adam whispered.
"You really are stupid," Jay said.
Mouse laughed and got off the couch. Walking over to the window, he said, "I can't tell if we're the only one."
"The side window opens to the fire escape," Hailey said and walked over to join him. She grunted as she shouldered the weight of the window and shoved it upwards. "Ow," she breathed when the edge scraped her bare shoulder.
"Gonna need a band-aid for that," Mouse said as an observation before climbing through the window.
Hailey shook her head and climbed out with him. They stood still for a moment listening to the street sounds below. There were no sounds anywhere giving them any indication whether or not the power was out in the city, in the building, or just in their apartment.
A nearby bird caused Mouse to wince as it dove at them, breaking their concentration and prompting him to say, "Damn."
Hailey laughed softly and headed back into the apartment.
"Well?" Jay asked.
"I think it's out on the block," Mouse said while climbing in behind Hailey.
"How could you tell?" Adam asked.
"Couldn't see any lights on," Mouse replied.
"It's also 5pm," Kim sighed. Running a hand through her hair, she tilted her head back and mumbled, "It's gonna get hot."
"We'll be fine," Hailey said and locked the window back up, "We'll just hang out here and everything will be fine."
"You have alcohol, right?" Mouse asked, already on his way into the kitchen.
"Of course," Hailey said, returning to the couch next to Jay.
"Perfect," Mouse said.
Jay glanced up from his phone and said, "I'm thinking he's right."
"Are you looking at that energy map or whatever?" Adam asked.
Jay nodded. Before his eyes could return to his screen, he noticed Hailey's scrape on her shoulder and laughed. "It's becoming a thing, isn't it?" he said while setting his phone on the coffee table and standing up.
"What is?" she asked.
"You get hurt a lot," Jay said, openly laughing on his way to the bathroom. "You do have band-aids, right?" he called out.
"Under the sink," she said.
Kim raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Oh, whatever," Hailey said under her breath.
"Convenient," Kim replied.
Hailey stuck up her middle finger then sent Vanessa a text, sucking in a breath at her quick replies:
~ Power's out. Take your time getting back ~ Hailey
~ No duh ~ Vanessa
~ We're stuck ~ Vanessa
~ In riteaid ~ Vanessa
~ The damn doors are stuck ~ Vanessa
~ fml ~ Vanessa
"They're stuck," she said as Jay returned next to her and Mouse fell back on his chair with bottles of beer and tequila in hand.
"Who?" Adam asked while accepting a drink from Mouse.
"Vanessa and Kevin," Hailey answered, "They're stuck in RiteAid."
"No!" Kim gasped. Taking out her phone, she quickly started typing away.
"So it really is out everywhere," Jay said before kneeling next to Hailey and brushing her hair off her shoulder.
"You really don't have to do this," she said.
"Hailey, I think I've taken care of you enough this past week that a simple band-aid is like nothing," Jay said. He chuckled without waiting for a reply then dabbed at the dots of blood on her scrape. "You're kind of clumsy or something," he said.
"Oh, really?" Hailey countered, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm pretty much your doctor now, and I'm just a physical therapist," Jay explained as he stuck the band-aid over her scrape.
"First time was the bad mattress, second time was technically your fault, and this was just an accident – I'll accept the clumsy comment for this one time," she argued.
Jay hesitated then blushed again and said, "Fair points."
"Here," Mouse said, holding out the bottle of tequila, "For the burn, Halstead."
Hailey blinked then laughed and intercepted the alcohol. She took a sip herself before passing it over to Jay. "Hopefully it doesn't make it worse," she said with a wink.
"You really are hilarious," Jay mumbled, but still took a rather long sip.
"Hey, share," Kim laughed and put a hand out.
Jay passed it over to her as he coughed. "Here," he said.
"So is this what we're doing?" Adam asked, keeping his eyes on Kim who had shuddered as the tequila slipped past her lips.
"Doing what?" Hailey asked. She nodded at Mouse and grabbed two beers from him, one for her and one for Jay.
"Sitting around, getting drunk, and waiting for the power to come back?" Adam said and took the bottle from Kim.
"I don't see why not," Mouse said, chuckling when Adam took the longest sip out of all of them from the bottle.
"We sure do this a lot," Jay observed.
"Hey, life is hard and we're young, it's fine," Kim said.
Hailey laughed and pulled her legs up on the couch. "Couldn't agree more," she said.
Despite their plans, no one really ended up drinking more than they could handle for the next hour. Hailey could feel the buzz slipping through her, but she was also well aware of her surroundings and how warm Jay felt next to her.
His arm brushed against hers every once in a while, and she could feel each time he laughed. There was more than enough room on the couch for them to spread out, but they didn't take advantage of it.
She kind of liked it.
Almost as much as when he pulled her feet up on his lap.
"You good?" he asked.
Hailey nodded and smiled at him, leaning back against the arm of the couch.
Jay looked down at her feet on his thigh then squinted his eyes together. A second later, his fingers came up to lightly trace along her anklet. It was a simple gold chain with a small sun charm hanging off.
"Where'd you get it?" he asked quietly.
"I bought it myself," she said, "I got it when I graduated last month. My present to myself."
Jay nodded and played with the charm resting against her anklebone. "I like it," he said.
Hailey's smile widened, and she breathed, "Thanks."
Jay hummed in acknowledgement without looking up from her anklet. His tongue darted out to wet his lips before he blinked and reached to grab his beer that he quickly finished in one gulp.
Kim tossed her phone to the floor with a sigh and said, "I can't keep going on it; it's going to die soon, and I don't have a portable charger."
"We could play a game," Hailey suggested, tearing her gaze from Jay.
"What do you have?" Mouse asked, "Cards? We could play poker."
"I have a set of chips upstairs I could go grab," Adam said.
"I don't know how to play and don't want to waste energy on learning the game," Kim said.
"You're fun," Jay replied with a smirk.
Kim stuck her tongue out at him then asked, "Well, what're your suggestions, Dr. Jay?"
He rolled his eyes right back at her then said, "Truth or dare?"
Hailey waited a beat while weighing her options: it could either land in utter disaster somehow or she'd get absolutely sick based on the smirk on Adam's face or she could learn more about Jay and possibly humiliate him herself thus learning even more about him.
She smiled and said, "I'm in."
"Then answer the question," Jay said easily.
"Yes!" Mouse cheered through a laugh, "Let's go. I'm so good at this game; I never lose."
"How do you lose truth or dare?" Kim asked.
"By turning something down," Mouse replied, "I do and answer anything."
"Duly noted," Hailey said before turning her gaze back to Jay and saying, "Truth."
"Boring," Adam coughed behind his hand.
Jay laughed and shook his head before letting out a slow hum. His eyes narrowed slightly then he asked, "Weirdest thing you like to eat?"
"Really?" Adam scoffed, "Ask her if she'd sleep with you."
"You really are a class act," Hailey sniped. Rolling her eyes at him, she sighed and turned to Jay as she answered, "Honey on hot dogs."
"What the hell?" Mouse laughed.
Kim smiled and said, "I've seen her do it."
"Is it gross?" Jay asked.
"It's pretty weird, but I'm kind of into it," Kim answered.
Hailey nodded with a smile on her face. "It's good! You'll have to try," she said.
"I think I'd rather not," Jay chuckled.
"It'll happen," Hailey assured. She then looked at Mouse, tilted her head to the side, and said, "All right, let's see how brave you are: truth or dare?"
"Dare," Mouse said, sitting up in his seat.
Hailey smirked and reached over for the bottle of tequila. Standing up, she purposely swung her hips while walking to the kitchen. "Gregory," she called over her shoulder, "Are you allergic to pineapple?"
Mouse laughed and said, "I'm not you, Princess."
Hailey laughed with him and took out a bottle of the tropical sparkling water that had gotten her sick the week before. It was quickly followed by a bottle of mustard, a jar of pickles, and the tub of sour cream. In seconds, she had a yellow tinted concoction mixed together in a shot glass. Returning to the living room, she held it out to him and said, "Drink up, Princess."
Mouse raised an eyebrow and glanced to Jay who just shook his head.
"I'm going to vomit," Adam whispered.
Taking a deep breath, Mouse closed his eyes and tipped the liquid into his mouth.
"No!" Kim yelled and covered her face.
Mouse coughed for a second before gagging into his hand. He nodded and pointed at Hailey as he tried finding the words to say to her.
"I am so sorry," she said through her laughter.
Jay gagged himself and looked away as he added, "I cannot believe you."
Mouse coughed again then choked out, "I hate you, but I did it."
"And I give you a lot of credit," Hailey said. She passed him her half-finished bottle of beer and said, "Have at it."
"Thanks," he replied. He took a long sip then pointed to Kim and asked, "Truth or dare, Kimberly?"
"Dare," she replied confidently.
"Call your mom and ask her to bail you out of jail," Mouse quickly stated.
Everyone paused where they were with their eyes on Kim. She breathed in shakily and bit her lip.
"I'm cool with you saying no and doing like a ten second pull from the bottle of tequila," Mouse said, "And I'd call you a loser."
"You don't have to do it," Adam whispered, sitting up and looking more sober than he had in the last hour.
Kim breathed in slowly again then shook her head. Clearing her throat, she said, "Pass me my phone."
"Kim," Hailey said.
"Pass me my phone," Kim repeated.
Adam shook his head, but Jay got out of his seat and grabbed her phone off the floor. He hesitated for just a moment then placed it in her hand.
Kim closed her eyes then pressed a button on her phone and waited as it rang. "Hey, Mom," she said after a second, "So I got in some trouble, and-…no, he didn't do anything."
Adam's eyes widened and he looked around at the others.
"It was me, actually, I-I got in trouble and was hoping you could come bail me out of jail," Kim said quietly.
Again, everyone held their breath as they waited for the reply.
Kim then visibly relaxed, but still blushed as she replied, "Mom, I'm serious."
Mouse laughed and tilted his head back.
Kim rolled her eyes then said, "Well, fine, yeah, I'm playing truth or dare…Hailey and our friends…Yeah, I'll stay here." She glanced toward Hailey who nodded at her. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted out, "Mom, I'm fine. I'll see you later."
Hanging up, she clearly avoided Adam's eyes while reaching over for the bottle of tequila.
Mouse passed it to her and said, "Well done. Though it's hilarious that she knew you were lying."
"Kim would never get arrested," Hailey said, laughing herself, "If anything it'd be for jaywalking."
"I…I have sped while driving," Kim argued.
"Where?" Hailey asked, "You don't even have a car."
"You know what, Hailey Anne," Kim said. She pursed her lips then shook her head and took a sip of tequila.
Hailey smirked and put her feet back in Jay's lap.
"I want to know what your mom was saying about me," Adam said.
"I don't think you do," Jay mumbled causing Mouse to laugh.
"She's just…she holds grudges," Kim said. Shrugging, she then offered him the tequila and said, "It's fine."
"I thought she was a fan," Adam said.
"Because everyone is," Jay said.
"Screw you," Adam shot back before taking a long drink.
Kim shook her head, a blush still evident in her cheeks, then looked at Jay and asked, "Truth or dare?"
"Truth," he answered easily.
Hailey sat up against him, keeping her eyes trained on his face.
Kim glanced around at everyone then smiled and said, "Rank all of us. Give us your top person in here all the way down to your least favorite."
Jay blinked then held his hand out. Counting on his fingers, he said, "Mouse, Hailey, Adam, then you. No offense."
Kim shrugged and smirked at Hailey while replying, "None taken."
"Hailey above me?" Adam asked, "What the hell? Why's everyone hating on me today? First Kim's mom, now you."
"She doesn't hate you," Kim sighed.
"Neither do I," Jay chuckled then gestured toward Hailey, "She's just a pretty girl with her feet in my lap. I'm kind of into that."
"Ah, Jay foot-fetish Halstead," Mouse said.
Jay coughed into his beer before shoving Hailey's feet off of him while sitting up. "I do not," he said. Looking at Hailey, he said, "I don't."
She smiled and shook her head. "I know," she said. "Though I'm not too happy with you shoving me," she teased.
"I'm sorry," Jay said.
"You two are so cute," Kim said.
Hailey rolled her eyes and got off the couch. "Need a pick-me-up, Ruzek?" she asked.
"Please," he said without taking his eyes off Kim.
Jay followed Hailey to the kitchen and pressed up against her side as she looked through her fridge. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
"For what?" she asked, looking up from sorting through a variety pack of drinks.
"I did not mean for that foot thing to come off weird," he said under his breath.
"Jay," she laughed softly and straightened up with three cans in her hands, "I did not take it as an insult. I'm the one who put my feet in your lap. I should have expected a comment about it."
He shook his head slightly and said, "I'm sorry."
"Jay," she repeated before putting the drinks down. She then set a hand on his chest and said, "It's okay. I believe you. If anything, I'm more insulted that I was number two on your list." Winking, she rubbed her thumb briefly over his skin then stepped back to pick up the drinks and return to the living room.
She passed one to Adam then called over her shoulder, "Halstead, pretty sure it's your turn, and if you don't ask Adam, he might combust."
Their game faded into laughter and teasing between dares of undressing on the fire escape and questions about first times. Hailey learned that Jay could do a handstand and drink through a straw while he learned that she could tie a cherry stem with her tongue.
Despite the earlier teasing, Jay's hand still drifted occasionally to Hailey's foot resting against his thigh. His fingers felt cool on her skin whenever he absentmindedly played with her anklet. She'd worn it so often and rarely took it off that it had seemed like a part of her by now, but having him pay so much attention to it brought a new, warm feeling to the pit of her stomach.
Adam tried getting the truth out of Kim about her mom's feelings toward him, but was too scared to use his turn at the game to ask her for the information. Not that she'd actually give it to him, just that he wanted the closure.
The power still hadn't turned on an hour later, prompting several more texts to and from Vanessa about her time with Kevin.
~ They're giving us free snacks, that's pretty cool I guess ~ Vanessa
~ What snack did he choose? ~ Kim
~ How's that important? ~ Hailey
~ I'm curious ~ Kim
~ Gummy bears. It's weird. The worms are better ~ Vanessa
~ And you? What was your free snack? ~ Kim
~ Sour skittles ~ Hailey
~ Sour skittles ~ Vanessa
~ It's like you're one brain even when you're not together ~ Kim
"Texting Vanessa?" Jay asked.
Looking up from her phone, Hailey nodded and said, "Yeah, she's still stuck in the RiteAid."
"Big bummer," Jay said, shaking his head. He glanced at his phone then asked, "Ruze, you hear anything from Kevin?"
Adam glanced up from mixing beer and tequila for the dare he'd created for Jay. "No," he said and passed the cup over, "Just that text where he said his phone was gonna die soon, so don't get worried if he disappears."
"Can you imagine?" Mouse asked. He stopped for a second as Jay downed his drink. Chuckling, he continued, "They're stuck in a store. It's creepy, but also like some weird porno."
"Oh, that's not happening," Hailey said, "Vanessa may have slept with you, but she wouldn't just do it in public where she could get caught."
"The cameras aren't working there," Adam pointed out.
"But there are people," Kim said.
"Who here's done it in public?" Mouse asked.
"Oh, no," Kim quickly answered, shaking her head.
Hailey smiled at her and tilted her head to the side. "I love you," she said.
Kim blushed, but still laughed softly and took a sip of her drink.
No one else answered Mouse's question for a moment before Jay said, "There was this girl that had a place by my family's cabin. We tried in the lake once and it was…not great."
"Did you get caught?" Adam asked, chuckling.
"Uh, no," Jay answered as a smirk began forming on his face, "But a turtle swam by and I thought she was going to drown out of fear. Really killed the mood."
Hailey laughed and shook her head. "You got too bold. The lake has too many elements. My water experience was a jacuzzi at a hotel," she said.
Mouse whistled and said, "That's bold."
"You've never?" she countered.
"A jacuzzi?" he asked, "No, but I have had sex in three different bars downtown."
Adam laughed and said, "Can you really count the time at Molly's? The owner kicked you out so fast."
"I am banned from there," Mouse said through his laughter.
"That does not surprise me," Kim said, but still laughed along with everyone else.
"Was worth it though," Mouse added, "She went home with me after."
"Was she one who left before you woke up, though?" Jay asked.
Hailey snorted and leaned into his side.
"No, no," Mouse said over everyone's laughter, "That was Chelsea from Millennium Park."
"Oh, from the park?" Kim teased, "Like from The Bean?"
"Exactly," Mouse said. He tapped his nose and pointed to her. "And then I found-"
"We really don't need to hear," Jay interrupted loudly, "Stop talking."
Hailey laughed even harder and couldn't stop herself from hiding her face in his chest. She could feel all the alcohol she'd drank coursing through her, and her head began to float, but it simply grounded her against Jay. She hummed through her laughter when he lowered his arm over her back and held her tightly to him.
Part of her wanted to say he was so drunk that he was being just as touchy, but then she had hazy memories of his slight touches when they were in the laundry room together and when she'd first visited his apartment where they spent the night together on the couch. It probably wasn't the alcohol, but it gave her an explanation as to why this guy would want to hold her on her own couch now.
It didn't end either, and she also didn't want it to. Even when Adam announced they all needed to eat their ice-cream so that it wouldn't melt, prompting them to move their party upstairs, the two of them still found their way to each other. No matter what they did, they were connected to each other.
She'd followed him into his apartment to see if he had any ice-cream in his own freezer. When he'd opened the door to search, he hummed and pulled out a package of frozen margarita popsicles.
"I have no idea when we got this," he mumbled while squinting his eyes in an attempt to read the expiration date.
Hailey groaned while leaning against the counter. "It's fine," she said, "It's just alcohol."
Jay glanced up at her and asked, "You okay?"
She nodded and yawned.
Jay continued to study her for a moment before tossing the popsicles on the counter and pulling down his secret breadbox. He uncapped the whiskey then held it out to her. "Take a drink," he said, "It'll wake you up."
"Definitely not how alcohol works," Hailey said with a laugh, but still accepted the bottle.
"It'll taste a hell of a lot better than that tequila we've been sucking down," Jay chuckled.
Hailey smiled at him and couldn't help but agree as she closed her eyes and took a long sip of his whiskey. It burned her throat, but it felt so much better than the tequila had. She moaned softly before blinking her eyes back open and passing the bottle back.
Jay cleared his throat and licked his lips as he absentmindedly accepted the bottle. He held her eye contact while taking a sip of it. He offered her another sip, but just took another for himself when she shook her head.
Once the bottle was placed back up above the fridge, he easily closed the distance between the two of them and breathed, "You look really pretty tonight."
Hailey closed her eyes again and returned to telling herself it was the alcohol talking. It wasn't Jay. It was the tequila and beer and whiskey. He didn't like her. Not tonight when she was so sweaty.
She couldn't turn down the compliment, though, and said quietly, "Thank you."
She felt Jay step even closer to her, his breath was brushing along her lips. Her heart seemed to skip a beat and her stomach twisted. She couldn't tell if she wanted him to kiss her or not.
She never got the chance to decide, though, as suddenly there was a pounding on the door and it swung open to reveal Mouse causing her eyes to shoot open in shock.
"The hell?" he drunkingly yelled, "We have plans!"
"Plans!" Adam echoed as he ran up the stairs with Kim on his back.
Jay stepped back and cleared his throat. "Coming," he said. He held Hailey's gaze for a moment longer while he gathered up the popsicles before turning and following Mouse away.
Hailey gasped for breath and shook the feelings from her mind. It was just the alcohol. That's why she couldn't walk straight. It had nothing to do with Jay.
Upon arriving to Adam's apartment, she joined Kim in lighting a handful of candles in an effort to combat the darkness, yet instead of making it brighter, it just seemed to make it more romantic. In truth, it was the last thing Hailey wanted.
They'd all begun getting rather sweaty, so the candlelight just seemed to highlight the definition of Jay's chest once again bare for her to see. In turn, she couldn't find it within herself to look away as she piled her hair up into a bun on the top of her head. Part of her assumed that would prevent Jay from running his fingers through it like he'd done before, but instead he just settled himself next to her on the couch and lightly scratched the back of her head. It felt good enough that the alcohol's more negative side effects kicked in and Hailey's eyes began drooping.
She could hear everyone joking around in Adam's apartment about each other and Vanessa and Kevin still stuck somewhere and things they'd seen on TV, but all she could focus on were Jay's fingers and the smell of whiskey on his breath.
It was as addicting as it'd been earlier standing in his kitchen.
Her gut told her they would have kissed had Mouse not interrupted them. Her brain told her it would have been a terrible idea. There was so much that would then hinge upon their relationship: starting with her focus on her career and ending with their friendships that connected them to each other. She didn't think either of those things were worth a kiss.
Even if she really wanted that kiss to happen, but that was just the alcohol talking.
Eventually, Adam led Kim into his bedroom, so Mouse suggested the rest of them leave. The three of them stumbled down the stairs, Jay's hand held tightly within Hailey's each step of the way. That was actually something she liked. Alcohol or not, she felt it was rather normal to like when someone held your hand. It grounded her…again.
Jay grounded her.
"You want to go to bed?" he asked upon their arrival to their hallway.
Hailey glanced back at her closed door and breathed, "Maybe."
Jay nodded and reached forward to twirl a loose strand of hair that had fallen on her forehead.
She couldn't help but smile up at him.
"Meant it earlier," Jay slightly slurred, again taking a step closer to her.
"Meant what?" Hailey breathed, too drunk to quickly recall their previous conversations.
"You're pretty," he said easily. The alcohol was still present in his voice and his hand was hot on the side of her throat. It was overwhelming.
Hailey found herself closing the distance as well, fitting herself against his chest. She held his eye contact as his fingers slid into the back of her hair, leaving a trail of sweaty fire on her skin.
Before either of them could move any closer, there was a flicker of lights above them, a soft whir of the air conditioner, and suddenly they were thrown into daylight once more.
Both of them blinked quickly and stumbled backwards into their respective doors.
"Holy hell," Jay mumbled.
"Why is it so bright?" Hailey asked, covering her eyes.
"The lights!" Mouse yelled from inside his apartment, "It's a miracle!"
"Oh thank god!"
"Damn, was kind of hoping we could join their party."
Hailey blinked her eyes quickly to see Vanessa and Kevin walking up the stairs. Both of them were carrying bags from the store. The excessive heat was evident on their faces, as well.
"Hey," Vanessa greeted, "They managed to pry the doors open about twenty minutes ago."
"It was like we were in jail," Kevin mumbled then sighed and asked, "You two good?"
"Real good," Jay said. Like Hailey, he blinked quickly in their direction then blindly reached for his doorknob.
Vanessa's eyes narrowed in his direction before she turned toward Hailey. She didn't say anything, but rolled her eyes and stepped away from Kevin.
"Come on," she said quietly, "Let's get you some water and then put you to bed."
"I'm fine," Hailey mumbled.
"You're drunk," Vanessa said, a hand now on Hailey's back, "I'm jealous, but I'm also sober, so I'll help you out."
Hailey didn't have a chance to say 'goodnight' or anything to Jay. She wished she did. He'd been nice to her all night, and she'd really enjoyed spending so much time with him. Plus, she liked how his hands had felt on her even if the heat made it the tiniest bit uncomfortable.
She stewed over the lack of 'goodnight' all while Vanessa helped her get ready for bed while recounting her own tales of her evening with Kevin. Hailey didn't give it much attention, but noted that they'd played their own version of Truth or Dare, which just led to what Vanessa called 'heart-warming conversation.' Whatever that was, Hailey didn't know. She just missed Jay.
It wasn't until Vanessa had helped her into bed that she decided to do something about that feeling. Rolling to her side, she shakily picked up her phone that Vanessa had plugged in and stared through squinted eyes at the bright screen.
She breathed in slowly, then poured all her emotions into a text before promptly falling asleep and dreaming she was on a boat in the ocean.
A/N: Thoughts? :) Talk soon!