16. Stupidity + Snacks

Part 2/2 for this update. Be sure you've read chapter 15 before starting!

It was around 2:30pm when Jayce had asked us to drop him off at the park in the center of town, claiming that he wanted to walk home so he could have time to process, which I thought was strange, but whatever.

Barely any words had been exchanged between the three of us as we had descended in the elevator and climbed into Presley's Fiat.

"So, he does knows who we are," Jayce had said flatly after several minutes of silence, save for the quiet hum of the car.

"No shit," Haven had murmured back, sinking lower in his seat and crossing his arms as he had gazed out the passenger window.

Other than that, the ride to drop Jayce off at the park and drive Haven home had been quiet. I think we were all too freaked out to say anything.

I was now headed to Presley's to drop off her car.

I wish I could say that my mind was spinning, but I was honestly numb as fuck right now. Being hungover, horny, pissed, sad and hungry all at the same time, the feelings seem to just cancel each other out. I felt like a useless lump of too many emotions that couldn't be understood, and all I wanted to do was climb in bed and never get out again. Never have to face reality.

I couldn't really process the meeting, or the fact that Tom Jeffers somehow knew who all three of us were. I use the spare key under one of the flower pots on the front door, knowing Presley's parents are at their usual Sunday afternoon locations - her dad would be at work while her mom had a weekly brainstorm with her blogger friends.

I dash up the stairs to collect the belongings I'd left here after getting ready for the ball yesterday afternoon.

Bursting through Presley's door and-"FUCK!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I cover my eyes with my hands, shock and embarrassment causing my heart rate to skyrocket as I try to erase the mental image of what I just saw.

"Oh, god! What are you doing here, Fal?!" Presley's voice is brimming with humiliation.

"I just came to get my clothes, but it looks like you two could use some, as well!" I shout, backing out of the room that a nude Presley and Cole are occupying.

"Wait, just give us a moment. Don't leave," Presley says carefully. I huff and hear the rustling of fabric as the two of them move off the bed to cover themselves. "Okay, we're decent," she says after a few short moments and I remove my hands from my eyes, glaring at Cole, who seems intensely engrossed in tying his shoe.

"I'm sorry that I-uh-interrupted."

"You're totally fine," Presley smiles and waves her hand like I walk in on her straddling her current boy-toy every other day. "Nothing you haven't seen before."

"Uh, Pres, there's a lot of him that I haven't seen before," I point an accusing finger in Cole's direction. He's now re-tying his shoe for the second time. "Well, not any more, there isn't," I shift my glare back to her, wanting to get out of there, but knowing she wants to talk about something. Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked me to stay.

She giggles and waltzes over to Goldcrest's Chief of Police, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek. "Didn't you see the cruiser?"

I didn't see the cruiser, but my stomach swoops as I zero in on Cole. "Are you fucking serious?!" I screech at him, surprising myself with how authoritative I sound. "You parked your damn police cruiser outside this house? Are you trying to get yourself thrown in prison?"

His expression remains one of amusement, and his cavalier attitude in the face of a serious conversation reminds me of Jayce. "Chill, Fallon," he gives me a small smile, his light blue eyes reassuring. "It's in the garage."

"Oh, as if that fucking matters!" I somehow manage to not cold-cock his condescending face. "Anyone could have seen you park, and anyone could see you leave!"

He shrugs and gazes down at Presley adoringly. "It's fine. No one will actually report anything, even if they do see. Trust me, I know this town."

"You know, they say sociopaths are not only arrogant and impulsive, but also have complete disregard for what's right and wrong," I seethe through clenched teeth, wanting to chop his dick off and feed it to him in a hot dog bun.

He looks at me with a confused expression but doesn't say anything else, which I consider very wise on his part.

"Don't worry about us, Fallon," Presley rests her thin fingers on my arm and smiles, her eyes dreamy. She peers up at Cole, who pulls her closer to him. She raises up on her tiptoes and kisses him lightly, lingering for a moment before pulling away. "I'll miss you."

Gag.

Cole smiles at Presley and shoots me one last bewildered look before disappearing out her bedroom door.

Presley takes in a deep breath and lets it out with a happy smile on her face.

"So the dress worked, I take it?" I break the silence, my stomach still twisting in disgust at Cole's rashness.

"Hell yeah," her eyes gleam as she pulls me into a hug. "It seems like yours did, too, yes?" She releases our embrace and raises her eyebrows, biting down on her lower lip in anticipation.

"I don't know what you're talking about, last night was complete shit," I try to appear aloof as I collect the bag I brought over before the ball. I don't exactly want to relive my night of unfulfilled lust and bitter regret.

"Oh really?" She arches an eyebrow with a smug look on her face. "Then what is this video that Jayce reposted on his Instagram story?"

She holds her phone in front of my face as I gaze upon the screen in horror - the familiar beat of the Arctic Monkey's "Do I Wanna Know?" blares through the phone speaker, along with lots of yelling, as a video pans across tons of people dancing... and then zooms in on me and Jayce grinding.

Damn. It's hot.

I see video-me bite my lip and then video-Jayce grabs my wrist and pulls me away as the camera follows us off the floor, the 15-second video coming to an end a moment later.

Fuck.

FUCK.

"How many people have seen this?!" I feel like I might barf. Not because of the video, that was frustrating and hot as hell to relive for a moment, but because I know that other people have probably seen this video. And those people probably also know that Jayce is dating Layla while he grinds on some untagged girl.

"I have no idea how many people have seen it," Presley scoffs. "But considering that Adam - you know, the perv who screamed at you to play with his nuts?"

"I know who Adam is," I growl, my mortified brain feeling like it's going to jump off the cliff of reason.

"Well, Adam posted it and he has about 3,000 followers, and then Jayce reposted it and last I checked he has, like, 64,000 followers."

"64,000?" I wail, covering my eyes for about the thousandth time today. "How the hell?!"

"His parents are famous, Fal. Last week, Forbes called them the 'Tycoons Of Tempranillo!' Keep up," she snaps in my face, exasperated. "Anyway, I'd say that by now, several thousand people would have seen it," she grins at me evilly. "So, basically, you have to date Jayce. It's inevitable, and besides, I so fucking ship it. And now, I'm sure about ten thousand other people do, too."

I raise my eyes to meet hers, already planning my move to whatever country is the farthest away from here. Maybe New Zealand? Or Madagascar? "There's one big, huge fucking hole in your equation, Pres. Jayce is dating Layla Wright."

She sucks in a sharp breath and her mouth falls open slightly, "No, it can't be true," she shakes her head back and forth vigorously. "How the fuck does she always get what she wants?" She howls in frustration at the news of her captain's newest territory gain.

"There's more you should know, too," I spill my guts about everything that had happened since we parted ways at the ball less than 24 hours ago. The moment with Jayce against the wall of the convention center, Haven's phone call, my dumbass decision to go to the party. I tell her about me and Jayce's bawdy evening and the subsequent most horrifying morning of my life, all topped off by the meeting with Jeffers. I manage to tear up multiple times, but don't allow anything to spill over. I'm beyond annoyed with how emotionally invested I seem to be in that damn goalie.

"Shit, Fal," Presley breathes, shoving her post-sex hair out of her face.

"I know," I grieve, burying my face in my hands and feeling more miserable than I've felt in a long time.

"Your life is a damn soap opera."

"I don't know what the fuck to do about any of it, either."

"You could start by finding out why Jayce is actually dating that free-flapped floozy?"

"If you want to know why he's dating her so badly, why don't you ask him? Or her?" I snap, annoyed that after everything I just shared, Jayce is still at the top of her list of priorities to talk about.

"Damn, just trying to help," she mumbles.

"I know... I'm sorry, I'm just fucking exhausted," I sigh, overwhelmed with way too many emotions to even begin to sort them out. Ha, maybe I'm even more like Tinkerbell than I realized - I only have room for one emotion before I start to collapse.

"No kidding," Presley hugs me again, slowly stroking my hair. "Let me drive you home, you need to get some rest. You've had quite the weekend."

~

I'm awoken from my sleep thanks to my phone buzzing with a text. I don't think I had any dreams, either. As soon as I had entered my room after Presley had dropped me off, I had completely knocked the fuck out.

Best nap of my life.

It was about 6pm now, according to my phone.

The text that woke me up was from an unknown number, but I quickly knew who it was.

I deliberate over his message for several minutes, knowing that saying yes would do me equal amounts of good and bad. But so would saying no.

I can't help but giggle at his message - he always seems to be so on top of things.

It'd be great to have him on top of me.

Fuckin' shit, I did not just think that.

Damn it.

I rip back my bed sheets and scour my room for something to wear. When Presley dropped me off, I had barely managed to take my clothes off before falling into my bed.

I quickly grab one of my favorite, most comfy sets and slip it on before snatching up my phone to let Jayce know he can come in.

I hate that the new message from him makes my heart jump in my chest a little. It also makes me roll my eyes, because it's exactly the sort of thing I would have expected from one of the most notorious players in Goldcrest.

I head downstairs to meet him in the kitchen, not sure if it's exactly wise for he and I to be alone in my bedroom together.

Within seconds, Jayce is strolling into the kitchen like this is his house. One thing I'll always admire about Jayce is his confidence, damn. Even if it also annoys the shit out of me. He, of course, looks absolutely god-like in his tight black tank top, dark jeans and backwards cap, his curly, chocolate locks spilling out from underneath it while his large, exposed arm muscles bulge like he just finished working out.

His enchanting smile lights up his features as the outer corners of his brown eyes crinkle. He drinks me in, letting his eyes wander over my scantily clad body without shame as his entire face fills with hunger. I drown out the thoughts in my head telling me to not give a fuck about anything and drag him up to my bedroom right now.

I hate that I get so bent out of shape just from his smile and eyes. I have no fucking clue what would have happened last night had Layla not barged in on me and Jayce in the office, but I suddenly find myself wishing I could find out.

"Well," he clears his throat, turning his back toward me, slipping a backpack off his shoulder and onto the kitchen table. "I thought I brought the snacks, but it seems that you already have that covered."

~~~

Don't forget to tap to vote if you're enjoying this story! ⭐

I am having such a freaking blast writing this, I reeeeally hope y'all are having fun reading it too!!

I was asked recently if I know where this story is going or if I'm making it up as I go along and I want you to know that I know exactly where it's going and I CAN'T WAIT TO GET IT ALL WRITTEN AND SHARE IT WITH YOUU eeep:)

♥️

More coming soon ! In the mean time... Imma just leave these right here...