Chapter 20: Twenty

"Jen? Is that you?"

"Evan?" June stopped pulling me and moved to stand beside me. What the hell was Evan doing here? He graduated last year. And why was he still holding my wrist?

I jerked it away, and he frowned. Why the hell did I ever find this jerk attractive? He didn't even hold a candle Joel, or even June for that matter.

"Jen, you okay?" June whispered in my ear, snaking his arm back around my waist. Evan's eyes flickered down to our connection, and he laughed.

"He's a bit young for you, don't you think?" Stupid Evan scoffed, that stupid cocky look on his stupid face.

"Burn in hell, prick." I replied casually, flipping him off. Ohh's sounded from around us, and I could see Evan's eyes darken.

"What did you say, bitch?"

"Woah, calm down." June tried to interject, but was ignored.

"I said, burn in hell. Then I called you a prick." I repeated, slowly so he could understand.

"Jen, let's go." June was tugging me again, but I stood my ground. I wasn't just going to leave now. This asshole took my virginity from me and wasted six months of my life. He treated me like shit on the bottom of his shoe, and I wouldn't let him push me around anymore.

"You'd better watch your mouth. Just because you're prancing around like a cheap slut doesn't mean you're hot now."

I felt June's grip tighten, but before he could speak, I replied, "And just because you have a dick doesn't mean you know how to use it."

At that, June's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me away as two other men held Evan back by his shoulders. He wanted to hit me. I could see it in his eyes. I used my free hand to flip him off once more until we finally disappeared from view. Stupid asshole.

Before I knew it, we were by the bathrooms.

"Will you, um, need help?" June asked awkwardly, clearly unsure of my physical and mental state. I giggled, shaking my head.

"Nah, I'm a big girl. I got it." But I wished I had let him help. Once I got my panties down, I struggled to hold my dress up and lower myself onto the toilet seat simultaneously. I nearly busted my ass on the floor, but at least the music was a little less loud in here. I could actually think. But the more I thought, the more my emotions bubbled up.

It was no longer fun. I wanted to go home. My stomach was queasy, my head hurt, and my ankles were killing me. But most of all, I missed Joel. I wanted to see him, even though I knew I couldn't. He would be so pissed.

After washing my hands, I stumbled out the door, grabbing onto June's chest as I collapsed to the floor sobbing.

"Woah, Jen, what's wrong? Are you okay?" He held me against his chest, and I felt bad for the makeup that was rubbing off on his white shirt. I was a fucking mess. "Do you want to go to my room? Or call someone to pick you up?"

Oh God. There was no way I could sleep in June's room. That would be a huge line to cross, and I didn't want that weighing on my conscience. But at the same time, who would I call? The girls wouldn't be able to drive. They were probably just as wasted.

That only left one person.

I nodded, still sobbing uncontrollably into his shoulder. "Call, please." He dug into my clutch for my phone.

"Who should I call?"

"Your dream come true." He raised a brow, but knew better than to question me while I was like this.

"Who's 'Fate's Middle Finger'? They've called a lot." Shit, no!

"Someone who can't know I'm here!" I panic shouted.

"Okay, okay. It'll be alright." He pressed call and held the phone to his ear.

"Hey, Kitten." I heard Isaac say over the line.

"Hey, uh. This is Jen's friend. She's a little wasted right now and wanted me to call you to take her home."

"Isaac." I cried from the side. "Don't tell him."

He sighed.

"Okay. Where are you?"

"Kappa Sigma house. I'll take her out front, so you can just pull up. Do you need directions?"

"Nah, I know where it is. I'll be there soon. Is she alright?" June glanced down at my whimpering form.

"Yea. She had almost two cups of punch and who knows how much weed, though."

"Fucking hell. Okay. Be there soon."

Weed? Did he just say weed?

"I thought hookah was tobacco." I didn't bother hiding my horror.

"It was a mix. That's why I asked Jess not to let you smoke." He looked so apologetic that I almost felt bad for disobeying him. That did explain why it did such a great job mellowing me out, though.

"Can you walk?" He asked, but I shook my head. My whole body felt like jelly. I was tired and the effects of the alcohol and drug were still hitting me hard. He nodded, crouching then lifting me up into his arms. He was surprisingly strong for his size, and carried me with no problem, even as he descended the stairs.

The cool air once we hit the front lawn was refreshing, and I took a deep breath. June sat down on the grass, me on his lap so I wouldn't get my dress dirty. All I kept thinking about was Evan and his stupid face.

Ugh! What an asshole. But then I remembered what I'd said, and it just made me laugh. And boy did I laugh. Sitting on June's lap, higher than a kite, on the front lawn of the Frat house.

June chuckled at my lunacy, shaking his head.

"I didn't do a very good job making this fun for you, did I?" He remarked, holding onto my hand. I stopped laughing to stare at them, our hands entwined. It was wrong.

"It wasn't so bad." I answered honestly, my brows furrowing. But just as I was about to thank him for his help, he spoke up.

"Is that your ride?"

Shit.

As soon as my eyes spotted the red Camaro, I snatched my hand away, stumbling off June's lap and crawling back towards the house as quickly as possible.

No.

No, no, no, this could not be happening! I begged Isaac not to tell him! What a fucking traitor!

"Jen, wait, what're you doing?" June called out, but before I could formulate a response, I heard the car door slam. I was so dead.

"Jennifer." Joel's dark voice boomed, stopping me in my tracks.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing here?" June asked incredulously. What was he doing here? He was trying to get us caught!

"Mister Lawson, thank you for calling, but I have it from here."

Part of me wanted to latch onto June and not let Joel take me, but even inebriated I knew that would be stupid as hell. I needed to face my foe head on.

My shaky arms gave out, and I rolled onto my back. The ground was cold, the sky dark above me.

"Hello." I slurred when Joel's gorgeous shadow dimmed my vision.

"Christ, Jen." He muttered, picking me up by the waist and tossing me over his shoulder as if I were a sack of potatoes.

"Jen, this isn't that Isaac guy. This is Professor Becker. Are you sure you want to go with him?" June asked, following us to the car. I lifted my finger to my lips.

"Shhh. Explain 'morrow." His eyes were wide and horrified, and I knew this would be a bitch to talk my way out of. But then again, maybe I would just tell him the truth. It was Joel's fault for showing up here like that. He was lucky most of the party was inside or too drunk to recognize him.

Soon, the back of my legs connected with leather, and Joel leaned across me to click my seatbelt on. He was seething, and I could tell. His movements were short and his chest was heaving. Not to mention, I could smell the minty gum on his breath.

As soon as he got into the driver's seat, his palms came down on the wheel, making me jump.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" He shouted, starting the drive with white knuckles on the wheel.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Jennifer, you reek of weed and alcohol!" I crossed my arms, pouting.

"I didn't know it was weed. Stop acting like you're my dad, Joel." He laughed humorlessly.

"Okay, you're right. I won't act like your dad. I'll act like the man you want to be in a relationship with. Why the fuck were you sitting on his lap when I got there, huh? And why was your lipstick on his shirt?" Oh God.

"It wasn't like that!" I insisted, making him angrier.

"Bullshit! Did you fuck him, Jennifer?" What?!

"Excuse me?" I shrieked.

"I'm not repeating myself. I swear to God, if you did-"

"Hell, no! How could you even say that?!" I was crying now. How could he think I would ever cheat on him? Even if we weren't exclusive, I didn't want anyone else.

"What else am I supposed to think? You told Isaac not to fucking tell me!"

"How do you know that?"

"I was sitting next to him when you called, Jen. You promised you wouldn't come, and you lied. Honestly, I should've left your ass there."

"Yea, well maybe you should've if you're just going to be mad at me."

"Mad? Oh, no. I'm past mad, baby. I'm fucking livid. I'm on my last fucking thread with you." And I could tell that he was telling the truth. He was shaking, literally trembling with rage. I hated it. I didn't want him to be angry at me.

"Please don't be mad." I sobbed into my hands, curling myself into the tightest ball I could manage, leaving my heels on the floorboard.

Why was I such an idiot? I didn't do parties for a reason. I knew that they were full of regrets, but I was so desperate to do something exciting that I ignored years of reasoning.

He didn't respond, and soon the car was filled with silence. That is, until, an unpleasant sensation racked my body.

"I feel sick." My stomach was churning and the motion of the car wasn't helping.

"Did you eat?" He asked, his voice a little less harsh. I thought back.

"I had a salad at five." I still wasn't looking at him. I couldn't. Not without crying. He sighed, and I could hear his blinker indicating a turn. Then, the car shut off, and I looked up.

"Denny's?"

"Can you walk in or do you need me to carry you?" Surprisingly, arguing with Joel had sobered me up a decent amount.

"I think I'm okay. I can walk." I sniffed, pulling down the visor so I could attempt to clean myself up a bit. Waterproof mascara and eyeliner proved to be a godsend, and besides my slightly smeared lipstick and bloodshot eyes, I didn't look half bad. I patted my hair down and fixed my lips, applying some chapstick before opening the car door.

As soon as I stood and shut it, though, I felt Joel's body press me up against the cool metal, his soft and delectable lips meeting mine with urgency and anger. I accepted it fully, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling myself flush against his towering form.

Yes. This was what I wanted. What I needed. His aggression-filled lust was melting away my stress.

Both of his hands slid down to grip my ass, and I moaned quietly against his lips. His tongue was sparring with mine, demanding submission in a way only he could do. It was hot, consuming, and I felt the heat travel lower down my body.

He broke away for a breath, his eyes storming worse than I'd ever seen them.

"I'm still fucking pissed at you." He growled.

"I'm sorry." I offered sincerely.

"You're going to be." He whispered suggestively against my ear, leaning down to nip at my neck. Fuck the rules. What rules? They were far from my mind, and if he had offered to take me right then and there, I would've let him.

But he didn't. Because he was responsible, and not intoxicated.

He took my hand, leading me inside and to the booth the furthest into the corner. Much to my surprise, it wasn't empty. There were at least three other groups eating at ten at night. Damn, it had been three hours? The waitress approached us, looking as tired as I felt.

"What can I get ya?"

"Pancakes, two waters, and a Dr. Pepper, please." Joel said with a smile, reaching across the table to take my hand in his. He was like a totally different man. I wasn't used to all the PDA, but I wasn't complaining. It felt… nice. Once she left, his smile faded, and he looked at where our hands were connected, observing them closely like I had done with June. Oh God, June.

"I swear, I didn't do anything with June. Not even a kiss." Silence. "You believe me, don't you?" I knew it was a sensitive topic, but it also needed to be said. His eyes never left our hands as he responded.

"You smell like his cologne."

"I cried on him. Because I missed you. That's how my lipstick got on his shirt, too. I would never cheat on you." He flinched at my words.

"It wouldn't be cheating." He mumbled.

"It would be to me." He finally glanced up. I squeezed his hand to further my point.

"We could get in trouble." He reminded me solemnly.

"I don't care if you don't." I replied confidently.

A smile was now forming back on his lips, small and barely detectable.

"I drive you crazy."

"I love it." I admitted truthfully, pulling in my bottom lip to stifle my giggle. His smile was more prominent now, his dimples showing through.

"Can I have more time?"

"I have time." It did hurt that he still wasn't ready, but I saw progress. In his eyes, the walls were tumbling down. They were softer. Adoring. If I could kiss him now, I knew that it would be the sweetest one yet. But my stomach was becoming gradually more uneasy.

Thankfully, my pancakes arrived in the nick of time.

I dug in, stuffing my cheeks with the delicious maple coated sponge, moaning in contentment. Joel's chuckle drew my attention, and I saw him with his straw between his teeth, watching me in amusement.

Click.

Wait.

That's when I saw his phone in his hand, taking my photo from table level. I quickly swallowed, gasping and reaching for it.

Click.

"Joel!" He snickered.

"You owed me a photo." I tried my best to glare at him, but he just laughed harder.

Click.

"That's way more than one!" I squealed, unable to stop the laughter from bubbling out of me.

Click.

I loved seeing him this way, his eyes alight with carefree joy, his laugh echoing around me. He was beautiful. So damn beautiful. I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"Can you take me back to your house?" His eyes widened a fraction, but his grin remained.

"You want to stay with me tonight?" I took another bite when I saw his phone lower back to the table, nodding my response. "I don't know. I'm expecting important company in the afternoon, but I guess I could be persuaded." He sighed dramatically, pushing away his water and folding his arms on the table.

"Smartass." He bit his cheek.

"Hurry up, before I change my mind."