Jared

Nearing the house, the sounds from it started filling the air and the otherwise silent street. The music was just as loud as every other Saturday. The favorite day of the week to hold the all-famous Davidson's party. It was a tradition, and no matter how late it became, none of the neighbors made a complaint. Ever.

Jared narrowed his eyes, a gust of air leaving his nostrils. The stars above his head were bright and twinkling, so different from his heart and the way he felt. To him, this visible lack of laws made things even more suspicious. The mayor's house wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be the one to set an example, not break the rules and allow chaos to enter the neighborhood.

Yet, no one dared to oppose his daughter's fun. She was the one throwing these cursed parties, and she was the one to say when they ended. Which was usually at dawn.

Jared clenched his jaw. This girl was like the Queen bee. So powerful, even without doing anything. And as scary as a blood-sealed curse.

He squeezed in between a few of the cars and reached the front yard of the house. Jared halted in his steps, and his fists clenched by his side. Flashes of sour memories rushed into his mind, and his heart tightened. He hated this place.

“Why are you stopping? Go, man!” Parker stepped next to him and patted his shoulder a bit too roughly.

Jared huffed and glared at his friend. It was his fault he was going back in there. A place he had tried to avoid for over a year.

“Is that what I get for helping you find Maria? You beating me up?” he tried to joke, but his bad mood ruined it.

“We'll be fast, I promise! No longer than twenty minutes! You won't even meet her there!”

Jared narrowed his dark brown eyes at his friend. Parker knew far too well why he felt so much disdain for this place and why he was so reluctant to go in.

“If we don't find your girlfriend in twenty minutes, I swear I'm leaving!” he vowed and took a step ahead. The faster they found her, the better.

The house was full of people. They were dancing, drinking, and partying like they were trying to ease up and destroy all their worries. So how come when Jared visited this place, he got only trouble?

His eyes examined the crowd around him. It was mostly the same, just like on every Saturday for the last three years. His heartbeat quickened, and his body tensed. These merry, careless people had become witnesses to some of his worst moments. But they didn't care. They were just like the sheep, waiting for the shepherd to lead them and tell them what to feel. And the shepherd was nowhere to be seen yet.

His palms started sweating, and his guts churned in frightening anticipation. He wanted to just turn around and leave. This place was bad. Just bad.

When a girl accidentally stumbled into him, her face hitting his chest, Jared took a step back and looked at her. The waitress from the coffee shop. Her best friend. When she saw him, she bristled with surprise and quickly uttered her apologies. Jared's jaw tightened. This girl... this girl was always with her. With the person he dreaded seeing.

It was time to move.

He quickly shuffled on his feet and started checking every possible room. Where was Maria? If her own fiancé, Parker, couldn't find her, then wasn't it time for them to talk? Parker had postponed this moment for way too long.

Entering yet another room, Jared slammed it open, and his eyes widened when he saw the girl he was looking for. On top of another man! Parker was going to die!

“Maria!” he shouted, anger consuming him, and the brunette jumped.

She quickly covered her breasts and cowardly started muttering excuses and apologies.

“Don't even try. I'm not the one you should be apologizing to!” Jared glared and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He started dialing his best friend's number. They were so getting out of this town! This was the last straw in a long chain of bad events.

“No!” Maria shouted and ran to him, still half-naked.

Jared quickly stepped back in surprise, and her body slammed into his torso. They stumbled to the door and turned out to be out of the room. In a matter of seconds, the whole crowd turned their eyes to them. They were both standing stiff, in the middle of the lounge. A half-naked woman and a startled guy. This was going to come out so wrong.

When people started cheering and snapping photos of them, Maria screamed and covered her breasts with her blouse. It was too late. They had all seen her, but her horror was still written all over her face.

Jared moved away from her, and his face blanched when his best friend pushed through the crowd, staring wide-eyed at them.

“Parker!” Maria wailed and ran to his arms, not honest enough to admit what she had been doing just a minute ago.

“W-what's going on here?” Parker's brows scrunched, and he put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back.

“I-I can explain...” she started with panicked eyes.

Jared brushed a nervous hand through his hair and headed to them, not enjoying the attention at all. They had to leave in the fastest possible way.

Just as he was about to say something, he noticed a familiar figure in the middle of the crowd. The people parted for her and welcomed the host of this grandiose party.

Amely.

Her blonde hair was weaved in a casual bun, and her earrings dangled by her thin gentle neck. Her brows were furrowed in a slight frown, making her blue eyes seem even harder than they usually were. Was she going to say something cruel to him again? To repeat the never-ending game of chase turned horror? Was she going to pretend her gentle side didn't even exist?

Every time Jared saw this woman, his heart stopped for a second. Just like it did now. It stuttered with excitement, pain, and longing. She was like a magnet to him, and the undeniable attraction was ever-present in their crazy relationship. What caught his eye, however, was the phone she was holding in her hand. Had she also taken photos?

...

“So, that's what I get for being faithful for over five years?!” Parker bellowed and hiccupped. He leaned back and almost fell off the bench they were sitting on.

No matter how many times Jared had tried to get him home, he still refused and did as he pleased. They had gone through the supermarket, the playground behind their building and, finally, they had turned out to be in the park. Parker was wild while drunk, and it was hard to handle him. Especially after such a dramatic heartbreak.

A fly circled around his runny nose, but he didn't even see it. “She's been cheating on me for years!”

“Wow, Parker, calm down!” Jared shot up on his feet, his hands in the air, ready to stop his friend from tumbling over any minute. “Don't you think it'd be best if we just go home? You need to take a break! You need sleep.”

“Are you saying I should just sleep now?” Parker glared at him, and a deep frown appeared on his face. He was not a good drinker, and now, he was way off. This was probably his fifth beer. “Maria cheated on me! That fucking-” he began cussing, but his throat closed and tears started falling from his eyes again.

“She was my angel, man!” Parker grabbed his roommate's wrist in his pain and wailed.

“You know how this town is... Nothing ever works out... Maybe it just isn't for us... Maybe-” Jared began, trying to somehow calm him down. But he knew it was impossible. He couldn't even imagine himself in Parker's shoes. He and Maria had been so devoted to each other, and yet...

“Maybe you're right! But lets, just for once, show them who the boss is! Let's rub it in their faces! We're good enough! We won't let them step all over us anymore!” he yelled in his drunken stupor. “We should talk to that chick that has been twisting you around her finger for years! Her middle finger, if I may add!”

Parker stood up and, with a new determination, started walking, tripping every other step.

“Parker!” Jared scolded, but his friend ignored him and just continued walking.

Before he knew it, they were in front of the noisy house again, with Parker quickly leading the way inside.

“No, stop! What are you doing?!” Jared hissed, eager to get out of there. He was not going inside, no matter what.

He grabbed Parker's arm and made him turn around.

“No, Jared!” The drunk male pulled his arm away and stumbling, said, “It's time for you to finally decide what you two are! Take the lead, man! Is it just the casual sex, the rough words she keeps spitting at your face in front of her friends, or is it something more serious?”

Jared grumbled at his friend and clenched his jaw. They were nearly at the entrance now, people smoking and eyeing them from the porch and the door. They were going to become the new topic for discussions again.

“Stop it, you idiot!” Jared finally screamed, and Parker looked at him, wide-eyed. “It's over, dude! All of it!” He took a breath, straightening his back. “I'm leaving. This place, this town, and all nasty shit that happened here!” Jared regained his composure, realizing the crowd was snickering and talking about them again; and continued, this time more quietly, “I accepted that job offer in New York. I'm moving in a few days and if you want to come, I can try to arrange a spot for you too. We can continue living as roommates and start anew. I believe it's a good idea,” he admitted and brushed a hand over his chin. “Your family doesn't even talk to you and I have no one else besides you here, so...” He paused and shrugged. “That would be perfect.”

Parker stared at his friend for a while and then rubbed his eyes, sobering up a little.

“Let's go home. Then, we'll think about it.” Parker sighed after a few steps. “But do you think I'd be able to handle New York's transportation system? I think it's too confusing, compared to our small town...”