Big Decision to Make

The car ride home was rather quiet. Neither of us spoke a word the entire time. I kept my eyes fixed outside the window as we passed the forest area and drove back into the city.

I couldn't wait to get home and tell Maddy all about this so-called 'date' of ours. I might have to omit certain details from it. No point in pondering over that anymore.

Once she hears about the events that transpired today, I'm sure the fantasy that she cooked in her head about me and Jordan would cease to exist.

Jordan had made it abundantly clear what his feelings towards me were. No matter what his actions had been, he had shown me his true colors tonight by entrapping me into some sort of an arrangement that could only benefit him and him alone.

I had never resented anyone, not even Max, as much as I did Jordan at this moment.

I turned my eyes towards him as he remained focused on the road. Much to my dismay, my eyes traveled to his lips and I remembered how heavenly they had felt on my skin. How his strong hands had cupped my tiny waist and held me close to him while his lips had run wildly along the surface of my body.

*FOCUS, SKY!*

The voice of logic in my brain woke up from its slumber and reprimanded me.

I couldn't think like that anymore. Not after how he forced me to agree to his cause. Never again.

Soon we pulled up in front of my apartment building. I felt relief rush through me as I saw the familiar neighborhood. I couldn't wait to get home and away from Jordan.

As Jordan brought the car to a halt in front of my building, I leaped at the seat-belt and unbuckled myself before rushing out of the car. I closed the door behind me and without so much as a word to him, I started to put as much distance as I could between us.

"Wait," he called after me and my feet stopped in their track. I spun around and found Jordan walking towards me.

"What?" I hissed.

"You forgot your phone," he handed me my phone that I must have left behind. I took it from him and started to walk away, but he stopped me again.

He held my hand and turned me to face him. I yanked it out of his grasp and folded my arms across my chest. "What?"

"I—" he cleared his throat. "You can't tell anyone about this," he finally said.

"I assumed as much," I deadpanned.

"No, I mean, you cannot tell ANYONE. Not even that roommate of yours."

My eyes widened. "What? Why not?"

"This isn't a joke, Rose. I don't want to publically announce that I have a 'fake girlfriend'—"

"You don't have one yet," I corrected him. "Besides, Maddy can be trusted. She won't blab."

"Didn't you say your boss is her boyfriend?"

"Yeah, so?"

Jordan rolled his eyes. "Do you want her to lie to him? Because something tells me I know how this piece of gossip would fair in the hands of the Spectator's Editor in Chief."

I desperately wanted to talk to Maddy about this but Jordan was right. I couldn't ask her to keep this a secret from Jeremy. That would be too much and this is my burden to bear.

"So, you will not utter a word about it to anyone until we decide what our next move will be. Got it?" he continued.

I inhaled sharply. "Anything else?" I asked, tapping my feet impatiently against the ground.

"No," he said and turned around. Jordan walked away to his car. I didn't bother to wait for him to drive away and left for my apartment. I had a long night ahead of me.

A big decision to make.

My heart thudded uncontrollably against my chest as I recalled tonight's events. Never in a thousand years would I have imagined that this is how this night would end.

I carefully unlocked the door to the apartment and heard some commotion. I entered in and found Jeremy and Maddy scooped together on the couch, their bodies covered under a blanket. The TV's glare illuminated the darkened room.

Their heads turned in my direction.

"You're back!" Maddy beamed. I could read the excitement in those twinkling eyes.

"Yeah," I walked further in. "What are you guys watching?" I glanced at the TV screen.

"Oh, it's a documentary about—"

"Alright, I don't care," I scrunched my nose at Jeremy.

He chuckled. "Right. So. How was your... date?" he raised his eyebrows at me and I shot Maddy a concerned look. She sat up with her legs under her thighs.

"Yeah, Sky, tell us how your date went with that guy from that bookstore we went to last week," Maddy gave me a look that said, 'I got you.

I sighed in relief and turned my attention back to Jeremy. "It was... okay. But I don't think I'm going to see him again," I settled my eyes on Maddy whose wide smile dissolved into a worrisome expression upon hearing my words.

Jeremy lifted his shoulders and pressed pause on the movie playing in the background. "His loss. I mean, you went there looking like that," he looked up and down on my form, "and he still couldn't leave a worthy impression."

*Well, he made more than just an impression. I have a night full of a hormonal rollercoaster to attest to that.*

I chuckled. "What can you do?"

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... How is your project going?" Jeremy looked at me earnestly.

Memories of my time with Jordan flooded through my brain. I thought about the events of tonight's 'date' and blood rushed to my ears, turning them warm as the picture of Jordan's lips on my body came in front of my eyes.

I blinked it back into the deep parts of my mind.

"Sky?" Jeremy called my name and I jerked my eyes towards him. "Where'd you get lost?"

"Yeah, oh, it's going great... smooth. Like butter smooth," I smiled nervously trying to hide my true feelings about the matter. "So smooth that the word 'smooth' is an understatement."

"So, smooth then?" Jeremy chuckled and I nodded absentmindedly.

"Well if it's 'butter' smooth then I guess there nothing to worry about babe," Maddy chipped in. "Right, Sky?" A mischievously smile played over her thin lips.

I shot her a hard look. "Anyway, I'm gonna hit the bed," I pointed towards my room. "Maddy, could you...?" I jerked my head in my room's direction and gesticulated her to follow me.

"Oh, yeah. I'll be back, babe," she planted a peck on Jeremy's forehead and followed after me.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, I spun on my heels and smacked her arm.

"Ow!" she hissed and looked at me angrily.

"What did you tell him?" I whispered.

"I didn't think you wanted me to tell him the truth!" she shot back in the same hushed pitch as mine.

"Yeah, but why did you tell him anything in the first place?"

"Jeez, Sky. How drunk are you? We live together, genius! When he didn't see you at home he started asking questions."

"Oh," I relaxed my shoulders a bit. "You could have told him anything else. Why did you say I was on a date?"

"Why must you be so tedious!" she groaned. "How does it matter? You handled the situation anyway."

I let out a sigh and fell back on my bed. I felt crippling exhaustion spread through my muscles and my eyelids felt droopy.

"But you lied to Jeremy for me. Isn't that going to be a problem?" I looked at her through tired eyes.

"I pledged allegiance to you even before I had met Jer. I have to abide by it for the sake of our friendship," Maddy shrugged casually and I smiled.

I wondered what would have happened to me if Maddy hadn't entered my life as my guardian angel.

Had it not been for Maddy, I would have never thought of leaving California and my old life behind. A life that I desperately needed to get away from.

There was nothing that Maddy couldn't make better; no problem that felt too big with her presence in my life. Pouring my heart out in front of her was the only remedy for me on days when I felt broken and troubled.

Today was one of those days and my heart ached to confide in my best friend, my soulmate. But I couldn't.

Jordan's words echoed in my ears. 'You can't tell anyone about this. Not even that roommate of yours.'

"Sky, are you okay?" The concern in her voice brought me out of my trance. I shot a glance in her direction.

"Yeah," I gave a tired smile. "Why?"

"You look... pale," creases marred her forehead, "Are you alright? Have you not been feeling well?" she took her place next to me.

"I'm fine, mother. I'm just tired, that's all," I stifled a yawn. "It's been a LONG day and my bed calls to me," I ran circles with my palms on the soft covers of my bed.

"What happened on your date with Jordan?" she asked.

My heart skipped a beat.

I didn't want to lie to Maddy. I could never lie to her. The woman could read me like an open book.

"N-nothing at all," I managed a reply.

"Nothing at all?" she raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You're telling me that guy bought you a dress like that and then did 'nothing at all'? Is that what you're saying?"

She wasn't buying it. Her tone said it, the look on her face said it, hell, the way I said it said it!

I sighed. "Maddy, I am just exhausted. I've been on my feet since 9 am and it's almost midnight now."

"Fineee," she groaned and got up from my bed. "But first thing tomorrow you'll giving me all the deets," she warned me. "I don't want to hear anything but the truth. A true account of all the events that transpired for you to get that big red hickey on your neck," she stifled a laugh.

My eyes flew out of their sockets as I jerked straight up and bolted towards the dressing table. I threw my coat on the floor and inched forward to search for any reddish-blue marks on my neck, but I found nothing. My neck and the region below it were both clear of any marks that might pass as a hickey.

I looked at Maddy in complete bewilderment. "There's no hickey!"

She snorted a laugh and I clenched my jaw. "I know but your reaction has given me enough to go on tonight. I think I can sleep peacefully knowing that something 'did' happen," she cackled.

"Maddy, you suck. You suck balls!" I whisper shouted.

She smiled cheekily. "No, I don't, but Jordan sure did," and winked at me.

I launched towards her but she quickly escaped my room before I could throw my hairbrush at her.