A Touch Of Sin [BxB] - Chapter 66: Chapter 66

Callum's POV:
Returning back to reality is a little deflating but not enough to ruin the high from last night.
The drive home was quick, both of us energised and talkative and so damn happy, despite the headache and tiredness from the night before. We stopped for coffee and donuts on the trip to help keep the good mood rolling.
We discuss on the trip my cousin's wedding that I have coming up. We once spoke of doing a trip down South when we attend the wedding and since it's coming up soon, we begin to organise our plan for it, tossing around the idea of renting out a decked out van to travel and camp in.
We unfortunately have to part ways tonight as I have lectures to catch up on and can never get any study done when he's around. He's too adorable to leave unattended.
"Hey bro," Spud greets me when he appears out of his room, red-eyed and fuzzy-haired. "What's up?"
"Catching up," I reply sadly, gesturing to the books in front of me.
"Wanna blaze up?" he asks.
I smile. "Maybe later."
Definitely not later.
"You and Jake are, like, end game shit, bro," says Spud with wild hand gestures and a lazy smile. "You just got it. You know?"
He does this often. Speaks words but they don't really make sense. I nod anyway.
"Thanks man."
"You're cool," he gives me a thumbs up. "Just a knock away, bro," he says before disappearing back into his room. Smoke billows out from it and I wave my hand in front of my face and open the patio door to let some fresh air in. How he doesn't set off the alarms beats me, but he has probably done this so long now that he's an expert at it.
His room is extremely messy and kind of gives me anxiety when I look at it,.
I study until my head hurts and my eyes ache. I feel relieved when I close my laptop and shut my books.
After showing and falling wearily into bed, I check my phone.
Jake: Thank you for everything. I love you.
A sleepy smile crosses my face as I let the darkness overcome me.
***
I don't know what possessed me to agree to this and I asked this question about ten times throughout, but now that we're finished, I feel good.
"What a beautiful morning!" Lena breathes, draping her arms over the wooden fence in front of us.
The morning sun warms my back as I join her at the fence, my shirt clinging to me, my breath coming out in short, fast spurts.
"I need to get back into running," I say, wiping my brow.
"You did fine, I just run a lot," she justifies kindly.
I'm glad Jake is fine with me being friends with Lena because she's so easy-going and relaxed. It's honestly nice being around her. And she's fun. I don't have to try to keep conversations going or anything like that, it all happens naturally and easily.
"I really want to hang out with Jake, if he will let me."
"You'll really like him," I say honestly. "And he would really like you, if he doesn't hold any grudges."
"Hopefully he doesn't, unlike," she widens her eyes knowingly, referring to Kat, who still despises Lena severely.
"Mmhmm," I mumble, not taking the bait to talk about Kat.
Kat and I have definitely grown apart since uni. She was away and then I was so wrapped up in Jake and then the Lena thing. She's found a new friend group and spends most of her time with them now. We still text but our hang outs have halved, and then some. I definitely know it's from her but partly me, too, since I've been dropping everything to be with Jake and support him with everything that's been going on.
"Let's go get a coffee," she suggests.
I push from the fence and we walk towards the pop-up shop someone has set up along the beach.
"Large mocha on soy and a large cappuccino with one sugar, thanks," Lena rattles off and I'm impressed that she remembers my order, since I think we only got coffee together once between classes and that was weeks ago.
We talk about classes, assessments and helpful study tips. Lena approaches school really different to me but I take on her tips and ideas anyway.
"What are you up to later?" I ask.
"Nothing on the schedule," she answers as we stand back out in the sun to wait for our coffees.
"Jake has a game tonight. Do you want to come watch with me? Might be a good chance to hang with him after, too."
"Yeah! Sounds good."
Our order is called and we sit down by the water, spending most of the day there, occasionally getting some study in, before we get ready to head to the football fields.
It's particularly cold this evening and I'm thankful I wore one of Jake's hoodies. I invited Kat to the game but she never replied, even though it says she's active. I sigh and decide to think about that later, pushing my phone into my pocket.
"What's got your frown upside down?" Lena questions.
"Nothing," I reply with a smile, not wanting to get into it.
The game starts and a few minutes in, Spud joins us with a beanie planted on the top of his head and a cigarette loosely dangling from his lips.
"Howdy," he greets us, collapsing into his camping chair and plonking his esky down beside him with a thud.
"Hey."
"Hi Spud," Lena smiles.
"A mate is having a party over on the south campus after the game. You guys keen?" he asks.
"Absolutely," Lena answers before he's finished speaking.
"I'll ask Jake but I'm sure he'll be in."
"Cool, we can have a few drinks at our place first?"
"Sounds good."
The game is rather uneventful and low-scoring, but it doesn't minimise the boisterous calls from the crowd that has gathered to watch.
Jake is keen for the after party and he leaves the team meeting early to shower and dress. We begin a drinking card game while we wait for him and Spud enlightens us with his interesting music choices.
Ellie: How's Jake doing?
After reading the text, I glance to the bathroom but Jake hasn't come out yet.
Callum: He's doing okay.
Ellie: Good to hear. Have a good night x
Callum: You too x
I put my phone away after that and Jake joins us, looking a lot fresher than he did when he came off the field.
We only spend an hour at mine and Spud's room before we head to the party. We catch a tram and it's unusually full for this time of night, but being a Friday night, everyone probably is going out. I see a group of boys passing around a water-bottle, all taking sips and I'm guessing it's not actually filled with water.
Jake and Lena have been getting along–it would be hard not to get along with Lena–which I'm grateful for. Jake has drunk about three-times the amount everyone else has and I'm noticing he's quite drunk and we're not even there yet. I rub my hand on his back as he talks to Spud. I hope he has a good night after the hell his parents have put him through this last week.
The air is thick with smoke when we arrive, but I'm used to the smell now, after living with Spud. The volume of the music is a little too loud and the house feels like it might give-way beneath the deep vibrations that are pulsing through the walls.
It's stuffy and hot inside the house so we escape out the back where people are spread out in the yard, some by a small fire, some standing in the back corners and a large group playing some sort of skulling drinking game.
We join the drinking game and I watch, with only a little concern, as Jake skulls drink after drink. He is going to be sick soon, but I also want to let him have fun, so I try to match with him, but he is a much more experienced drinker than me and defeats me effortlessly.
Lena disappears and I find her later locking lips with a pretty red-head with long legs and an alarmingly short dress that leaves little to the imagination. It doesn't even shock me that Lena would be bi. I move along and hang out with a few random guys for a while, not finding much appeal to the shot game that started up, Jake being the ring-leader of it.
I'm feeling a little drunk myself for a while and find myself dancing, even though the room is too overcrowded.
After thinking I've given Jake enough space, I wander outside, to see him staggering off down the back of the yard on his own. I quietly follow him, growing more concerned with each step.
He falls to his knees and vomits violently on the ground. I gently pat his back and crouch beside him.
"Knew those shots were going to hurt you," I chuckle.
"Not a good idea," he mutters.
He vomits another time before I help him to his feet and guide him over to a bench that's leaning against a garden bed. He slumps forward, head in hands.
I feel him shaking and I think it's the aftermath from being sick but I realise he's crying.
"J?" I murmur hesitantly.
"If I had parents who loved me, do you think I would have turned out to be a better person?"
I feel my heart splinter inside my chest painfully at his words. I drop to my knees before him and bundle his cold hands in mine.
"You are the best person I know."
He shakes his head. "I'm not."
"J, do you think I would be with someone who I didn't deem to be the best?" I ask him. "Your parents do love you, they're just bad at showing it."
He scoffs. "They don't. One left and one beat me. That's not love."
I don't know what to say. I gather his hands tighter in mine.
"You don't need them," I say after a few moments.
"Why don't they love me?" he whispers brokenly, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Why aren't I enough?"
"You are enough." I kiss his hands. His fingers, his knuckles, his wrists. I look into his eyes fiercely. "You are everything. Never forget that."