Chapter 25: Come Hell or High Water

After having a terrible night, I'm up before Jay for once. I can't make peace with the fact that he still has two more bombshells to drop on me. What if they are worse than first revelation? How will I handle it?

With all that in mind, I lean over Jay and stare at him intensely, attempting to read his thoughts. As if sensing my close presence, he opens his eyes and startles awake at seeing me up close and in his face.

"What are the other two things?!" I immediately ask, not waiting a second longer to find out. He's put me through enough torture.

"What the hell, Aqueela?" he questions, placing a hand over his chest before carefully pushing me away from his face. "My heart is pounding. I want to wake up to you every day with a racing heart but not like this," he tells me, taking a second to register his surroundings before relaxing.

"What are the two other things?" I repeat, eager to know.

Jay blinks, still bleary-eyed and groggy, only computing now. "Did you seriously stare me awake again?"

"No," I lie to his face, "those childish days are behind me. I've since matured."

"Oh, have you? I didn't notice," he teases, in a playful mood...again.

I jab his shoulder with my fist and he dramatically slumps over in fake pain. "You're stupid," I tell him, biting back a smile.

"Stupid in love," he agrees.

"No, just stupid," I argue.

He ignores me and checks the time. "Wow. It's five in the morning. Are you sick or something?" he asks, concerned. He leans into me to feel my forehead with the back of his hand. "You feel cool, but this...." he drawls after tapping my head twice, "I'm worried, it's completely hollow."

I glare up at him, shooting daggers with my eyes.

He grins and shrugs. "Huh. Weird."

I cross my arms over my chest and pout. "I want a divorce."

"I honestly think that I'd rather die," he replies in earnest, bending his head to give me a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm gonna go make breakfast and check on the muscle head," he informs me, leaving the bed to put on a shirt.

I nod. "Okay."

He's already left the room when I remember that I'm supposed to be interrogating him. He completely side-tracked me with his apparent ladies' man charms!

"Hey! We're not done here! Get back in here! Get back in here right this instant!" I shout after him, hoping he'll magically return to the room. "Jay! Come back!" I plead but it falls on deaf ears. "I can't wait any longer!"

"Gross, Aqueela! Coming off as a lot desperate," Greg lectures me as he walks past. He stops to shut the door. "I think it's best if I just close this...for everyone's sake."

I run a hand down my face in despair, on the verge of losing my mind. "Jay! What were the other two things?!"

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

It's two hours later when I finally find the strength and willpower to drag myself out of bed.

"Morning, princess!" Laiken greets me with an enthusiastic smile the second I walk into the kitchen – not the reaction I was expecting from a rich kid being forced to sleep on a humbling couch.

"Morning," I greet him tiredly, still in search of Jay, but he and Slobs are nowhere in sight.

"Don't you look pretty," Laik states even though I'm still in my pajamas, I've yet to shower and my hair is a knotty rat's nest. "Pretty princess," he concludes and smiles warmly at me.

I'm not in the mood for his unexplained and sudden joy – it's sickening, and it makes me feel uncomfortable. "You're such a liar. What do you want?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing." He hands me a plate of pancakes, still holding that odd yet genuine smile on his face. "Here, for you," he politely offers.

What the heck is going on around here?!

I reluctantly take the pancakes and then arch an eyebrow at him. "Did you take something last night?" I ask hesitantly.

He frowns, catching on. "Why can't I just be happy?"

"I'm going to need a direct 'no' or 'yes' answer from you," I retort, still unconvinced.

I thought the only thing that makes him happy is money. After sleeping on a 'poor man's couch', as he put it, he should be absolutely miserable, and I'm supposed to be relishing in it. I need my relishing time! It is vital to my daily routine.

Instead, Laik is clean-shaven, smelling fresh, and up and about early. Not only is he making his own breakfast with a dorky smile on his face but he's also making everyone breakfast with a dorky smile on his face. He's as elated as can be. How annoying...

I inspect the pancake and warily take a bite. "I don't remember you having much baking skills in New York," I comment and then immediately spit out my mouthful. "Yeah, I was right. It's still raw. One star review for you."

"Sorry about that, my princess," he apologizes, still smiling, his confidence unshaken.

I glare at him and scoff. "Your happiness is nauseating. I can't put up with it so early in the morning."

"My sincerest apologies," he repeats and moves to wash the dishes.

I sniff the air as he walks past me. "When did they start bottling love and laughter, and turn it into a cologne?" I mock him.

"You're not going to get to me, Law," he replies, upbeat. "I'm surprising Luce today. That's why I'm happy. Nothing's going to ruin my mood."

I should have known. Susie is everything to Laiken. She's the only female in the entire world that he truly cares about.

"That's nice. I know she'll be glad to see you," I tell him, relieved to see a glimpse of the Laiken I came to know in New York.

He nods excitedly. "Yup. My little sister. Luce and you are the only reason why I haven't given up on the female race yet." As an afterthought, he adds, "Oh, and Rita."

Rita is Susie's mom. I know that Laik loves her a lot. He's never been all that close to his biological mom.

"Jeez. What did us females ever do to you?" I ask aloud and then realize it could be a reference to the way Melinda and Mia have treated him in the past.

He shrugs. "Let's just say that I prefer being in love with myself. It's easier."

I should have set him and Ry up as besties...

"Have you, by any chance, seen my significant other and Jay?" I change the subject – I don't feel like ruining his good mood.

"Slobber's with Jay. They went for a run," he answers me. "Oh yeah, and Jay said to tell you to be ready before he gets home. He wants to take you somewhere. Something about the second thing...whatever that means."

"When did he say this? And when did he leave?" I question. There's no way I'm missing out on this second revelation.

"About an hour ago," he replies with nonchalance. "Both things."

My eyes widen in alarm. "Why didn't you wake me up?!" I hiss at him. Jay's probably right around the corner and I still look like I've stepped off the set of The Walking Dead.

Laik shrugs again before giving me his lame excuse. "Forgot."

I sigh before shooting a scowl his way. "Guys with muscles connected directly to their brains are the worst type of humans."

"The rest of the female population would beg to differ," he contends. "And I speak from experience," he ends with a wink.

I shake my head in disappointment. "And...there he is."

He smirks, looking more like himself again. "Hey now, Law, if you be coming at the king with shots intended to kill, then you best not miss."

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

I jump out of the shower and hurry to the bedroom. I throw on some random clothes, the first I find, determined to be ready before Jay and Slobs gets back. I race a brush through my hair and start brushing my teeth when I hear his voice from behind me:

"Red and green...interesting fashion choice. Very bold. Are you making a statement in support of Christmas or something? Because the message is super clear."

I spin around to see Jay leaning up against the wall, watching my every move. I open my mouth to answer him but I drool out toothpaste instead. He laughs, unfazed by the disgusting state that I'm currently in.

Have I mentioned that I hate Laiken? Because I do.

"I'm sorry! I'm nearly done!" I apologize while wiping my mouth, attempting to fix my disastrous appearance. "I just need to change absolutely everything," I insist and remove my top and pants, in search of an outfit that actually matches.

"Why?" he asks, looking away. "I liked the whole Christmas tree look on you," he teases.

"You did?" I catch his gaze over my shoulder, and he smiles before looking away again.

"I like you in anything, Aqueela," he replies in sincerity, "because I just like you."

I put on jeans and a white tank top before turning around to face him. "There's no accounting for taste, JJ," I remark.

His gaze roves over me. "I'd say I have apt taste," he finishes confidently, sure of himself.

I feel my cheeks warm under his intense stare. "Stop it. You're making all the air go to my lungs."

Is this what it feels like to literally be made breathless by someone?

He chuckles before closing the distance between us. "That's where the air is supposed to go, dummy." He wraps me up in an affectionate hug. "But I'm concerned because it seems most of that air is going up here," he pulls back to gently tap my head.

I frown up at him. "Are you calling me an airhead?"

He hesitates. "I wanna say no?"

I smack his arm. "You're so mean."

He laughs. "Be patient with me," he jokingly demands, "I'm still learning how to love you the way you deserve to be loved."

"Well, indirectly calling me an airhead is a prime example of what not to do," I rag on him. "But don't worry, in my very biased opinion, I still think you're doing a great job at loving me."

"We're actually hard-pressed for time, but..." he trails off, his eyes zeroing in on my lips.

I nod brusquely, following his thought pattern. I place my hand on the side of his face and stand on my tippy-toes before leaning forward. "A few minutes never killed anyone...I don't think," I whisper, a hair's breadth away from his lips.

"A few minutes longer and you'll kill me," he argues before he closes the gap and presses his lips to mine.

Kissing Jay never gets old. He still causes a storm of butterflies to rage through me and I still get that warm, buzzing feel whenever he's this close.

He pulls away and keeps me frozen in place with the adoring look in his eyes. "I love you," he says, and I can feel the words radiate through him. "I need you to know that I always will," he adds before he kisses me again.

I have a feeling that this is about the whole Ava thing. This is him discreetly trying to assure me that I have his heart. It's been bothering me more than it should and I've yet to make sense of it. Jay will probably make sense of it before me, if he hasn't already.

"I know, and come hell or high water," or Ava, "I'll probably, maybe, sorta, kinda always love you and your leather jackets too."

You'd think he'd outgrow them by now...

"If only I could go back in time and tell high-school me that refusing to move on from you would someday pay off massively with you maybe, sorta, kinda falling in love with me," he kids and then tugs on my hand. "We should get going. You've seduced me enough."

My mouth falls agape at the audacity of this boy that I've stupidly chosen as my forever. "Hey! You started it!"

"Yeah, maybe I did, but now I'm ending it," he says, pulling on my hand a second time. "We're already late, seductress."

I give him my best puppy eyes, wanting the moment to last. "But, but, but..." I falter with a pout, rooted to my spot.

He arches an eyebrow at me. "What is it?"

I pucker my lips and bat my lashes.

"Is that a hint?" he asks playfully, catching on.

I nod fervently. "Mm-hmm."

He feigns a sigh. "Fine," he accepts my silent request and dips his head to place a chaste kiss on my lips, but I'm far from satisfied. I keep my lips puckered. He chuckles. "If I must..." he drops a few more sweet kisses on my lips, one after the other, until I've lost count, and until I'm left smiling.

"Okay, that's enough!" I laugh and push him back when he doesn't make a move to stop.

"Next time, you'll think twice before asking," he replies with a carefree shrug.

No, no I won't. I really, really won't.

"Please can you stop seducing me and tell me what the second revelation is already," I beg.

"It's not another negative thing. At least, I hope not. So, you can relax," he orders before clearing his throat. "You—"

"I'm pregnant?!" I guess in excitement, yelling over him.

He furrows his brows, lost. "How would that work? One, we haven't, and it's been pure torture on my end. Two, how would I know before you if you actually were?"

I'm talking to Jay Taylor here. He would somehow know that I'm pregnant before me. That pretty much sums up our relationship – he figures stuff out, and I rely on him to figure stuff out.

My face falls in disappointment. "Dagnabbit."

I have to stop psyching myself up every time...

He reaches out and holds my hand. "This baby phase that you're going through..." he pauses, keeping me in suspense for a bit, "are you sure that it's not just allergies or a sickness or something?"

Talk about anti-climatic...

I stare at him blankly, in a state of disbelief, before punching him on the shoulder.

He holds his hands up in defense, failing to stifle his grin. "I'm kidding. I'm obviously kidding."

"I never doubted that for a second," I lie. "Maybe just a little bit," I give in when I see his face and show the infinitesimal gap between my fingers.

"Getting back on track here, I made an offer on a house," he finally spills the beans while leading the way out of our room.

"Oh, you did now?" I ask warily, walking in step with him. "That's great," I try my best to sound enthusiastic about it.

He easily reads me and detects my deceit. "You have no faith in me, Lawson."

"Of course, I do! You're my ultimate life-hack," I protest against his words immediately. "I just worry that the house will be too normal for my liking."

"Too normal?" He raises his eyebrows, taken aback by my words. "Is that what you think of me now?"

I shrug. "I mean...."

He scoffs and then smirks in a self-assured manner. "I actually can't wait to see your face. It's gonna be priceless. I mess up sometimes, but this one, well, I'd say you better wager on me, 'Queels. I'm the safe bet."

He always has been.

"You lovely people going out?" Lai asks us, spotting us at the front door. I thought he'd have left by now.

"Yeah," I answer him, stepping out of the house after Jay.

"Okay, just remember to do the opposite of everything I would do," he warns.

The fact that he knows how he is. At least, he's not in denial, I guess.

I bid him goodbye. "See you later, Laik."

"See ya guys!" he waves. "You two kids have fun now but not too much fun!" he teases in a sing-song voice.

"Trust me, my wife-thing will see to it that there isn't too much fun happening between us," Jay jibes humorously.

I elbow him in response. "And trust me, my husband-thing will try his luck anyway."

Laiken snickers. "Kids these days."

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

I move my gaze off the passing scenery and glance over at Jay while he drives. Despite being a racer for a large part of his life, he's a very careful driver. He doesn't speed as much as he used to in high-school. I guess he's matured a lot too.

"What's up?" he asks without taking his eyes off the road, sensing my gaze on him.

"You don't go over the limit anymore," I point out.

"That's because I have irreplaceable, cherished merchandise in the car with me," he smiles, slowing down more just to prove his point. "Why are you thinking about that anyway?"

I shrug half-heartedly. "I don't know..." I hesitate, "it's just that we've come such a long way since our first meeting. It's kind of unreal."

He nods. "We've both changed a lot."

"Your outfits haven't," I joke, gesturing to his leather jacket.

He spares me a quick glance. "I'm starting to think you have a problem with it."

"No, just curious," I reply honestly.

He returns his focus to driving. "They're more safety nets at this point," he elaborates. "It feels weird if I don't have one on...like I'm vulnerable or something."

"I get it. Like your second skin?" I note.

He processes it for a second before nodding. "Yeah."

We lapse into a silence again. I'm literally sitting on the edge of my seat because the nerves are getting to me. I'm very afraid that I'm going to hate the house, and I don't want to crush Jay's spirits. He has high hopes but I'm still not convinced.

"I forgot to ask you how your run with Slobber was," I say, trying to distract myself before I stumble over all the thoughts rushing through my mind.

"It was good. I enjoyed running without the weight," he answers me with a little grin on his face.

I narrow my gaze. "What is that supposed to mean?"

A low chuckle reverberates from his chest. "Let's be honest, on the extremely rare occasion when we do go 'running' together, I'm usually carrying you more than half the way."

"Is that smack talk I hear?" I huff.

A crooked half-smile takes over his expression. "You're right on the money." When I don't say anything further, he adds, "Listen, 'Queels, you're gonna love the house. I guarantee it. And if you don't, we don't buy it. As simple as that. No pressure."

I blow out a breath, forcing myself to be cool – it isn't difficult. "I know. And thank you."

To ease my apprehension, he takes one hand off the steering wheel and places it on my leg. The small action makes me smile. I can already feel myself start to relax.

He turns his head my way, his gaze piercing through me and keeping me in place. "I've told you a billion times now, and I'll tell you a billion times more, until you actually believe me, I've got you."

I nod but I'm still not really hearing him.

"I got you, Aqueela. I got you. I got you. I got you," he repeats himself. "You shouldn't be stressing at all. That's my role in this relationship," he teases.

"I hope 'I got you' isn't all that you've written for your vows," I kid.

"No, I also wrote how lucky you are to have me," he replies, barely concealing his grin.

I roll my eyes playfully just as he pulls to a stop in front of an ordinary-looking house. My heart drops into my stomach. "Is this it?" I ask quietly.

The house screams typical Jay. It has a sleek, natural wood finish blended witha white and gray theme. There's lots of fancy glass in between. It's beautiful, that much is obvious, but also probably way out of our budget and far too close to boring.

"This is it," he declares as he opens the passenger door for me. I didn't even notice him get out. I was too invested in the house.

"Oh..." is all I manage to say, "...pretty."

He takes my hand and leads me to the front door where the real estate agent is waiting for us. "First impressions so far?"

"Pretty," I repeat lamely.

His gaze wanders over my expression. He just grins before introducing me to the woman showing the house.

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Taylor," Lesley shakes my hand. "Your husband has spoken a lot about you. After a lot of searching and careful consideration, we think we may have finally found you both the perfect home."

My eyes widen and my heart kicks against my chest wildly for a moment. "My husband? Oh, we're not yet..." I stop talking. "Never mind." I look up at Jay and smile. I could get used to this.

"I don't know how much your husband's told you but this house is of fairly modern design with a unique touch. A local artist was inspired to design this home," Lesley informs me and then leads us inside.

"A local artist?" I mouth to Jay, befuddled. Why would he not mention that to me?

My husband-thing just shrugs.

Lesley shows us the first half of the house. The tour sucks and I find myself feeling disappointed. Everything is stunning but there's no wow factor for me. Nothing is speaking to me or calling upon my great name.

Jay's so busy conversing with Lesley, telling her much he loves the living room, TV room, and the upstairs bedrooms that I kind of feel left out.

"I like the bathrooms," I state for the heck of it. "That one bath was...bathy...and the toilets are extra...toilety." Yes, that is the best I can do. In all honesty, this apparent artist should call it and retire – would it kill him/her to add a splash of color? I can only hope.

Lesley peers over at Jay and they share a look.

I fold my arms over my chest and frown. I don't like this...

"Let's see the second half of the house," Lesley suggests, already leading the way.

Frankly, I've seen enough. I paint a polite smile on my face and nod. "Sure."

"Do you like it?" Jay asks from beside me as we fall a few steps behind Lesley.

"I love it," I lie, flashing him all my pearly whites. If I have to live in a house that I hate for Jay, then so be it. I'd do just about anything for him because at the end of the day, I chose him -- he'll forever be the only home I need.

I quirk an eyebrow when Lesley opens a door and we're met with a short and colorful suspension bridge leading to the second half of the house. "What's happening?" I ask slowly, baffled.

Neither Lesley nor Jay answers me.

Confused, I shut up and follow them over the bridge. I look down and spot a deep, swimming pool beneath us – awesome! When Lesley opens the next door and steps aside to allow us in, I'm even more astounded by what I see.

"We have a game room?!" I ask in pure excitement, glancing around in awe.

This isn't happening...

Jay shakes his head. "No, not exactly a game room," he corrects me, smiling softly. "This is what I like to call the 'Aqueela Cove'. You deserve your own space. If I get a sane space, it's only fair that you get an insane space."

"I think I'm in love...with this room," I exclaim in disbelief, still processing. I eventually make eye-contact with my husband-thing again. I stifle a laugh at seeing his facial expression. "You hate it, don't you?"

He immediately nods, not bothering to deny it. "With every single fiber of my being. It makes me want to vomit. I feel physically sick whenever I step into this room."

"Well, it brings me joy," I assert, doing a little twirl.

A content smile touches his lips as he watches me. "That's all that matters to me. If you love it, I'll tolerate it."

"And because you tolerate it, I'll love you," I retaliate with never-ending goodness.

The walls are a neon green. There's a trampoline in the center of the room with a Velcro padded wall across from it. Under the Velcro is a colorful ball pit to fall into. On the far side of the room is a hot tub separated from the rest of the room by a giant, Lego wall. On the opposite end, there is a frozen yogurt machine with many toppings to choose from.

Lesley picks up a remote and presses a button. Rainbow bubbles start appearing from the roof along with flashing lights. "We added a few carefully placed bubble machines in each corner of the ceiling."

I embrace Jay's arm tightly and beam up at him. "You're the best."

There is fireman pole as well as a staircase leading downstairs. There is also a staircase leading up to a third story.

"If you follow me, I'll show you where you two will be sleeping," Lesley leads the way upstairs. "It gets confusing," she laughs. "Try and stay close."

I immediately understand what she means by 'stay close' when I see all the different passages on the third floor that lead to absolutely nowhere. It's quirky, confusing, and bizarre – I love it! I feel sorry for the idiot who breaks into this home. He'll get lost on this floor.

"I don't understand..." I trail off. "Is the artist insane?"

Lesley chuckles. "He's bipolar and wanted this entire house to express the difficulties of the mental illness through a clear design. He created the first part of the house based on the rare times that he feels normal. When you first look at the house from the outside, it seems normal. You don't expect anything else."

"And the part of the house that we're in now? The second part?" I question.

"This part of the house was created to convey the times he experiences his manic episodes. If you dig deeper, this is the part of him that you will discover. The passages leading to nowhere represent how lost in life he feels. Your game cove represents the chaos he feels in his life and the uncontrollable urges he gets during his manic moments," she explains, shocking me.

"Wow..." is all I can say. I'm all for raising awareness. Since I found out about Jay and his struggles, I've wanted to show more support toward those who suffer from mental illnesses. It's close to my heart now.

"This is your room," Lesley stops in front of a wall. "Where the magic will happen," she winks at us.

I arch an eyebrow at her. "Okay..." I've never slept or done magic on a wall before – I'm not impressed, I'm not impressed at all.

Jay leans on the wall and it opens into a stunning bedroom with an adjoining bathroom. "Secret room," he clarifies. "The artist feels like he always has to keep parts of himself a secret so that he doesn't scare anybody off."

I clap my hands. "Awesome!" I look around and take in the light gray and blue theme. The room is beautifully lit with natural light. I look up at Jay. "You must love this room?" He prefers neutral colors and simplicity.

"So much," he answers honestly. "It doesn't hurt my brain. If we at least have a great bedroom, I don't care about the rest of the house."

I smile and follow them back down to Aqueela's Cove, a.k.a. Lawson's Lounge, a.k.a.a.k.a. Taylors' Tavern.

"The fireman pole was put into the design to indicate the drop the artist would feel from his manic moments," she gestures around my busy room, "into emotional lows."

I'm already down the fireman pole before either her or Jay can stop me.

"That was fun!" I tell them after first waiting for them to reach me. They took the stairs down instead.

The bottom floor is nothing too special. It has a normal lounge and a kitchen. The lounge leads straight outside into a big garden with a pool situated directly under the bridge. After having a good look at the outdoor area, we're about to re-enter the house when I stop short.

"How did I miss this?!" I exclaim, looking up at the house. It looks like it's been built upside-down. The boring, front part of the house didn't look like this. "Am I standing on the roof?!" I gasp in exhilaration.

Jay just grins. "Yep."

"The artist is portraying how upside-down life can feel when you're bipolar," Lesley chips in before taking us back to Aqueela's Cove.

I lag behind and purposely tug Jay back by the hand. He glances over his shoulder at me, concern budding behind the baby blues. "Everything alright?"

"Isn't this house super expensive? It's huge, considering that the boring part of the house on the other side of the bridge is ours too," I voice my thoughts. I need to understand what he's thinking. Surely, this isn't possible for us.

"Hey, that boring part of the house is going to be my solace when I need it," he jokes.

I frown. "I'm being serious though. Being poor is our new aesthetic, remember?"

He nods. "I know what you're thinking but this is possible. We're the only ones that have placed an offer on this house. No one else is crazy enough to actually want to live here."

"Still..." I falter, "as much as I adore it here and as stupid as the rest of humanity is, I don't think we can afford this."

"We'll be able to soon. That's the third thing I wanted to speak to you about..." he averts his gaze to the floor and lifts a hand to rub the back of his neck. "I'll talk to you about it when we get home," he murmurs, taking my hand in his as we reach Aqueela's Cove again.

Despite what Jay says, this doesn't seem realistic for us. What are we going to do with three extra bedrooms anyway?

I shrug off our little talk and decide to make the most of this visit while I'm here. I take a run-up and jump from the trampoline onto the Velcro, testing it out. I stick for a few seconds before falling into the ball pit. I laugh out of my stomach but then stop when I see a dark shadow looming over me.

Am I dreaming?

"You're such a child."

I'm not dreaming.

*~*~**~*~*

Hey guys :)

I hope you're all doing well? Let me know.

1. What was your favourite part of this chapter? 

2. Thoughts on Aqueela's relationship with Laiken?

3. Favourite one-liner of this chapter?

4. Is it time for Jay to lose the leather jackets?

5. What do you think Jay will say in his vows?

6. Thoughts on the entire house? Too much or too little?

7. Favourite part of the house?

8. How do you think they will be able to afford it?

Thanks for the support!

~ CJ