3 2

fuck you right back

     Trey, Vic, Liv, I and a lot of others hide in various spots in the Reynolds' house.

     The front door opens, and in comes Justine, Jude and their parents.

    "Surprise!"

     Everyone comes out at once, surrounded by the decorations Trey and I help finished last night. Balloons of every colour imaginable. Mini-burger stand in the kitchen next to a bowl of yogurt. Happy 18th Birthday sign on top of our freakin' heads. Cutest photo booth by the corner. Pictures of them as kids, framed around us. Including Justine with braces and Jude with the most horrible haircut I've ever witnessed.

     And so much more.

     It's not their birthday yet — it's in two hours — but that's why we decided to make it an advanced party. It's the secret ingredient.

     Justine and Jude's faces are priceless.

    "What..." Justine's mouth can't stay closed. "Who..."

    "It was all Addie and Trey's idea," Mrs. Reynolds grins, holding her daughter's shoulders. Both the twins look at us now. Trey in a lock with Justine; me in a lock with Jude. It's insane how much they mean to us now, in contrast to who they were before. Who all of us were before.

     Justine is the first to walk forward. She holds our gazes for a while, individually. Before enveloping us into a tight hug.

    "Thank you," she murmurs to both of us.

     Trey kisses the side of her forehead. Then he turns to everyone else. "Let's get this party started!"

     The room whoops and cheers. 

     And the party goes on. People are munching on the food and snacks we've prepared; they're dancing to the R&B playlist we set up; they're hogging the photo booth like a couple of fifth graders. We invited everyone who was there — Trey's squad, my people, but most importantly, Justine and Jude's friends who weren't a hundred-percent assholes from their group.

     Time passes and I'm suddenly holding a tray of cupcakes. I'm not sure when or how I agreed. But it doesn't really matter. Because I can't keep my eyes off of him. 

     Jude is alone across the room right now and I just want to talk to him without fearing that he'll push me away like I did with him.

     Mrs. Reynolds passes me by at that moment. I catch her eye, and she nods at me.

    "Why the fuck did my mother just nod at you?"

     I jump, not realising that Jude had walked up to me. Darn it, I could've made the first move! "Uh," I clear my throat. "No, she didn't."

    "I literally just saw her three seconds ago."

     Shoot. "Maybe she was nodding at the cupcakes."

     He only raises a brow at me, and as if done waiting for me to give a better response, turns to leave. My hand immediately reaches out for his arm, and he tenses. "Wait. Let's talk."

    "Not unless you want to tell me how I'm supposed to feel again."

     I flinch. "I swear, that's not it. Please. Give me a chance."

     Jude's eyes flicker over my face. Trying to find any sort of insincerity. "Fine," he lets out, like he wants this done and over with. "Follow me."

***

     We're on the balcony outside. I didn't even know they had one; turns out it was somewhere upstairs. Then again, I hadn't been upstairs in the few times I'd been here, so it makes sense.

     He clicks his fingers in front of my face. "Don't tell me I've lost you again."

    "No!" I blurt out. "I'm fine." I shake my head. "Just a lot of... thinking."

    "Same here."

     No sweetheart. No nothing. I swallow hard.

     From above, I can see the entire view of the Reynolds' backyard. But it's not the swimming pool, the sea of colourful balloons or the lantern lights that I focus my eyes on. Trey and Justine are by the corner, and he's holding her hands, guiding their bodies like they're doing a salsa dance. Justine throws her head back into a careless laugh. I guess this surprise party did work in getting her back on his graces.

     Let's hope it's going to work with mine.

    "I'm sorry," I say quietly, not brave enough to look at him in the eye. Depending on the rail of the balcony for mental support. "For what I said. For... everything I said. I shouldn't have accused you or assumed things or let myself make excuses for what I feel..."

     My words fade away, my mind taking me back to that night. Then I feel his finger on my chin, slowly lifting it up. My eyes meet his own green ones, bright and earnest and warm.

    "Look at me, sweetheart."

     I gulp. "It's hard," I say honestly.

    "Life's fucking hard. It's not going to be easy just for you." 

    "Right."

     He eyes me again and takes a slight step back, putting his hands in his pockets. Nodding to me. Letting me continue.

    "Look," I let out a deep breath. "I made a mistake that night, alright?"

    "Do you mean when you ran off from me after I kissed you or what you said about me in the bathroom?"

     I flinch. "Both. And everything else." I bite my lip. "You were right... I was just scared to admit the truth."

    "Which is?" He took a step closer.

    "That I like you, too," I whisper. "That I think I like you so much that I'm having trouble breathing."

    "You're scared right now, aren't you?"

    "Y-yeah."

    "Good," he whispers back, and at this point, his head tips down towards mine, like he's trying to catch my words as it stumbles and I almost fall apart. "Because I fucking am, too."

    My eyes flicker over his in awe. "Really?"

   "Really."

     That's when I realised something: the whole dilemma I had with Trey, about me falling for him — I was just infatuated by him as much as he had been infatuated with Justine. And let me remind you the definition of the word: be inspired with an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for. Key words: short-lived.

     But this right now — with Jude, alone, under the stars with the world below us — it's a feeling that's been bubbling inside my chest for as long as I can remember. It's... different. And I think I've known all along.

    "Adelaide," Jude murmurs, brushing my cheek with his knuckles.

    "Don't call me Adelaide," I murmur back.

     He smiles and puts his arms around my waist. Squeezes it as he says,"Adelaide."

    "Jupiter."

    "Fuck you."

    "Fuck you right back," I dare.

     He laughs deep in his throat, then leans in close enough that his lips brush my ear. My eyes flutter close. "Oh, I hope so."

     And he kisses me.

     Not like the one during the Blacklist party, where it was rough and almost desperate. This one is softer, more sensual — like he has all the time in the world. His lips slide against mine so delicately at first, like he's testing the waters. When I open my mouth and meet his tongue with mine, he lets out a deep rumble from his throat and kisses me harder. Pressing me tighter. And I think I actually forget to breathe.

    "Promise me you won't run away," he breathes, resting his forehead against mine.

    "No promises." I slightly lean upwards and brush his nose with mine. "You're going to have to catch me."

     He raises a brow. "It's a challenge, Hale."

     I grin. The best challenge yet.

***

     When Jude and I return downstairs holding hands, the whole party loses its freakin' minds.

    "You guys!" Justine shrieks.

    "Don't make a big deal, sis," Jude groans. But the perky blonde girl still runs towards us and hugs us anyway.

    "I'm so happy for you!" She gushes. "About freakin' time!"

    "You can say that again," Jude teases, taking my hand and looks at me through his lashes, giving my knuckles a soft kiss.

     I blush. "It's your fault that you look like that."

    "Like what?" 

    "Like this!" I gesture awkwardly to him with our hands still intertwined. "Toned muscles, really soft hair, bedroom eyes — "

    "Bedroom eyes?"

    " — your track star status, and the ladies love you! Don't tell me you don't know!"

     A flash clicks! in front of us. We both blink and register ourselves to the sight of Justine with her polaroid. She gives us a guilty smile. "Sorry. You guys looked way too cute."

    "Already harassing the newly weds, darling?"

     Trey appears behind Justine and throws an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in. She giggles at his presence, her eyes dancing with stars. Is that what I look like with Jude?

    "It's almost midnight, guys!" Vic shouts.

     The four of us turn to him. The music dies down, and I don't know who starts counting to ten, but suddenly all of us are chanting. The whole backyard almost shakes with the noise.

    "Five, four, three, two — "

     Midnight hits.

     Everyone screams like it's the freakin' New Year.

    "Happy fuckin' birthday, Jupiter!" I scream in Jude's ear, wrapping my arms around him as I tackle him like a koala gripping a tree trunk.

     He laughs so loud and carefree, the sound from his chest almost contagious as I let out the same. He returns my embrace with almost as much force — maybe even more — and spins me around like he did after we had our running re-match. I'm sure Trey and Justine are watching us right now, and even Liv and Vic, but I don't care. 

     I just want to hear Jude laugh again.

     When he lets me down, I suddenly have a new idea. Mostly after I see the empty swimming pool behind him that's dying to be filled.

    "What?" Jude's mouth lifts. "Why are you smiling like that?"

     I grin so freakin' wide. Then I push him.

     But he doesn't budge. In fact, his hands catch mine, switching us in the process, and he gives me a knowing smirk at our predicament.

    "No," I blurt, "Jude, do not — "

    "Too late."

     I shriek as he carries me and throws me on the pool. Bridal style.

     I burst out of the water immediately after, gasping for air. But I'm laughing. I don't know why I'm laughing — I should be pissed. Jude follows and catapults, making me squeal. And the next second I know, everyone's jumping to the pool like it's High School Musical 2.

     Screams of pure joy and delight float around me. The music resumes. People sing happy birthday songs. My chest feels like it's going to explode.

     Feelings. They feel so good. 

     Especially when Jude gathers me in his arms again, holding my waist so my chest presses against his chest. I blush, resting my hands on his soaked shirt. It feels even more intimate because we're wet.

     Not that wet. Get your mind outta the gutter.

     (At least not yet, right?)

    "You have water in your hair," he yells, happiness overtaking his entire body.

    "So do you!" I wipe a fallen drop from his brow, and, after suddenly feeling bold, suck it from my thumb.

     He stares. "You did not just do that in front of me."

    "What if I did?"

    "Then I'll need a cold fuckin' shower."

     I giggle and bite my lip, mostly out of giddiness but also out of my nerves. I bury my head in his shoulder. "I still didn't get you anything, you know!" I shout. "You should've let me pushed you! It was the least I could do for the birthday boy!"

    "That's okay, Addie." He kisses my forehead, and though the water is cold, my whole body melts in his arms. "I got all I fucking want."

A/N: Y'all deserve all the Addie/Jude fluff in the world.

Trey/Justine takes a backseat at the moment, but we'll get back to that plot soon enough. Though maybe you'll wish that we didn't.