Pride and Hate with Benefits [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24 - When good people hurt

Ellie

After meeting with Charlie, I head to my classes and dream about a white Christmas. It's not until I get out of my last class I see the text from Jenna. She's asking me to come over. Nothing else.

Fear creeps up. Jenna doesn't text unless she has to. I try to call her but there's no answer.

I grab my coat and rush out as I dial her number again. Still no answer and my heart is beating a mile a minute. Something's wrong. I know it is. I can feel it. Dread is threatening to creep up and replace my worry. I need to get to Jenna as quickly as possible.

When I reach her apartment, I'm out of breath and I bang on the door as if my life depends on it.

"Jenna? Jenna, are you there?"

The door opens and I take a relieved breath. Until I see her eyes. Her face is red and swollen and her hair is a mess.

"Jenna?" I carefully close the door behind me. "Jenna, what's wrong?" I speak softly, as if loud noises might make her bolt.

She opens her mouth, but all that comes out is a sob, and she breaks down crying.

I close my arms around her and hold on tight. She clings to me like a lost child, sobbing into my coat.

Once her sobs subside, I try to make some distance between us.

"Let's go sit down," I say. "And you can tell me all about it."

She nods and walks ahead of me into the large, bright living room. I shrug out of my coat and kick my shoes off. Whatever's happened, this is going to require some time.

We sit down on her expensive couch, facing each other, and she pulls her legs up so she can hug her knees.

"Jenna, I love you, but you're freaking me out. I need you to tell me what's wrong."

My mind is racing, creating and dismissing scenarios that would cause this reaction.

"It... It's Julian... He broke up with me." The last words are more squeaks than words, but I hear them clearly enough.

I blink at her. "What?"

There has to be a mistake. Julian is in love with her. I know. I've seen him.

She nods and reaches for a box of tissues. "He said that we're too different." She sobs into the tissue. "That it couldn't work."

"That bitch." I sit there, stunned. It's as if my mind refuses to process this information. "Why would he say that? You two are perfect for each other."

"That's what I thought. Oh, Ellie. I think I was falling in love with him."

"I know you were. I watched it happen. That's why I can't believe this. Because I saw how he looked at you."

Jenna breaks down crying again, and I move closer so I can hold her.

"Do you think it's because I wouldn't sleep with him?" Her voice is so small and sad that I hug her tighter.

"No," I say, full of confidence. "I don't think he's like that. If that's the reason, then you're better off without him. But I can't imagine him being like that. Did he ever pressure you?"

She shakes her head and sobs again.

"Then I don't think that's it."

"He always asked what I was comfortable with, and I know he wanted more, but it really didn't seem like that big a deal."

"Maybe it was something else. What exactly did he say?"

"We met up for a coffee."

"At least he did it in person."

"And he seemed sad, so I asked what was wrong. And then he told me it wasn't working. That we weren't working. At first, I didn't know what to say. I thought it was a joke. But you should have seen him, Ellie. He looked devastated."

"I'm glad."

"Ellie."

"Well, he hurt my best friend. I want him to hurt, too."

"I don't. He's a good guy, Ellie."

I sigh. "I know. Maybe he was right. Maybe it just wasn't working? What else did he say?"

"He told me I was beautiful, and that he cared for me. Then, he just left."

"He left."

Jenna nods. "I think he was crying."

"Hold that thought. I have to call in sick."

"You don't have to do that."

I ignore Jenna's protests and cough convincingly into the phone to get someone else to cover my shift. Then, I order ice cream and pizza.

We go through the conversation over and over until I ask if Jenna wants to watch 10 Things I Hate About You. She does, so we eat more ice cream, cry, and watch more movies.

It's almost midnight when Jenna falls asleep on the couch. I place a blanket over her and tidy up a bit before I leave.

What the actual fuck was Julian thinking? The next time I see him, I'm going to knee him in the balls. I want to yell at him. He's messing up the best thing he's ever had and he will regret this.

Why would he leave her like that? Together we have analyzed every conversation they've had the past couple of weeks, every gesture, every look. And there were no signs of anything being wrong. And then he dumps her out of nowhere. It doesn't add up.

Lydia is putting on a jacket when I get home.

"You're out late," she says.

"Julian broke up with Jenna."

"Huh?" She adjusts her hair in the mirror.

"Is that all you have to say? He dumped her."

"Well, did she really like him?"

"Of course she did. Why would you even ask that?"

She shrugs. "It just didn't look like she was all that into him at the hockey game."

I stare at her, but she just waves and heads out.

What? How could Lydia say that? Jenna was head over heels for him. Sure, she didn't grope him in public or anything, but that didn't mean she didn't like him. And Julian knew how shy she was.

If she hadn't liked him, she wouldn't have cried herself to sleep.

With a sigh, I get ready for bed. I'll need to get up early so I can swing by Jenna's place before class tomorrow. I've never seen her in love before, and this is going to take her a while to get over.