One Wild Night

Harry wasn't surprised to see Todd, since he had been expecting him to show up since the last two hours, he was just surprised that it had taken him that long to come out in search of his girlfriend.

"I told you so twice. First, it's past your bedtime. And two, he can't let you out of his sight for too long," Harry whispered, and Jade stifled a giggle.

"Jade?" Todd called from the porch as he stood under the light, looking in their direction.

"Over here," she called out to him with a wave even though he was looking at them already.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked as he took a step forward.

"Just chatting with Harry. Did you want something?" Jade asked innocently.

"You should come in now. It's getting late," he said in a cool tone as he watched Harry with a glare in his eyes.

Once again, Harry looked away from him with disinterest as he glanced at his wristwatch, "It's almost midnight already. You are good company Jade," Harry said, surprising Jade who hadn't realized just how long they had spent there talking and enjoying the silence.

"Give me a minute," Jade called to Todd as she stood up, and then she looked at Harry with a smile, "The time really flew by without my notice. I guess I have to say goodnight now. See you tomorrow. Don't forget our stroll," she said with a wave as she picked up both their empty mugs and headed for the porch.

"What were you doing there alone with him?" Todd asked as they both walked into the kitchen, and she took the mugs to the sink.

"Chatting."

"Chatting? About what?" Todd asked as he followed her.

"Just general stuff. Tom's business, law, stuff. Nothing specific," Jade said, wondering what exactly they had been discussing, but she couldn't lay a finger on anything serious.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Todd asked, and Jade tried not to roll her eyes as she rinsed the mugs and dried her hands.

"Yes, you're supposed to believe it, unless there is something else you want to add to it," Jade said as she turned to face her angry boyfriend, "Let's not do this, okay? It's been a long day, and I'm tired."

"You're tired? I don't think so. Not when you were out there with him and had no plans of coming inside until I came to get you," Todd pointed out.

"I am not going to fight with you. Especially not in my parents' kitchen," Jade said as she walked away and headed for the bedroom while Todd followed her.

"Do you like him?" Todd asked the moment they walked into the bedroom and shut the door.

"Like who?"

"Don't play dumb, Jade. We both know that you have been..."

"Is that it? Are you trying to pick a fight with me over this and turn the tables so that I have to apologize now, simply because I was mad at you earlier?" Jade asked incredulously since it was the same pattern with him every time. He would do something wrong, she would complain about it and get angry, and then he would bring up something else and turn the table on her so that she would be the one to apologize.

"You are the one who left the bedroom in the middle of a discussion to spend time outside with your elder brother's best friend! What am I supposed to think?" Todd asked, and Jade shook her head.

"We were just talking, for crying out loud! Why do you have a problem with that?" Jade asked in disbelief.

"You are my girlfriend, and you expect me not to have a problem with you talking with another guy in the middle of the night while I was in your bedroom waiting for you?"

"Harry is Tom's best friend. He is like family! It isn't a big deal!"

"That is my problem! He is like family, but he isn't family! He doesn't even look at you like family! First, he catches you when you fall, and then..."

"Seriously? Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now? You have a problem with him saving me from falling down the stairs? You would have preferred that I fall? Are you kidding me right now?" Jade snapped at him irritably.

"That guy likes you. I don't want to see you alone with him anymore," Todd said with finality.

"You are the one making a big deal out of this. Harry is just..."

"I don't want to hear it, Jade. You are the love of my life, and I'm not comfortable seeing you with that guy. So just stay away from him, okay?"

"Todd, you are being unreasonable. Harry is a gentleman and he..."

"And I have said I don't want to see you anywhere near him. He may look like a gentleman, but he is a player. He looks at you like he wants to undress you. I'm a man, and I know these things. You are just being naive and gullible. That guy is a player, and I won't be surprised if he caused you to fall on purpose so that he would catch you," Todd said, and Jade looked at him in disbelief.

At this point, she decided that there was no need to argue any further with him, seeing how bent he was on being unreasonable, "Fine. I will stay away from him after I show him around the neighborhood tomorrow..."

"No! You won't do that. You can show me around the neighborhood if that's what you want. You want us to spend time with your family? Let's do that too. Just stay the fuck away from him," Todd said, and Jade took in a deep breath.

"I already promised him."

"Jade, I'm not having this argument anymore. If you love me and you respect our relationship, you will stay away from him. If I see you with him, I will assume that you choose him over us."

"What? I can't believe that you dated such a douchebag," Sonia said in disbelief.

"Yeah. Thinking about it now, even I am cringing. He was right about one thing though. I was really naive and gullible to have been with him. To think he called Harry names, and he was the cheat," Jade said, and Sonia shook her head.

"Well, I'm not surprised. I sensed he was a cheat from the moment you said he was always on his phone and refused to leave the house with you or spend time with your family," Sonia said with a shrug.

"So I take it that you avoided Harry and didn't go on the stroll with him as planned?"

"I avoided him like the plague. If I walked into the living room and saw him there, I would leave immediately. I continued like that until he left two days later. Thinking about it now, he didn't make any effort to talk to me after that night either. He didn't even ask why I was avoiding him or why I failed to go on a stroll with him as planned," Jade said thoughtfully.

"He didn't ask because he probably knew already. You did say your boyfriend was clingy and possessive after all. I think he stayed away because he understood and didn't want to make things difficult for you."

"Knowing him, I think you're right. Oh, Harry! The more I think about him, the more I fall for him," Jade said with a groan, and Sonia giggled.

"Isn't it funny that even your douchebag ex-boyfriend realized that Harry was interested in you, but you didn't?" Sonia asked, and Jade shook her head pitifully.

"No, it's not funny. It's pathetic. It took me four miserable years to get here. And because of my stupid stubborness I've managed to matchmake him with someone else. It's either I'm still very naive and stupid or Harry has probably moved on is no longer interested in me," Jade said sadly.

"Let's not be in haste to make conclusions. Now tell me all about about your second meeting with him, and this kiss you mentioned earlier. I'm sure I should be able to help you fix this," Sonia said confidently as the waiter returned with their packed food.

As Jade paid for the meal, Sonia's phone vibrated with a phonecall from Bryan and she picked it up from the table to receive it, "Hey, babe!"

"It's been over two hours already. Are you not done shopping yet?" Bryan asked irritably.

"It's been two hours already?" Sonia asked in surprise, and Jade also checked her wristwatch to confirm it.

"So you're having so much fun without me and not checking the time?" Bryan asked irritably and Sonia smiled.

"No, I'm not having any fun, I promise," she said with a fake yawn, "I will be with you soon. Don't miss me too much."

"I'm still at the parking lot waiting for you. Meet me in the car when you're done," Bryan said and hung up before she could respond.

Sonia looked at her phone in surprise, and then her lips curved in a smile, "Bryan is still waiting in the car," she told Jade.

Jade smiled, "He must really love you. You can go to him. Let's continue our conversation later."

"What about your dress? Are we not getting it anymore?" Sonia asked as she saved the recorded voice note.

"I can shop for it alone. Don't keep my brother waiting much longer else he's going to take it out on me," Jade said, and Sonia smiled as they both stood up to leave.