Risking It All

Chapter Twenty Six - Noah

As I woke up, the pounding headache made it clear that last night had taken its toll. Blinking my eyes open, the unfamiliar room came into focus. I wasn't in my bed. Confused, I tried to recall the events of the previous night, but the memories were hazy. The smell of bacon wafted through the air, sparking my appetite.

I stumbled out of the room and followed the enticing aroma downstairs. The Spencer household was welcoming, familiar, and Liam's mom, Mrs. Spencer, was at the stove.

"Hey, Mrs. Spencer. Thanks for letting me stay the night. My mom would have killed me if I came home drunk," I greeted, my voice slightly raspy.

She turned to face me, a concerned look in her eyes. "You're not off the hook with me, young man. I've known you since you were in 3rd grade. This isn't like you, Noah. What's the matter, sweetheart?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It's been a rough couple of weeks with my parents fighting and all, not to mention I messed up big time with my girl."

"That would be an understatement," Liam chimed in, descending the stairs with a smirk.

I shot him a glare before returning my attention back to his mom. "I just don't know what to do, Mrs. Spencer. Everything is falling apart."

She approached me, a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Sit down, Noah. Let's talk about it."

After a hearty breakfast and a heartfelt conversation with Mrs. Spencer, Liam offered to drive me home. The car ride was filled with an awkward silence, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of regret.

As Liam pulled up to my house, he turned to me. "Take care, man. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

I nodded, offering a weak smile. "Thanks, Liam."

I entered the house, the familiar surroundings now feeling heavy with the weight of my mistakes. It was time to face the consequences and try to make amends with Jade.

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I walked into the house, feeling the weight of the previous night's mistakes hanging over me like a dark cloud. My little sister, Amanda, sat on the couch, eyes fixed on the TV. She turned to look at me, her expression a mix of anger and concern.

"Noah?" she questioned, her voice sharp. "Where the hell were you yesterday? Mom was worried, so I just told her that you were at Liam's."

I sighed, guilt creeping in. "I went to a party, to celebrate the win," I admitted, my voice trailing off.

"What?" Her eyes narrowed with a knowing look. "What did you do?"

I took a deep breath and proceeded to explain the night, detailing my mistakes with Jade. Amanda's expression shifted from anger to disbelief as I laid out the whole story.

"You're an idiot," she finally said once I finished. "You're an idiot and a total asshole for doing this. How could you do this to her? She's the best damn thing that's ever happened to you, and you're this close to letting her get away."

Her words hit me hard, the truth in them sinking deep. I felt a lump in my throat as she continued, her disappointment evident.

"Fix this, Noah," she urged, getting up from the couch. "She deserves better than this. Don't let your own stupidity ruin something good."

Amanda's blunt honesty shook me to my core, and as she left the room, I knew she was right. I needed to find a way to make things right with Jade, no matter what it took.
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I paced nervously in my room, anxiously waiting for Jade to return my call. When her name finally popped up on my screen, I hesitated for a moment before answering, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Hey sunshine," I greeted, the urgency evident in my voice. "Can you please call me back? I know I messed up last night. I need to hear your voice, baby. Call me."

The seconds felt like an eternity as I waited for her to respond, but the call ended without her picking up. Sinking against the ground, I held my face in my hands, the weight of my mistakes pressing on me.

How was I going to fix this? Had I just lost the most important person in my life?

I decided to try again, giving it another shot. My fingers dialed her number, and her voicemail picked up once more. This time, I left a more desperate message, hoping she'd hear the sincerity in my tone.

Minutes turned to hours as I sat at my desk, finishing up some late homework. The tension in the air was suffocating. Then, a glimmer of hope – my phone lit up with Jade's name. I let out a sigh of relief, answering quickly.

"Sunshine, please let me explain. I'm so sorry, Jade," I rushed out, my words tumbling over each other in my eagerness.

"Stop," she interrupted, her voice breaking. "Meet me in my driveway. I'm giving you 15 minutes."

"I'll be there in 10," I promised, desperately hoping for a hint of understanding or forgiveness in her voice.

She let out a deep breath before cutting the call. As I grabbed my keys, I couldn't help but hope that I still had a chance to make things right, to explain why everything went so wrong.
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I pulled up to Jade's house, and there she was, standing outside in her cute PJs. Every fiber of my being wanted to embrace her, but I held back, knowing I needed to respect her space.

"You want to come sit in the car?" I suggested, my voice low. "It's warmer in there."

She gave me a slight nod, and we both walked over to the car. I took the driver's seat, taking a deep breath before breaking the silence. "I'm sorry," I said, the weight of my words hanging in the air.

"Noah, stop please... I don't want to hear your apology," she replied, her voice low and resolute.

"You scared me last night. No one has ever spoken to me like that before, and the way you grabbed my arm..." Her voice choked on a sob as she spoke.

"Sunshine, I was drunk... and jealous. I didn't mean it," I explained, desperate for her to understand.

"It still happened," she asserted, her gaze steady.

"Just listen to me, please. I've been going through a rough time, Jade. With my parents, and school stressing me out... I just needed a drink to loosen up," I confessed, hoping she'd see the struggle I was going through.

"Drinking isn't the answer, Noah. I can't deal with all of this," she responded, her voice soft but firm.

"What?" I asked, feeling a rising frustration. "So you're saying you're just gonna leave because I'm having a hard time," my voice raised a little.

She flinched at the edge in my tone. "I'm not leaving you. It's not like we were in a serious relationship," she said.

My stomach sank. "What?" I asked, my heart breaking a little.

"Come on, Noah. We both know what we had wasn't that serious. We were just talking, getting to know each other," she explained, her words cutting through me.

"Jade," I said, my tone serious, my heart laid bare. "I don't know what you felt about me, but what I felt about you was very serious."

"Can you just go Noah, I need some space..." she said a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Sunshine, don't do this.....please." I pleaded with her.

"I'm sorry." She said getting out the car walking into the house.
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Alpine