Best For Last || Jacob Elordi AU

fair game

       "Wow, I wish my tame nights were as calm as your wild ones," Sabrina commented with a condescending laugh. You didn't quite have her figured out yet: maybe she was genuinely oblivious as to what others may perceive as rude, or maybe she just didn't give a damn. You nodded with a thin smile, and looked back up at her just in time to see her checking Jacob out, then speaking to him. "What about you? This is the most emotion I've seen from you so far, what's your crazy old story?"

He opened his mouth to speak, seeming undecided until the words were already coming out, "I mean that one's gotta be in my top 3 as well." He looked to you, and you could see from your peripheral Sabrina putting two and two together and looking back and forth between you two.

"Wait--" She began, but Jacob cut in.

"You left out the part where Koda saw us when we walked in and started growling."

You were all too aware that this was the first time he'd directly addressed you. You felt like you were in the spotlight and forgot what your line was supposed to be. You willed your cheeks to not turn pink when you replied, "Oh yeah, I so thought we were done for right then."

"Me too! If he would've barked..."

"You guys are together?" Sabrina finally blurted.

"No," you and Jacob said in unison, then he let you take over. "We dated for a bit in high school but... yeah..." you didn't know what you could say or do to make the moment less awkward, so when silence fell over the group, you hoped and prayed someone would break the tension.

Luckily, it was soon time to swap drivers again, now being your turn. You all were in northern Virginia, and when you stepped out of the RV it looked slightly like somewhere a horror movie would take place: eerily empty with a surplus of tiny, run-down buildings. Thankfully this wasn't a stop that lasted long, but the roads looked pretty much the same as you drove everyone further south. Up here, you finally got to control the radio, and once the setting started getting a little better, it made sitting in solitary much easier. You could hear the occasional howl of laughter behind you and wanted so badly to know what was going on. How did Jacob feel about you telling that story, and what made him reveal his identity and speak right to you? At least this meant the rest of the trip wouldn't be spent in awkward avoidance of each other. He'd made the decision: you guys were to act like nothing was wrong.

"Hey," Sid's low voice startled you and you had to keep from swerving slightly. You looked back at him with wide eyes, then let out a relieved sigh.

"Sorry," he apologized with a shy smile. "Sabrina said she has to pee, so, you can pull over wherever and she's gonna take over."

The next exit wasn't for miles yet, but she did say wherever. "Yeah, alright. I'm on it."

He was gone quickly, and as soon as the shoulder of the road was a little wider you pulled over into it and put the flashers on. Sabrina made her way to the exit, and the neon orange of her tiny tank top and matching chunky flip flops blinded you on her way out. Everyone avoided looking in her direction while she squatted right there on the dirt road to relieve herself. When she was done, you were the only one who wanted to step out and stretch again.

"So," she began, adjusting herself to clearly fix a wedgie. "I had no idea you and Jacob were ever a thing."

This was so not something you wanted to talk about, "Yeah, you couldn't have, really. But it's okay."

"How long has it been? You said... high school?"

"Yeah, almost a decade. Nothing there anymore, don't worry."

You regretted your words instantly for no logical reason, because what the other girl said next was, "So he's fair game, right? Since it's been so long."

You hoped in vain that she would be able to sense your discomfort so you wouldn't have to voice how badly you hated that statement, but she didn't. So, you said yes. After all, he was a single man that you had no right to anymore. She brushed your shoulder happily with her perfectly manicured hand and disappeared to the RV's driver's seat. You followed after her and she was pulling off before you could even find a seat in the back. Dante was talking with Sid while Jacob and Arya napped in their respective beds. You decided that was a great idea, and went to nap in the one you'd later share with Sabrina. Hopefully that was the only thing you'd share with her.

\\

You woke up a couple hours later when you stopped feeling the RV move. You sat up and blinked slowly, remembering where you were and what was going on. The tiny doors of the bus were open, and you could hear voices coming from outside. When you stepped out, fresh breezy air hit you immediately. There was knee high grass everywhere in different phases its life cycle making your surroundings colorful except the area surrounding the RV. There was about a 5 foot wide gap in the line of trees blocking the river that allowed people to get in or out. Dante was working on getting wood into the fire pit, Arya and Sabrina were enthusing each other about the upcoming wedding, and Jacob was setting up all the foldable chairs the group had brought. Having decided that everything was pretty much being taken care of, you plopped down on a cooler next to Sid.

"Did you hear about Brooks?" you tried to make conversation.

"Yeah, insane right?" His eyes were wide in disbelief. "I mean I didn't know him that well but... I guess I just give people the benefit of the doubt."

You scoffed, "I saw it coming from a mile away. I'm just glad that girl pressed charges."

He nodded along as you two made smaller talk after that; finally, you couldn't bite your tongue anymore to keep from asking what had happened between him and Jacob.

"Nothing much," he snuck a glance at your oblivious ex. "He avoided me for a couple years after you guys broke up, but then it was like nothing happened. We haven't seen each other since those days, but we interact on like socials and stuff."

So that was it, then. Jacob's offer of waiting for you was up when you moved away. He'd even forgiven Sid for "ruining your relationship" shortly after. You didn't quite know what else you expected, that he'd wait forever? Come chase you down or stop you at the airport? You two had proved already that distance wasn't something either of you could handle. So of course once you were states away, he threw any idea of you together out the window.

You stifled a laugh at yourself then, realizing how ridiculous you were being having held onto any hope that Jacob still had feelings for you. You'd have to do your best again from here on out to treat him like you would any other stranger, since that's exactly what you two were.