AUTHORS NOTE:-

A biiiiig thank you to for the absolutely wonderful cover photo!!!

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THE CLUB (PART 2 )

"Is this seat taken?" Matt asked her standing next to her.

"Of course not!" Jade said cheerfully with a big smile on her face, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Her pupils were dilated and Matt could smell the sweet smell of tequila coming from her.

Danger!

He knew from experience that Jade had a habit of becoming a giggly, cheerful person only when she was extremely drunk.

He jumped on to the bar stool and looked at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yes. I'm perfectly fine."

There was the too cheerful smile.

The bartender placed another tray of tequila shots in front of her.

"Tequila?"

"Yes!" Jade said picking up the first one, "Cheers to life. Which might I say sucks!"

She gulped the first one down in a hurry.

"I love tequila. Right now I would love to hug the person who invented it!" She said after banging the glass down.

She could feel the fiery trail of the liquid down her throat.

"I think he must be dead Jade." Matt said.

"Then I'll take him out of his grave and kiss him."

"That's hygienic!" Matt shrugged.

He was rewarded with loud laughter from Jade, followed by another shot.

After the two glasses of wine and the drinks she had had since coming to the club it was pretty clear that Jade was not far from being completely drunk.

When she was on her third shot, Matt spoke up, "I think you should slow down."

She was already on her 8th shot.

"I guess I'll take a break." She said much to Matt's relief.

Jade was already feeling very woozy. But that was what she needed. To feel numb. To not feel the pain.

She turned around in her seat so that she had a clear vision of the dance floor.

There in the middle of all the people Alec was dancing with Emma, who was almost clinging onto him for life.

"You love him don't you?" Matt asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You love Alec."

Matt had seen the exchange between them even if he couldn't hear the words.

It was clear from the way she looked at Alec when he wasn't looking.

And she was hurting. Matt could see that too.

"Where did you get that idea?" Jade asked, her eyes were still on Emma and Alec dancing.

"I see the way you look at him."

The way I look at you when you're not looking, thought Matt.

"The expression on your face when you're with him. It's pretty clear. He must be blind to not see it."

Jade turned to him atlast. He could see the tears in her eyes.

"He's going to ask her to get married. He has a ring."

Jade looked defeated. Like all the life from her body had been sucked out.

Matt knew how she felt. He was feeling the same way.

"Why don't you tell him?"

"Because he thinks we're just friends. That's what he wants to be."

She controlled the tears that were fighting to roll down her cheek.

She had cried enough that morning.

By the time she had stopped crying her eyes had been red her face had been completely blotchy with tear tracks.

She tried to stand up, thinking of going out in the cool air to compose herself, but as soon as she stood she felt herself stumble.

Matt caught her just in time.

The alcohol was catching up. She was drunk. Really, terribly drunk.

"I think I should take you home. You're really drunk Jade." Matt said throwing his hand around her shoulder and giving her support.

"I think I am." Jade slurred, "I feel sick."

Of course she did. She had been knocking down her drinks like she had a train to catch.

And then all the emotional wreckage Alec was causing.

"Let's go home."

He half carried her half supported her till the car after telling Nicole that he was taking her home.

Nicole had flashed him a worried look but she knew better than to comment.

She knew what Jade had been doing.

Drinking herself to oblivion.

And she also knew that Matt cared for her enough and was capable enough to see her home safely.

Nicole helped Matt put Jade into the car and let them leave without a word.

"Drive safe!" She said to Matt as he got into the drivers seat.

She walked back into the noisy club and sat at the table.

She would give Jade a good talking to when she next met her that much was for sure.

Nicole saw Alec and Emma still dancing.

Alec was trying to steal glances around the bar, over Emma's head.

Looking for Jade?

Nicole felt horrible for what her best friend was going through, but she was so helpless.

She couldn't do anything about it.

.............

"I've loved him since high school. I never stopped loving him."

Matt turned towards the passenger seat, surprised to hear Jade speak.

She had been sitting quietly for the past 5 minutes. So quietly that he had almost thought she had fallen asleep.

Matt wanted to ask her why she hadn't told him then. But he knew she would tell him stuff only when she wanted to.

No amount of questions would get her to talk if she didn't want to.

"I was so stupid. I waited... Looking for the right time to tell him. But I was too late. He left. And now that he's back it's even more impossible."

He voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

Matt had to strain his ears to hear what she was saying.

"He's getting married to Emma." She turned to face Matt. There were tears on her face, "It's over."

"Jade...." He started saying something but was interrupted.

"No... Don't say anything." Jade whispered.

The rest of the drive went by in silence till the reached her apartment building.

Matt got out of the car and went to her side to help her out.

After some struggles and getting rid of her heels she was on her feet.

"Matt, it hurts so bad... It really does."

It hurt Matt too. To see Jade in this state. Drunk. Crying.

Being a doctor he had a tendency of always trying to reduce the pain of anyone he met.

And it made him feel so useless that he could not help Jade in any way.

She was vulnerable and hurting.

And he couldn't do anything.

They took one step towards the door of the building.

Maybe it was the quick movement. Or finally all the events of the evening caught up with Jade.

But before Matt could help it, she was violently sick all over the pavement and over his shirt.

"Oh shit! Oh God! I'm so sorry!" Jade started saying.

"Jade it's okay."

"No... No... I'm so sorry. I'm such a fool."

She didn't know what to do. She had never been so embarrassed in her life.

No words from Matt stopped her. She kept apologising and trying to wipe his shirt till finally he held her firmly by her shoulders.

"Jade!"

She stopped muttering and looked at him.

"It's fine. There's no problem."

"You wash the shirt at my place and then go home." Jade said.

"I'll go home and...."

"No... Please."

Matt could see that tears were threatening to spill from her eyes again.

"Okay... Okay. Let's go up."

They walked up to her apartment where Matt expertly opened the door.

"Give me your shirt. I'll put it in the washing machine."

Jade said once they were inside.

"I'll do it." Matt said leading her into the bedroom, "You get into the bed."

"Take off your shirt and put it into the washing machine. I'm not sleeping till you don't!" Jade said stubbornly as he put her under the covers and kept her heels on the floor.

Matt chuckled. This was more like the Jade he knew.

Stubborn.

She was drunk but she knew exactly what she wanted.

"Here you go mom!" He opened the buttons of his shirt and walked into the washroom to put it in the machine.

He came out once he had started it, to find Jade fast asleep in her bed.

He walked closer to her and bent down.

She looked so peaceful.

Her eyes were shut and her eyelashes were making shadows on her cheeks.

Her hair was fanned out on the pillow with one single strand on her face.

Matt took the strand of hair, twirled it around his finger and placed it behind her ear.

"Good night, Jade." He whispered.

.............

"Where's Jade and Matt?" Alec asked Nicole as soon as the song was over and he was back at the table with Emma.

"Jade was not feeling very well. So Matt offered to take her home." Nicole said in between sips of her drink.

Ofcourse she was not feeling well, after the amount she had had to drink it would have come as a surprise if she was not drunk and sick, thought Alec.

He had seen her at the bar gulping down tequila shots like her life depended on it, while dancing with Emma.

Emma sat down panting, from all the dancing, "I hope she's okay."

There had been an obvious change in Emma's behaviour toward Jade ever since they had their little talk and Alec was dying to know what the reason behind it.

"We should also leave shouldn't we?" Julia asked.

She was red in the cheeks from all the dancing and laughing. Her eyes were glinting.

Even though she had not had a single drop of alcohol to drink she looked high on much more than life.

"Yes I think we should. My wife here's a little too excited." Steve said throwing a hand over her.

Nicole placed the empty glass on the table and looked at her watch, "Oh it's late! Jase we should go home too."

All of them agreed that it was time to go home. Each tired and a little tipsy.

But the only thing going on Alec's mind was concern for Jade.

"Alec why are you standing there?" Emma asked when she was inside the car while Alec was still standing and wondering what to do.

He hoped she wouldn't get angry at him for what he was about to say, "Em I was thinking I'll go check out if Jade's okay. I'm kind of worried about her."

"Oh!" Her eyebrows furrowed for a second, "But Matt did drop her home right? And he's a doctor. He would know if anything was really wrong with her."

"I know but.... I want to make sure for myself."

He waited for her to refuse to let him go and get angry but instead Emma very calmly replied, "Okay. Come in, Julia can drop you at her apartment and then you can come back on your own."

Alec was surprised.

What had Jade told Emma?

He nodded his head, worried that any questions might lead to Emma changing her mind and sat in the car.

Julia who had been sitting in the car and listening to their conversation all the while started the car immediately and drove to Jade's apartment building.

She stopped the car in front of it and he got down.

"Don't get too late!" Julia said when he was out.

He turned towards the back seat where he saw that Emma was already fast asleep.

Steve gave him a grin and they left.

He went up to her apartment and rang the bell.

No one answered.

He rang the bell again.

There was no answer.

Worried now, he knocked on the door.

Immediately the door was pulled open.

But it was not Jade standing behind it as he had expected it to be.

It was Matt. A shirtless, bare chested Matt.

"I'm so sorry. I was in the washroom so I couldn't open the door."

Alec just nodded at him, too stunned to say anything.

What was he still doing at Jade's house? And where was his shirt?

But Alec didn't ask the questions that were going around in his head, "Where's Jade?" He asked instead.

"Oh she's asleep. She just fell asleep." Matt said pulling up his pants a little while saying it. "Is there something I should tell her?"

"No.... No.... I just wanted to know if she's okay. I mean you'll left in such a hurry."

"Oh yeah... Sorry about that. She got a little too drunk. So I thought that bed would be the best thing for her."

We'll is that so? Bed would be the best thing for her.

"Anyways I'll tell her you were here." Matt shrugged.

Alec fisted his hands stopping himself from doing something he might regret, "No that's not really necessary. I'll tell her myself when I meet her."

"Okay. G'night then!"

So he was planning to spend the night there. This was how it was. Their breakup was a lie all along.

Alec controlled his anger, "Yeah Good night."

He turned around and ran out of the building. He started running blindly.

Whatever little hint of emotions Jade had shown while dancing had surely been acting on her part.

She was still very much dating Matt.

Bed will be the best thing for her!

He kept running in the direction of his house, though his feet and calves were burning and he could barely take a breath.

The distance from Jade's apartment to his house was not much but it still took some time to cover it.

But Alec found himself at his gate within minutes. He was panting and coughing from the exertion, but he didn't stop.

He pushed open the door which had been kept unlocked for him and ran up the stairs to Emma's room.

He knocked on the door three times loudly. When no one answered, he banged on it a couple more times.

"Emma, open the door." He yelled between gasps and pants.

Emma opened a door to see a completely winded Alec standing there.

"Alec? What wrong with you? You're sweating and.... You need to sit." She said.

Alec saw her standing over there in a dressing robe which had been quickly thrown on and her hair falling around her face.

He didn't care if he was making a mistake or no. He was going to do this.

He needed to do this.

He held his knees and took deep breathes for a minute.

"Alec... Are you okay?" This time it was Julia.

The bangs and the yells had woken up Steve and Julia who were staying in the room next to Emma's.

Alec stood straight, he was breathing a little normal now. He looked straight at Emma and said, "Will you marry me?"

No preamble. No explanation.

"Alec... Are you...?" Steve started saying from behind.

Alec didn't listen to him. He thrust his hand in his pocket and pulled out the box.

He held it out to Emma and asked again, "Emma will you marry me?"

Emma cast one look at the diamond ring took a deep breath and yelled, "Yes! Yes I will!"

She threw herself at him.

Steve who was standing next to his wife looked at the scene stunned.

What about all the doubts? What about Jade?

While Julia went up to her brother and soon to be sister- in- law and have them hugs.

He shook his head, as long as Alec was happy with his decision who was he to say anything.

"Well... Congratulations!" He too joined his wife.

Hugs were passed around. Julia and Emma squealed over the ring. Steve patted him on his back. Emma kissed him.

But all the while Alec just stood in the midst of everything wondering what he was doing.

And thinking what would be Jade's reaction to his decision.

Why should he care? She was happy with Matt! She didn't need him.

So he was going to prove it to her that he didn't need her either.

She could be with Matt. And live her own life.

Bed will be the best thing.

He excused himself from the excited group on the pretext that he needed to sleep and went to his room.

He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Bed will be the best thing for her.

.......................