There was a knock at the door. I looked over as Jake quickly got up to open it, where my dad walked in, giving me a small wave.

"Dad.." I said, sitting up. He made his way over, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"And when were you planning on telling me about this?" He asked, gently pushing the hair out of my face. "You're a mess." I smirked back up at him.

"I'm sorry, I.. I didn't want you to worry." I said softly.

"Worry?" He laughed. "What worries me is that he's the one that thinks to call me instead of you." He said, motioning towards Jake. I looked over at him as he leaned back against the wall, tightly crossing his arms, shrugging.

"I just thought he should know." He said.

"Thank you." I said, giving him a small smile.

"So, how are you feeling? What happened?" Dad asked.

"I'm fine." I sighed. "Really, I'm.. I'm just tired. But I'm okay. It.. it all happened so fast. I really don't know what happened. One minute we were.. just talking and the next.." I sighed, looking down.

"Sam saved me." I said, peeking over at him. I saw him perk up as he heard his name, turning to face us with a gentle smile.

"You did?" Dad asked. Sam shrugged.

"I guess so." He said. "I.. I don't really remember much." He peeked over at me. I felt my cheeks burn.

"I wouldn't imagine you would. But as long as you're both okay."

"We're okay, Dad." I sighed, now looking back over at Jake.

"Do you.. know if they found anything in the car?" I asked. He came back over, sitting down on the other side of my bed.

"We haven't heard anything yet, but I can go see later today. They were able to take it in so I can look around."

I was hoping he'd be able to find my necklace somewhere, and that the guitar wasn't completely destroyed.

I then saw my dad quickly shoot Jake a look. He nodded, getting up.

"I'm.. I'm gonna run downstairs, do you guys want anything?" He asked. I shook my head, smiling back up at him. He peeked back over, hesitating, before eventually leaning in, gently kissing me on the cheek. I bit down on my lip, holding in my smile as he made his way out of the room.

My dad sighed, turning back to me.

"So, what's going on here?" He finally asked. I felt my cheeks burn.

"What do you mean?" He smirked back at me, shaking his head.

"I mean, the last we talked about him, you two had broken up." I felt my heart start to beat faster. As far as anyone was concerned, Jake and I were still broken up. Well, except for Sam. But I guess it was okay to start telling people again. It didn't feel fair to him to keep it a secret anymore.

I didn't want to keep him a secret.

"You sounded.. really upset." He said softly, looking back at me with sad eyes. "Did he hurt you?" I bit down on my lip, looking away.

"No.." I finally said. "H-he didn't. He didn't do anything. It's just.. it's complicated."

"It should never be complicated, Jess. If you have to force something, maybe it just isn't right."

I felt my stomach drop. Why was everyone so against him? I knew that being with Jake wasn't easy, but when we were together, it always felt right.

"He was the reason you wanted to come home." He said, gently brushing my hair back again. I looked back up at him, feeling my heart start to beat faster.

"I know.." I sighed. He was quiet for a moment, now looking over at Sam.

"What about him?" He whispered, his smile growing. I stared back at him, wide-eyed.

"Dad!" I said, playfully shoving him. He giggled to himself, shaking his head.

"Well, isn't that who you were telling me about?"

"Yes, he is, now can you be quiet?" He smirked at me.

"Alright, alright.." He said, leaning back. "But what were you two doing off together anyway? If everything is so great with this one?" He asked, motioning towards the door.

"This one's name is Jake, Dad." I said. He smiled back, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah.." He said, holding his stare on me.

"Sam and I are.. friends." I said quietly, looking away. He giggled to himself, gently nodding.

"Well, friends is a good way to start. I always felt like you rushed into things with this o-.. with Jake." I stayed quiet, holding my stare on him.

"Are you thinking this one.. could be the one?" He asked.

"That's a big question." I giggled to myself, feeling my cheeks burn. He sighed, his smile growing.

"Yes it is." He said. "Which is why it's important to be sure.. if you're gonna be making.. any big decisions."

"W-what kind of big decisions?" I asked. He stared back at me, his eyes getting wide. Had him and Jake been talking? What did he know? Had Jake told him about the apartment? I couldn't imagine he would ever bring up.. anything else.

"All I'm saying is.. you're still young. I just don't want you jumping into anything.. too quickly. I.. want you to live. I want you to have fun." I felt my heart start to beat faster as I peeked over at Sam.

"And when everything..wasn't going as well.." He looked over at Sam too. "Wasn't.. he there for you?" I shot him another look. He rolled his eyes, smiling back at me.

"Sorry, sorry.." He whispered. "I just want to make sure you're making time for you. When everything gets so serious so fast, you.. you can lose sight of all the little moments, and the little moments are the most important moments."

I peeked over at Sam again who seemed to have fallen asleep. Out of anyone, it felt like all him and I had were those little moments. Everything with Jake was so.. big and grand and overwhelming and passionate and heartbreaking.. but everything with Sam felt so.. effortless.

That's how it was with friends, right? I knew I loved Jake, but I couldn't deny that I felt something.. different with Sam. I didn't get nervous, I didn't feel like I had to walk on eggshells, I just felt.. happy.

But the last thing I wanted to do was risk our friendship by trying to push it further than what it was. He even said, we were both caught up in the moment. And.. part of me was.

But then he kissed me back.

And I thought.. maybe it wasn't all in my head. Maybe something was actually happening with us? I knew he was flirty with everyone but.. sometimes it seemed different with me. Then again, isn't that what everyone thinks? Maybe I was just overthinking everything.

And even so, I couldn't do this again.

"Jake seems like a very nice boy." Dad finally said, smirking back at me. "I just.. want you to consider.. all of your options."

I was woken up to the sound of knocking on the door. I sighed, rolling over as I heard Jake make his way over to open it. I wish I could just have.. a moment alone with her.. without him here, but he never left.

I couldn't say I blamed him.

"Dad.." I heard Jess say. I opened my eyes, peeking over to see Jess' Dad make his way inside, going over and sitting down on her bed.

"And when were you planning on telling me about this?" He asked. I rolled back over, zoning out as much as I could. The last thing I wanted to listen to was Jess talk about how great Jake was to her dad.

"..it all happened so fast. I really don't know what happened. One minute we were.. just talking.." I sighed. Just talking. You mean, one minute I was about to pour my heart about to you, and the next we were almost killed.

It was like the universe was telling me to just shut up.

".. and then the next, Sam saved me." She said. I perked up at the sound of my name, peeking over at them, giving Jess a gentle smile.

"You did?" Her dad asked. I shrugged, feeling my cheeks burn.

"I guess so." I said plainly. "I.. I don't really remember much." I said, now looking over at Jess.

But I remembered enough.

"I wouldn't imagine you would. But as long as you're both okay."

"We're okay, Dad." She said, now looking up at Jake. I don't know when it started to irk me, the way she admired him every time she looked at him, but it made me sick to watch. I rolled over again, closing my eyes, trying my best to tune them out.

"What about him?" I heard. My heart started beating faster. Him? Him meaning me? They were talking about me?

"Dad!" She loudly whispered. I heard him giggle to himself.

"Well, isn't that who you were telling me about?" My heart jumped. She talked about me?

"Yes, he is, now can you be quiet?" She snapped. She talked about me.

I wonder what she said about me, to her dad nonetheless. I bit down on my lip, trying to contain my smile. As far as they knew I was asleep, so I didn't want to give myself away.

"Sam and I are... friends." She said quietly. My stomach dropped. Friends. She sure didn't kiss me like we were just friends. That's not how you kiss your friend. That kiss felt like it was held back.. for a long time.

"Well, friends is a good way to start. I always felt like you rushed into things with this o-.. with Jake." Her dad said, mockingly. He wasn't the only one who felt this way.

She stayed quiet.

"Are you thinking this one.. could be the one?" He asked quietly. Now I really felt like I was going to be sick. Part of me didn't even want to hear it.

"That's a big question." She giggled.

I sighed. Well, that wasn't a yes.

"Yes it is." He said. "Which is why it's important to be sure.. if you're gonna be making.. any big decisions." Yeah, like having a kid together.

"W-what kind of big decisions?" She asked.

"All I'm saying is.. you're still young. I just don't want you jumping into anything.. too quickly. I.. want you to live. I want you to have fun. And when everything.. wasn't going as well.. wasn't he there for you?" My heart jumped again. Jess had told him about me? During their breakup? I couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry, sorry.." He whispered. I felt my cheeks burn. I wondered what she was saying.

"Jake seems like a very nice boy. I just.. want you to consider.. all of your options."

All of her options. And boy, did she have plenty. Never did I think I would've wound up here, and deep down I knew it was hopeless. I knew she was in love with Jake, and she would probably always be in love with Jake, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that she felt something for me too. It might not be the same as how she feels for Jake, but there was no denying there was.. something.

I just needed the right moment to tell her. If only I hadn't choked. Now she thinks I was just caught up in the moment. I should have just told her.

Jess, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that. I would kiss you like that every day if you let me. I don't know why you're hanging onto this idea of Jake when you and I would be perfect together.

I've had that kiss replaying in my mind nonstop ever since, and I knew I always would until I got the chance to do it again. My heart started racing just thinking about it. But when it came down to it, I just didn't see any situation that ended with her picking me over Jake.

Finally, the door opened and Jake made his way in with a tray full of coffee. I heard him walk over, placing one on my end table, and then made his way back over to Jess' bed.

"Hey, I just figured everyone could use some." He said softly.

"Thank you." She said. I could hear the sweet smile in her voice, the one that was always reserved for Jake.. and only Jake.

"Of course. So, did you tell your Dad about our place yet?" He asked.

My heart dropped. Our place?