Chelsea Piers

Evelyn stared up at him, getting a little aggravated now. Why couldn't he just let this go? Wasn't she making it completely obvious she wanted nothing to do with it? Or him?

She swallowed down the increasingly tighter knot in her stomach and yanked her arm back again, tugging harder this time so she ended up stumbling backwards a little. She caught herself and straightened, breathing out heavily as she said, "Yeah, my reason is...I WAS DRUNK! I say a whole lot of shit when I'm drunk, I get real chatty and go around blabbing shit like, "je t'aime", or whatever! It do-doesn't mean I'm-I'm really i-in l-love with some random hobo who happens to be in my line of sight, Jacob!"

"Oh so being drunk excuses it? I thought when you're drunk you say what you really mean? So I mean I say stuff to you sober, drunk whatever! And I always have to explain myself to you. Yet you can say you think you might love me and prance off?" Jake said a bit outraged at this.

"You know in all honesty I didn't think that you were going to hook up with me because you were horny. I think that's a load of shit Evelyn! Okay, excuse me for I guess getting the wrong signal and in thinking that you actually like me. I wouldn't have sex with you for the sake of having sex. You're not someone I'd do that to...ever." Jake paused to take a breath trying to lower his own voice down.

Evelyn was looking aorund the hall, seeing a few staff give them curious glances. She expelled another heavy breath and then ran a hand through her hair, wishing she could just get off the damn boat and away from Jake already!

Then again, he lived right down the hall. Where could she go? Not too far.

Evelyn turned back to him, expression mirroring the inner defeat she felt. She didn't care what James had to say This wasn't a choice anymore. She'd already made her decision.

Neither of them.

"What do you want me to say, huh?" she asked, an edge of anger in her voice. "Because it seems like you're pushing me into answering the way you want me to answer. Because you already know what I want, and you won't just accept it."

"I know you don't wanna fucking be with me!" Jake finally snapped, slamming his fist against the wall.

He ran his hands through his hair and huffed. "I just wanna know why someone who doesn't wanna be with anyone is so constantly back and forth! Fine you don't wanna be with me then don't almost sleep with me!" Jake yelled, ignoring some of the stares they were getting from maids. He knew Evelyn hated scenes but at this point Jake could really care less.

Seth looked up from where he was seated on the couch in the game room. Everyone had moved off to various parts of the boat. Seth and the othe rboys, however, had proceeded to the game room. Luke and Ashton were now engaged in a game of air hockey nearby.

The game room was on the first floor, at the corner of the hall tucked away beyond the lounge.

But even so, Seth paused his Blackberry game with Dane and cocked his head. He could hear distant yells down the hall and then a loud thump that sounded way too familiar.

"Fuck," Seth murmured. "Pitbull be angsting again..."

***

Evelyn had jumped visibly when Jake's fist met the wall, and her heart began palpitating nervously. A waiter passing by slowed to shoot them worried glances.

Evelyn attempted to push away her bout of nervousness; she ignored the audience they were no doubt gaining. Her eyes began stinging in that too-familiar way.

God damnit, she'd cried more in New York City than she had in two years at Ash Creek and in Seattle!

She blinked hard to hold back the oncoming Jake-induced breakdown and blurted out the awful thought on her mind. "Be-because I thought it would end things, okay?" She swallowed a bitter lump in her throat, looking away from him and stepping back to lean wearily against the wall. Her nausea from the previous night arose, incited by the tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. "I...I-I'm just so sick of this back-and-forth. I figured that once we let it all out, one shot, it'd b-be over. Fo-for good." She tilted her head back against the wall behind her and blinked furiously to clear the saltwater from her blurred vision.

"Should we see if everything is okay?" Antonio asked Seth, remembering how Jake got when he was angry he wasn't sure if they should intervene or not.

***

James could hear all of this loud and clear now since Jake was no longer bothering to keep his voice down, although he sounded pretty upset and James wasn't sure if he should go out there and intervene. Despite what Evelyn had said about sleeping with Jake to make her feelings for him go away.

For a person you like, it never really works that way. And James knew that Evelyn with all her morals and crap would never even sleep with Jake just to get rid of feelings she had. In a way him and Jacob seemed to both agree on how Evelyn sort of toyed with the both of them. Whenever Jacob was being a jerk or would go off, it seemed like Evelyn would run back to James and expect him to sweep her off her feet and be the hero he was back in Ash Creek.

And it seemed like when James bored Evelyn, and she wanted excitement she'd seek the attention from Jacob. Since he lives his life on the edge. For all James knew, he really had no reason to hate Jake, or Cody, or anyone else that Evelyn potentially liked because James and Jake were so caught up in their feelings for her. They were burning bridges with their friends, and beating up guys that used to be good friends of theirs.

Why did they both waste so much of their time chasing the girl that honestly wants nothing but to be alone? Why did either of them think they could cage a Siren?

James put his foot down he wasn't gonna do this to himself anymore, and even though Jake and him didn't get along. James knew he shouldn't have to put up with either.

James took a deep breath and walked out of the room and down the hall to where he saw Evelyn, and Jake was pacing.

"So you thought it would just...wow really? I mean seriously..." Jake just shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe Evelyn right now.

James took a deep breath and spoke. "Jake, its not worth it."

Jacob looked up and saw James standing there. "What are you talking about? Where did you come from?" Where the hell did James come from?

"Seriously dude, listen to me. I overheard you guys and you know what, this. This whole freaking situation I mean...do you see what's happened here. I mean honestly I barely know you, and you can say the same for me. And yet we hate each other why? Because we let some girl who doesn't even wanna be with either of us fuck with our feelings." James said to Jake, Jacob's eyes widened he was shocked why the hell was James saying all of this.

James just went on, "I mean seriously. I spent three years of my life beating up guys and fighting with guys I used to be friends with all because they hit on Ev, and I come here to New York, and I've already made an enemy of you and its like why are either of us bothering? I mean its obvious she wants neither of us. We've allowed her to drag our hearts out on the ground and pit us against the other and all for what? She was your girlfriend for a week before she broke up with you and she never even gave me a chance. I mean I fought her step mom's idiot boyfriend, saved her from my psycho cousin, pushed her out of the way of a speeding car and just so many other things I can't even begin to list. And I'm sure you've done shit for her too. And what have either of us gotten from it? Nothing. Its not worth it, if she wants to be alone let her be alone. We were both stupid to think we could tame a Siren." James finished looking at Jake and then to Evelyn.

Jacob was at a loss for words, he hadn't expected James to come here and say all of that. Honestly Jake was gonna punch James for eavesdropping but as much as Jake wanted to tell James to just go away or punch him. His words had truth behind them. All this time Jake spent, trying to win Evelyn over. Trying to be faithful, to win her trust. He had even ruined his really good friendship with Antonio and was alienating Lola and Seth in the process. He allowed his emotions to get controlled by Evelyn pulling on his strings, and he never wanted that. When Jake really thought about it he wasn't even really sure why he hated James besides that if he hadn't met Evelyn, that Jacob and James might have actually been friends. Jacob had yet again let the wrong girl in and it was obvious Evelyn just wanted to be alone. So she wanted that, fine. He wasn't gonna spend anymore time moping over Evelyn. She could do whatever the hell she wanted.

"James is right, you wanna be alone and have your feelings go away? That's fine. I'm through being a puppet for you. I'll leave you alone." Jake said flatly, he put on a stoic face and decided that anything with Evelyn in his life was through.

The nice Jake that had reared his head, was dead. And he was gonna stay that way. Jacob turned away from Evelyn and walked away.

Evelyn couldn't decide if she should be grateful right now or punch James really hard.

Honestly, she'd gotten what she wanted. If Jake upheld his end, they'd never speak to each other again. There was never meant to be anything more between them than a fake, illusion of reality, relationship. Their whole interaction was based on a facade. Why had she let it last? She was already in too over her head; she couldn't handle it. She was an idiot and she knew this was the only way to get past it. Ignoring that horrible cold ache inside her chest. She'd learn to live with it and it would go away after a while.

She flicked her wet eyes over to him and pushed herself upright from the wall she'd been leaning against as Jake walked past her.

"A year and a half," she said coldly to James. "That's all the time you ever hung around me at Ash Creek. And even then, the only time you ever did anything was within a six month period. After that, you went back to being you, James. So don't parade around some three-year-sacrifice shit."

She turned to head into the dining room to get her coat and purse. But then stopped, and turned back to him. "For the record, the reason I wouldn't choose you is because I didn't like you. I stopped a while back. I didn't want to tell you that, figured I'd spare you an out and out rejection. But since you figure I'm toying with you, then I might as well clarify that I still don't like you that way. So I was never going to consider you a choice. And I haven't for a long while. Regardless of what you've deluded yourself into believing." She turned away and walked on into the dining room, slipping past Jake and heading for the table she'd eaten at.

[[GOD DAMNIT MY POST ERASED ANNOYED]]

THEY ALL WENT HOME!

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