You Don't Know Him Like I Do “So Troy’s having a party,” Emmy-Lou said as they strolled along the beach one day, ice-creams in hand in an attempt to stay cool under the glaring sun.
“Nice to know,” Joella replied nonchalantly. She had enjoyed her time with Troy but she knew she’d made a mistake in admitting to Emmy that she thought he was cute. She had no plans to go breaking hers and Jax’s code of honour, if that even still stood.
“You’re invited,” Emmy-Lou continued.
“Me?” Joella was rather surprised. Even if they had got along well, she had only met Troy the once so him inviting her to his party was a bit of a surprise.
“Yeah, don’t be so surprised. He probably likes you,” Emmy-Lou grinned, wiggling her eyebrows over her ice-cream.
“Don’t push it,” Joella warned. There was no way that anything was going to become of her and Troy, in a romantic sense anyway.
“So you’ll come?”
“I haven’t received an invite,” Joella shrugged.
“They’re on their way,” Emmy-Lou brushed off her excuse. “I’m just in the loop so I’m pre-informed.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be allowed,” Joella countered. “What sort of party is it?”
“Not a stuffy one,” her blonde friend replied.
“How come you’re allowed to go?” Joella frowned. Even if Troy was from a respectable family, she had a feeling it wasn’t going to be a particularly formal kind of party.
“I am if you are,” Emmy-Lou revealed.
“What?”
“That’s the only way I could convince my mom to let me go,” the younger girl explained. “That and a promise not to tell Dad.”
“So if I don’t go you can’t?”
“Basically,” Emmy-Lou nodded.
“Hmmm…” Joella considered deliberately, knowing it would make Emmy-Lou sweat.
“Please!” Emmy-Lou begged.
“Well it’s not my choice, Emmy,” Joella told her honestly. “You know what my parents are like about these sorts of parties.”
“They can’t be worse than my dad.”
“Yes but I can’t exactly keep it a secret from them, can I?” Joella reminded her friend.
“You’ve got Ivan wrapped around your little finger, Joella. And your mom’s always pretty chill - just ask them already!” Emmy-Lou wanted Joella to come to the party anyway but the fact that it determined whether or not she could go made it all the more important.
“Okay fine, I will,” Joella relented at last.
“Awesome,” Emmy-Lou beamed. “I knew you’d want to see Troy again.”
Joella gave her younger friend a look. “For the record, I’m doing this for you. It has nothing to do with Troy.” She wanted to make that much clear, because the last thing she needed was for Emmy to try and play matchmaker at this party.
“You don’t deny wanting to see him again,” Emmy-Lou pointed out.
Joella shrugged. “Well, I liked him, so yes it would be nice. But not like that, so stop with your ideas,” she added when she saw the look Emmy was giving her.
Joella rolled her eyes. She knew what Emmy-Lou was doing with the whole Troy thing and it was working. Her younger friend’s intention wasn’t really to set her up with Mitch’s best friend, although she was obviously keen on that too, but to get her thinking about what she was doing with Jax. Emmy seemed quite bent on the idea that what Joella had with Jax was really no different from her previous relationships. She’d enjoyed them both and benefitted in that sense but there was an emotional connection missing… something lacking. Even if this was different to what she’d had with Darius on exclusivity grounds alone (although Emmy seemed to be even sceptical of this, as much as Joella hated to imagine Jax would do such a thing to her), the idea was still the same. It was a hot physical relationship and there were no labels, nothing official to commit them to one another. And in the back of her mind there was always that odd feeling, a sort of questioning, as though she was waiting for that day when Jax would tell her he was done. She knew it in her heart that the way she felt about him ran much deeper than it did the other way around and sooner or later Jax would get bored of her or find someone else, or both.
Joella found herself thinking about this at the party when she got a moment to herself. She’d gone inside to use the bathroom, only to find it occupied. She leant against the wall, pressing a cold glass to her face.
“You alright?”
Joella turned in the direction of the voice. A boy was looking at her expectantly. He looked so much like Troy that she instantly deduced he had to be his brother, older if the slight stubble around his chin was anything to go by. “I’m fine, thank you,” she nodded. “Sorry, I thought I was alone.”
“No one should be alone at a party,” Troy’s brother smiled. “Especially not one of mine. I’m Hewett, by the way. You must be one of Troy’s friends? I don’t believe we’ve met before.”
Joella smiled. He seemed nice. “Joella Curtis,” she supplied her name. “I’ve actually only met Troy the once.”
“Ah,” Hewett nodded. His cheeks dimpled when he smiled. “Must have left quite the impression then.”
Joella chuckled. “I don’t know what kind of impression I’m making right now.”
“Not a bad one,” Hewett said kindly.
“You know Emmy-Lou?” Joella asked.
“Of course,” Hewett grinned.
“I think she’s been trying to set me and your brother up,” Joella told him. She wasn’t sure why, but Hewett seemed like someone you could tell anything to.
“I see,” Hewett nodded. “If you’re undecided, look at it this way - if you’re going for a Somahan, go for the better looking.”
Joella chuckled. She could tell that Hewett wasn’t flirting with her, just joking, and it was nice.
“That’s me, if you didn’t get that,” he added, cheeks dimpled with his mischievous smile.
“I’m not undecided,” Joella told him, wanting to clarify that she didn’t have doubts about the worth of his brother. “I’m not available.”
Hewett nodded. “I’ll bet Emmy thinks that a minor detail.”
Joella laughed again. “She doesn’t approve. But she’s never approved of anyone I’ve dated so I’m sensing a pattern.”
“Don’t worry, I get it too, from Maddi - you know, Mitch Kuilima’s sister? She’s basically my little sister too. I think she feels it’s her job to protect me or something,” he chuckled, but it was obvious from his tone that he was very fond of Maddi and her care for him. “I’d like to think that at the age of eighteen I can take care of myself.”
“But of course we’re totally incapable of using our brains, and getting to know the person we are with,” Joella continued sarcastically, glad for the opportunity to remind herself that she did know what she was doing. She knew Jax far better than Emmy and therefore surely she was a better judge of his character?
“Exactly,” Hewett smiled and it was nice to be understood. “Now, are you going to come back out and join the party?”
“I was actually waiting for the bathroom,” Joella told him.
“Oh,” Hewett glanced towards the bathroom and a strange look crossed his face. He sucked his lips in, those dimples reappearing. “I think you’ll be waiting a while - come with me, I’ll show you where another is.”
Joella glanced suspiciously at the bathroom door before thanking Hewett and following him through the house.