Within moments, I forget about everyone else in the room and it's just Ivory and I. Her infectious smile and crazy dance moves cause me to giggle constantly. Freedom washes over my body as I sing along to the music, swaying my head left to right. My dark curls bounce around me and for the first time in forever, I forget about my troubles.
I forget about Trevor, I forget about Mum. I forget about pain, danger and heartache. For the first time, I'm having fun.
That's when I feel his warm arm snake around my waist from behind. He tucks his head between the crook in my neck, resting his chin on my shoulder.
"Dance with me," he murmurs down my ear, the lights in the room dimming completely. I nod my head, the low rumble of his voice causing my insides to clench tightly. Butterflies fill my stomach as I spin around, sucked into the beauty of his eyes. He doesn't make any effort to hide the fact that he's checking me out and his stare causes my body to heat up. His arms snake around my waist and he leans down towards my ear. It makes me shiver.
"You're right," I say, turning to lean closer to him. His scent wraps around me and I breathe it in deeply, missing his warmth. He doesn't respond and I take it as my cue to continue —
"I can't do this without you. I understand why you did what you did. Next time, please talk to me first."
Jake pulls back, guilt filling his eyes. I know he's about to apologise but I shake my head, letting him know it's okay.
"I'm sorry Muffin," he murmurs down my ear, burying his face into my hair and placing a kiss on my neck. I shiver from his touch and he lets out a low chuckle, the sound causing me to smile.
"I was angry. I didn't understand why you won't accept my help. I've been around the gang for years, it doesn't scare me. I know that won't be the same for you, I'm sorry for not putting myself in your shoes. This entire situation is tough and I'm still learning." Jake sighs, pulling back. I can see the distress in his eyes, the struggle of having to know what decision to make. I reach up and place my hand on his cheek, my heart warming.
"One step at a time, yeah?"
He nods, resting his forehead against mine.
"Do you fancy being my partner in crime?" He whispers, lips tugging upwards into a smile. I bite down on my bottom lip to stop my smile from spreading into a huge grin and I nod.
"You bet I do.”
Chapter Twenty One - Falling in love.
Jake and I end up in his bedroom, shutting out the rest of the party downstairs. I'm sat on his bed, propped up by the numerous cushions. Jake is lying in front of me, his blue eyes watching me carefully. The door suddenly bursts open and a boy and girl run in, the girl giggling hysterically. Jake slowly turns his head, eyes darkening considerably.
"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" He asks harshly. The girls eyes widen when she notices Jake and the boy takes a step back, equally as scared.
"Sorry man, I didn't know this was yours, I swear!" He mumbles, eyes dropping to the floor in fear.
"You don't ever come in this room again, got it?" Jake warns him off. The boy nods before scurrying out of the room, the girl right behind him. They both shut the door firmly and a silence falls upon us.
"Why are people so scared of you?" I ask Jake, breaking the silence. He shrugs in response, diverting his eyes away from me.
"I kind of have a reputation, you know?" He says uncertainly, scratching the back of his neck. I narrow my eyes at him, intrigued.
"Reputation for what? What have you done that's so terrible?" I ask him, wanting to know more about him. Of course I know he's part of a gang but what is the main reason people are so terrified at hearing the name, Jake Melvin?
Jake stares at me intently, tilting his head to the side.
"You don't need to know." He replies flatly, shutting himself off.
"You can tell me," I urge him. I want to know him better, I want to know the real Jake. His jaw tenses and his face became emotionless as I venture further into a touchy subject.
"I'm not telling you so drop it," he murmurs quietly, warning me off. I huff at his attitude and cross my arms.
"Idiot." I mumble, looking away from him. I hear him suck in a sharp breath.
"Did you just call me an idiot?" Jake asks in disbelief and I turn back around to face him.
"Yeah, I did." I reply confidently, my eyes challenging him to react.
Jake swiftly moves till he's in front of me. He grabs both my arms, staring straight into my eyes. I hold my head high and look back at him, equally as intense. Moments pass where both of us glare at each other before Jake's eyes soften, lighting up with humour.
His gaze flickers down to my lips before looking back in my eyes and I know he wants to kiss me. I smirk at him, my lips twitching. He shakes his head before dropping my arms.
"Seriously, you're a piece of work." He chuckles, walking away. I grin, jumping off the bed and walk up to him to wrap my arms around his waist.
"Its weird seeing you mad at me." I say truthfully, tilting my head up to meet his. His body tenses and he looked down at me, his eyes now soft and full of sadness.
"I wasn't mad at you. I'm angry at the situation, annoyed that I can't protect you further."
"You're doing a great job so far." I said quietly, looking up into his eyes. Jake pauses, looking down at me questioningly.
"Really?"
I nod, reaching up to press my lips against his. I want to thank him for everything, feel his lips on mine. I miss the feeling of having him close to me, his scent. The way he causes electricity to shoot through my body at a simple touch. Jake returns my kiss, his more intense and passion-fuelled. I gasp as he pulls my lower lip into his mouth, biting them before attacking them hungrily. He pulls back for a second to look at me with passion-filled hooded eyes.
"I forgot to tell you," he whispers, breathing heavily against me.
"You look hot as hell tonight."
*****
"Emily, the police are here."
Police? Why? What have I done?
I wake from my hazy sleep and roll over, finding myself falling through the air. I let out a small yelp and land hard onto the cold floor with a thud.
"Urgh, that hurt." I groan, turning to look up at an amused Jake who was chuckling quietly, stood in my doorway.
"Get up Muffin, they want to speak to you," he says, running a hand through his hair.
"What do I say Jake?" I whisper loudly at him, panicking. Jake shrugs as if it's obvious.
"Tell them the truth."
"I thought we were going to take care of it?" I ask, confused.
"Yeah, we are going to take care of it. The police can't provide you with much safety Muffin, they're useless. Tell them why you moved here, say you don't want to press charges against Trevor and that you refuse to go back. That should do it."
He holds out a hand and I gratefully take it, groaning as Jake helps me to my feet.
"You'll be fine" he whispers, before kissing the top of my head. I nod against his chest, feeling panic and worry settle inside me. I run a hand through my hair in an attempt to make myself look more presentable.
"I'll be five minutes" I mumble, heading for the bathroom. Jake nods before quickly grabbing hold of my arm, stopping me in my tracks.
"Muffin? Don't let them know about us." Jake clears his throat, looking uncomfortable.
"The police don't like me. They'll try to warn you off me and possibly say I influenced you in your decision to leave him." Jake scratches the back of his neck awkwardly before giving me a reassuring smile. I nod silently, trying desperately to remember his words.
Okay Emily, don't screw this up.
*****
"Trevor abused me for years." I say quietly to the two female police officers who are looking at me, waiting for an answer. One of them with blonde hair tied back into a small bun is writing everything down in a little notepad and I keep glancing at her warily. The other one is slightly older and looked in her 40's with dark hair. She seems nicer and more sympathetic.
> "Can you give me an example of what he would do Emily?" the older police officer asks. I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. I over at Jake who was sat on the arm of the couch silently, his jaw clenched tightly in anger. He gives me a small smile, urging me to go on and I look back at the officer, feeling more confident.
"He'll punch me until I'm down and then kick me repeatedly, he's fractured my bones, he pulls out clumps of my hair and he bruises my entire body beside my face." I answer weakly, feeling tears prick my eyes. I stand up off the couch and lift my top, pointing at the bruising.
"It was so much worse than this, it's had time to heal." I comment, glancing at the officer who are examining them with sadness in her eyes.
Even though my secret is out, it pains me to say the words. Admitting your step father abused you for years without anyone batting an eyelid wasn't an easy thing to do. It makes me feel weak, helpless. I now know I should have done more to stop it but I'm still classed as a child, home is home. I didn't have anywhere else to go, anyone to turn to. My family are distanced away from me on purpose so that Trevor could keep me hidden.
"Would you like to come to the station and make an official statement Emily?" The officer responds softly. I shake my head glancing at Jake again, remembering his words.
"No. I don't want to press charges." I respond firmly. Jake would take care of that.
"Why not?" The blonde officer suddenly asks me, glancing between Jake and I suspiciously. It's the first time she's spoken and I know she doesn't believe my truth.
"I don't want to press charges, that's my decision. I'm safe here." I gesture around the room and she narrows her eyes at me.
"So what's your relationship with Jake Melvin?" She asks, totally off topic. I look at her directly, frowning.
"He's my friend," I respond confidently, my head held high.
"You're friends with Jake Melvin? He doesn't seem like your type to befriend," she probes, her head tilted as if she can see straight through me. I hear Jake cough and turn to see him stand up, his hands in his jean pockets.
"Is there a problem with her being friends with me Helen?" Jake asks coldly, tilting his head at the officer. Jake knows her name?
"Of course not." Helen replies tightly, lying through her teeth. Her jaw is clenched and I sense her and Jake have previous history. Jake smirks at her, bouncing forward and back on the heel of his trainers.
"So what's the need for that question?" Jake continues. Helen sighs, admitting defeat. She ignores Jake and turns to face me.
"Be careful who you choose as your friends."
An instant frown settles on my face and I narrow my eyes at her, standing up.
"It's my choice who I'm friends with, not yours. He's a good friend to me, he let me stay here to keep me safe. He's done more for me than you probably ever will. You're here to talk about Trevor, not Jake. So I'd like to stick to the subject."
I hear Jake chuckle quietly and can faintly see him smirking from the corner of my eye at my response. Helen's face is now raging, her jaw clenched firmly. She definitely isn't happy with my response. The other officer hands me a card, smiling at me faintly before standing up.
"Thanks for the information Emily, we'll be in touch over your living arrangements. Your mother has requested you go back home but obviously we have to put your safety first."
"My mother can go to hell." I reply angrily, sitting back down onto the couch. I cross my arms, angry at the information.
"What a selfish, pathetic excuse of a parent," I mumble. The officers ignore my little outburst and walk over to the door, ready to leave.
"If you need anything, anything at all, ring the number on the card." She points at the card in my hands and I nod. I watch as she turns towards Jake, her eyebrows raised -
"Stay out of trouble Jake," she says sternly, almost like a mother telling off her child. Jake chuckles quietly.
"I only get in trouble to see your pretty face Rachel," he winks at her causing the officer named Rachel to shake her head. The corner of her lips twitch into a small smile before she place her police hat back on and disappears out of the door.
"Nice work Muffin. Helen's face was priceless, I should have taken a picture of it." Jake smirks in amusement, leaning back against the wall.
"You seem to know them well."
The smirk on his face is quickly replaced with a sheepish look.
"Yeah, I guess you could say that."
I roll my eyes at him and stand up, walking out the room to get some breakfast. I need to drown my worries with sugar, lots of it. I hear Jake's footsteps behind me and he grabs my arm before pulling me towards him.
"Muffin, it's going to be okay. I promise." Jake whispers, searching into my eyes. I let out a small sigh, closing my eyes. I'm angry. Angry at Mum for wanting me to go home. She knows how Trevor abuses me but never stopped it. Jake senses the anger inside me and he gently pushes me back until I feel the wall greet me. His hand reaches up and he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear before placing a gentle kiss on my jawline in an effort to calm me down.
I like it when he does that.
"Get a room, it's disgusting."
My head snaps to the right where Tobias is stood, his nose scrunched up in disgust. Jake takes a few steps back and I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment even though Tobias barely saw anything.
It was a harmless kiss.
Jake turns towards Tobias, his eyebrows raised in annoyance.
"What's your problem man?" Jake asks, his voice low. The tension between these two is so obvious. I glance between them as they both stare each other down, their eyes cold and emotionless.
I wonder what happened between them?
"My problem is that you're blocking the hallway with your PDA," Tobias mumbles in anger. Jake's body tenses and he takes a step forward.
"So what? Are you jealous?" Jake spits back harshly. Tobias chuckles at Jake and I swallow the lump in my throat, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"I'm not jealous J. You know I can have whoever I want." Tobias' eyes glint with humour, mocking Jake. Everything happens so fast and before I know it, Jake has pounced on Tobias, his fists colliding with Tobias' face. Tobias is knocked back before regaining his balance and lunges for Jake. I hear the force of Tobias' punch against Jake's cheek and I scream, finally snapping out of shock.
Jake's head snaps towards me and I back up, fear in my eyes.
Jake stands to his feet quickly, dodging another punch from Tobias when Ivory runs down the stairs, eyes wide with terror.
"Tobias!" She screeches and Tobias immediately stops, backing away from Jake, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Jake glares angrily at Tobias and wipes away the blood from his lip with the back of his hand.
"Stay away from me and definitely stay away from Emily." Jake turns towards me, taking my hand in his. He pulls me towards the kitchen, slamming the door shut so that we're be alone. I don't realise my hands are shaking until Jake pulls me into his lap, wrapping my hands in his.
"I shouldn't have done that in front of you."
I reach for his hand and stroke over his knuckles which were are red from fighting. His hand is comically large compared to mine.
"You have tiny hands."
"I don't have tiny hands, they look tiny compared to your massive caveman hands."
Jake gasps, mocking hurt and I grin at him. His lip is still bleeding and I reach up sadly, wiping away the blood with my thumb.
"I hate it when you fight." I mumble. Jake sighs in response, his eyes drifting to my lap instead of looking at me.
"Tobias pushes my buttons like no-one else."
I nod, knowing Tobias is a trigger for Jake's anger. I reach up and stroke his cheek gently, the warmth of my hand pressing against his skin. Jake remains silent as he studies my face and I begin to feel nervous under his fixed stare. His eyes glaze over and he seems to be deep in thought.
"You're beautiful," he whispers and I suck in a breath at his words. He plac
es both his hands around my face tenderly and leans forward, eyes fluttering shut. His kiss is soft and gentle, almost as if he's expressing his feelings using his lips.
I feel my heart falling for Jake, despite the protests from my mind.
Love.
Love to me has always meant ending up hurt. Every person I've loved in my life has left me alone, abandoned and in pain. I think about my feelings for Jake, questioning whether I should ignore them in hopes that they'll disappear.
Will Jake hurt me eventually and leave me?
As soon as I pull back and look up into a swirl of blues as magical as the ocean, I already know my answer. It's too late.
Chapter Twenty Two - Alone.
"Hello? Emily, come home this instant! How dare you leave home so suddenly!"
I scoff, unable to believe her words. I silently wish I never answered the phone but the damn woman wouldn't take no for an answer. After ignoring her calls multiple times, I decided to answer before she blew my phone up. . . Literally.
"Leave me alone Mum."
"Where are you? I demand that you come home!" Mum screeches at the other end. Besides me Jake raises an eyebrow and I know he can hear her scream like a banshee.
"I'm safe, isn't that all that matters?" I argue back with her, desperately trying to make her see sense. I hear her pause on the other end before she inhales sharply. I wonder whether she finally understands but when she begins calling me selfish and an inconvenience, I slump my shoulders in defeat.
Why can she not see that I ran away for my own safety?
Would I always be the child blamed for all of the troubles in her life?
Raw tears sting the back of my eyes and I sniffle, reaching up to quickly wipe them away. A warm hand slips into my left one, intertwining our fingers together. The small contact surprises me because in the past, I'm all alone as the tears fall. I turn my head, eyes connecting with warm blue ones —
"You're okay." Jake murmurs, reaching over and plucking the phone from my hand. That's when I notice it shaking and I watch as Jake silently ends the calls, silencing Mum's voice.
His Mission (HIS SERIES Book 1) Page 14
