Home is Where the Heart Is (Home #1)

by Cheynee Filkov

  Jace rolled his eyes, tugging up the white sleeve of her shirt where it had slipped down her shoulder.

  “Too bad you can’t seem to find clothes to fit properly.”

  Giselle giggled softly and nudged him again. “Ben’s having another party this weekend, you going to come?”

  Jace released her and shook his head. “Can’t, I’m grounded.”

  Giselle raised an eyebrow. “You look like you just won the lottery. You know what grounded means, right?”

  Jace tugged on her brown locks and ushered her into their class. “Yup.”

  Giselle settled into her seat and made a cross with her two index fingers.

  “You’re in such a good mood. I swear you’ve been possessed.”

  “Shut up, brat,” Jace told her with a grin before settling himself in for the lesson.

  Jace 2.0 started right now.

  *

  The novelty of being grounded, sober and a regular teenager was wearing off by the time Jace walked out of the gates after school.

  He’d endured whispers, strange looks and outright scoffs of disbelief from students and teachers alike when he made it clear he was there to stay, and going to make up the work so he could graduate with everyone else.

  His history teacher didn’t even know who he was, and his lunch break was spent with the guidance counsellor talking about his issues and making a game plan for the rest of the year. He hated being the hottest gossip topic, he hated seeing Tyler’s face was starting to heal but most of all he hated that he’d seen Isabelle without anything to numb his intense emotions. She hadn’t seen him, thank God because as soon as he’d glimpsed her, he ran into an empty classroom and hid. Because clearly he was a child that couldn’t handle his emotions.

  She hadn’t looked great. She was still beautiful of course, but her shoulders were slumped and she’d looked dull, like a photo that had been put through the wash. More than anything he wanted to be able to wrap her up in a protective cocoon until she relaxed into his warmth.

  He didn’t though. Couldn’t ever again because she was terrified of him and he was terrified of becoming anything like his Dad. He knew he would never intentionally hurt her – or any woman for that matter, but there was no denying he had anger issues and his feelings for Isabelle were a trigger.

  Fuck, so much drama and they were never officially together.

  “Jace?”

  He turned towards his sister’s voice, startled that she’d crept up so silently.

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  She rung her hands in front of herself in a clear sign of nerves.

  “Did you speak to Isabelle today?”

  He winced at her name again but made an effort to keep his face blank. “Why would I?”

  “Jace…I know she hurt you, but don’t you think you’re both suffering more being apart than you did together?”

  “We weren’t together.”

  Maia threw her hands up in exasperation. “Why is it so hard for you both to just admit you messed up and things didn’t go according to plan but you care enough to want to start fresh? I think you’re both being idiots about this whole thing but I’m done being in the middle, sort your own shit out.”

  She stalked off leaving Jace irritated, so when his phone started buzzing with a call from Tate – his patience snapped.

  “Not a good time to piss me off, dude,” Jace said as answer.

  “Was Kimberley at school?” Tate replied a little frantically and a lot weirdly.

  “Kimberley?” Jace asked dumbly.

  “You know who I’m talking about!” Tate snapped.

  What the hell? What was happening right now?

  “Why are you asking? What does she have to do with you?”

  Tate exhaled an impatient breath. “I don’t have time for this shit.”

  “Make time,” Jace replied firmly.

  “Fuck, you’re annoying! Fine! Kimberley and I have been chatting since that night at the party. We’ve gotten close, Isabelle found out and flipped, thinking it’s all a big act on Kimberley’s part. Isabelle won’t answer my calls, and it’s unlike Kimberley not to reply to me and her phone is off. I need you to go over to Kimberley’s and check that they haven’t killed each other and that Kimberley is OK. She’s been paranoid about someone watching her and Isabelle and it’s starting to worry me.”

  That was a lot of information to digest at once and just trying to wrap his brain around it started a dull thud in Jace’s head.

  “Dude I don’t… I don’t even know what to do with all of that,” he admitted, running his hands through his hair.

  “I don’t care what you do with it as long as you check on our girls, OK?”

  A jolt of pain shot through Jace’s chest at that last statement.

  “Isabelle isn’t my girl, Tate.”

  “Isabelle is scared of letting herself be happy because she’s not sure she’s strong enough to survive if it’s taken away from her. She’s a frustrating little idiot, but that doesn’t make her any less yours.”

  Jace pulled himself up into his Ute, giving a chin lift to Ben as he passed him and a small smile to Kandi who was wrapped around him.

  “Jace? You there?”

  Shit. There was honestly at least a hundred other things he would rather do than have a run in with Isabelle and Kimberley, but Tate mentioning Kimberley’s paranoia at being watched struck a nerve. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep tonight unless he put his mind at ease.

  “Yeah dude, I’m here. Listen, I have to go home first and check in with my Mum because I’m grounded, but if she gives me the ok then I’ll swing around and check it out.”

  There was a long pause and then. “Grounded?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You’re grounded?” Tate asked incredulously. “What did you do - blow up the Opera House?”

  That even Tate knew how little a shit his Mum had previously given about his behaviour was a direct hit to his gut.

  “That’s what I fucking said.”

  “Sorry dude it’s just… whatever, it’s not important. Can you please just check on them once your Mum clears you?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be in touch.”

  Disconnecting the call he started his engine and headed home, a ball of nerves twisting deep inside of himself. He couldn’t explain it but there was definitely dread filling his body now that he allowed himself to think about Isabelle and Kimberley.

  Praying he didn’t get pulled over and piss his Mum off more, he pressed heavily on the accelerator.

  *

  Two hours. It was enough time to reach Kimberley’s to check out the situation and get home in time for dinner, but after Jace checked on Isabelle to find she hadn’t been home yet, his anxiety had peaked. He worried that two hours wasn’t going to be enough time, and that the time spent checking in with his Mum was going to cost him something precious.

  The streets blurred past him and thankfully he knew exactly where he needed to go because he was on auto pilot and not paying the least bit of attention to the road.

  Why did he feel so weird all of a sudden? It wasn’t like Kimberley and Isabelle could really do too much damage to each other.

  She’s been paranoid about someone watching her and Isabelle and it’s starting to worry me. Tate’s words replayed in his head, triggering memories of Isabelle having melt downs over the exact same thing.

  Shit, had he really been so quick to dismiss her concerns when there could have actually been a threat? And then he’d shut her out completely instead of taking a moment to calm down and work through why she was running from him and her feelings.

  He needed to go and get that testing done ASAP. His emotions were such a jumble, and he didn’t want to live restrained by mood swings that he couldn’t explain or control.

  So consumed with his thoughts, Jace didn’t even realise he’d made it to Kimberley’s street.

  Immediately, he saw Isabelle’s car parked under the only stree
t light that worked - a fair distance from Kimberley’s house.

  He parked behind her and cringed as he walked to her unit. He hated this place, and hated that Kimberley had to live here. He’d only been allowed to come over three times because Kimberley was ashamed of where she lived, and each time he had forced himself to swallow the bile in his throat as he saw her living conditions.

  Guilt plagued him again as he worriedly increased his pace. Kimberley was another person he had failed - putting his own feelings first and ignoring her obvious cries for help because she had hurt him. Jesus, he was never going to be able to make amends for all his screw ups at this rate.

  Crippling dread filled him when he jogged across Kimberley’s lawn and over the endless cigarette butts, alcohol bottles and makeshift bongs. There was a light on in the unit but there was no movement, and a weird shiver went down his spine as the hairs all over his body stood on end.

  Something wasn’t right. He knew Isabelle and Kimberley very well, and when they both felt cornered they lashed out and acted defensively. The silence was eerie and unnatural, and his fear for the girls rose.

  Pushing forcefully through the front door with his shoulder he ran into the small lounge room where his knees gave way.

  What the fuck? What. The. Fuck?

  He didn’t know where to look first. Blood, so much blood seeping into the carpet, and three bodies, seemingly lifeless on the ground, broken bottles scattered around them. A burly man with his belt undone and a broken shard of glass stuck in his neck was collapsed closest to Jace. Isabelle with a busted nose, blood and cuts on her arms and purpling bruises around her neck, her body twisted and angled like she was reaching for Kimberley. And Kimberley, lying in a pool of her own blood, her clothes askew, with a face already swollen and bruised, and a sickly grey tinge to her skin.

  Shit. Shit! What the hell had happened here? What did he do next?

  He was in danger of having a level ten melt down if he didn’t find a way to cool his shit and gain control of the situation.

  Curling into a ball on the filthy carpet he rocked himself slightly as he concentrated on his breathing. He could do this; he could still turn this around. He needed to put aside all emotions and just focus on what needed to be done. Make a plan to follow so he didn’t feel so lost.

  First, check for pulses on Isabelle and Kimberley; he couldn’t give a damn about that predator. Secondly, help stop the bleeding for both of them. Third, call an ambulance and wait for help to arrive. Fourth, make sure they get to the hospital safely and then make a new plan.

  Plan in place, he shakily rose to his feet and stumbled over to Isabelle. He checked her pulse, rejoicing at finding it; even if it was worryingly shallow. His hands hovered awkwardly above her body as he searched for any life threatening injuries. As far as he could tell without any medical training, her throat was going to be the main point of concern. That is, if she didn’t have any internal injuries. The way she was curled around herself made him suspect there could be something wrong with her ribs, but he was too scared to really probe much further.

  Satisfied for the most part about Isabelle’s health, Jace turned to Kimberley and again bit down some bile. She had already lost an alarming amount of blood, and her shorts had been yanked down which made him sick to think about too closely. Her bruises and cuts were deeper and more intense than Isabelle’s, and when he pressed his fingers to her throat to find her pulse, it wasn’t just weak; it was starting to fade in and out too.

  “Fuck!” He screamed to no one. With shaking hands, he rolled her slightly to get a better look at her head.

  God, he wasn’t entirely sure he was going to be able to hold back the urge to vomit. Her red hair was matted with blood and as he gingerly felt around there was a definite dip in her head where he could feel a deep cut. Gently probing further, Jace found a piece of glass wedged into her skull, and his temper flared.

  That sick son of a bitch had smashed her skull against the glass bottle on the floor until it had broken, sharply cutting her skull and she’d passed out either from the blood loss or how hard her head had been repeatedly bashed against the floor.

  He wasn’t sure what to do to help her. This was way out of his depth, and he was terrified that by even moving her slightly he might have caused further damage.

  Knowing he had no time to waste, Jace pulled out his phone and dialed the emergency number, frantically telling the person who answered that he needed an ambulance and giving them all the information about the condition of Isabelle and Kimberley. He did not even think to mention the man.

  “OK, we’ve got your address,” the woman said calmly. “Ambulance is eight minutes away.”

  “Isn’t that too long?” Jace asked. “It seems too long. Shit! There’s a lot of blood. Do I need to do anything for them?”

  By this point he had given up being too cautious to touch either girl. He found a tea towel and wrapped it tightly around Kimberley’s head to help staunch the bleeding, before shifting her onto her side and making sure her airways were clear.

  With Isabelle, he had pulled her to him so that her head was resting on his lap and he’d pushed her shirt up to see a rainbow of bruises on her rib cage. He was almost certain that a couple of ribs were broken. Her nose certainly was, and after he’d cleaned the blood off her face he could clearly see it had been smashed out of shape.

  What kind of a monster could do this? Kimberley had only mentioned her Dad twice, and from those conversations all Jace knew, was that he was in prison, and that he had been abusive to Kimberley while her Mum was too high or drunk to protect her.

  Is that who the man was? Jace had the urge to yank the glass out so the bleeding increased and he could watch the life pour out of the sick son of a bitch.

  “Sir? Sir, are you still there?”

  “What? Uh yeah, I’m still here.”

  “You’re doing great and help is on its way. Are both girls still breathing?”

  Isabelle’s pulse hadn’t changed which wasn’t great, but not too alarming either. Leaning slightly he felt for Kimberley’s and froze.

  “No! No! Kim! She’s…I can’t feel a pulse and her chest isn’t moving. What do I do? I need help here!”

  “Stay calm, it’s going to be OK. You did a great thing moving her to her side and creating a bandage. The ambulance is three minutes away, just make sure her airway is clear again and wait for the paramedics.”

  “She could be dead by then!” Jace snapped.

  Forcing himself to be gentle he placed Isabelle on the floor, using his jacket as a pillow, and then moved Kimberley to her back.

  He flipped the phone to speaker and, recalling the first aid course he had taken years ago to help with any wounds his dad would inflict on him, he began to pump at Kimberley’s chest and breathe into her mouth.

  “Stay with me, Kim,” Jace begged. “You can scream at me whenever you want and I won’t say anything I swear, just stay with me.”

  He couldn’t hear or focus on anything other than working on Kimberley and trying to help her breathe again. His hands hurt, he was out of breath, and exhaustion was setting in. But he didn’t dare stop, couldn’t allow himself to just give up on her like everyone else had, including himself.

  So caught up in his motions, he didn’t even hear the operator calling out to him or the medics as they rushed into the house, efficiently moving him out of the way.

  “We’ve got her now, son,” a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair told him kindly when he fought against their hold.

  It was a herculean effort to move away from the girls and let the professionals do their work but he forced himself to stand back. He watched in stunned disbelief as they worked on Kimberley, breathing a sigh of relief when the paramedics finally gained a dull pulse. Once Kimberley was stabilised, they strapped her, Isabelle and the man onto gurneys and rushed them all out to the waiting ambulance.

  Jace reacted angrily when the men stopped him from entering the ambulance. />
  “I need to go,” he insisted.

  “There’s no time and not enough room, kid.”

  “Then leave that piece of shit here to die and let me take his place!” Jace screamed.

  “Meet us at the hospital, OK?” the same salt and pepper haired man told him firmly. “You might want to call their families on the way. You’re going to see them again but you need to let us do our job.”

  The ambulance doors shut before he could reply and then they were rushing off, sirens blazing into the cool, dark night.

  He was going to go into shock, he could feel it. His body was locking up and emotions bled out of him until he almost felt nothing again. He could be standing, he could be slouched on the floor, he had no idea what he was doing and his senses were dulled by the shock of the ferocious attacks on his friends.

  He needed to see that they were OK, needed to be there for them both if– when - they woke up, but he couldn’t move. Knowing he was not capable of driving in his current condition, Jace used the last stores of adrenalin fueled energy, took out his phone and did something he had not done in years.

  “Mum…I need your help.”

  CHAPTER 17

  ISABELLE

  Darkness enveloped Isabelle like a cool embrace. She didn’t know anything other than the shadows she existed in and the heavy weight of her limbs.

  Where was she? Was she dead? Could this be some type of hell? Whatever it was, she didn’t mind it too much. No raging fires of hell or unending torment. There wasn’t really much of anything except…

  Isabelle cocked her head to the side to listen better. Now that she’d taken a minute to check her surroundings, there was a faint beeping noise she hadn’t noticed before and muted sounds she couldn’t quite distinguish.

  “Hello?” she called out, her voice echoing around her. “Is anyone there?”

  She cringed to herself as the words left her mouth. This was basically the start to every horror movie she’d ever watched. She just needed to be in a conveniently easy to rip dress and have her boobs grow three sizes.