"Good morning," Jake smiles, walking over to me whilst holding a tray one handed. The smell of pancakes floats through the air and my stomach rumbles loudly.
"Morning, what time is it?" I smile back, running a hand through my hair. We didn't get home until late last night, the sun was beginning to rise just as I was drifting off.
"It's two in the afternoon," Jake chuckles, sitting down onto the empty side of my bed.
"Seriously? Wow," I respond, happiness filling my stomach as I think back to last night. The beauty of the night and Jake. I grin at him and sit up, propping myself up on the pillows behind me. A dull pain flares up my side and I close my eyes, breathing through it. I wish it would hurry up and heal.
"Are you still in pain?" Jake asks me, a worried expression plastered across his face. I shake my head, shrugging it off.
"No, don't worry about it." I smile before looking down at the stack of pancakes he'd made. They’re drizzled with syrup and my mouth waters, noticing he's popped a side of Nutella with them too.
"What did I do to deserve this?" I ask him to scrape my hair back and secure it with a hair tie.
"I enjoy making pancakes and I kind of want to impress you," Jake responds casually before stabbing the top pancake with his fork and popping the whole thing in his mouth. I raise my brow at him amusingly and watch as he chews through the entire thing.
"Well, I'm impressed." I smile, reaching for my own fork. Jake fist pumps the air in victory, earning a giggle from me.
"Would you like to go back and get the rest of your stuff today?" Jake asks me gently, placing his fork down. I shake my head, disagreeing.
"I'm not going back there," I mumble quietly. I know I'm safe here. Each day it became a little easier for me to relax but I'm nowhere near strong enough to face Mum or Trevor. I look up at Jake, extremely thankful to have someone who cares about me enough to help me.
I climb out of bed and walk up to him, settling myself between his legs. My hands circle around his neck and Jake remains still, watching me intently with a questionable look on his face.
"Thank you, it means so much to me."
"All I did was make you some pancakes and I've eaten most of them." Jake chuckles, his fingers drawing circles on my back. I giggle before moving back to look at him.
"No, silly. I’m thanking you for everything. I had fun last night too." I mumble, fiddling with my hands.
“Basically I'm like your Prince Charming?" Jake smirks, tilting my chin up so I'm looking into his eyes. His lips twitch upwards with amusement.
"Sort of but without the charm," I admit, my own lips twitching into a small smile as I tease him. Jake's eyes light up and he chuckles quietly, his chest rumbling against mine.
"I'm so full of charm, it takes your breath away." Jake teases me. I smile softly at him as a comfortable silence settles on us both. Jake takes hold of my hands and squeezes them knowingly. A distant look flashes across my face as I think of home, my Mum and Trevor. As if he can read my mind, Jake leans down and whispers against my ear.
"You've got me now. I won't let anything bad happen to you." Jake murmurs, burying his face into my neck. I breathe in his warm scent and feel myself beginning to relax. His strong arms tighten around my small frame, protecting me. Whenever I’m inside his arms and pulled up against his chest, I feel like nobody will ever harm me again.
"I don't deserve you," I mumble into his shirt. He shakes his head before replying —
"You're right . . . you deserve the world."
Later that evening, I’m watching a movie with Ivory. I sniffle before signalling for the tissue box. Ivory grabs a tissue, wiping her own eyes before passing it to me.
"It's just so sad, you know?" I sniffle, watching Rose pleading for Jack to wake up. He's clearly dead, his whole body turning blue and icicles forming on the strands of his hair.
"What a waste of a beautiful human," Ivory mumbles, blowing into her tissue. She turns towards me — "I can't believe you've never watched the Titanic before Emily, it gets me every time."
We're both lying on the couch in our pajamas, staring up at the TV where the movie is almost coming to an end. The door creaks open, revealing Jake and Tobias watching us with an amused expression.
"Really girls?" Tobias asks, shaking his head and chuckling at us both. He lunges forward and snatches the remote from Ivory's hand, causing her to shriek loudly.
"Tobias! No! It's almost the end!" Ivory yells at him. She charges in his direction and knocks over a vase of flowers in the process. I sniffle and wipe at my eyes due to my emotional state. When I glance up, Jake is biting back his laughter as he watches me.
"Really?" He grins down at me, his hands stuffed inside his jacket pockets.
"Leave me alone, Melvin. It’s a sad story!" I mumble at him, reaching for another spoonful of Nutella. I have to drown my sorrows in something. Before I have the chance to devour it, Jake plucks it out of my hands in one swift move.
"You have to do something besides eat Nutella and cry over chick flicks. Ivory is rubbing off on you." Jake scolds me playfully. I shake my head in protest and lunge for the nutella spoon again. Jake is quicker than me and suddenly I'm flung in the air with Jake's back as my only view. My mouth falls open in surprise.
"Jake, put me down!" I yell at him, slapping his back. He ignores my screams of protest and instead carries me effortlessly out of the living room, heading up the stairs.
"The blood is rushing to my head!" I yell, slapping his back harder. Jake's body vibrates against me as he chuckles and I huff unhappily. I find myself suddenly being flung down onto the bed and I let out a little scream, my eyes widening.
"You’re so annoying,” I giggle before pretending to act mad at him. I cross my arms over my chest and pout. Jake rolls his eyes and pins me down onto the bed before straddling my waist. I suck in a sharp breath before regaining my voice.
"Jake! You're too strong, you'll squash me like a bug!" I fight against him, struggling to free myself. He laughs loudly, throwing his head back as the joyous sound fills the room.
"You’re funny, Muffin.” Jake tells me, his blue eyes sparkling brightly. Warmth spreads through my chest and I giggle back at him before he leans down, attacking my lips with his. We spend the next hour making out and annoying each other to the brink of insanity.
A week inside is causing me to go insane.
I need to smell the fresh air, feel the grass and hear the birds. I pull on my trainers and clip the dogs lead onto her collar before leading her outside with me. My shoulders tense up with nerves and I'm constantly on edge as I head for the local dog park. I need to do this. I can't stay locked up in fear forever. The local park is a ten minute walk away however I get there in five by rushing. My chest rises and falls as I struggle to catch my breath.
"Calm down puppy," I say softly to Jake’s dog. She’s bouncing around with excitement, eager to sniff and play with everything in sight. Surprisingly, she stops tugging and listens.
"Good girl!" I praise her, heading for the dog trails. I take the chance to enjoy the atmosphere, it's so calm and peaceful. The sun is shining through the tree branches and I inhale deeply, loving the benefits that naturehas to offer. A small rustle from behind me catches my attention and I turn immediately only to find the branches swaying to and fro in the breeze. Stop being paranoid Emily.
I scold myself, feeling completely on edge. I push any paranoid thoughts to the back of my mind and begin to jog ahead of the dog, smiling as she follows me. We both weave our way through the trails, getting lost in a sea of trees and bushes. Wherever I go, the dog is right behind me. I lightly jog up a small pathway, my muscles loosening the further I go. When I glance down, the dog isn't with me anymore. I immediately stop and turn before scanning the area.
"Boe? Come here, girl!" I call out, my voice echoing through the air. I begin to retrace my steps and turn the corner. As soon as I do, I collide into a hard chest.
"I'm so sorry!" I apologise, looking up to find a man in his early thirties. He has a dark buzz cut with a chiselled structured face that has a faint line of stubble running along his jaw. His dark eyes connect with mine and I smile. He grins back at me, showing off a row of perfect teeth.
"Don't worry about it. Is this your dog?" He asks me, holding Boe in his arms. I breathe out a sigh of relief as I take her from him and clutch her close to my chest.
"Yes, thank you! I thought I’d lost her,” I respond, clipping her back onto her lead to stop her from running off again.
"You're welcome, Emily.” He responds quietly, my name a breathy whisper on his lips. I freeze and glance up at the stranger from under my lashes. His whole facial expression has changed, dark eyes now cold and emotionless.
"How do you know my name?" I ask him quietly, taking a step back. He takes a step forward instantly, his eyes never leaving mine.
"I know your father."
He tilts his head to the side as he studies me. My stomach stirs uneasily and a bad feeling settles in my gut.
"My father is dead." I say bluntly.The man chuckles quietly in response, the sound causes every hair on my body to stand up in chills.
"Do you know who I am, Emily?" He asks, his tone quiet and chilling. The wind picks up speed and I shiver, wrapping my jacket tightly around myself.
"No and that's exactly why I'm leaving." I add, turning on my heel and walking away. His hand shoots out and grips onto my elbow tightly.
"You're not going anywhere," he threatens me quietly, his grip tightening. My heart begins to thump wildly against my chest. I bite my lip to stop myself from screaming out and kick back with my leg with as much strength as I can find. My foot connects with his groin and he groans in pain, doubling over. Huh, I'm getting good at this.
I take the chance to run, the dog right behind me. I hear his shouts of protests but I never once slow down until I'm safe behind a locked door. I slam the front door shut, bolting it and sliding down the wall. My chest is rising and falling heavily and I suck in a deep breath, forcing my nerves to calm down.
"Are you okay? What happened?” Jake falls beside me with concern filling his eyes. I take several deep breaths as I attempt to calm the ferocious beating of my heart.
"A man chased me in the park, I think he knows Trevor." I gasp, catching my breath. My hands are trembling by my side and I feel like I'm going to throw up. Jake's eyes widen at my words and within a split second, he grabs his jacket and pulls it on.
"Stay right here, I'll be back soon." He says firmly, slamming the door shut as he leaves. I lower myself to the floor, replaying the interaction with the creepy man over and over again in my mind.
After two hours of waiting, I finally give up and drag myself to bed.