Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Seventeen - Facing Danger.

"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 grumbles 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 scraping my hair back and securing 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 Jake," 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 circles 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 ate most of them." Jake chuckles, his fingers drawing circles on my back. I giggle before moving back to look at him.

"No silly. I mean for helping me. . . I had fun last night too." I mumble, fiddling with my hands.

"So basically I'm like your Prince Charming?" Jake smirks, tilting my chin up so I'm looking into his eyes. His lips began twitching and I smack his chest lightly for teasing me.

"Sort of but without the charm," I admit, my own lips twitching into a small smile. Jake's eyes light up and he chuckles quietly, his chest rumbling against mine.

"I'm so full of charm, you just don't want to admit it."

He suddenly takes hold of both of my hands, clutching them tightly as his expression turned serious.

"You don't have to be scared, I'll be with you."

I bit down on my bottom lip, feeling an uneasy feeling settle inside my stomach. I shake my head, finalising my decision.

"I don't need anything, I promise."

Jake sighs, running a hand over his face and up through his hair and I know something else is troubling him.

"What's wrong?"

"The police will get involved if your Mum tells them you've left home. You know that, right?"

I nod slowly, my throat drying up with nerves.

"If I tell the police everything Trevor has done, I'll be allowed to stay here with you. . . I looked it up." I mutter, feeling anxiety build up inside me. I don't want to drag the past up but if it keeps me away from Trevor, I'd do anything.

"Trevor said he'd kill me if I ever told anyone his secret," I whisper, my voice shaking. Jake sighs and pulls me closer to him, his arms wrapping around my top half.

"You've got me now Emily, you don't have to be scared anymore. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

His strong arms tighten around my small frame and it feels like he's protecting me from the danger everywhere I turn. Being inside his arms I feel safe.

"I don't deserve you," I mumble into his shirt. He shakes his head before replying —

"You're right . . . you deserve the world."

*****

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 laying on the couch in our pyjama's, 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!"

She runs at him, knocking over a vase of flowers on the coffee table. I sniffle again and wipe my eyes, looking up to find Jake standing over me holding back a laugh.

"Really Emily?" He grins down at me, his hands inside his jacket pockets.

"Shut up Melvin," 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.

"Get up and do something beside eat Nutella and cry over chick flicks. Ivory is rubbing off on you."

I shake my head protesting 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 hangs open in shock and I shut it quickly.

"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.

"That-was-not-funny." I grumble, crossing my arms over my chest and pouting. Jake rolls his eyes and pins me down onto the bed, his body over mine.

"Jake! You're too strong, you'll squash me like a bug!"

He laughs loudly, throwing his head back as the joyous sound fills the room.

"You really do make me smile Muffin," he tells me, blue eyes sparkling brightly. Warmth spreads through my chest and I giggle back at him before he leans down, attacking my lips with his.

*****

A week inside is causing me to go insane.

I need to smell the fresh air, feel the grass, hear the birds. I pull on my trainers and clip the dogs lead onto her collar, 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. Damn, I'm unfit.

"Calm down pup," I instruct Boe who's barking at another dog a few feet away. I tug on her leash and she obeys to my surprise.

"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 stands of the tree's and I inhale deeply, loving the benefits Mother Nature has to offer. A slight breeze whips around me and I felt my shoulders relax slightly.

A small rustle from behind me catches my attention and I turn immediately only to find the branches swaying to and fro from 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, Boe isn't with me. I immediately stop and turn, scanning the area. . . She's nowhere to be found.

"Boe?" I call out, my voice echoing through the air. I decide to re-trace my steps and turn the corner, colliding 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 despite his age, he's clearly handsome. He grins at me, showing off a row of perfectly straight 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, smiling gratefully at him as I take her in my arms.

"Yes, thank you so much!" I respond, clipping her back onto her lead to stop her from running off again.

"You're welcome Emily."

I freeze at the mention of my name and glance up at the man. 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. I feel my stomach clench tightly —

"My father is dead."

The man chuckles quietly in response, the sound causing 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 slide down the wall. My chest is rising and falling heavily and I suck in a deep breath, forcing my nerves to calm down.

"What the hell happened Emily?"

I look up, meeting Jake's eyes that are worried and concerned. He's glancing between me and Boe, a confused frown on his face. It takes me a few moments to structure my sentence properly.

"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 three hours of waiting, I finally give up and drag myself to bed.