Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Twenty Three - The mothers return.

Jake's POV-

I place her down gently on the bed, the mattress dipping as her sleeping form takes shape. I carried her the whole way home, questioning how I'd ever let it get this far. I sigh and reach for a blanket at the foot of my bed before draping it over her. Her eyes are closed peacefully, mouth parted. I run a hand over my face as I watch her for a few moments —

I need to tell her the truth before it's too late.

My reputation and past mistakes would soon catch up to me and ruin what we both have if I don't tell her the truth. I know I'm hurting her, confusing her further and causing her pain she doesn't deserve. I don't understand why I find it so difficult to simply voice my feelings for her.

Ask me to hurt someone? Easy peasy.

Raid a business and steal everything? Done as quick as a flash.

Tell Emily Wentworth I'm falling for her? Almost virtually impossible.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I mutter, taking a seat at the end of the bed. I'm careful not to move too fast so I don't wake her, she needs rest. I pull my phone out of my pocket, scrolling down to find Ivory's contact. My fingers tap against the screen as I write out a text message —

Is everything okay at the party?

I send it and drop my phone to the bed before lying backwards. I run a hand through my hair, feeling my body grow heavy and my eyes flutter shut. It's been a long damn night. I glance to my right, my eyes landing on Emily who hasn't moved an inch since I placed her on the bed. The urge to lie next to her, wrap my arms around her and pull her close to me causes my arms to twitch but I decide against it. Moments pass and I feel myself drift off into a sleep, my body beginning to relax . . .

The sound of the front door banging downstairs pulls me out of my sleepy state and I bolt out of bed, on high alert. My eyes widen and I freeze on the spot, wondering whether I'd made up the noise entirely. I hear a shuffle, noises drifting up the stairs.

Ivory and Tobias are out.

So who the hell is that?

I quietly walk over to my wardrobe, prying the door open and reaching for the metal baseball bat I keep inside. My hands wrap around the handle and I pull it out, heart rate increasing inside my chest. I'm fully awake at this point, straining to hear any other noises to indicate who the hell is inside the house.

I begin to make my way out of the bedroom, creeping against the wooden floorboards. As I tip toe down the stairs, I hear faint whispers coming from the kitchen. The door is ajar slightly and I tighten my grip on the bat, ready to break bones if I have to. When I push open the kitchen door, I raise the bat above my head, my eyes wide.

"Jake! Are you crazy?!"

Two high pitched screams fill the silence and I drop the bat to the floor, the metal clanging against it loudly. It bounces a few times before rolling to the side. A low groan escapes my mouth as my eyes land on my mother and Aunt. I instantly drop my murderer act and wince, giving them both an apologetic look. Mum is clutching her heart and Auntie Myra is staring at me in shock, her mouth wide open.

"Shit. I am so sorry."

I make my way towards Mum, my arms outstretched as I prepare to embrace her. She releases the breath she's holding, looking like she's seconds away from calling the police on her own son. Eventually she smiles, wrapping her arms around me. Her scent floats through the air and I realise I've missed it.

"What are you doing back here Mum? You're not supposed to be back for another two weeks."

She pulls back and I notice the dark circles under her eyes. "We finished up early so decided to head home." Mum explains, giving me a small smile. I nod my head and turn towards Auntie Myra.

"Where is my welcome home hug?" She scolds me and I chuckle, leaning forward to embrace her. She squeezes my shoulders, almost choking me in her deathly hold.

"Despite almost scaring me to death, I missed you Jake." She tells me, her voice sounding drained of energy. I smile and pull back —

"I missed you too. Sorry about that, I don't want to set your ticker off." I joke with her, pointing at her chest. She rolls her eyes, slapping my arm lightly. Auntie Myra is a loving woman who shares the exact same features as my mother. Usually they both get mistaken as twins despite Myra being three years older than Mum. Both of them appear exhausted, no doubt from the plane ride home.

I turn the kettle on and take out three mugs from the cabinet, setting them down onto the counter. I'm glad to have Mum and Myra home but I also know I need to tell them about Emily. I sigh, placing a teabag inside each much. I didn't want to tell them like this, not when things between Emily and I are . . . Complicated.

"What's wrong honey? You look troubled." Mum asks, sensing my withdrawn presence. I finish the tea's and pass them to Mum and Myra.

"I need to talk to you both," I say quietly, taking a seat beside them at the table. They both turn to look at me with a worried expression.

"You're not in trouble with the police again, are you?" Mum asks, her tone worried. I shake my head, opening my mouth to explain the situation. Auntie Myra cuts me off —

"You haven't killed Tobias, have you? God damn it, I knew leaving you two alone wasn't a good idea."

I widen my eyes at her, my stare flickering between the two of them.

"No and no. Wow, it's nice to see what you both think I'm capable of." I mutter unhappily. They both give each other a smirk before turning back to me.

"So what is it?"

There's no point beating around the bush so I tell them about Emily moving in because she needed a place to stay. I explain her situation vaguely, leaving our Trevor's role in her running away. From the look on both of their faces, I know they've pretty much worked it out anyway. They both turn to look at each other again as I wait for their response. My leg begins to bounce up and down nervously under the table. Finally, Mum is the first to break the silence —

"She sounds . . . Nice. Is Emily a good friend of yours?" She asks, suggestion lining her voice. I nod, scratching the back of my neck as I know what I'm about to be asked next. Both of them are way too predictable.

"Are you dating her?" Auntie Myra asks me, confirming my suspicions. What is it about parents being way too involved in their kids relationships? I shake my head at her answer, biting down onto my bottom lip.

Why am I not dating Emily yet?

Because I'm scared of that kind of commitment.

"But you want to?" Auntie Myra adds and I glance up to find her watching me, waiting for an answer. I clear my throat, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation subject.

"Jake, you know you're allowed to have friends stay over and if it's a girl you're interested in, I'm happy for you, really." Mum says placing her hand over my arm. I turn my head, giving her a grateful smile.

"How long will she be staying?" Mum asks and Auntie Myra nods, wanting to know the answer too.

"I'm not sure yet. She's having a rough time at home with her Mum and stepfather and she needs somewhere safe to stay, is that cool?" I ask, lifting the mug to my lips and taking a drink. The warm liquid soothe my body and I sigh, leaning back against the chair.

Mum nods, taking a sip of her own tea and I turn towards Auntie Myra for her approval. I live under their roof so it was my responsibility to ask. It's respectful and the right thing to do.

"I don't have a problem with her staying, the house is big enough and I can see she means a lot to you." Auntie Myra finally responds, eyes shining brightly. I groan at her words, knowing exactly what she's thinking. Auntie Myra grin at my uncomfortableness, knowing she's right over her suspicions.

"When can we meet her?"

"She's sleeping at the moment," I lie not wanting to worry them. Technically Emily is asleep.

"In your bedroom?" Auntie Myra asks, her eyebrow raised at me. I clear my throat and nod silently.

"Yeah she wasn't feeling well so I let her stay in my bed. Don't worry Auntie Myra, you're still my favourite lady." I joke, making light of the situation.

She laughs, shaking her head at me at me in response. We chat for a while about their business trip before they both decide to go up to bed, exhausted from the plane ride. I'm left alone in the kitchen, giving me time to think through everything on my mind.

I hear someone walk down the stairs and the kitchen door opened to reveal Emily, her skin pale and her eyes brimmed with redness. I sit up straighter, giving her a small smile. She doesn't smile at me back and I sigh quietly, knowing I have some explaining to do.

"Mum and Auntie Myra are back," I say quietly letting her know. I watch as her eyes widened and she swallows nervously. I tilt my head, low key finding her nervousness a little adorable. "Does she know about me?" she mumbles, staring at her feet.

"Yeah, she's cool with it, don't worry." I add quietly, sensing the obvious tension between us. Emily nods and walks over to the sink, pouring herself a glass of water. I reach out and grab her wrist, forcing her to look at me. Her entire body stills and she turned slowly, gestures flashing with pain.

Pain that I caused.

My heart deflates as I search her eyes. I want to wrap my arms around her and let her know how I feel about her but I physically can't get my words out. Why is this so difficult?

There's firm wall built around my feelings and no matter what I couldn't break it down to let her in. I drop her wrist sadly, knowing she doesn't deserve the heartache I'm causing her. She deserves better. She remains still for a minute, giving me another chance to explain.

"Jake?" she whispers, urging me to explain. I drop my gaze to the floor, my heart thumping against my chest as I tried to form the words correctly before I speak them. I couldn't do it, my mind becomes a blank canvas. Moments of awkward silence pass between us before I hear Emily clear her throat.

Without saying another word, she turns and leaves the kitchen, leaving me alone with only her scent lingering around me.

*****

Emily's POV-

I tip-toe up the stairs, tears pricking the back of my eyes. I was so sure Jake was going to say something, let me know what was really going on in his mind. When he dropped my hand and turned icy towards me, I couldn't help but feel hurt as hell. I've given him a second chance to explain but even still, he decided against it.

I flop down onto my bed and close my eyes, sighing in relief. Within seconds, my eyes grow heavy and sleep takes over, pulling me into a whirlwind of nightmares throughout the night.

I'm falling through a dark hole and I desperately try to cling onto the sides to pull myself back up. Screams echo around me and I slap my hands over my ears, wanting to block the noise out but it only intensifies it.

My fathers voice pleads for help.

Trevor's voice is loud and vicious.

My mother's voice is extremely high pitched, calling my name over and over again.

All three of them are yelling at me, their words stabbing me through my heart, over and over again. I shake my head furiously, wanting them to stop and then suddenly, everything goes eerily quiet. I remove my hands, shaking with fear and glance around. I'm on my old bedroom floor and everything looks so realistic. I shut my eyes and will myself to wake up, knowing this nightmare wont end well.

The bedroom door bangs loudly causing me to scream and Trevor pounds it from the other side, beating the door as if he's beating me. I huddle into the corner and whimper, my hands hiding my face. I feel vulnerable, like a scared little child.

Wake up Emily, wake up!

"Wake up Emily, wake up!"

My eyes fling open and I scream out loud, tears falling down my cheeks. Jake stands over me shirtless, his hair sticking up in different directions. I look around in complete fear to find myself back in Jake's house, safe. I sob in relief, my face completely drenched in tears.

Jake is looking at me wide eyed, full of concern. He pulls back the covers and climbs in beside me, pulling me into his chest.

"You're safe Emily, you're safe. I won't let him hurt you."

My entire body is shaking and I force myself to calm down, breathing normally once again. I'm drifting back into a sleep when I feel his lips press against my forehead softly —"I'm sorry Muffin.”