Chapter 45: Chapter 45

Forty Five - Drama.

The day is finally here.

I bounce up and down excitedly as I glance at the clock for the millionth time in the last five minutes. Jake is due to be here at exactly half past eleven to take me home. All my belongings are packed and I'm as beyond excited.

The door opens and I jump up with my bag over one arm, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.

"You're keen." Jake chuckles, taking the bag off me and swinging it over his own shoulder.

"Thank you and yes, I can't wait to get out of here!" I grin, looking around at the room I've called home for the past month.

"Funnily enough, I'm not going to miss this room at all." Jake says and I nod, agreeing with him.

"M'lady. . . Your carriage awaits." Jake turns towards me, holding out his other arm for me to take.

"Well my car awaits but we can pretend it's a carriage," he adds, a cute little smile on his face. I giggle at him and gladly tuck my hand into the crook of his arm. We both turn to take one last look at the room before we'd leave it forever. It's closing one massive chapter in my life and hopefully opening a positive one. A chapter full of happiness and good memories instead of pain and heartache. I know struggles lay ahead of me . . . drama has a way of chasing Jake and I both, biting us at every chance it got.

I'm not fully recovered but getting stronger day by day. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends again, going back to college and living a normal teenage life with my boyfriend. And with that, I pull him gently towards the direction of the door —

"Come on boyfriend, let's get out of here."

*****

"I need a job," I groan, scrolling through the advertisements on my phone. Jake raises his brow at me and plucks the phone out of my hands. I look at him, my mouth open unattractively in shock.

"Give that back." I warn him, narrowing my eyes at him playfully.

"No. You're not getting a job anytime soon, you've just been shot, what part of take it easy suggests getting a job?" He asks me, shaking his head at me. I huff before leaning back onto his bed pillows —

"I need to pay for myself Jake, we can't live on your money forever. Where do you even get your money?" I ask him, intrigued at how he could even afford a pack of cookies.

Jake shrugs — "Amil pays me."

"He pays you to do what?" I respond, knowing I probably wouldn't like the answer. Jake quietens and his shoulders tense before he turned back towards the TV, pretending to be interested in some crappy daytime show.

"It doesn't matter, I make plenty for both of us." Jake says quietly. I sigh at his answer —

"Jake, I love you. I know you don't like talking about the gang but when you go missing for hours on end, I need to have some sort of reassurance that I won't get a phone call saying you've been shot. . . " I drift off, feeling uneasy. He turns towards me, his words blunt.

"You don't need to worry about me, I can handle myself."

"That's not the point, I'm scared of the whole gang job you have Jake. I don't know whether you're going to come home alive and safe every time you leave. It scares me, a lot."

"Muffin, I'm sorry. I can't leave, it's not possible."

"Why isn't it possible? Do you enjoy what you do?"

"I don't enjoy it," Jake says quietly, his voice coming out like a low rumble.

"So leave."

He turns his head towards me, sadness filling his eyes. I glance back at the vulnerability and fear that takes over his features. It's one of the very few times I've seen Jake scared. The sight of his fear makes my heart ache for him.

"I can't, I took an oath."

He stands off the bed and lifts his shirt over his head, muscles in his arms flexing as he does so. His smooth toned body greets me and I suck in a breath, my eyes roaming his body. He points at a section on his skin, ignoring my burning stare. A tattoo is inked across his chest.

"Do you see this?" He asks me quietly and I nod, having studied it plenty of times before.

“It translates to brother in Spanish. I got this when I joined the gang years ago. Every gang member has to get it, Amil brands us all. Once we have it, we're brothers. You don't leave your brothers."

"What happens if you do leave?"

Jake breaks eye contact with me, looking at the floor instead as he pulls his shirt back on. He takes a few moments to answer but when he finally does, it sends chills running through my body.

"You die."

*****

"This looks amazing." I breathe out, taking a seat next to Ivory at the table. Myra beams at me.

"Thanks honey, it's nothing really." She waves off her effort and I glance at the table, my mouth watering at the feast in front of us. There are two different types of grilled meat, noodles and rice, battered prawns, pastry parcels and a rainbow salad laid out in front of us. Ivory grabs a plate, putting one down in front of me.

"Mum is like the most amazing cook, she'll fatten you up in no time." Ivory giggles and I grin back at her. I'm so glad to finally be reunited with Ivory, she's like a sister to me. She cried when I got back from the hospital and filled me in on all the gossip going on in college. I've planned to see Trish tomorrow but I'm yet to see Tobias. Apparently he'd gone AWOL ever since he knew I'd be back today.

Jake waltz in, running a hand through his damp hair. I can tell he'd just showered and my eyes roam over his appearance, a small smile on my lips. He subtly raises an eyebrow at me, smirking before turning towards Myra.

"Food smells amazing Aunty M, thank you."

He kisses her cheek before taking a seat next to me. My heart warms at his sweet relationship with his family . . . something I wouldn't have expected from him at all.

"So honey, how are you feeling? We've all been so worried." Aunty Myra says, pouring me a glass of red wine. I motion for her to stop as the glass was starting to become way too full. I'm a lightweight and a sip of wine would probably have me crawling on the floors. . .

"I feel so much better now I'm here, a little pain but the doctor gave me painkillers. Plus Jake has been taking care of me very well." I tell her, taking Jake's hand in mine. I give his hand a little squeeze before turning back towards Myra. She was smiling warmly in Jake's direction and I could tell how much love she has for him.

"He is a very loving boy," Myra replies and Jake cleared his throat beside me —

"I am sat right here and don't call me loving, it's embarrassing." He grimaces, shoving a prawn whole into his mouth.

"Jake, please don't eat like an animal," she replies, shaking her head at Jake's caveman habits. He shrugs, grabbing another prawn —

"I'm hungry and I'm a man, sue me."

"He's wrong about the man part." Ivory whispers on my other side sniggering and I bite back a laugh.

"Hey! I heard that, you're shit at whispering." Jake says, narrowing his eyes at Ivory.

"Jake, no swearing at the table please." Myra says, loading food onto her own plate. I sit there patiently until everyone plates up their own foods before adding some chicken and rice to my own.

"Is that all you're having?" Jake asks me, eyebrows raised at my plate. I nod —

"I'm not that hungry."

"Emily, you need to eat more than that. Remember what the doctor said?"

"How can I forget? He repeated it like three times," I responded, taking a sip of my wine. I immediately scrunch my face up at the disgusting taste of vinegar in my mouth. It hits me straight away and I swallow it quickly, choking a little from the effort. Myra chuckles at my reaction —

"First time drinking wine honey?" She asks and I nods, pushing the wine glass away from me.

"I think I'll stick to water."

Ivory leans over and takes my glass, pouring the wine into her own.

"More for me!" She says cheerfully and I chuckle at her alcoholic ways. The kitchen door opens and I pause, fork hanging in mid air. Tobias mutters a greeting to his mum before sitting opposite me. I feel Jake physically still beside me and I place my hand on his knee, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey Tobias." I say quietly, breaking the tension at the table. The conversation has been light and friendly until now and I didn't want that to change. Tobias completely ignores me and grabs a plate, loading it high with food.

"Emily spoke to you Tobias. Don't be rude." Myra says firmly, giving him a sidewards glare. All she got in return was a grunt before he turns and walks back out of the kitchen with his plate in his hands. I shuffle uncomfortably in my chair and fiddle with my fork and knife, scraping it against the plate.

He completely ignored me.

"Idiot." I hear Jake mumble beside me and Myra slams her fork and knife down, surprising us all. She pinches the bridge of her nose, looking very annoyed.

"Whatever is going on between you two needs to end soon Jake! This has been going on for years, I cannot have you two fighting under my roof any longer!"

"Aunty Myra, I haven't done anything! It's him, he's an asshole!" Jake hisses, slamming his cup down onto the table. I feel Ivory stiffen beside me, clearly uncomfortable from the situation.

She isn't the only one.

"I know he hurt you Jake but it's been years! Can't you at least try to get along, for my sake?" Myra asks desperately, taking a large drink of her wine. Jake's chair scrapes back before he stands up —

"I'm sorry Aunty M, I'd do anything for you but forgive him is the one thing I can't do. Every time we get somewhere, he ruins it again!"

The door swings open forcefully and Tobias stands in the doorway, fire in his eyes. He glares at Jake, his fists clenched on either side.

"It's been years Jake! I've said how sorry I am, it was a mistake!" He yells, his voice filling the kitchen. I slide lower in my seat and close my eyes, the arguments between these two just never ends.

"How is sleeping with my ex a mistake?" Jake yells back at him.

"She was all over me man! I was weak and it was a mistake!"

"That is enough!" Myra screams, standing from her seat and stepping between the two boys. She points at Jake and Tobias, her chest rising and falling quickly from her anger.

"If you two don't find a way to get past this, you're both leaving this house! I will not have this fighting and anger in my home any longer!" She screams before placing a hand over her chest. She sits back down in her seat, leaving the two boys staring at each other in shock.

Ivory's eyes widen at her mum's words and so does mine. The tension in the room grows and everyone remains frozen to the spot, unsure of how to react. Tobias is the first to cut through the silence.

"Mum?" He asks uncertainly, his chest rising and falling heavily.

"I mean it Tobias, I've had enough," Myra says firmly, pouring herself another glass of wine. At this rate, she'd go through the entire bottle within minutes.

Living with Jake and Tobias can do that to you.

"Unbelievable!" Jake mutters, shaking his head. He pushes past Tobias and storms upstairs, his heavy footsteps echoing through the house. I hear his bedroom door slam shut and I slide further down into my seat until my knees were practically touching the floor.

Hello drama.