Tangled Love

CHAPTER 20

I remain silent, unable to let him into my thoughts. I can't tell anyone, the thought terrifies me.

Jake sighs at my silence and reaches up, wiping away a tear with his fingers. I immediately freeze, sucking in a deep breath from the way his fingers feel against my cheeks. He places one hand under my chin, tilting my head up so that I'm holding eye contact with him.

"The teacher wouldn't allow Trish to leave." He mumbles apologetically.

"What about you?" I ask him quietly.

"I'm not going to let a teacher stop me." He responds, giving me a small smile. I swallow the lump in my throat and search his eyes.

"Please talk to me," Jake pleads, his voice softening. I close my eyes and shake my head, leaning back against the wall. The words that I want to tell him are at the tip of my tongue but no matter how hard I try, I can't speak the truth.

"My life is completely messed up." I eventually mumble, being vague.

"Oh look, we have something else in common." Jake smiles, his tone playful. He reaches forward and pulls me into his chest. His body feels warm and for the first time since my dad died, I feel safe.

The feeling of safety is one that I haven't felt for years. I'm surprised that someone like Jake Melvin is the first person to make me experience it. I can hear the soft thumping of his heart through his shirt and I sniffle, burying my head closer to him.

"It's going to be okay." Jake reassures me despite being oblivious to the truth.

"You can't possibly know that," I whisper in response. His arms tighten around me and I relax against him, breathing in his warm scent. A comfortable silence falls upon us until Jake gently pushes

backwards, his eyes meeting mine. I feel embarrassed and reach up, wiping away the last of my tears.

"Sorry, I must look a mess right now." I mumble, a red tint covering my cheeks. Jake doesn't respond and looks at me intensely, almost as if he wants to say something. Before he does, his phone begins to beep inside his pocket. He reaches for it but doesn't break eye contact with me and his stare makes me feel vulnerable and exposed.

I clear my throat and look away, focusing on a small piece of rubbish on the floor. From the corner of my eye, I see Jake smile before glancing down at his phone. The smile on his face vanishes as his eyes scan over the message — Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

"I have to go."

I nod quickly but can't help feeling dis-heartened. Jake notices my disappointment and sighs before running a hand though his hair. He stands up off the floor, holding out a hand for me to take. I reach out, placing my hand in his and I'm not surprised that his hands radiate warmth just like his body.

"Thank you," I say quietly, noticing how close our bodies are. As his chest rises, it lightly bushes mine before falling back down again. Butterflies flutter in my stomach at his close proximity.

"Anytime," Jake whispers. He inches forward, raising his hand to tuck a piece of stray hair behind my ear. I automatically flinch without realising.

"Why do you do that?" Jake asks suddenly, looking at me with his head slightly tilted to the side. I glance away, unable to keep eye contact with him as I'm afraid he'll be able to see right through my lies.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I mumble. Jake raises an eyebrow and opens his mouth to respond but his phone beeps multiple times.

"Fuck," He mutters under his breath, clearly annoyed at the person on the other end. He answers the call, holding his phone up to his ear. As he listens, his blue piercing eyes never leave mine. I find mesmerised by the swirls of ocean blue waves in his eyes.

My eyes briefly flicker down to his lips and I feel my breathing shallow out as I imagine kissing him.

Jake inches closer and raises his hand, letting it glide down a strand of my dark hair. His eyes follow the movement of his fingers and I feel the ferocious beating of my heart inside my chest.

"Don't let him leave, I'll be there in twenty," Jake murmurs, breaking the silence. His tone is low and lined with a danger I haven't heard before.

His voice snaps me out of the trance and I blink, taking a step back. It's my turn to raise my eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Who's that?" I say warily. Jake shrugs, acting completely laid back and calm.

"Business. I'll see you later," Jake says quietly. I can respond with is a simple nod of my head. Jake takes a step back, his eyes flickering over me one last time. He sighs unhappily before disappearing out of the bathroom. I watch him go and silently wish he'd turn back around again.