Tangled Love

"Hello? Emily, come home this instant! How dare you leave home so suddenly!"

I scoff, unable to believe her words. I silently wish I never answered the phone but the damn woman wouldn't take no for an answer. After ignoring her calls multiple times, I decided to answer before she blew my phone up. . . Literally.

"Leave me alone Mum."

"Where are you? I demand that you come home!" Mum screeches at the other end. Besides me Jake raises an eyebrow and I know he can hear her scream like a banshee.

"I'm safe, isn't that all that matters?" I argue back with her, desperately trying to make her see sense. I hear her pause on the other end before she inhales sharply. I wonder whether she finally understands but when she begins calling me selfish and an inconvenience, I slump my shoulders in defeat.

Why can she not see that I ran away for my own safety?

Would I always be the child blamed for all of the troubles in her life?

back of my eyes and I sniffle, reaching up to quickly wipe them away. A warm hand slips into my left one, intertwining our fingers together. The small contact surprises me because in the past, I'm all alone

That's when I notice

voice on her, doesn't she?" Jake

that's my mum." I respond quietly. Moments of silence fall on us and I close my eyes, Jake's

while, his tone dropping to almost a hushed whisper. I sigh and run a hand over my

same question over and over again, lying wide awake at night. I have a vague idea why Mum let Trevor do what he did. It's always been there in the back of my mind and I try to push it away but it just keeps eating away at me.

"I think she blames me for my Dad's death and it's her way of punishing me." I whisper, feeling physically sick from the thought.

right now it felt like a glass bottle was stabbing through it continuously. The glass

grateful for his support

I nod my head silently, feeling my eyes fill up with emotional tears. The door suddenly opens,

in, chatting quietly between themselves. I sniffle quickly, wiping

dress. Her wild hair is curled around her shoulders and she's wearing sky high black heels. She

"It's downtown, just a few friends that