Oh my god. Why would anyone want to cheat on him? I mean look at him. Why would she want to hurt him?

I shake my head as if I can’t believe it. I don’t want her to be the one.

Is she the reason he’s the way he is? Why he keeps women at arm’s length, and it’s just sex and fun? Did having his first love savagely rip his heart open make him unable to trust women in his life? Keeping them all at a distance, the way I do with everyone else.

“Why did you start seeing her again?” It’s out before I can stop it.

Do I want to hear him tell me how he’s never got over her? No, I don’t.

He shrugs and gazes at me intensely.

“It’s complicated.”

When is it ever not?

“Stop saying that,” I wail, instantly on my feet and I’m angry.

Why?

Because he’s my Jake. Not hers. I want him to want me, and only me; I know it’s never going to be that way and it ruins every part of me. Rages and burns that once, long ago she had exactly that and she threw it all away. She was a complete idiot!

“Emma … What do you want me to say?” he moves to me, and pushes me back to sit down, so he’s standing over me.

“You think I planned any of this shit?” he looks broken, eyes damp and face unreadable, yet somehow sad.

“Do you love her?” I ask of him, complete fear gripping me inside and I almost sob it out in desperation.

don’t cry. Not here. Not now. Not in

his face and I can’t read it. I’m scared of

shaking my head. “I don’t want to know.” He grasps my

body

I think? …

him away, lost in teen Emma mode and

We need to talk.” He’s trying to pull my arms to him, but I’m pushing him off. Marissa is right there in the next room, she’s pregnant with his baby. She’s the first love of his life. She’s the reason he avoids relationships. What am I supposed to think?

his hands off me. He lets me go and moves back rejected, he’s letting me leave, but I don’t want to go anymore. I don’t know what to

pulling up my hood, and don’t look back, knowing that walking out is the only choice I have. I don’t look back, even

* * *

pain overtake me. I cry like I did the night he left me on that boat, and I think I may actually die this time. If my lungs don’t self-implode, I think my heart might. The pain is unbearable and raw, and I’ve never willingly exposed

I’m in a parallel universe, or I’m dreaming. I’ll wake at any minute and this will all have been one long, bad dream. Except I know that it’s not. Meeting Jake has slowly changed it all, he is too potent to be around, changing me, changing how I think and live, until I don’t

how

* * *

finally start walking back to the hotel, I don’t know how long I’ve been, but I’m calm, and my tears have dried on their own, my face tight and swollen, but I don’t care anymore. I’ve been through so many emotions these past weeks; I think I’m slowly losing my mind.

clock ticking loudly in the modern

it’s always going to be? There’s always going to be me, desolate, alone on one side, and Jake on the other side of a bedroom

if he told me he wanted me and only me, then how would that work? I

that? Can he? Can I bear

have to if I want to keep my job, and I do. I love working with him, I love being his right hand, but surely that in itself is half the problem. We crossed the line and now I’ll never be able to just

love him. – I think

of my room open and halt suddenly. Jake’s laid on my bed, illuminated by the lamp beside him with his laptop on his thighs. He’s been waiting on me, his cell tossed carelessly in the center of the bed, beside mine. I guess he tried to call me

His voice is steady and deep, hoarse from tiredness as my inner confidence slides silently from deep within and makes a quick exit via the door. I swallow and take a deep steadying

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