This Summer (DMBB Spin-off)

Chapter 8: Lumos

"'Cause I love you more than you could know
And your heart, it grows every time it breaks
I know that it might sound strange
But I wish you pain."

Song: Wish You Pain ~ Andy Grammar

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8. Lumos

"Do you want to get out of here?" Jacob asked, squatting down in front of me.

I nodded.

"Okay," he said.

He took my hand and helped me off the floor.

"Get some rest, I'll see you around," Cameron told me.

I gave him a weak smile as Jacob led me out, still holding my hand.

"Hold on," he said when we stepped outside, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

He dialed a number and put the phone to his ear, letting it ring.

"Liam?...No, you guys can stay if you want to...I'm taking Shayley back to the ranch."

Why did he have to say it like that?

"She's fine...no...Liam, I'm not doing tha-"

Jacob sighed, taking his phone off his ear and tapping the screen.

"Can you hear me?" Liam's voice asked.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Yes, I can hear you."

"I was talking to Shayley," he said.

I chuckled softly. "Loud and clear."

"Good," Liam said. "I see everything!"

I shook my head, a small smile on my face as Jacob took him off speaker.

"We'll see you back at the ranch, goodbye," Jacob said and hung up.

"Well you know him well enough to know he's not actually crazy so I won't bother explaining his behavior," he told me, making me laugh a little.

We decided to leave the truck we drove parked at the diner, since it made sense because they were more. The walk back to the ranch was silent, mostly him just stealing glances at me, probably trying to read my expression. I was still hung up on the fact that he just saw me in one of my most vulnerable states. He escorted me up when we got to the empty ranch.

"Thank you," I told him, my hand on the doorknob. "That probably wasn't easy for you to see huh?"

He chuckled softly. "It was...new, but it only matters that you're okay. And hey, if it ever happens again at least I won't stand there looking like a complete idiot."

I smiled. "You weren't an idiot."

"I was, but I'll take your word for it," he joked.

Goodnight Jacob," I said. "And thank you...again."

He gave me one last smile, his hands in his pockets. "Goodnight Shayley."

I opened the door and stepped inside the room, sighing afterwards. I took a shower and then fumbled around in my stuff, looking for some Xanax or something to take. With all the pills I had I could open a pharmacy. I found the Xanax, luckily, and fell onto my bed after taking it.

Jacob might have seen me have an anxiety attack, but he didn't know the half of it. This part, I was never going to mention to him.

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