If Our Love Is Wrong [BxB]

Chapter 10 - Breaking away

A/N hey guys just doing a time skip to when Jake gets out of the hospital.

It had been three weeks since Jake was discharged from the hospital. As he prepared for his first day back at college, a knot of nerves coiled in his stomach, churning like a tempestuous sea. Uncertainty loomed over him like a dark cloud, leaving him adrift in a sea of conflicting emotions. He wasn't sure what to expect, or how to navigate the tumultuous waters of his own mind.

"All set?" Cathy's voice broke through the haze of Jake's thoughts, her own anxiety palpable in the tremor of her words.

"Yeah, Mum," Jake grumbled, retrieving his phone from his pocket with a touch of irritation.

"What about your medication? And your glasses, in case you get a headache?" Cathy's words spilled out in a rapid stream, her worry bubbling to the surface.

"I've got everything, Mum. Seriously, you don't need to worry," Jake reassured her, his tone softening as he attempted to alleviate her concerns.

Stepping forward, Cathy gently cupped his face in her hands. "I know, honey. But I can't help but worry about you. I just want to make sure you're ready for today. You know you don't have to go back today, right? We can always postpone it if you're not feeling up to it." Her words were laced with a mother's love and concern, a desire to shield her son from any further harm.

"Mom, please, stop," Jake implored, his frustration evident in the furrow of his brow and the edge in his voice. "I need to get on with my life, and I can't do that with your overbearing mollycoddling. Just let me do this. I'll be okay, and if I need you, I promise I'll call." His words were a plea, a desperate attempt to assert his independence while still reassuring his worried mother.

With determined steps, Jake made his way towards the front door, refusing to look back even as he felt the weight of his mother's concerned gaze boring into the back of his neck. She wouldn't allow him to drive, so it seemed he'd have to walk to college today.

Arriving at the campus, Jake couldn't ignore the murmurs that followed in his wake, the whispers of gossip and speculation swirling around him like a dark cloud. "Did you hear about him getting stabbed? What a tragedy," the voices carried, dripping with sarcasm and thinly veiled malice. Jake clenched his jaw, refusing to let their words penetrate his resolve as he pushed past them, their mocking laughter echoing in his ears like the cackle of sinister witches.

"Demented hags," he muttered under his breath as he continued on, his steps purposeful as he made his way to his locker, determined to block out the stares and whispers that followed him like shadows. But as he turned a corner, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts he couldn't explain, a voice pierced through the haze, pulling him back to reality.

"Hey, how are you feeling being back?" Liam's voice cut through the bustling hallway, drawing Jake's attention like a beacon in the fog. It was strange, seeing Liam again after their time apart, and the awkwardness hung heavy between them, a tangible reminder of the shadows that lurked beneath the surface. Despite everything, Jake couldn't help but feel a twinge of longing, a desperate desire to bridge the gap that had formed between them.

"I'm okay," Jake replied, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation. "I just wish people would stop staring." His words hung in the air, a silent plea for understanding as he navigated the sea of curious glances that followed him like a shadow.

As they began to walk towards their next class, Liam's hand darted out, grasping Jake's for a fleeting moment before retreating just as quickly. The sudden contact sent a jolt of electricity coursing through Jake's veins, his heart pounding in his chest as he stumbled, his thoughts spinning like a whirlwind.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to do that. I—" Liam's words faltered, his uncertainty mirroring Jake's own inner turmoil as he struggled to make sense of the tangled mess of emotions swirling around them.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Jake interjected, his voice firm as he brushed off Liam's apology with a forced nonchalance. But beneath the surface, a storm raged, threatening to engulf them both in its turbulent embrace.

"Anyways, there's a party on Friday at Sam's – you coming?" Liam's question hung in the air, pregnant with unspoken tension as he searched Jake's face for a response. For a moment, Jake was tempted to say yes, to grasp at the fleeting chance to mend their fractured friendship. But the memory of his mother's apprehension loomed large in his mind, a silent reminder of the barriers that stood between them.

After a moment's hesitation, Jake forced a smile, his heart heavy with regret as he replied, "Alright, I'll meet you there." The words felt hollow on his tongue, a bitter reminder of the distance that still lingered between them. As they parted ways, Jake couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that gnawed at his insides, a silent ache for the friendship that once was, and the uncertain future that lay ahead.