"I watched it all in my head, perfect sense. They'll take me from me my bed. Leave everything that is worth a single cent and just take me instead."
Female Robbery- The Neighbourhood
TW: talks of SA
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After my little mental breakdown, Jake begins to download Uber on his phone.
I help him out of his hospital clothes, and into his old ones from the days before. He looks at me solemnly as I make him step into his jeans. His are glasses off because I have to put his shirt on him. He's still incredibly sore, so I'm not sure how is he going to start training on Monday.
I put the shirt over his head, causing his locks to flow out each direction. I bite my tongue from smiling at his messy hair. He puts his arms through with slight winces.
"What's wrong?"
"Are you okay?" He asks me instead of answering me.
"Am I okay?" My hands rest on his shoulders, as he leans against the bed.
"Yes. What's wrong? I mean I know it's been a shit a couple of days, but you seem so unhinged. Especially just 15 minutes ago, it seemed you were going to break up with me."
"I wasn't."
"It seemed like it." His emerald eyes bore with sadness.
"I just don't want to fall out of love with you," I say unexpectedly.
"Why do you say that?"
"My parents, the way they are has really fucked up everything. I mean I wish he would have never done that yesterday-"
"What are talking about?"
Shit. I never told him about my father becoming drunk off his ass and strangling me half to death. "Dawn?"
"My dad... um..." My eyes stay down to the floor, Jake's index finger pulls at my chin to look at him. "He relapsed."
"And what do you mean by that?" His voice hard.
"He..." I sniffle. "My mom's in the hospital."
"Did he touch you?" His voice becoming deadly.
"Yes, but he barely touched me," I say rushingly. "I have to go down to the police station later today to press charges, and I'm forcing my mom to when she gets back from the hospital."
He let's go of my face. A sigh passes his lips, and I can tell he's livid. I hug him tightly, but his arm stays at his sides. A hard glare presses into the wall ahead of us. "Please don't blow up. We have enough stress as it is."
With hesitation, he hugs me back, and I revel in his comfort.
"You are not to see him again." He whispers in my ear. I try to pull from his embrace, but he holds me right with the leftover strength that he has.
"He's my father, Jake."
"I don't give a shit, Dawn. Honestly let's not argue about this right now or I'm about to pop a fuse." I let it go for now, but he will not force me to not see my dad again. He's my dad. Though I don't see us carrying a future together as a normal daughter and father- we never did- nevertheless I don't want to cut him out altogether. "When did this happen?"
"Yesterday, maybe an hour after you dropped me off. I would have told you sooner, but everything went to shit at the Underground."
He pulls back, his hands at my forearms. "Tell me exactly what happened."
And I do just that. To my awoken cries of my mother downstairs, and my quickness to the noise. My distraction. Everything to when Ledger answered the phone instead of Jake. The choke out, and how my mother is here at the hospital.
"Do you want to wait for her until she is cleared." His hand rests on mine, as we cuddle on the side of the bed.
"She's kind of mad at me right now. I'm making her press charges on him. I highly doubt she wants me to stay with her."
"I don't want you to be alone in your house."
"I'll be fine. Ledger doesn't know where I live."
"Yes, he does." He says immediately.
"What?" My heart sinks.
"That night when we were supposed to have sex the first time- they caught me outside your house. He.... he went into your house that night."
What?
"Seconds passed. Seconds turn to minutes, and I'm left confused. A thump is made outside my bedroom door, my heart rising. It's just Jake. Finally. The footsteps continue up towards my bedroom I'm assuming. I sit up, my smile wide for him.
Then the footsteps stop. A buzz came next.
The footsteps went back downstairs. My mind says to open that door and demand Jake to know what he is doing, the other is more confused to the fact that Jake didn't wear shoes to go outside. His shoes are sitting right in front of me.
Those footsteps were not bare."
"No, no, no." I chant, my thoughts going to back to that embarrassing night. I thought he had rejected me. That he chickened out and decided against the idea of being with me. But I remember.
I remember the footsteps and how I was confused for a moment why Jake didn't enter the room.
Because it wasn't Jake.
"Why?"
"He was going to rape you that night, but I begged and begged. Told him I'd stop seeing you. Ever since then he's had this eye on me, and I thought he would relent and move on with someone else, but he never did."
"What about my mom? What if she's home alone, and he-" I begin to panic.
"He doesn't bother with parents. If anything he'll just take you without her knowing."
"Wow, that makes me feel so much better." I cross my arms.
"I'm sorry, baby." He rests his hands on my elbows.
"It's not your fault." I begin to think for a moment. Where can I stay for the night? "Could I stay with Reese?" I pause. "She lives so close though, and I can't stay with you because surely he'd know I'd be there. Alice as well." My thoughts became too much until, "Lauren? She lives a block away, in another neighborhood. She still lives close to my house, but not as close as Reese's."
"That bitch?" Jake scowls.
"Hey." I slap his arm lightly. "She's my best friend- well... my old best friend."
"I'm assuming Alice took that spot."
"No." My eyes looking at him lovingly. "You did." His cheeks turn pink, and he hides in my neck, arms low on butt this time. His hands massaging the cheeks, which just causes my cheeks on my face to redden as well. "Who's being shy now?" I pester.
"Shush." He kisses my neck. "I'm your boyfriend, not your best friend."
"Who says you can't be both?" My heart pulsing at the fact he referred to himself as my boyfriend. I'm so glad he's over that boyfriend-girlfriend is a childish thing.
"Well, you should know why I hate her."
No not really. I know what she did with Alice was terrible, but it takes two to tango. "It's not just her." He pulls back at me and looks at me weirdly.
"Really-"
"You have to sign some papers before leaving, Dennings." Martinez steps into the room.
Jake squeeze my hips and limps towards Martinez. I wonder how much is everything going to cost.
I find myself lingering behind Jake. My hand tugging at his leather jacket. He glances down at me the slightest and slips his hand into mine to hold it as his other hand signs away at some papers.
"I'm not affectionate."
My ass.
I check in on my mother, and her doctor blindsides me. She tells me that my mother wishes to stay an extra day in the hospital to rest. So I let my mother stay asleep instead of waking her up. We soon leave afterwards.
Our Uber comes ten minutes later, and soon enough we are in front of Reese's house. I would go up and thank her for everything she did yesterday but she may still be asleep, it was a long night last night. I silently remind myself to call her soon. Jake drives my car, and we head a few doors down to my house.
Jake enters my house first, checking both sides of my house to see if there might be Ledger's people to take me. No ones here. Expect broken glass, and my mother's blood on the floor. My eyes begin to water at the faint memory, but Jake pushes me up the stairs to grab some clothes so I can stay the night at Lauren's house. It's already midday.
I texted Lauren on our way over here. I quickly explained the situation- or just my father's relapse. She was always there for me when my dad was drinking, and I can't help but feel warmth when she came at open arms through the text she sent me back stating I was welcomed anytime. Maybe it'll be like the good old days when we watched Netflix and ate junk food all day. Her noisy brother wouldn't stop bothering us, and we'd prank call our neighbors. I do miss her, but she's changed.
Jake doesn't seem to like her, and I don't understand why. I guess maybe Alice's situation, so that's my best guess.
"Do you think we have time for a quick shower before we go?" I announce.
"We?" He asks cheekily.
"Yes." I smile back. He looks behind me instead and sees my bathroom door open with forced entry. The hinges have broken from my father's intrusion.
His smile falls, and I feel myself console him. "I'm fine. If you really think about it, Ledger's had done worse yesterday." I shrug my shoulders at him.
"But your mother."
I nod my head, but I can't keep thinking about the past anymore. All I can think about is the future. "Come on." I reach for his hand and pull him into my restroom.
Once we reach the restroom, I pull his glasses off and see his cautious eyes linger around me. I undress him again to his boxers and stand up straight awaiting him to do me.
His fingers are cautious, but rough around the sweatshirt I'm wearing. And there even softer around my legs. Goosebumps arise my legs as I step out of the pants. He still looks at me solemnly, as I turn back to the shower. I start the water and submerge myself. He follows suit, but I'm mostly still engulfed in the water. His stitches are still fresh so we don't want them to be soaked. He doesn't fully go under the water with me. He pulls me to him, and I rest my head on his chest. This is my favorite thing with him. Being vulnerable under the water.
His hands travel down to my bottom and squeezes my cheeks. I look up with a smirk, and he answers with a kiss pressed to my lips. I hum in the exchange, and I feel one of his hands brush against the side of my chest up towards my neck.
"My sweat runs cold, along with door busting open, my father choking me instantly, his eyes boring into mine.
His laugh fills the air, and I'm lifted to the ground by his hand around my neck. I claw at his wrist, feeling the air leave my lungs. He lifts me higher, my feet not touching the ground anymore. I look him now in the eyes, though my vision is blurred."
I lunge back full force away from Jake.
"What's wrong?" His eyes pouring into mine with worry.
My hand's ghost around my slightly bruised neck. My brain inflicting every memory from yesterday itself. "Nothing... I..." I trail off. I shake my head to myself, "I'm sorry, I'm just not in the mood."
"I was only kissing you," Jake argues.
"I know," I mumble embarrassingly.
"You can tell me anything." His voice much softer. He steps towards me, but I bow deeper into the water.
"Can I just be left alone for a moment?"
"Dawn that's not a good idea-"
"Please," I beg.
A pause passes his lips before he mutters back, "Fine." He steps out the shower shortly after.
I pack some sweats, deodorant, and my toothbrush after my cool down. I don't know what came over me. It was like I was reliving two terrible events in ten seconds. Everything coming in full circle. I must definitely make an appointment on Monday. I can't take these mood swings. I scavenge my medicine cabinets for medication. I have four tablets left for my anxiety. I take one now, and other three for the following days to come.
When I step out of my room with my bag ready, I hear Jake talking on the phone. "I don't care, Ron. I have to do this. Monday after I get out of class. Really? Thanks, man." His phone clicks off as soon as I reach at the end of the steps. He's fully dressed and ready to go.
"How are you feeling?" He asks hesitantly.
"Okay." I tighten my hand around my bag full of clothes and stuff for the following night. "Who was that?"
"Ronny. He's setting a meeting for JC and I to talk about the duel. He's been in hiding, but Ronny can find anyone." I nod to him. I still haven't really thought about the duel. Jake is no way shape to fight, so I don't how he thinks he's going to win.
I look around the kitchen and notice Jake's cleaned the mess with the glass and blood that was previously here.
"You didn't have to clean the mess." My voice soft.
"I didn't want you to do it so..." He trails off.
The silent thickens, and I begin to feel worse and worse by the second. "I'm sorry for earlier."
"It's fine-"
"No, it's not-"
"It is though." His voice clips. "Not even twenty-four hours ago you were going to be raped; I should be more careful."
"I'm not a fragile feather that is easily broken." I furrow my brows.
"I'm not saying you are, but I'm also not saying that it's a bad thing either." I'm becoming easily irritable by the second, and I can't help it. "Can I hug you?" He asks. I glare at him but open my arms.
He walks fast to me and pulls me up in a death grip. "You don't have to ask."
"I wanted to." He whispers in my hair. He holds me for a while, and I hold just as tight.
My arms become limp, but I don't dare try to pull back from him.
He soothes me in a way that he could only do. Nothing else can make me feel safe and loved. His warmth, his scent, his roughness makes me feel rekindled in a way that he only knows how. When he pulls back, he doesn't hesitate to give me a swift kiss on my forehead sweetly. I reward him with a small smile, and he holds my hand until we reach my car.
It takes us five minutes to get to Lauren's house by car. Jake grabs my duffle bag of stuff for me, and I'm reluctant to let him because of how hurt he is still physically, but I hold my tongue.
Before I know it Jake's already walking towards her front porch.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I never told Lauren about Jake. "Wait-" before I can stop him from knocking, he does so. And I rush up the steps toward the front door. I can tell his eyes hold confusion through his glasses.
The door opens hastily, and Lauren's beautiful face appears. Her smile is sympathetic and saddened, but it quickly changes when she looks to the side at Jake. "What are you doing here?" She asks rudely. Her arms cross, as she leans against the door frame.
"I drove her obviously," Jake grumbles back. He doesn't look at me as he hands me my duffle bag to me. His glare prevalent even with his shades. Her scowl doesn't relent, and I'm feeling this sort of tension suffocating me. "I'm going to call an Uber to get my car." He turns to me. His car is at the Underground, and I can't help but worry something will happen. "I'll text you when I get there."
"Okay. What are going to do all day."
"Talk to Terry, ask for his opinion on things." He seems to hate his brother most of the time, so this is quite shocking. But considering Terry probably doesn't know anything that happened at the Underground, it's best to inform him. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay?"
I nod my head, and he leans in to kiss my cheek. I really want to kiss him on the mouth right now, but Lauren's looking at us like we've grown three heads. He steps down the steps and waits for his ride.
"What the fuck?" She whispers at me. "What's going on, Dawn?" Her eyes look as big as a full moon.
"Would you mind putting my bag in your room." She frowns at me, but she gets the hint and leaves me on the porch with Jake.
I turn around to his backside. His hands deep in his pockets, and I've assumed he's already called an Uber.
"She doesn't know about us, does she?" He asks. He knows I'm here.
"No."
"Why?" His voice strained.
"I don't know. It never came up."
"All this time, and she doesn't know." His voice clearly annoyed.
"I'm sorry, but we barely even became official since the beginning of our Thanksgiving break. You have to give me some slack. Plus when we were just fooling around, the rules were we couldn't tell anyone. Your idea, smart one."
"I guess." He loosens up.
"Now come here and give me a goodbye kiss."
Without a second thought, he turns around and picks me up by the waist. "I would never give you a goodbye kiss." He says near my lips, my eyes darting to the darkened eyes of his glasses. "It's a see you soon kiss." He smooches our lips playfully to which I giggle into.