World of pain.

1.1M 40.7K 24.2K
                                    

"You should have come up with a more believable lie, Wentworth." Jake murmurs down my ear. I resist the urge to shiver as I push through the door and enter the empty corridor. It's deserted during lunch which makes it the perfect place to talk to him.

"I'm not exactly a professional at lying to my friends at such quick notice." I hit back at him. Once we're safely tucked away from prying eyes, I whirl around and set my attention on him. For a moment, I forget about my beating earlier that morning. My hand immediately presses against my stomach to decrease the pain. Jake takes a step toward me, and his blue eyes fill with a deep concern. He clenches his teeth which highlights the sharpness of his jaw. His hand shoots out, and he gently wraps his fingers around my wrist. My breathing shifts in the back of my throat, and I stare up at him like a deer caught in headlights.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" His voice is a low rumble. I blink several times and try to focus on keeping the tears at bay. I can't ignore the heat that flares through my body knowing his hand is wrapped around my wrist. I expect him to be heavy handed but he radiates nothing but a gentle nature. I was wrong to be so scared of him yesterday.

He searches my eyes while waiting for an explanation. I shrug before lying to him —

"It's my period. Nothing interesting." I lean against the wall, attempting to portray myself as casual. The blue in his eyes darken like a deep ocean, and I know he doesn't believe me. He shakes his head slowly which causes his dark hair to fall over into his eyes. It's easy to keep my secret with other people, but with Jake, it feels like he's searching behind the hard exterior I parade around with me. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I want to apologize." Jake says, surprising me. I snap my head up to look at him with shock. My mouth falls open slightly, and the surprise is clear on my face. Jake Melvin is going to apologize to me? I never thought I'd see the day. His reputation doesn't deem him as the type of person to apologize.

"Since when does Big bad Jake apologize?" I tease him. He chuckles quietly, and his blue eyes sparkle with amusement. I immediately study his smile since it's the first time I've seen it. He's cute when he chooses to smile.

"Big bad Jake? Please tell me that's not what people call me. That would seriously ruin my street cred." Jake responds with a playful tone to his voice.

"Okay, maybe not everyone. I made that up," I laugh nervously. Jake glances at me from under his dark lashes, and his eyes linger on mine. For a moment neither of us speak and there's a shift in the energy between us. I feel my stomach somersault and my heart begins to pick up pace. When did he begin to make me nervous? I drop my gaze to the floor because it's easier than holding eye contact with him.

I remind myself I'm standing in front of Jake Melvin. Despite being good looking, charming and attentive, I should be trying to avoid him.

"I want to apologize for this morning. I shouldn't have blown the smoke in your face. It was rude."

He clears his throat before shoving his hands into his pockets. Does he really want to apologize, or is he looking for a reason to talk to me? The thought causes a light blush to stain my cheeks.

"Do you know second hand smoke is just as dangerous as smoking the actual cigarette?" I ask him. The amusement in his eyes begins to deepen.

"Really? I didn't know that. That's interesting." The corner of his lips tug upwards into an uncontrollable smile, and I find myself mirroring his expression. My joy is short lived when I'm hit with a wave of nausea and a dizzy spell. I should have forced myself to eat more mouthfuls of pasta when I got the chance.

"It's okay, I forgive you. It wasn't a big deal." I whisper quietly while trying to fight off the nausea consuming me. I hope he doesn't see the pain in my eyes or sense the tremble in my voice. My legs buckle underneath me, so I grab hold of the wall to keep myself steady. I silently wish I don't collapse in front of him. It isn't going to help the suspicions he probably already has about me.

His MissionWhere stories live. Discover now