His Mission

Fear of falling.

I decide to drown my sorrows in a pint of cookie dough ice cream. If Jake or Tobias won't talk to me, I'll have to try and get answers from Ivory in the morning. Considering I'm wide awake, I turn on the television before settling back against the couch. It's nice to watch trash TV without worrying about Trevor. I never hung out downstairs, which meant I never got a chance to watch television. Having freedom to move around a house without fear is a feeling I won't ever take for granted.

I shove a large spoonful of ice cream in my mouth before moaning in approval. The flavours are so good, and ice cream hits differently when it's almost midnight. The living room door opens and Jake steps in with an amused look on his face. "Do you need a moment alone with the ice cream? You seem to be enjoying each other's company." He teases me while leaning against the wall. I clutch the ice cream pint close to my chest before whispering to it. "Don't listen to him, CD. He's just jealous."

"CD?" Jake questions me. "Yeah, it's initials. Cookie dough." I say before holding up the ice cream. Jake's blue eyes flash with amusement before his smile fades. "Are you coming to bed?" Jake asks me. I shake my head before gesturing at the television screen with my spoon.

"Nope. I have a date with my new favourite show," I tell him, trying to hide the edge in my voice. I'm trying to act laid back about Jake's argument with Tobias, but the questions are getting harder to ignore. His eyes linger on my face, and I figure the conversation is about to get serious. It's impossible to ignore the elephant in the room with us. "I can't talk to you about what I do because I know you're going to disagree with it." Jake says to me. I keep my eyes glued to the television screen while preparing myself to hear some difficult truths.

"So why do you do it? You know it's wrong," I ask him quietly. I don't know details of what Jake does, but I figure it's going to clash with my morals. Maybe that's why he's kept it a secret from me for so long.

"It's complicated," Jake tells me. He pushes himself off the wall before dropping down beside me. His black eye is beginning to deepen, but the cut on his lip looks better. He smells clean, like he's just stepped out of the shower. His dark hair is damp and the light from the television illuminates across his handsome face. My hand twitches to reach out and touch him, but I fight against the urge.

"Tobias was involved with the same people I'm involved in. He's worried about me, but he doesn't need to be. I can handle myself." Jake says quietly. I turn to look at him, and it feels like I'm finally gaining some insight on the hundreds of questions surrounding them. "Tobias said you need to get out before you end up dead. What did he mean by that?" I murmur quietly. I drop my spoon in the ice cream pint because I no longer have a sweet tooth for it.

Jake sighs before reaching for the spoon. "He's being dramatic. You don't need to worry about me either, Wentworth." Jake tells me before scooping out a large section of ice cream and popping it into his mouth. It's hard not to worry when I care about his well being. I want to question him further, but I feel like he's divulged everything I'm going to get from him. I'll have to figure out the rest for myself, or keep working on Jake another time.

He shifts on the couch so his shoulders are resting against mine. I turn to look at him as he works his way through the large chunk of ice cream. "I'm impressed. You're like a human garbage can," I tease him. He laughs before dropping the spoon into the tub. "I usually have that effect on girls." He winks at me and I shove him lightly in response. Jake grabs hold of my hand before snaking an arm around my shoulder. He pulls me closer until I'm buried against him. "Are you angry at me?" Jake asks in a softer tone. I shake my head in protest.

"No, I'm not angry. I'm concerned," I say quietly. He doesn't have to tell me everything until he's ready, despite how frustrating it may be. He releases a deep sigh before resting his chin on my shoulder from behind. I feel his warm breath hit my cheeks. "Can I tell you something?"