Hostile Takeover ❖ Jake Riley | ✓ [book 1]

14~ Sing Your Death Song

"When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home."

~ Tecumseh

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Jenna didn't sleep that night. She laid in her 'bed', wide awake as she kept replaying that moment over and over again in her head. She remembered every minute, from the moment he kissed her, to the moment she pushed back, and right to the moment when she told him:

"I don't know,"

I don't know!?

It'd had been years since she had an intimate relationship with someone other than her father, a long time since she trusted someone so wholly as she did Jake. And then all of the sudden, they were playing chicken, and she swerved. She didn't know whether to feel guilty or mad -- at herself.

So the next morning, she felt like she was on automatic while she dressed herself and packed. She was leaving, she was going home. She should've been excited, and of course, she was; but there was a part of her that didn't want to leave Jake behind. It felt wrong; she'd committed some terrible acts, yet she got to go free?

She slid on her jacket, then she heard a crinkle in one of her pockets. She stuffed her hand inside, and she was surprised to pull out a piece of paper. It was her picture of Stout. She smiled and folded it nicely, then stuffed it back into her pocket. Maybe she'd give it to Jake, just as a little goodbye present.

Her sneakers squeaked across the treaded plastic floors, right until she stopped at Jake's door. She lifted her fist, but she stopped herself before she could knock. Should she even bother? After what happened last night, she felt like if she had to face him again, she'd feel like she was naked on a stage in her school auditorium.

But she didn't even have to knock, because the door suddenly swung open, and Jake stood before her. Jenna was frozen like a rock.

"Hello," he said politely.

"... Hiya," she said. There was silence again, but this time, it was the uncomfortable kind.

"Do you want to come in?" he asked. Jenna nodded.

"Yeah, sure," she stepped inside and took a look around as Jake shut the door behind them. There was an arsenal of gear spread out across the table; vest, gun, taser, radio, and some small cylindrical tubes no bigger than the length of her ownhand. It looked like he was going on a mission.

"You going somewhere, Captain America?" she asked.

"We think we found Void's base camp. So, we're going to try to flush 'em out like the little roaches they are," he replied.

"So you might just get to go home early, then," she said.

"Yeah. And the city gets to rebuild itself again," he muttered. Jenna shrugged nonchalantly.

"You know, they say that a lot of beauty is resurrected from death," she said. Jake smirked slightly.

"You going all philosophical on me, now?" he asked. Jenna blushed and stepped back.

"I took philosophy, you know. Just until I failed my first semester," she said. Jake's smirk then went away.

"Look Jenna, about what happened last night..."

Jenna started to smile, "I'm flattered, Jake," she said, "But, when I said 'I don't know', I meant I don't know how I could possibly fit into your life,"