Black Hill High

Chapter 25

Amelia finds herself longing for her home. Her life before moving to Black Hill. She misses her friends. Her neighborhood. Her dad. Since their move, she could feel their relationship slowly deteriorating. Their bond was not as indestructible as she once believed. They'd stopped communicating and spending time with each other. There was a time when she could talk to him about anything and he would listen. They were a team. Now, they're nothing more than acquaintances. More like roommates than a family.

Her body is numb as she spreads across her bed as her eyes lock on her mundane ceiling. She closes her eyes and inhales. She holds her breath for a moment before exhaling the toxic air.

If only I could do that with all the toxicity in the town.

She keeps her eyes closed as sleep snuck up on her, but a clambering through her bedroom window startled her awake. She leaps off her bed and rushes to her bedroom door, glancing over her shoulder at the intruder.

"Jake," She sighs with relief. "Why would you do that!"

The relief instantaneously turned to frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me you were almost attacked?" He ignores her question.

"Who told you that"

"Lillian."

Of course she did.

"I would have if you weren't ignoring my constant texts and calls." She retorts.

"I'm sorry," He raises his hands in surrender. "I wasn't ready to face the world just yet."

She understands how upset he must be. His brother is in prison for a crime he didn't commit, but it's no reason to avoid the one person in this town that believes in his innocence.

"Why are you here?" She sighs in defeat.

"I came to check up on you." He ventures further into her room as he glances around. "Did they hurt you?" He finally sets his eyes on her.

He scopes her from head to toe in search of any visible damage, but she seems perfectly fine - physically, at least.

"I'm fine." She insists.

She wraps her arms protectively around herself. Her face deludes her statement. Her glossy eyes are flooded with tears. She fights to hold them back, but the pressure is overbearing. The dam of tears demolishes the walls as they seep out of her eyes.

"I was so scared." She croaks out through the hurricane of tears.

Without a moment of hesitation, he rushes towards her and envelops her in his arms. She soaks his flannel in her tears, but he doesn't move away. He only holds her tighter. He doesn't let go until her sobs fade into hushed whimpers.

He wipes her tears with the pad of his thumb before lowering his head to intensely gaze into her eyes.

"We're going to get through this, I promise."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just know."

No words are spoken for a moment. They both gaze into each other's eyes until a knock on the door interrupts their moment of serenity.

"Amelia," Her dad calls. "Are you busy?"

"One moment!" She calls before shoving Jake into her closet.

She fixes her hair, but there's nothing she can do about her blotched eyes.

"Hey," She opens the door and hovers in the doorway. "What's up?"