Run to Me

Let Me In

The lights flicked on, bathing Jett's hallway in light as we stepped inside, out of the rapidly cooling evening, and into the warmth and comfort of his home. He pushed the door closed behind me and lead me deeper into the house, taking a turn to the right a short way along, and clicking on another light. I followed him into the living room, pleasantly surprised at how homely it was. The small room's taupe walls glowed under golden ceiling lights, A cream corner sofa lined the far wall, a mixture of red and gold cushions decoratively scattered across it. Glass coffee tables stood on either side, with glass lamps on top, a subtle glow emitting from under cream shades. There was a wooden tv cabinet directly opposite the seating area, a decent sized flat screen tv standing on top. Jett moved through the room, drawing the curtains over the window to one side.

"Have a seat." He nodded towards the sofa, then proceeded to walk towards the kitchen, situated beyond a set of sliding glass doors that had been left open.

"Thanks." I smiled softly, dropping onto the edge of the sofa.

It was a strange feeling, being in Jett's home for the first time. One that was made worse by the fact that I had already had sex with him twice. It was like it was all going backwards. I felt a light fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach and let out a small shuddering breath.

"Can I get you something to drink?" He called from the kitchen.

"A beer, if you have one, please?" I called back.

My eyes landed on a photo frame, which I realised, was the only one in the room. It stood on the lower level of the tv cabinet, mostly hidden in darkness. Intrigued, I couldn't help but make my way towards it. I reached forwards, picking it up from the shelf, and feeling a loose piece of paper brush my hand from behind the frame. I was too caught up looking at the photo to pay any attention to the paper. A smiling family of four looked up at me from under the glass. A man and woman with their arms wrapped around two boys. I recognized the shockingly bright blue eyes of the eldest boy, even in photo form. Jett must have been in his mid to late teens in this photo, he looked so carefree and happy. Back there, he twinkled and shone, innocence and hope ablaze inside of him, now, there was something so different, pain and anger. I hated that the time had been so hard on him. My eyes passed over the woman beside him, her brown hair shone fiery red in the sunlight, her eyes were a medium brown, almost gold and there was nothing but love and happiness in her smile. I wondered where she was, what happened to her. Jett hadn't mentioned his mother yet. Just his father... I found the face of the man who was taken from his family. The black hair was the same as his two sons. He had a kind face, and was as close as he could position himself to those dear to him. I noticed his eyes. Blue, like Jett's, yet unlike his, they were a deeper blue, like the depths of the ocean. And his brother, so small and full of life and cheer. He couldn't have been older than eight or nine. He clung to his father, the ghost of a laugh, long since forgotten, pulling at the corners of his mouth. He had the eyes of his mother, but everything else was Jett in miniature. I felt my heart aching at the knowledge of the sad future that life held for them. My thumb ran over the edge of the frame and I felt the loose paper behind it brush against my hand once more. I pulled it out, and unfolded what appeared to be an old newspaper clipping, my eyes bulging as I read the headline.

Man killed in fatal shooting.

Right underneath was a picture of a young man, his handsome face hinted at a rebellious streak, but there was a kindness and cheekiness that hadn't faded away over the years. There was no denying that dark hair and those golden eyes. I read the caption underneath and felt my heart sink.