Finding You

Chapter Ten

*Edited and Completed Copy*

Catherine's POV

It was 5am when I was woken up to the sound of someone coughing hysterically and groaning. It took me a few minutes, before I remembered the events of the previous night. I slowly sat up rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Heading over to the kitchen I grab a glass and fill it with some tap water. I reach over to my small medicine cabinet and grab two aspirins. I make my way to my room that was now occupied by a giant of a man. I knock before I call out "are you decent?" "Yeah" comes the deep voiced reply. I walk in slowly, "how are you feeling?" I ask "Like I've been hit by a ten-ton truck" he answers back. "close enough" I say shrugging, before holding my hand out with an open palm revealing the two little white pills. My crappy attempt at humour works. He gives me a small crooked smile, before taking the two pills and gesturing for the glass of water I was still holding onto.

I hand it over before walking over to my closet. I grab a change of clothes and a towel. "I'm going to take a quick shower, then I'll make some breakfast. Any requests?" I say. I didn't want to mention what happen last night so this was my way of trying to act like it never happened. "Anything is fine." He says almost to himself. I turned around and noticed he was staring off into nowhere. I knew that look. I was very familiar with it. The only difference now was that I was here to comfort him in any way I could. I slowly walked over to my bed and sat beside him. I slowly touched his hand making sure not to startle him. His eyes meet mine and for I minute I glimpse a hint of sadness and hurt before he masks it. "Whatever is going on, when you're ready to talk. I'm here." I say simply. Then without another word, I get up and leave the room, giving him some privacy. I had a quick shower and was in the kitchen making breakfast before I heard a knock on the door. I look at the oven clock and see that it's 6.30am. There was no point wondering who it could be. The possibilities of it being anyone else other than my parents or my neighbours across the street was well zero. My social life was dead as far as I knew. Between the divorce and this house, I don't get out much. I think I need to change that soon. Shaking my head, clearing it of the irrelevant thoughts, I walk over to the door and open it. I was somewhat surprised to see Mary-Anne and Jackson standing on my porch. Not so much with Jackson more so her. "Mrs Decker, are you okay?" I ask. She looked exhausted and miserable. "Where is he?" she asks ignoring my question. "He's in my room" I say softly. I move aside and allow her in. Silently Jackson followed his mother. I sigh to myself as I shut the door and walk back over to the kitchen to finish making breakfast. Looks like I'll have to cook extra now.

As I finished up and set the table, I couldn't help wonder what had started the fight to begin with. Why did Jacob feel the need to leave the house? It had been a few weeks now since they'd moved in across the road and I'd become good friends with Jacob. It wasn't like him to be so angry. Yet I wasn't going ask. If and when Jacob was ready, he would tell me. I walk over to my room and although it was my home, I knocked on the door. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, breakfast is ready. I made enough for all of us." I say with a soft smile. "Thank you dear" Mary-Anne says slowly standing up from the bed. "Jackson be a dear and help your brother to the kitchen table" She says lovingly as she pats her younger son on the cheek. I watch as he nods and goes about doing as his mother asked of him. Jackson was still a mystery. I don't think I would ever figure him out. As we make our way out of the room and head to the kitchen Mary-Anne grabs my arm softly but sternly. I look at where she is holding me before I look up at her. My heart breaks at what I see before me. The older woman sheds silent tears and her lip quivers as she tries to find the right thing to say. Without a word I hug her tightly. "It's okay, he'll be okay" I whisper to her, doing my best to comfort her. I usher her to the kitchen and sit her down on one of the empty seats. "I'm so sorry my dear, you've had to deal with these boys of mine far more often than you should." She says through tears. "Please, it's really nothing." I try to say convincingly. At this point I didn't know who I was trying to convince, her or myself. A few minutes later the Decker men joined us. After a quiet breakfast, the day went buy rather smoothly. Mary-Anne and Jackson left. Jacob spent the day in the lounge room, which was good. Hopefully some tv would not only entertain him but keep him out of the room long enough for me to change the sheets and put clean ones on the bed. I Continued cleaning around the house for most of the morning, by noon I asked if he'd like a sandwich and was answered with a grunt. I shrugged and made a couple sandwiches for both of us. I joined him in the lounge room and sat next to him on my couch that at this moment seemed too small. I made a mental note to either buy a bigger couch or at least a second one.

"I'm sorry for barging in on you last night." He says before taking a big bight of his sandwich. "It's okay" I say before taking a bite out of mine. That was all that was said between us, as that we sat in comfortable silence both eating and enjoying whatever he had been watching on tv. The next few days passed much the same, Jacob recovering from the incident between him and his brother and me continuing to renovate the house as I was before. It was about a week later, when Jacob came into the kitchen one morning. "Cat, do you mind if we talk?" he asks. "sure. Everything okay" I ask, turning around to face him as I dry my hands using a tea towel. "Yeah, everything's okay. I just wanted...well talk to you about something that's all." He says somewhat nervously. "Okay." I say a little surprised. I walk over and sit at the dining table gesturing for him to join me. "so, what do you want to talk about?" I ask once he's seated. "I wanted to start off by saying thank you. For everything. I know it must not have been easy for you to have someone take over your space. I will always be grateful and indebted to you." He says sincerely "Jacob, I know we've only known each other a short while but somehow we've become good friends. I consider you one of my dearest friends." I say with a soft smile. I meant every word. Over the last week of him staying at my place, Jacob and I had become very close friends. There was no attraction between us, just genuine mutual respect for each other and love like that of a brother for his sister and vis versa. "I consider you one of my dearest friends too, a sister even." He says smiling back. "I know you you've wondered what could have happened to cause me and Damien to fight. The woman who is currently staying over at my mother's house, It's clear and safe to say I can't stand the sight of her. She destroyed my brother. It's a long story and honestly it isn't mine to tell but suffice to say, when I saw her, I didn't take it too well and well you saw what happened next." He paused before continuing, "As long as she is there, I can't go back. Especially after what happen the other night with Damien, I definitely don't want to see either of them. So, I wanted to ask if it was okay for me to stay here a little longer?" He asked almost embarrassed. I couldn't help but laugh. "On one condition." I say sternly. Trying to keep a straight face. "Sure, anything" he says "You can stay here as long as you need, but please move into the spare room. Your welcome to bring your bed but I don't think I can sleep in that couch another night" I say before bursting into laughter. It took him a minute before he joined in. "Not a problem" he says before standing up. "Thank you, Catherine." He says softly as he leans down and places a soft kiss on the top of my head.

That weekend Jacob moved into my small spare bedroom. The move was uneventful. However, I knew a storm was coming, if the giant glaring from across the street was anything to go by.