Chapter 34

I wait until she slams out dramatically, expecting him to react, but he stays focused on the floor, lost in his head. She hadn’t even noticed me standing here.

Here goes!

I take a deep breath and walk toward him slowly and unsurely. I glance at him shyly, trembling as I get about four feet away. I have no idea what I will say, as we have never fought this way. We argue and bicker and have disagreements, but we have never walked out on one another in rage.

“Jake?” I breathe softly, apprehensively. My voice startles him, and his head snaps up. He must have been lost in his thoughts, and I catch the uncertainty in his eye.

“Hey,” he says warily. He looks so lost it physically hurts.

“I… umm…” This is harder than I thought it would be. I can’t look at him, so I turn my face away from him, looking across the room, trying to find a focus while I find the words. There’s a noise from the couch, and then I’m hauled into his arms, my head pulled against his chest