FicWad

Jared rushed upstairs to his empty room figuring that Emma was somewhere else in the house with his mom or perhaps out someplace. He threw his bag onto his bed and began throwing things inside. Clothes, personal products, things he needed for everyday life. He pushed his hand back through his hair, stressed by his current situation and tried to calm himself. His heart was racing, a fear was rising up inside of him. He didn’t want to believe it but it seemed that the evidence was there in front of him. It seemed as if every worry he had ever had was about to reveal itself before him in truth.
“Jared is that you?” It was his moms voice on the other side of the closed door. Her voice was small, concerned.
“Yeah, come in.” He turned to the door once it opened and met his moms eyes with a weak smile.
She looked around the room that was in a state of disarray and saw the bag on the bed. “Are you going somewhere?”
He rubbed at his neck looking elsewhere for a moment before returning his gaze back to his mom. “I can’t stay here. Things, well I just need a bit of a change.”
“For good?” She questioned, her eyes becoming sad.
He didn’t want to hurt her but the thought of staying here another moment with Shannon just down the hall was enough to drive him insane. “I don’t know yet.” He replied simply, unable to give her the answer she wanted.
She nodded silently.
“Is Emma here?”
She looked at him then all of her previous concern filling her eyes again. “She is.”
“What’s wrong?”
Softly she sighed. “She’s downstairs…” and with that she walked out of the room.
Jared stood there a moment, trying to process the reason for why she had come in there that way, with such distress in her gaze. He heard her bedroom door click shut and so he left his own room and made his way down the stairs. He took a quick look into the kitchen, finding it empty he went into the living room.
Emma sat on the couch, her hair covering most of her face and a yellow envelope in her hands. He thought of what Shannon had said about the pictures finding their way into her hands and swallowed harshly.
“Emma?” He said her name softly, cautiously. He set down his bag that he had taken down with him.
She looked up at him then, her hair uncovering her features. Her eyes were tearry and red, her mouth was drawn downward in a frown.
“I’m going to be staying somewhere else for a little while…” He began.
She shook her head and looked away. “Good.” She replied, setting the envelope down into her lap.
“I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me.”
She let out a laugh and shot a glare up at him. “How dare you even think that I would! After these!” She flung the envelope at him and wiped harshly at a fresh trail of tears.
He reached down and took the envelope in his hands. Pulling out the pictures he saw again himself and that girl from his work. “Emma this was a long time ago.” He defended uselessly. He must have sounded pathetic when what he had done was there in his hands.
“We were together!” She yelled out before retreating into herself again, not meaning to have been so loud. More tears fell from her eyes as she found herself unable to fully look at him.
“Emma, look at me.” He made to go to her but stopped when she stood up from off the couch. “I’m sorry.”
“That doesn’t fix anything.” She stated, tearing the envelope from his hands. “You cheated on me! Where was I when this happened Jared? Was I there in the building? How many others were there?!” She demanded, her sadness turning quickly into an anger.
“I stopped.” He was unable to honestly answer given the fact that in the beginning of their relationship he had seen several other girls. It had only been more recently when he had begun to clean up his act and become someone better.
She smirked at his response and slammed the envelope against his chest. “You can go anywhere you want but I am not going with you.” She spat out walking away from him.
“Emma wait!” He called out as she rushed up the stairs in a flurry of tears. But before he could even go after her the door slammed shut and locked. He bent down, slung his bag over his shoulder and decided against going to plead with her. He had done the unforgivable, he had ruined the only good thing in his entire life. Standing there now he felt like the worst man he had ever been. Everything he had done was being shoved back into his face. How much more could he take?
He made his way out of the house, softly clicking the front door shut. He felt himself stiffen when he heard Shannon’s car pull up and heard his footsteps approaching him.
“Where you going?” He asked, something of humor glowing in his dark eyes.
“Somewhere.” Jared simply replied, tossing his bag into the back seat.
“Em not going with you?”
Jared only glared at him and received only a laugh. He got into the drivers seat and started up the car. Shannon stood there watching him as he pulled out of the driveway. Jared got something of a chill watching his brothers cold eyes pierce through him and something inside told him that this wasn’t over because running away never fixed anything.