FicWad

Chapter 6: Comfortably Numb

I suddenly felt a pair of hands on my shoulders, and I leaned back into Jake's body.

"You were right," I whisper, "coming here was a mistake."
"I'm sorry, baby."
"Me, too."
"How about a long walk in the park, maybe it'll help clear your head."
"I'd rather go home, if that's okay."
"Of course, whatever you want."

I stand up, and push my chair in. Jake puts his arms around me, and leads me to the door, nodding to the police officer outside. We made our way to the front of the building, where the police officer at the front desk stopped us.

"Excuse me, is everything alright?" she asks.
"Yes, she's just a little upset."
"Okay, I'm sorry," she says, "Have a good evening."
"Thanks, you too."

Jake continues to lead me out the door, and towards the parking lot. He unlocks the truck and opens my door. After I climb in, he shuts the door, and walks around to the driver's side. He climbs in as I'm buckling my seatbelt, and he buckles his. He puts the key in the ignition, and the truck roars to life with a simple twist. As he starts to drive, he puts his free arm around my shoulder, and I lean into him, my arms encircling his middle as I cling to him.

When he pulls into the driveway, I don't move-I stay exactly where I am, clinging to him. He turns the truck off, and I tremble as he moves to place both arms around me.

"I told him that I forgave him," I began softly, "but he still hates me. He hates me because I look so much like her. She hurt him, and he hates her for it. He can't hurt her...so instead he takes it out on me, and pretends that I'm her."
"I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could change all of this for you."
"Maybe things are better this way...m-maybe he..."

I trail off as I begin to cry, sobs shuddering through my entire body. I feel Jake hold me tighter against him. I bury my face in the crook of his neck, crying heavily as he buries his face in my hair. My fists have balled up, taking the material of his shirt in them-he's my lifeline right now. If I let go, I just know I'll lost control. All the past thoughts of everything that has ever gone wrong in my life come barging into my head, pushing me over the edge even more.

"Calm down, baby, please," he whispers, "it breaks my heart to see you cry like this."
"I-I'm sorry..." I stammer out as I sniffle.
"Don't be," he murmurs as he pulls back enough to see my face, "just don't cry."
"I can't h-help it...it hurts..."
"I know it does, sweetheart, but you need to move on. If you don't, you're going to live the rest of your life unhappy, and I don't want that."
"That's going to be very hard to do."
"I understand that, but I'm here. I'll help you through it. I know you can do this," he whispers as he gently wipes my eyes with the pads of his thumbs.
"Have I ever told you how wonderful I think you are?"
"Once or twice," he says with a smile.
"Good. Because you are-you're amazing, Jake. I have no idea what I would do without you."
"You don't need to have an idea of that. It's not going to happen. I'm sorry to tell you, but you're stuck with me, babe."
"Perfect," I whisper softly, a small smile curling my lips.

He smiles back at me, and gently cups my face. He caresses my cheeks with the side of his thumbs, before sliding one hand up, past my ear, and into my hair. He cradles the back of my head, and I let him pull me closer to him. Our lips meet gently, slowly moving against one another in a tender kiss. He pulls away slightly, before giving my lips another kiss. The kiss consists of a simple peck-so light that I barely felt his lips upon mine-the only sign of his kiss being the soft touch of electricity still lingering upon them.

Suddenly, our gaze upon another is broken when a sharp knock meets the window. We look towards the source of the sound, and find Chad-Jake's older brother, standing at the door. Jake leaves an arm around me as he reaches with his other arm to lower the window.

"Hey guys, I hope I'm not interrupting anything. You guys were looking pretty cozy there a second ago."
"We were just talking," Jake says as a light blush covers my cheeks.
"Oh okay, cool," Chad says before waving at me, "hi Isa."
"Hey Chad," I say as I turn to face him.
"Ouch, babe, what happened to your face?"
"I had a little accident. No big deal, though."
"Be more careful next time," he says to me before looking at Jake, "hey man, I don't know if you guys have any plans, but there's going to be a killer party tonight down at Jeff's place. You should come. After you take Isa home, of course, I don't want to intrude. I'd tell you to bring her along, but I don't think she'll like the atmosphere. You know Jeff-he always pulls some crazy stuff out of his sleeve."
"Yeah, I don't think I'm going to make it, though. I'm not taking Isa home anytime soon, and tonight isn't really a good night."
"Why, what's up?"

Jake turns to look down at me as if asking whether he should tell him. I think about for a few brief moments, and figure everyone will know eventually. After hesitating slightly, I nod my head.

"Isa's going to be moving in with us, in fact, we brought all her stuff over earlier," Jake tells Chad.
"Oh, that's cool. How come, though? Did something happen to your old man?" Chad asks, this time directing the question at me.
"Yeah, you could definitely say that," I take a deep breath, "there's a pretty good chance he'll be going to prison in a few weeks."
"What?!" his eyes are as big as saucers, "Why?"

I took another deep breath, not sure I could actually finish. I look to Jake for help, only to see he's looking down at me already. He presses a kiss to the top of my head before taking over.

"He's being charged with more than one thing," he begins, "mom pressed charges on him for forcing his way into the house to get Isabella. He was carrying a gun in his pocket while paying his visit."
"Why, though? Was he angry that she moved in with you?"
"He didn't know about that. Ever since Isabella's mom left, he's been hitting her."

His eyes fell on me, and I looked up at him, my bottom lip quivering slightly. Suddenly, the piece of information dawned on him, and he pieced everything together. All the bruises, all the nights I spent at their house, the fear I always had of fights, screaming or anything violent. His wide eyes slowly softened, and worry was immediately visible in his face.

"God, I'm really sorry, babe," he says softly.
"It's okay. It's over now," I say, "please don't say anything to anybody. I know everyone will find out eventually, but I rather not have people coming up to me and asking me things just yet. I'm still a bit tender."
"I can imagine. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, I promise."
"Thanks, Chad."
"You don't have to thank me," he says to me, "I'll tell Jeff you couldn't make it, buddy."
"Actually, you should go, Jake," I cut in and he looks down at me confused, "you've been through hell today. I'm sure you could use a little fun to clear your mind, too."
"No way, I'm not leaving you," he says, "especially not to go to some party."
"I'll be fine."

I reach up and press a soft kiss to his lips, before I pull away and look at Chad.

"Take him with you, okay?" I tell Chad.
"But baby, I don't want to go."
"I know you do. If none of this had happened, I know you would go. I'll be fine, just go and have fun."

Before he can say anything else, I unbuckle my seatbelt, and scoot over to the other end, and I hop out of the truck. I close the door and go around to the other side. I look at Chad, and he smiles and opens his arms out to me. He was always like a big brother to me. I stepped into his embrace, and he wrapped his arms around me in a big bear hug. He pulls away slightly and presses a kiss on my cheek, before letting me pull away. As I pull away from Chad, Jake opens the door, and hops out of the truck, as well. I turn to look at him, and he holds his hand out to me. I smile slightly and put my hand in his. He gently pulls me towards him, and he leans down to press a kiss to my lips-a soft quick kiss. We pull away from each other, and he touches my face tenderly.

"I love you," he says.
"I love you, too."
"If you ask me to stay, you know I will."
"I know. You deserve to go, though. Would it make you feel better if I said that I'll call you if I need you?"
"No, because I know you won't call."
"I promise I will," I insist.
"Alright, fine, I'll go," he says to me, before turning to Chad, "if she calls me, you need to bring me back."
"Of course, man."

Suddenly, the front door opens, and we all turn around as we hear Jen sream.

"CHAD!"

She has the biggest grin you can imagine seeing plastered across her face as she runs towards Chad. I laugh as I watch him jump into position, his arms waiting for her to arrive. When she reaches him, he scoops her up, and throws her up in the air before catching her again. He holds her against him, and kisses the top of her head.

"How you doing, kiddo?" he asks her.
"I'm good," she says excitedly, "guess what??"
"What?"
"Isa's going to be living with us, isn't that cool?"
"I know, they just told me. I can see you're all excited about that."
"Am I ever! We're going to have a blast together, aren't we, Isa?"
"Yup, we are. In fact, your brothers are going to a party tonight. How about we have a little party of our own?"
"Really??"
"If you want, and if it's okay with your mom and dad, of course."
"I'm going to go ask!"

She wiggles around in Chad's arms until he puts her down. She then runs directly towards the front door, and rushes inside, screaming. Jake and Chad both laugh as they turn to look at me.

"I think your mom's going to strangle me," I say laughing slightly as I start towards the front door, both of them following me.
"What time do you want to leave?" Jake asks.
"We can go now, if you want. I'm sure Jeff and Kari could use another hand."
"Alright, that's fine."
"Aren't you going to change first?" I ask as I turn to look at him, and then at Chad, "you, too."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" they both ask at the same time.
"For a party? A lot."
"Well, it's not like I'm going to the party to pick up girls," Jake says.
"I am," Chad speaks up.
"Either way, you need to change. C'mon, I'll help you," I tell him as I grab Jake's hand.
"Uh...I don't think mom would approve of that," Chad says.
"That's not what I meant..." I laugh, "I meant I was going to pick out what he's going to wear."
"Yeah, you pervert," Claire says from in front of us.

I laugh and Claire high-fives me as I walk past her and into the house. I begin making my way up the stairs with Jake trailing behind me as Claire embraces Chad in a hug.

"I'll be down in a minute, mom, I need this kind of fashion advice if I want to find a steady girlfriend in this lifetime," Chad says.
"Maybe I should go up there, too," Robert says as he pats Chad's shoulder.
"Hey, you're already married!" Claire says.
"Yeah, I only help desperate bachelors," I say as I stick my tongue out at Chad.

"Hey!" Chad says as he starts to run up the stairs.

I scream and let go of Jake's hand, and break into a run the rest of the way up the stairs. I hear Jake laugh and he moves out of Chad's way as I run around the corner towards Jakes room. I run in and close the door quickly, locking it as I laugh. I scream as I hear pounding on it, and I laugh again as I lean my back against the door, breathing hard from running. Suddenly, it stops and I turn around, trying to listen for any movement outside. When I hear none, I close my fingers around the doorknob, and as I begin to twist it slowly, someone grabs me from behind. I scream as I burst into laughter as he lifts me in the air, my legs kicking. He throws me on the bed as Jake runs in, his laughter filling the room along with mine as Chad begins to tickle me. Suddenly, Jennifer, runs in, and jumps onto Chad's back. He stops tickling me, and reaches back to catch Jennifer, who is now promptly covering his eyes. Taking advantage, I jump up from the bed. I try to make a run for the door, but Jake covers it, a smirk on his face.

"This isn't fair!" I laugh.

Before he can answer, I remember the bathroom, and I turn to take off towards it, but Jake grabs me before I can make it. Claire and Robert walk in, as he starts to carry me over to the bed, where Chad's still trying to get Jen off his back,

"Hey, hey, this fight seems extremely unfair!" Claire says as she rushes over to Jake and I, while Robert heads over to Chad and Jen, "Get off of her."

Claire swats Jakes hands away, making him let go as I pout. When Claire cradles my head on her shoulder, I stick my tongue out at Jake. Robert's also gotten Jen off Chad's back, balancing her on his hip.

"We were winning!" Jen says, as she also sticks her tongue out at Chad.
"Correction, you were winning. However, Jake had Isa pinned. If it weren't for mom, she'd be on the bed being tickled," Chad says.
"Hey, give me some credit!" I say as I laugh, "I got away from you."
"Because Jen jumped on him!" Jake cuts in.
"Hey, wait a minute; you're supposed to be on my side!" I say as I turn to face him.
"Stop it!" Claire yells over all of us, "Nobody won, end of story."

We all shut up immediately, and she grins. She pats my shoulder, before leading Robert out of the bedroom. When the door closes, Jake, Chad and I burst out laughing. I'm surprisingly the first one to calm down, making my way to Jake's closet. I pull it open, and I start to shuffle through his clothes. As I'm grabbing random pieces of clothing, I can hear them talking about Jake's job.

"Okay, here we go," I say as I walk back towards the bed, clothing thrown over my shoulders, and arms.
"I'm going to wear all of that?" Jake asks, confusion etched in his face.
"No, silly, we're going to make an outfit from these. You guys are the same size, right?"
"Yeah," Chad says.
"Okay, go try this on, Jake," I say as I hand him a black button up shirt, and a pair of jeans.

He takes the clothes from me and stands up, walking towards the bathroom. He closes the door, and I start piecing together Chad's outfit.

"I want something that's going to attract the ladies," he says with a grin.
"How about a pink shirt?"
"I want them to like what they see, not to laugh at it."
"I'll have you know that I look sexy in pink," Jake says as he stands in the doorway.
"And in black," I smile.

I put the clothes in my hand down, and I walk over to his dresser. I fish around for the silver necklace I gave him, and my eyebrows furrow together in confusion when I don't find it.

"It's right here, baby," Jake says.

I turn around to see him standing by his nightstand, holding up the necklace I was looking for. I smile at him, and walk towards him as he puts it on. I straighten it out so that it sits neatly on top of his shirt.

"Uh, hello? Desperate bachelor over here still seeking fashion advice," Chad says.

"Oh! Sorry," I apologize as I rush over to where the clothes are.

I grab a black wife beater, and set it aside. I look back to Jake's closet, and my eyes catch something white. I put down the jeans in my hand, and walk over to it. I pull out a loose white button up short sleeve shirt, and grin at Chad. I give it to him along with the black wife beater and point to the bathroom. He laughs slightly, taking the clothes from me and walking to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Suddenly, I feel Jake wrap his arms around my waist from behind, and I lean my body back against his.

"I love how that shirt looks on you," I whisper as I turn to face him, "especially the color."
"Why?"
"Number one, because it's black, and black looks great on you. Second, because it's very form fitting, and it shows off the fact that you like to work out. It just looks good on you, period."
"Well, thank you."
"You're welcome," I grin.

He smiles at me, and leans down to press his lips against mine. He kisses me softly, his arms tightening slightly around my waist. When he pulls away slightly, he rests his forehead against mine, our eyes fluttering open.

"I don't want to go without you," he whispers.
"I don't really think I should go, Jake. Plus, I already promised your sister I'd spend the night with her."
"My sister's asleep. It's past eight o'clock."
"But still, I've got this bruise on my face and it can't look too attractive."
"You're still the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, bruises or no bruises."
"You're just saying that."
"No, I'm not. C'mon, come with me," he says, "please, baby?"
"I...Jake..." I sigh in defeat, "I can't say no to you when you use that sad puppy tone."
"I know," he smiles.
"You do realize you're going to have to wait for me to get dressed, right?"
"Of course."
"If your sister's sleeping, I'll go. But if she's awake, I'm staying. I'm not going to break my promise to her."
"You know, technically, you didn't promise," he says.
"Jake..."
"Okay, okay, if she's awake, you're staying."

Suddenly, the bathroom door opens, and Chad walks out, with a hand in his pocket and stops to strike a pose.

"What do you think?" he asks me as he turns around.
"Much better," I say, nodding my head, "except for the shirt. The whole idea of it is for it to be unbuttoned."

I disentangle myself from Jake's arms, and walk over to Chad who's frowning at not realizing the purpose of the wife beater. I laugh slightly as he pouts, and I reach up to unbutton the white shirt. As I step back to see how it looks, I notice that it's slightly wrinkled.

"Take it off, I need to iron it for you," I tell him as I hold my hand out for it.
"It's fine, Isa," he says as he tries to smooth it out with his hands.
"No, it isn't. It looks like you've been doing nothing but sleeping in that shirt. It looks bad," suddenly I turn to Jake, "I hope you iron this before wearing it."
"Mom does," he says with an innocent smile.

I roll my eyes, and Chad laughs as he slips the shirt off and hands it to me. I take it, and I make my way out of the room. I make my way down the stairs, and I head towards the laundry room. I walk in and see Claire standing by the ironing board, ironing a few of Robert's shirts.

"Hey, darling, need something?" she asks.
"Sort of, I just need to borrow the iron for a quick second. Chad's trying to wear this shirt like this, can you believe that?"

I hold it up for her to see, and she makes a face before shaking her head.

"Jake has a shirt just like that. I always have to fight it off of him so I can iron it. Usually, I tell him you'll think he looks sloppy, and he takes it off in the blink of an eye."
"Interesting," I say as I giggle, "this is Jake's shirt, by the way."
"Oh, right, we're still doing the desperate bachelors game show?"
"Yup," I laugh.
"MOM! JAKE'S BOTHERING ME!" Jennifer screams, then squeals, "MOM!!"
"I'm busy, Jennifer!" Claire calls back.
"MOM!" she screams even louder.
"Go ahead, I'll take over," I offer.
"I'm going to kill your boyfriend," she says laughing slightly as she puts the iron down and leaves the room, "Jacob Stephens! What are you doing to your sister??"

I laugh as I hear her call him by his full name as I grab the iron, and iron the shirt Chad was wearing. Once making sure it's wrinkle-free, I put it aside. When Claire walks back inside, pulling Jake by his ear, she finds me ironing the last shirt she had hanging. I laugh as I look at them, and Jake pouts.

"What were you doing to your sister?" I ask him.
"I was reading her a bed time story."
"More like scaring her half to death! If she wakes up at all tonight, I'm driving down to that party and dragging you out."
"Were you putting her to bed?" I ask him suspiciously.
"...She was tired?"
"Cheater... You put her to bed so I'd go to that party with you..."
"She always goes to bed at eight," he says, trying to defend himself, "mom?"
"She would've stayed up later for Isa," she says with a slight smirk.

I narrow my eyes at him, and grab the shirt I ironed for Chad.

"I finished these for you. Thanks for letting me butt in," I tell Claire.
"When it comes to housework, you're welcome to butt in anytime you want."

I laugh slightly, and nod my head before I make my way out of the room. As I'm about to head up the stairs, I feel Jake's hand close around my elbow and he gently turns me around.

"Are you mad at me?" he asks softly.
"No, why?"
"I don't know. You seemed angry."
"I'm not. I was just messing around."
"Okay, good."

He leans forward and we kiss gently. He steps slightly closer to me, his hands sliding to my hips. As his fingertips caress my sides, I giggle softly at the ticklish sensations.

"Ahem..." Claire says, and we break apart to see a smile on her face, "you let him off the hook way too easily."
"I can't help it. All he has to do is talk, and I'm putty in his hands."
"Ah, young love," Robert says walking up behind Claire, and puts an arm around her shoulders, smiling at her, "remember when that was us?"
"I do, darling."
"Let's go, baby, before they start mimicking us and start kissing, too."

I laugh as he grabs my hand and pulls me up the stairs. As we walk into the room, we find Chad thumbing through one of my magazines.

"You know, they need hotter models. All these girls look anorexic. It's not very attractive."
"Here, attractive," I say as I laugh.

He takes the shirt from me, and puts it on.

"Much better," I say as Jake puts his arms around me.
"Hey man, if you want to go ahead and go, you can. I've convinced Isa to come with me, and I'll have to wait until she gets dressed."
"Oh Lord! By the time you two get there, the party will be over and done with."

"I don't take that long to get dressed. Plus, I haven't agreed to go yet. If Jen's awake, I'm staying."
"Babe," Chad starts as he lifts his hand to look at his wristwatch, "it's past eight. Jennifer's out like a light."
"Well, I'm going to double check."
"Go ahead," Jake says.

I nod my head, and he presses a kiss to my forehead before letting me pull away. Before I can reach the door, Chad stops me.

"By the way," he starts, "since you dressed us, I think it's only fair that we get to dress you."
"Fine, but if either of you do so much as I touch that suitcase," I say pointing to my suitcase full of my undergarments, "I will break every finger and toe you have-one by one."
"Ouch!" they both say.

I grin, satisfied that I've made my point, and I turn to leave the room. I make my way down the hallway, and I poke my head in Jennifer's room. I smile when I sleep her in her bed, sleeping soundly. I slowly close the door again and when I turn around, I bump into Robert.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were behind me," I say.
"It's alright, sweetie."
"I'm glad I bumped into you, though. I was wondering, is it okay if I tag along with Jake and Chad? I promise that we'll be quiet when we come in."
"Of course. You don't have to ask me. I'd like to know where you're going and who you're going to be with, but you don't need my permission. You're a big girl. Plus, I know Jake will be with you most of the time, and he'll protect you. You're precious cargo to my son."

I smile as a soft blush covers my cheeks. He smiles, too, and pats my cheek in a gentle gesture. He walks off in the opposite direction, and I walk towards Jake's room again. I stop in the doorway, and see them digging through my suitcases. I laugh slightly as they hold up various tops, twisting them around to find their shape. I walk over to the bed, and plop down on it, landing on my back.

"What is this?" Chad asks, "did you put it through the shredder?"
"No, I bought it like that," I tell him as he puts the shirt back inside.
"Here," Jake cuts in, "I found my favorite outfit."

I look over at him to see him holding up an outfit he bought me for my birthday last year. I had to agree, it was one of my favorites, too. The outfit consisted of a hot pink tank top, with a lacy outline around the hem of the neck, and a black long sleeve fishnet shirt-both tops form fitting. The short black skirt was one of my favorites. Not too short, not too long-it was perfect. The way the material flowed down, and swished around when I walked was beautiful. Along with that, there were the black fishnet stockings. I smiled at him, and nodded my head, silently telling him that I'd wear it. I sit up, and get up from the bed. I take the outfit from him, and I make my way to the bathroom.

I walk in, and close the door behind me. I shake my head as I see Chad's shirt, and Jake's clothes on the floor in a 'neat' pile. I pick it up, and set it on the bathroom counter. I shed the clothes I was wearing, and pulled on the new outfit. As I'm pulling on one of the fishnet stockings, there's a knock on the opposite door. I was over to it and open it, to find Claire at the other side with a laundry basket.

"Is there any dirty clothes in here, darling?" she asks.
"Yeah, the boys kindly left some clothes thrown on the floor," I tell her as I walk over to them and grab them.
"It's a bad habit they have," she says as I put the clothes in the basket.
"Jake won't have it for long."
"I knew having you here would be a good thing."

I laugh slightly, and she winks at me. She turns and leaves the doorway, and I close the door again. I pull up my other fishnet, and I open the door that leads to Jake's room.

"You boys are pigs!" I scold them, "your mother is not your maid. You shouldn't throw your clothes on the floor like that; much less leave them there. I want you two to go downstairs and help your mom with the laundry while I finish getting ready."
"But baby...we don't want to do laundry," Jake says as he pouts slightly.
"Fine, then don't," I say and they smile, "but I'm staying to help her. Have fun at the party."

I start to make my way towards the door, but before I can reach it, Jake closes his hand around my elbow, stopping me. I turn around to face him, looking at him expectantly while he looks at Chad, and then back to me.

"Go get ready, we'll go help her," he says.
"Chad?" I ask.
"What?"
"What do you mean what? Are you going to help your mom?"
"Yeah, go get ready."
"Good. Your mother isn't your maid," I say looking at them both.
"We know, baby. We're sorry."
"Yeah," Chad agrees.

I smile, and I lean forward to press a soft kiss against Jake's lips, before pulling away and looking over to Chad. He teasingly puckers up his lips, and I laugh, putting my hand over his mouth as I press a kiss to his cheek. He smiles warmly in that big brother way of his, and he walks towards Jake. They both leave, and I walk over to one of the suitcases that holds all of my shoes. I unzip it, and dig around for my black heals. Once I find them, I sit on the edge of the bed, and slip them on. I stand up and make my way to where my makeup bag is, and I take it with me to the bathroom. I stand in front of the mirror, and open my bag. I take out my dark gray eye shadow, and a small brush, and I begin to apply it to my eyelids. I add a bit of shadow under my eyes to kind of make my eyes look darker than they already are. I apply several coats of mascara to my eyelashes, making them appear longer and fuller. I pick a soft beige lip liner, and I outline my full lips with the delicate color. After that, I apply a slightly slighter shade of beige lip-gloss onto my lips. I run my hands through my hair, and I begin to pull it back into a high, tight ponytail. I tie it with a small black rubber band, letting my hair hang loosely from the tight band. I brush it out, the strands feeling like silk when I touch them. Somewhat satisfied with my appearance, I place my bag on the corner of the sink and I turn off the light. I turn to walk of out the bathroom and I suddenly bump into Jake. Frightened, I gasp loudly and take a quick awkward step back, losing my balance. I feel Jake's arms close me around me as my body heads straight for the floor. He holds me up as my hands grip his arms.

"I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean to scare you," he whispers.
"It's okay...I just didn't know you were standing there. I didn't even hear you come in."
"I saw the door open, and you know that I love watching you. I really thought you knew I was standing here."
"It's okay."
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I think so. I just have to stop by your mom's because she wants to give me a spare key."
"No need. I already got it for you. It's sitting on my dresser."
"Oh okay, thanks."
"You're welcome. By the way, Chad already left. I figured it'd be best if we went separately in case you wanted to come home early," he says and I smile at him.
"That's very thoughtful of you."

He smiles and presses a soft kiss on my forehead. I smile back at him, and he puts his arms around me, and begins to lead me out of his bedroom. We make out way downstairs, and he grabs his jacket from the coat rack next to the door. He drapes it on my back, before proceeding to open the door. As we step outside, I'm thankful for the jacket as I feel a chilly breeze blow. After Jake locks the door, he puts his hand on the small of my back to lead me towards his truck. He unlocks and opens the door for me, and closes it after I climb in. I scoot towards the middle as he opens his side and climbs in as well. We put our seat belts on, and he puts the key in the ignition, roaring the engine to life. He held my hand the entire ride to Jeff's house.