The Heart's Devotion (MSDS Sequel) - ON HOLD

Chapter Eleven

Once we had finished our meal, and awkwardly stared at each other in comfort for an hour or so, we headed home. It hadn't occurred to me that Jacob's hand had made it's way upon my thigh until I felt the warm contact evaporate as he opened his car door. 

"After you," he almost whispered before taking hold of my hand tightly. I couldn't process the day we had spent together in this exact moment, my head was fuzzy with images of his arms grazing my waist, his body against mine as he told me he thought I was the girl he had been waiting for. 

And it felt like nothing I'd ever experienced before. It was like someone had set fireworks off inside my head, the sudden bursts making my heart flutter. The world seemed to fade around us as he held me on the roof top just a few hours ago, and I liked it very much. 

"Thank you," I turned to face him as he pulled the door shut. The key circled inside the lock before he twirled around on his heels. "I had a great day, and night, and I... I don't want it to end here. Not yet."

"It won't." His arms held me close to him once again, his fingers trailing up and down my back. I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes. "Let's head upstairs." 

I felt my feet leave the floor as a squeal squeezed it's way between my slightly parted lips. "What are you doing?" 

"Carrying you," he suppressed a laugh. "Isn't it the romantic thing to do?" He paused. "So, my lady, your bedroom or mine." 

"Yours," I bit my lip. I hadn't slept in his room since the party where he admitted drunkenly that I was his childhood sweetheart - it was something I thought he was just saying to wind me up. To make me hate him for more than I already did; but I didn't expect it to be the truth.

My feet pressed against the floor causing me to stumble, I fell on top of the bed, a laugh exploding through his room as I tried to contain my surprise. 

"Are you alright?" Jacob held his hand out. He let out a slight chuckle. 

"Yes," my chest heaved. He pulled me back to my feet and turned to face the door. 

"I'm going to let Poppy out before we go to bed." 

Once he was around the corner I unzipped my dress. The material slid down my body into a pool around my feet. I didn't know what had overcome me, but I wasn't considering heading for my pyjamas. 

~ Jacob's P.O.V ~

Tonight had gone better than I had planned. 

I pulled the door shut and left Poppy in the living room with her water, making sure all the doors were locked before I headed back upstairs, I could have sworn I had locked the front door. "Grace," I muttered as I entered my bedroom. Her dress lay on the floor before my bed, but very much alone. I looked around to make sure she hadn't fell asleep somewhere other than my bedroom. 

In the heat of the meal I had ordered a bottle of wine, and she had drank most of it's content before we left. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to drive us to the lake like the end of the night intended due to her drunkenness. 

I headed towards her bedroom and knocked a few times before entering. The room felt cold, the windows open wide blowing the curtains around like miniature tornado's. I pulled them shut and spun round; the room was lit yet I felt uneasy. The sound of footsteps crept in the hallway, and the sound of heavy breathing came just inches away from my face. I couldn't see anybody, and I definitely knew there was only meant to be two people in this house. 

I stayed silent in that moment, not because I was afraid, but because I knew where shouting your friends name could get you. It would get you killed and strung up like most murder films. Who was even dumb enough to do that? 

My eyes wondered over the wardrobe just a few feet in front of me. I decided to edge forward, my body gliding against the walls to avoid the footsteps outside the room from entering and grasping hold of me. Once I was close enough I pushed the sliding door as far as I could without making a noise. To my surprise I found someone who was not Grace.

"Jacob," her voice stuttered. I could tell from her slurred words that she was heavily drunk.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I lifted her up by her jacket and put a gap between the two of us. "You are not allowed to be here. I told you this."

"I missed you," she stumbled forward into my chest. My hands avoided her body as she clung onto me. "It's been so long, you're so handsome." 

"Of course it's been long, Veronica." I pushed her off of me. "It's been more than a year since I got that restraining order. You are not allowed here. Do you not understand?" 

Her grin soon turned into a frown, and then she let out a snarl so deep I had to keep her from coming close again. "You did this to me," she barked. She pulled her jacket off and then her top, revealing burn marks and cuts so deep they would've needed stitches. "You made me like this! You left me in the pouring rain!" 

"You did this to yourself!" I defended. "I haven't seen you in a long time. I left you in court after you harassed me and my family. You drove your car into me, Veronica!" 

"You said you loved me." She started to cry. "But yet there's a girl in your house." 

"I never loved you, I never told you so either. You are a stalker, and I only met you once before you started doing this." I rubbed my forehead. "I can't do this, Veronica. You're 26 and I'm 18."

"Love has no bounds."

"It does. Age is one of them. This feeling you have, it's not real, you don't know me at all." 

She took a few strides forward until my back was against the wall. I stared down at her, mascara dripped down her cheek and I felt my heart ache. This women was deluded. 

"If you do not love me," she breathed against my neck. "Then this won't mean anything." Her lips came crashing down on mine; my eyes flung open in shock as she held my arms around her waist. She jumped up causing me to catch her, her legs wrapping around me. I felt nothing but guilt and disgust. 

"That's enough." I barked. Her lips were working their way lower as I dropped her to the floor. "Veronica, stop!" I pushed her off of me. "I feel nothing. All that did was make me feel disgusted with you."

"You're lying!" She stormed out of the room and pulled the door shut. I moved towards it and turned the handle but the lock stopped it. "You will pay for this."

"Veronica open the door!" I yelled as her footsteps got further away. 

I slammed my head against the door. I could hear Poppy barking from downstairs, I sighed in relief in hopes she would have left. The building was silent for a moment.

Until Grace's screams exploded through the house.