His Mission

World of pain.

Jake immediately takes a step forward into my personal space, and his hand slides around my waist. His touch feels alien to me, and I can't remember the last time I was touched without being hurt.

"I've got you," Jake says quietly. His voice is calm, but I sense a hint of anger behind it that doesn't feel like it's directed at me. Black spots take over my vision, and I feel a ringing vibrate through my ears. Jake continues to hold me against him whilst I recover from my state of darkness. I whimper quietly while gently pulling away from him. I don't want him to comfort me, I barely know him.

"Don't, please..." I whisper. My cheeks burn with embarrassment. I don't want him to get close to me because I fear he's going to see the person I've spent so long trying to hide. He releases his hold on me, but I'm not ready to be independent again. My body wobbles unsteadily, and it causes him to grab hold of me for the second time. His hand tightens around my waist, and he dips his head low until his lips align with my ear.

"I think you're forgetting who I am. I'm surrounded in a world of pain, Emily...Don't think I'm not able to sense it when it's all I feel around you."

My body falls limp inside his hold, and I bury my head into his shoulder. I stop resisting him so I can fight against the darkness invading my being.

I don't know how long Jake holds me.

He eventually slides down to the floor, taking my body with him. His arm slips around my shoulder, and he guides me so my face is buried in his chest. I take slow shallow breaths until the dark fog begins to lift from my mind. His chest feels stiff against me, almost as if he's holding his breath the entire time I'm lying against him. I can hear my heart echoing inside my ears due to how close I'm pressed up against him. I'm wrapped up in his scent, and it's a scent I never want to forget.

"How are you feeling?" Jake asks me quietly. His fingers gently brush back and forth over my shoulder for a split second. The sensation of it causes me to shiver, and I wish he didn't feel the need to stop so suddenly.

"Exhausted," I whisper honestly. I'm tired from the beatings. I'm tired from trying to survive. I'm tired of lying for a man who deserves for the world to know what a monster he is. I'm tired of being tired.

Jake's arm tightens around me, and he inhales a deep breath. I want to build the courage to look up at him, but I'm too nervous and filled with anxious energy. I'm afraid if I move an inch, the moment will disappear between us. My eyes become weighed down with exhaustion so I close them for a split second. The relief that washes through me causes my body to grow heavy. Before I know it, my breathing labors and I'm falling asleep wrapped up in Jake Melvin's arms.

I haven't slept properly for weeks due to feeling unsafe. As soon as I'm wrapped up in a stranger's arms that I barely know, I feel the safest I've felt in a while. I don't know when or why my perception of Jake Melvin changed, but I don't think he's as terrible and dangerous as people describe him to be. I'm a firm believer in knowing something isn't always what it appears to be on the outside...

Jake and I are both a perfect example of that.

The sound of the school bell ringing brutally wakes me from my sleep. My eyes fling open and I gasp while expecting to be alone in the corridor. To my surprise, Jake is sitting beside me. He turns his head toward the sound of students entering the corridors. My cheeks instantly burn with heat when I realize I've been sleeping on Jake Melvin's chest. My hand flies up to my mouth, and I begin panicking.

Did he hear me snore? Did I drool on him? Oh god, this is so embarrassing.

Jake clears his throat before standing up from the floor. He extends his hand for me to take, and I slip my hand into his warm one. He pulls me onto my feet gently, almost as if he knows he needs to handle me with care. The words I want to say to him are stuck in the back of my throat. I blink several times before wrapping my arms around my body. I feel vulnerable knowing he's watching me, waiting for me to speak.

"I, uhm —" The words don't leave my lips. Jake gives me a small smile of reassurance before slowly backing away from me. He senses that I'm left embarrassed and speechless from the tender moment we shared. He places two fingers against his head before saluting me —

"I'll see you around, Wentworth." Jake says casually before turning around and walking away. The small departure ignites butterflies inside my stomach that I'm unable to explain. I find myself watching him as he navigates himself through the sea of students. He avoids eye contact with most people, and I notice how he carries himself differently. There's an air of maturity about him, almost as if he's had to grow beyond his years through no fault of his own...

When he disappears, I run a hand over my face with slight disbelief.

"Did that really just happen?" I mutter in shock before heading in the direction of my next class.