His Mission

Mixed Emotions.

I'm quiet at breakfast. I push around the mushrooms on my plate and Jake watches me with curiosity. "Hey. Talk to me. What's going on with you?" Jake asks, reaching over to place his hand over mine. I stare down at our hands touching and a lump forms in the back of my throat. How do I explain to him how confused I am over our relationship? I don't want to sound insecure, constantly wondering why he won't reciprocate feelings.

"I'm thinking about my Mom," I say to him, which isn't a total lie. I'm wondering why she hasn't reached out to me. Does my absence not affect her at all? "Why don't you call her?" Jake suggests before taking a sip of his coffee. We're sitting in Lulu's coffee shop and it's surprisingly empty considering it's a Sunday morning.

"I'm worried I'm going to unload ten years of pent up anger on her," I laugh awkwardly. A silence settles between me and Jake. His eyes fill with curiosity, and he leans back in his seat to stare at me. "Does she know what Trevor has been doing to you?"

"Yes. He started off hurting her when I was younger before he turned toward me." I say to him, feeling a tight restriction enter my chest. Jake's hand forms into a tight fist on the table before he relaxes it seconds later. His body language may be laid back, but his blue eyes burn with hatred for Trevor. "Why didn't she stop him?" Jake asks me quietly. I shrug my shoulders before dropping my gaze to the table. "I don't know," I whisper, hating that I don't have the right answer to his question. How can a mother fail her own child for so long? The question is one of the reasons I don't sleep. "She's a terrible parent," Jake comments bluntly. I nod my head in agreement. "Yeah, she is."

His hand gently squeezes mine, and I glance up at him from under my lashes. My eyes brim with tears and I didn't realise how much my Mom's betrayal would hurt. Hearing someone else express how much she failed me makes me realise I'm not wrong in hating her for everything she's done to me. Jake's expression softens when he notices the tears in my eyes. He leans over before brushing his thumb across the bottom of my lashes. His action causes a shiver to travel down my spine and I release a shaky breath. My heart feels like it's expanding twice its size when he speaks. "I hate seeing you upset," Jake whispers while searching my eyes.

The sound of his phone ringing interrupts the moment between us. Jake releases a deep sigh before pulling it out of his pocket. He takes one look at his screen before a deep frown takes over his features. He answers the call while sliding out of the booth to walk away from me.

"I told you, I need time off. I have stuff going on in my personal life," Jake mutters down the line. Who is he talking to? He walks away so I'm no longer able to overhear the rest of his conversation. I turn my attention to finishing my breakfast despite having little to no appetite. I watch Jake pacing back and forth outside Lulu's coffee shop. His face fills with rage, and he doesn't appear to be having a friendly conversation. He looks frustrated at the person on the other end of the line. I tear my eyes off him when I hear my phone ringing in my back pocket. I pull it out before answering the call without checking the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Emily." The chilling voice is one that I immediately recognise. My mind turns back to the stalker text messages and phone calls I've received lately. It's the same man. My grip on the phone tightens. "You need to stop bothering me before I go to the police." I hiss at him down the line. The man on the other end begins to laugh, apparently finding my threat incredibly comical. "The police? Good luck with that," The man says, sounding like he's smiling. Goosebumps scatter down my arms, and my mind begins to race with possibilities of his identity.

"Who are you?" I ask him. I know I shouldn't give him more attention, but I need answers. His curiosity in me is beginning to feel less than a prank call and more sinister than I originally thought. "You're not ready to find out. Where are you, Emily? You left home," the man says casually. My heart drops to the pit of my stomach with uneasiness. How does he know that? Is he watching me? Paranoia begins to consume me and I sit upright before searching through the glass window of Lulu's coffee shop.