His Mission

Disagreements.

My bedroom door flings open and Jake enters with deep frustration embedded into his features. "What the hell was that, Emily?" Jake asks me before throwing his hands in the air. "I had to convince him to meet you. I had to convince him to help. Amil isn't somebody you walk away from," Jake tells me firmly. I sit up in bed before glaring at him. "I didn't ask you for help! Especially not this type of help." Jake's confusion deepens. "He was willing to help find your stalker. He wanted to help with –"

"I don't care." I cut him off before explaining myself. "I left home because I didn't want to live in fear anymore! You took me to a dangerous person who owns a gun. Do you have any idea how terrifying that felt for me?" I ask him. Jake falls silent and he doesn't seem to understand the magnitude of the situation. I drop my gaze to the bed with disappointment. "You don't get it because you're comfortable in that world. You've been around danger for so long, you don't realise the magnitude and pain it can bring to people. You're one of them," I whisper. Jake's blue eyes flash with intensity and he snaps his head up to look at me.

"I'm not like Amil," Jake tells me. Comparing him to Amil seems to spark anger inside him. He blows out a deep breath of frustration before pacing my room with urgency. His hands run over his face and he releases a frustrated groan. "I don't know who Amil is to you but he's a monster. I've lived with one long enough to know when I'm looking into the eyes of a dark person." I say firmly. Jake stops pacing my bedroom before settling his gaze on me. "Sometimes you have to fight monsters with monsters," Jake argues back with me. "I didn't want to go there! You should have known it goes against everything I stand for." I yell at him.

"I took you there because I care about you. I took you there to make sure Trevor never lays his hands on you ever again! I did it because I care, Emily. I can't act on this without Amil's permission. I need his acceptance before I do anything for you." Jake says, and his voice raises with every sentence. I climb out of bed before walking over to my bedroom door. I fling it open before gesturing for Jake to leave.

"I don't need gang protection. I can deal with this myself!" I hit back at him. My voice wobbles unsteadily because I know I'm lying to myself. I went years putting up with the abuse because I felt weak to deal with it on my own. Jake storms over to me with a fire burning in his eyes. I gasp before backing up against the wall, but he doesn't hit me like I'm expecting him to. He grabs hold of my hands before pulling me into his chest. He buries his hand in my hair and he holds me tightly until I stop trembling.

"I'm not like Trevor or Amil. I won't hurt you. You don't need to act scared of me ever again," Jake mumbles down my ear. He walks me over to the floor length mirror inside my bedroom. He gently turns me around before brushing my dark hair out of my face. "Look at yourself, Wentworth." Jake says quietly. I recoil away in disgust when I look at my reflection. I'm wearing a short sleeve shirt which means all of my bruises are on display. They're beginning to fade, but the colours look alien against my skin. I hate looking at the bruises Trevor left behind.

"Stop. I don't want to," I whisper while fighting back tears. Jake shakes his head and gestures for me to keep looking. His hands lift my shirt and I'm forced to look at the bruises embedded in my sides. A broken sob slips through my lips when I'm finally met with the weight of what Trevor did to me.

"Look at what he did to you. Do you think you deserve this?" Jake asks me with a deep sadness in his eyes. I shake my head before bringing my hand to my mouth to prevent the sob ripping through my chest. Nobody deserves this. Nobody deserves to feel nauseous when looking at their own reflection. Nobody deserves to feel like their own body doesn't belong to them.

"You don't deserve this, Emily. You don't deserve any of it. I'm willing to help you if you let me." Jake tells me. He drops my shirt before loosening his hold on me. He walks out of the room, leaving me feeling completely broken and helpless. I sink to the floor before wrapping my arms around myself. The sobs that consume my body come one after the other. Jake is right... This is one long battle I can't win myself.