(Complete)~BOOK ONE OF THE ENDEARMENT SERIES~
Arabella hasn't had the best childhood, resulting in bad grades, rebel behaviour and mental health problems. She moves to a new school where she meets Jace.
Jace has a great family, friends and life. But...
It's been ten minutes and Arabella still isn't back.
It's been an hour and Arabella wasn't in class.
It's been a day and Arabella hasn't been to school.
Every lesson without her dragged and I started to get extremely anxious as to why she didn't come back after lunch. I didn't scare her off.
Did I?
I was sleeping peacefully when my phone started ringing . I looked at my alarm clock and say it was two thirty in the morning.
I look at the ID that said Unknown and answered it suspiciously only to be met with silence on the other end apart from a noise I gathered was wind.
"Hello?" I said.
"J-Jace." A small voice answered.
Something wasn't right here, " Love? What's wrong?"
"You said I could call for anything and I-" her voice broke, and so did my heart.
"-I need help, please." She whispered so I almost couldn't hear.
Almost.
"Where are you?" I asked, already rushing to put my clothes on and be it the door in less than a minute.
"The Riverside bridge..." fuck.
"Don't do anything, love, I'm on my way." I assure her.
I do the fifteen minute journey in three.
And there she is.
Standing on the edge.
I walk up to her slowly, careful not to scar her," Love?"
Her head turns to me and I can see the thick lines she has down her face from crying. She's shaking so much.
So, so much.
"Come down," I say in a gentle voice," come and tell me what's wrong."
I get to right next to her now and before she has a second thought, I wrap my arms around her and bring her off the ledge. Something is wrong, physically or mentally or emotionally, I don't know because she doesn't fight back. All the fire is gone.
She keys out a few noises and tries to wiggle, but nothing like her pushing me up against the lockers a few weeks ago.
"Shhh," I soothe her. Eventually she gives up the feeble attempt to get out of my grasp and tucks her head into the crook of my neck and just cries. She mutters several 'I'm sorry's throughout the tears but I keep my hold on her and continue to soothe her.
It was ten minutes more before she calmed down enough for me to pick her up and take her back to my car.
"Do you want to talk?" I ask , brushing a lock of hair away from her beautiful face. She shakes her head and keep her eyes forward.
I got to start up the car when she speaks up, " Can I.. is it possible to stay with you tonight? I don't want to be alone."
"Of course it is, love."
We pull up at my house five minutes later and I get Arabella into my room and give her a t-shirt and some shorts to change into. I leave the room to give her some privacy and don't come back in until she opens the door for me.
I tuck her into my bed and say goodnight before kissing her head, then I lay down on the floor, where I can see her.
As I'm drifting off to sleep, I only just realise that I kissed her. On the head.
I look over and see her breaths evening out. I don't go to sleep until she has and even then, I stay up think about what happened.
We need to talk.
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