Say Something 【boyxboy】√Completed

Chapter 34

After a late dinner, my mind is too busy to let me fall asleep, so I go for a walk.

Nothing is really open at this hour except the diner, but there are still some teenagers hanging out around town. I don't make eye contact as I pass them, but mostly because I don't know them. I'm not as nervous around other people as I used to be.

Except, of course, around certain people. Certain McIntyres who happen to be exiting the diner as I approach it.

I'm far enough away that I could turn around and avoid them, but I'm frozen in place.

Seeing Jacob for the first time since Ross told me what happened between them makes me sick. I stare at him. Jacob McIntyre secretly likes other guys. Does Clara know?

I wonder if that's why he's such a jerk, because he's struggling with it. For me, dating a boy doesn't feel like a big deal because loving Ross comes so naturally, but Jacob is always in the spotlight. I feel bad for him, just for a moment, but then I feel nauseous because Jacob somehow ended up with Ross, a good person... and then hurt him.

I bite my lip, angry. Jacob hit Ross. He punched him and they were still "complicated" after that. Ross kept defending him until I told him what Jacob did to me.

Then they fought and Ross got hurt yet again. I feel guilty when I remember that.

That's right. Ross was so mad that he went after Jacob himself.

It isn't so hard to forgive Ross when I think about how he came to me that night, promising that Jacob would never bother me again. But forgiveness doesn't necessarily fix things.

Still, it's not Ross's fault, and I know he's sorry... I'm just unable to wrap my head around everything.

I hate Jacob for hurting Ross. Manipulating him, too, because why else would Ross hook up with such a monster? I'll never understand how Ross could have been with someone who hurt him so much.

I take a shaky breath. I don't want Jacob to have that power over him, or me, or anyone. I don't want him to make me feel so terrified anymore. I don't want to go back to being too afraid to say a single word, shaking and forgetting to breathe if he just looked at me. I'm sick of turning every corner in fear, opening my locker and finding threats, and letting Jacob screw up the best thing that's ever happened to me... Ross.

Something snaps inside me.

As Jacob and Clara walk down the sidewalk, I stay in place.

Jacob glares at first but then smirks at me... a knowing look... a satisfied look.

I don't want to be silent anymore. This is about both Ross and myself. He can't ruin all the progress I've made.

"Jacob." My voice is timid, but it's there.

The brunette siblings look over in surprise, as if they expected me to run away.

"What?"

"I... um.... I have something to say." Somehow, I manage to get the words out, although I'm not sure exactly what my plan is.

"Don't bother." Jacob rolls his eyes. "It's over for you. Get lost."

"No. You won't win." I put my hands in my pockets so they don't shake.

What am I doing, talking to Jacob like this?

He laughs. "Wow."

Clara scoffs. "What are you even saying?"

I glance at her, but I'm not so afraid of her anymore.  The only reason she intimidates me is because she's Jacob's sister, but all she does is act like a brat. Jacob's the one I have a real problem with.