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I COULD SEE HIS EYES GLARING AT ME all the way from the passenger seat. Jake was seated on my front porch, still wearing his hospital wristband and a white bandage on his forehead. Somehow, I assumed, he found out that Peter had left me with Josh back at the hospital and I knew he was fuming.
"He doesn't look too thrilled," Josh muttered to me as we both watched Jake rise from the porch steps. He was making slow strides towards us. "I can talk to him if you—"
"I can do it." I stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind me. Jake stopped walking when he was a few feet ahead of me. "Jake," I breathed. "You're out."
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. "Yeah. They released me a couple hours ago."
"That's great news, but I don't think you're supposed to be driving."
"I'm not."
"Well," I hesitated. "How are you feeling?"
"Maggie told me what happened."
That shut me up. There was pure silence in the air, besides the sound of the cicadas and the low humming of the car next to us. Josh hadn't sped off yet, he was still there, and even though my back was turned to him I knew he was watching every bit of it.
"It's not her fault, Jake." I didn't know what his intentions were. I knew he was mad, but he was acting so calm.
"It isn't Peter's either. He can't help that he's a pussy."
I was startled by his vulgar language. I could feel the sweat forming in my palms. Something bad was going to happen, and I knew Josh was going to be involved somehow. A part of me wished that he would just drive away so that I wouldn't have to see what was going to come next.
"Did he put his hands on you?" Jake asked.
"No!" I threw my hands up. "No, Jake. He didn't. I told you you had nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, and I told you to stay away from him," Jake said, pointing to Josh, who was still sitting in the car.
"Like I had a choice!" I yelled. "You know Peter is a chicken, he wasn't going to stand up to Josh."
"I would have expected better from you, Cat."
"She doesn't have to prove shit to you," Josh said, suddenly emerging from the car. He had lit a cigarette and took a long drag from it, blowing his smoke in Jake's face when he walked up to him, inches apart.
