♥Chapter 49: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ♥
❆Jake❆
My eyes meet Kennedy's, and she puts on a smile.
"Are you really okay?" I ask.
Her smile drops a little, but she smiles more reassuringly, "I'm okay."
"You don't have to lie to me." I rub the pad of my thumb on the skin of her hand. "You don't need to fake being okay. Tell me whatever's bothering you, please."
"Jake." She says, "I'm fine. A little shaken up and shocked but yeah." She shrugs, "I'm fine." She glances at the IV tubes on her arms, "In some way at least."
"You're not scared?" I ask. "Of you know? Death?"
She shrugs, "Seems like my expiration date just came near."
I shoot her a look and she breaks into another small smile.
She stares at me then finally lets out a sigh.
"Before." She gazes at my fingers as she toys with them, "It would have scared me; dying alone, without my parents, without anyone. I would have probably been so scared that I'd sob myself to death."
She looks up at me, a sheen of water covering her eyes, "But now I have you and Corey and Toothy and Alex and Gabriel flew from California to see me." Her voice gets wobbly with emotions, and I rise from my chair, moving to sit on Ken's bed to be nearer to her.
"You're not alone." I run my fingers through her hair.
"I know." She smiles at me, bringing my fingers up to the side of her face. "Knowing that doesn't scare me as much as it would have."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Please don't hide anything from me." I'm not sure if my voice cracked or not.
"Too late."
I blink, "What?"
She lets out a dramatic sigh, "God how long did I keep this secret from you?"
I still give her my confused look.
What the fuck she's talking about?
She leans in towards me, my nose catching the whiff of medicines on her, "There's been a dead body under your bed for two weeks." She whispers.
The seriousness drops and I give her a flat look, "Yeah?"
She nods.
"Who's it this time?"
"Bob."
"And what'd he do?"
"Built."
"You murdered Bob the builder?" I raise an eyebrow.
"No that's some other Bob."
I shake my head at her.
"The cops will never know." She winks at me.
I resist the urge to face-palm
Of course. This is Kennedy. Always talking about murder, dead bodies, criminals. She's joking, I know, but it's kinda refreshing to hear the silly words that come out of her mouth. Like an iced drink on a hot sunny day.
My eyes gaze over her slim narrow face covered with the mouthpiece.
My heart clenches with pain. "Kennedy." Keep your tone strong, asshole.
"Yeah?"
I gulp before speaking, "You're okay, right? Please don't lie to me."
"Jake." She stares at my face, her eyes softening. "Please don't cry."
I don't even realize the water in my eyes. I force them to remain in my eyes, a lump forming in my throat as I keep trying to gulp it down.
"I'm not." Your voice strained, asshole.
She keeps gazing at me, her eyes tearing up too, "I'm fine, Jake. I promise."
No, you're not.
You're going to die.
How can you be okay with this?
How can anyone be okay with dying?
I force back the words into my gut.
"I know you're trying to be strong," She speaks, "I'm okay, Jake. It's okay. Are you okay?"
Tell her yes.
Tell her you're strong enough.
Tell her she has nothing to worry about—
My eyes betray me. A small single tear slips out.
"Jake." She immediately takes both my hands in hers, reaching one hand up to wipe away that tear and holding my face. "We're going to be okay."
I can't help it.
I shake my head, "No we're not." My voice sounds angry. "You're going to fucking die, and I don't know how I'm going to fucking live with that."
She sucks in a breath and I mentally curse my damn fucking mouth to spew all this in her face, "I'm sorry—"
"No. No, God Ken, I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry." I shake my head. "I shouldn't be talking to you like this. Fuck, Ken, I'm never good at this shit. It's all messed up."
"But we are going to be okay, Jake."
"How?" I snap, not meaning to get loud with her.
"We're going to learn." She says. "We're going to learn how to accept what's gonna happen. We're gonna learn to accept the truth."
"It's not that easy."
"It's not." She agrees. "But we both got each other. We have Corey and Toothy and Alex and Gabriel. It's better than being all alone. We're going to make it through this. Just you watch."
A deep sigh comes out of my mouth, putting my hands on my face, "I'm supposed to be the one comforting and saying those words to you. Not the other fucking way around."
"We both comfort each other. You don't have to pretend to be strong in front of me, Jake. I can handle it. Trust me."
"I am strong," I argue.
A smile comes on her face, "Yeah, yeah."
She keeps giving me the smile.
"It's just that..." A sigh comes out of my mouth and Kennedy gives a triumph expression saying that she knew I was going to continue speaking, "I don't know how to take it in. I still don't believe it. I still don't believe that you're going to—" I clench my jaw, "I can't imagine it."
A sad look comes on her face as she gazes at me. I look away from her, not being able to bear her look for long.
"I could have died in the mall." She speaks after a long time. "I could have died before anyone could find me and bring me here." She meets my eyes. "What would you have done then?"
A weird kind of fear goes through me. I furrow my eyebrows at her.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Would you rather that my death comes unexpected and sudden rather than you knowing that I'm going to die?"
My eyebrows furrow deeply, her words washing over me. "I'd...rather know when you're going to die," I reply.
"Exactly. Imagine something you love ripping away from you all of a sudden." She says. "What's better is that you know I'm going to die so you can prepare yourself for it."
I silently gaze at her.
"It's going to hurt less." She squeezes my hand.
I know that.
But it doesn't mean the pain is gonna be any better.
"I'd rather you not die at all."
"Turn me into a vampire then." She chuckles.
"Corey and I will go hunting in the cemetery today."
"Don't forget to carry torchlights and garlic."
"Garlic's just a myth."
"But you can give that vampire gas and it'll make it easier for you to capture it while he's busy handling his stomach."
"All that smell though."
She laughs.
Another sigh comes out of my mouth.
My head lowers and rests itself on Kennedy's lap, "I don't want you gone." My voice is a soft murmur.
Her fingers are in my hair, caressing through them sending me into a moment of pleasure.
How long has it been since I slept?
✯✯✯
Two weeks later, they let Kennedy come home.
Did I stay those two weeks in Kennedy's hospital room, threatening to murder everyone who tried to make me go home?
Yes.
But did I really succeed in that?
No.
Fuck Toothy.
And every time, Kennedy would side with Toothy telling me that I need to go home and go to fucking sleep. I can go to sleep just fucking fine on the hospital floor only to be near Kennedy. But no, Kennedy would always take Toothy's side because they're "besties".
Fuck Kennedy too then.
The windows are rolled down, letting the cool wind in while Kennedy rests against the car seat, her knees pulled up against her chest.
"It's been only two weeks since I was prisoned, but I still miss every single thing." She sighs, resting her head on her knees as the wind blows her hair around.
We're driving back home from the hospital with Gabriel in the backseat. Apparently, he's gonna be living here for a while for Kennedy. Kennedy insisted he came along for a while so she could show him around the house she's living in.
"A hospital isn't a prison," Gabriel speaks from the backseat.
"You can't move around, you have to go to sleep when the lights close, you have to eat only what they give you, someone has to accompany you to the washrooms, you can't get out of your room unless someone allows it." Kennedy counts on her fingers. "I don't know what that sounds like," She says.
"Oh wait! I do know." She snaps her fingers in realization. "A prison! That's what it sounds like. A prison!"
Gabriel rolls his eyes.
Kennedy turns to me with a sad look, "You can't even begin to imagine what I suffered through, living with Gary for a whole year."
Gabriel raises an eyebrow.
"I thought I'd go completely mental." She continues, "Imagine waking up and seeing a face that reminds you of a squashed white duck who hasn't seen daylight for a million years." She gives a look of horror, "For a whole year. God knows how I survived."
Incoherent mutterings come from Gabriel's side as he shakes his head.
"At least you got out well," I comment.
"I wouldn't agree too much on that," Gabriel mumbles, not knowing it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
The car rolls into the driveway and I kill the engine, unstrapping my seatbelt.
We get out of the car and I immediately move to take Kennedy's hand in mine. She gives me a little smile as we walk up the porch steps.
I reach out and pull the door open.
Then drop my jaw.
"Woah." Kennedy's eyes widen. Gabriel stops dead as if he's seen a dead person come alive.
"Welcome home!" Corey throws out his arms before popping a champagne bottle open, letting foamy liquid spill all around. But that's not it. He's wearing a white speedo with a white boa around his neck.
That's it.
That's fucking it.
Toothy's sitting on the couch, completely ignoring what's going on while painting her nails.
Alex is in the kitchen, his face red, while quietly sipping a cup of coffee, trying to avert his eyes from Corey but failing.
"Welcome! Welcome! Do come in." Corey cheers, grinning wide.
"What the fuck are you wearing?" I ask then shake my head. "Actually, the appropriate question is what the fuck are you not wearing?"
Not sure if I should cover Kennedy's eyes, or throw her over my shoulder and take her to someplace holy. Or maybe a therapist. Does she need therapy? I know I want therapy after seeing Corey.
"This?" Corey gestures to his clothes. Wait, no, those aren't clothes. Those are barely clothes. THOSE ARE NOT FUCKING CLOTHES. He grins, "People say it brings blessing to the house."
"More like trauma!" I snap.
"Oh shush. I wore this for Kennedy anyway. You don't get to look. How ya doing, babydoll?" He turns towards Kennedy who still has her mouth hanging open.
"She's obviously not fine, you fucking idiot." I shoulder my way into the house, pulling Kennedy behind me, "You traumatized her."
"Oh no, not really, I'm fine—ah." Kennedy's words die when I smack a pillow on her face to cover her eyes from Corey.
"Hold it there," I tell her as her hand comes up to hold the pillow to her face.
Corey glares at me, "The blessings won't happen if her eyes are covered."
"I fucking hope so." I snap.
"I just want to tell Kennedy that I'm always here for her and I would do anything for her." He announces.
"Take off the speedo, then we'll talk about that."
"God, Jake, not in front of the ladies." Corey giggles.
I turn to Toothy with a raised eyebrow, "Is he drunk?"
Toothy peers at me beneath her lashes, not raising her head from her nails. She keeps peering at me with her cat-like eyes, not saying anything. But there's something wrong with her stare. Like, it's really firm and strong and...shit she's annoyed.
I silently look away from her, rolling my lips into my mouth, letting her eyes drop back to her nails.
Better to scratch out your own eyes than talk to Toothy when she's annoyed.
"Baby, I've been drunk for every single second of ma' life." Corey slings an arm around my shoulder, taking a swing of the champagne before pressing the mouth of the bottle to my lips.
I jerk away from him, shouting, "Get the fuck away from me!"
He giggles again.
"Can I take this pillow off now?" Kennedy asks.
"Not right now." I respond before turning towards Corey, "Why the fuck are you drunk?"
"Chill, dude, I'm not." He chuckles, composing himself, "I'm just having some fun."
"Can you please do that with your clothes on?" I rub my temples.
He blinks at me, "God, Jake. Man. Are you alright?"
I frown in confusion, "What?"
He puts a hand to his heart, looking emotional, "You used the p-word."
It takes me a moment to realize what he meant. I roll my eyes, "Fuck you."
"Like right now?" He asks. "I'm in as long as I'm the top." He winks at me.
I shake my head at him. Kennedy tries peeking around the pillow to look at Corey once again.
A throat clears behind us and I turn around to see Gabriel still standing at the doorway looking out of place.
I completely fucking forgot he was here.
"Gary Bary!" Corey exclaims, and moves towards him, slinging an arm around his shoulder. Gabriel's face turns red. Can't blame him. Corey looks like a drunk angel prostitute. "Listen, man, I got an extra speedo. Wrong size for me, accidentally. But I think it'll fit you. Do you want it?"
Gabriel doesn't know how to answer that for a moment. "Uh...no!"
"Oh come on. You'll look terrific."
"You don't say." I retort.
"No one wants to wear the goddamn speedo, Corey!" Toothy snaps, "Just stop asking everyone."
"What do you mean everyone?" I furrow my eyebrows.
"He asked Alex, he asked dad, he asked our neighbours and literally everyone on the street we came across." She rolls her eyes.
"And no one wanted it?" Kennedy asks.
"You think?" Toothy gives her a flat look. "Anyways, we did some changes."
"More like you did all the changes." Corey corrects her.
"Whatever, yeah. So," She stands up, pointing a finger at Alex's room, "We—"
"You." Corey corrects, moving to dance on the sofa now.
"—shifted Kennedy's room over there." Toothy says.
I frown, "What?"
"We—"
"You." Corey corrects again.
"—thought that it'd be easier for Kennedy if her room was at the bottom, so we shifted Alex upstairs and Kennedy down."
Meaning Alex is going to be across me?
Uh...
I dart a glance towards Alex who's looking at everyone from the kitchen, an unreadable expression on his face. He senses my gaze and looks at me. I quickly look away.
"What the fuck? I'm not gonna let Kennedy stay here all alone." I state.
"Yes, I know." Toothy grumbles. "That's why we—"
"You!" Corey yells, still dancing.
"—SHUT UP!" Toothy yells back before looking at me. "Yeah so, I shifted some of your things down into Kennedy's new room too."
"Smartass."
"Always a step ahead." She replies.
"So I'm gonna be in Alex's room now?" Kennedy asks, completely forgetting about the pillow that's now by her thigh, clutched between her fingers.
Toothy nods.
"Sorry to take your room, Alex!" Ken looks at Alex.
He only shrugs, giving her a reassuring smile.
"It is also said to lick my chest if you want your complete blessing," Corey speaks up, now standing beside Toothy. "So?" He grins. "Who wants to go first?"
✄ ✄ ✄ ✄
The threatening comments and msges I've been getting these days since I published the previous chapters ToT.
Question: How many Colleen Hoover books did you people read?
I read:
1) It Ends with Us
2) Verity
3) All your Perfects
4) Ugly Love
AHHHHH SHE'S SUCH AN AMAZING WRITER!!! All her works are literal MASTERPIECES! ♥♥
Words: 2,700
Date of publishing: 14th June 2022