Everyone stop what you're doing, even if it's about to read this chapter, and go and watch the movie: Cleveland Abduction. It's a lifetime movie. Based on a true story. Mind blowing and legit one of those movies that change you and make you grateful for what you have. I've never watched anything like it.
—
Leah's ears twitched the sound of water hammering against tiles, and her eyes fluttered open. She turned to her side, and Jared wasn't there. She leaned on her arms, and her eyes scanned the room for a moment. Minutes later, he came walking out of their bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, and his hair spiked from the towels rough touch as he ruffled it through.
Leah cleared her throat, and Jared looked up, removing the black towel from his head of hair, and threw it on the side.
" Hey," he said, his voice for some reason sounding morbid and low.
" Hi," Leah smiled, but Jared's eyes looked away, and he began dragging clothes out of the draw.
Once he picked them out, he practically flung them at Leah, and she was a little startled by the aggressiveness held within that small action. What had happened? Everything was fine last night. Leah knew she hadn't don't anything.
" You need to shower," Jared said. " It's already running. Your clothes are there."
" Thank you," Leah still stared in his direction with those wide blue eyes, but Jared wouldn't focus his vision upon her, and the expression on his face was flat and disinterested. It was a cryptic sight; Leah never knew what caused this unordinary behaviour.
Jared turned to leave the room, but Leah was itching like an addict to know what had gotten into him. It was her duty as his wife to make sure things were fine, right?
Before he reached the door, Leah leaped from the bed. She knew she'd get in trouble for this, but it let him know she cared. She just wanted to make sure everything was normal with him.
" Jared, are you okay?"
Jared rotated on his heels so that he was facing her again. His jaw was clenched and his fingers were curled into his palm to create a fist. Leah tried to ignore the angry sight of him.
" What have I told you about asking questions, Leah?" Jared took a step towards her now, raising his brow, showing his dangerous eyes now. " You've been here long enough to know that now."
" I know," Leah rushed out. " But when I can tell something's wrong, I'm not just going to ignore it."
Jared tore his eyes away and looked at the floor. He let out air that was so rough, Leah didn't know if had came from his nostrils or his mouth. He moved a little closer to Leah, and she felt that unpleasant shiver wiggle through her body. That one that people said you got because a spirit was entering you. Leah had never believed that, but right now, she felt different. Like a changed person.
Jared was finally so close, that the tip of his nose was touching Leah's. His lips were scrunched up, and he was knitting his eyebrows so much that the hooded skin hung over his eyes- it made it easier for Leah when they did that. She knew his eyes would be that icky brown colour right now, and not appear like natural coffee granules; she reckoned she witnessed that sometimes.
For a moment, Leah thought Jared was going to kiss her, but he did the opposite.
" Yeah, well you should." Jared breathed, before swinging his body round and storming out the room. She heard him mumble hurry up, but she acted like she didn't. The door slammed, and Leah didn't even flinch from the sound like she usually did. She'd gotten use to Jared putting animosity into everything he did.
Was that a sign that something is wrong with Jared?
Leah let out a sigh, but it wasn't a defeated one. It was a frustrated one. She didn't want to be contemptuous towards Jared- she wouldn't in fact, but it really irked Leah when he'd act like this, and be too proud to admit it. He wanted Leah to know that he loved her but then he wouldn't let his guard down when she wanted to protect him and make sure he was okay.
Leah just wanted to care for him.
She knew if she took too long showering, she'd be in trouble, so Leah stopped stalling and hurried into the bathroom.
——
When Leah went downstairs, nobody was there. The table was clean, and the dishes had been washed and put away. The boys must've already gone outside, which means Leah had took longer than she thought in the shower. Jared was most likely going to be mad about that too.
She didn't know where Lindsay was. Leah called her name a few times, and went from the kitchen into the living room, but she didn't answer. She even went towards the basement, and shouted down, but she wouldn't dare go inside the basement whether Lindsay was in there or not. The thought made her skin crawl. The Devil himself was probably sat down there considering that room was filled with so much evil.
Leah didn't know what needed to be done today, so she couldn't just leave Lindsay to do whatever she was doing. She needed to know.
Leah took light steps, but jogged up the stairs. When she reached the top, she used her ears to try and inspect any source of sound, but she couldn't hear anything. Her feet padded quietly against the floor, and she began to walk down the corridor.
And that's when she finally heard it.
Faint cries in the distance.
Leah stopped, and tried to discover where it was coming from by tilting her head. She heard another weep and Leah knew exactly where it was based.
Theo's room.
Leah looked side to side on the corridor to make sure nobody was coming, even though she knew the boys were outside, and began creeping towards the room. She wanted to be quiet, but if one of the boys were to come in and catch her, act like she wasn't doing anything suspicious. The sobbing was getting louder, and more meaningful, and for some reason, Leah felt her heart thudding. Like she was doing something wrong.
Intruding.
When Leah got there, the door was slightly open, and that's where she witnessed what she'd expected to witness.
Lindsay was sat against Theo's bed on the ground, her blonde hair, greasy and messy on top of her head and her face sunken into the comforter as she balled her heart out; her frail body looked collapsed. Like she was unfixable, and her bones would never mend. They'd forever be audibly shattered. Her weak, bony arms gripped the sheets with desperation.
The room looked as if it had been moved around. When Leah had last came here, it didn't look like this. The wardrobes has shifted a little closer towards the door, and all Theo's belongings were placed in a bag beside Lindsay. What?
Leah watched her for several seconds, and she felt her heart swell with utter pain. She thought about coughing to get Lindsay's attention, but she decided against it. Leah may as well leave Lindsay to let it all out whilst the boys weren't in; she'd most definitely be in trouble if they saw her in such a state, balling over something she was suppose to forget several days ago. Lindsay would be seen as pathetic, because they didn't understand. Didn't have the same types of emotions Leah and Lindsay did. Leah knew for a fact Gabe wouldn't tolerate it.
God knows what he'd do.
Leah slowly removed herself from the door, trying her hardest not to make a creek that would distract Lindsay from her shallow thoughts and click her back into the outside world. Leah felt mean leaving Lindsay to suffer alone, but she'd also be an awful person to distract her. It was normal for someone to grieve when a relative died, despite how long it had been in Gabe's eyes.
Leah made her way back down the stairs, and went straight into the kitchen. She would just have to decide for herself what needed to be done today. It was a closer step to becoming the woman Jared wanted anyway.
—-
Lindsay came back downstairs after a while, and Leah acted like she hadn't seen what she'd been doing, just to save her the embarrassment. They began prepping dinner, and Lindsay was more chatty than she'd previously been being with Leah.
" Was you okay with the cleaning today?" Lindsay asked, handing Leah some vegetables to slice up.
" Yeah," Leah smiled. " Everything was fine."
Lindsay just returned the favour by offering a sweet smile back, and the two turned their heads to the door when they heard it being unlocked.
A few seconds later, Jared and Gabe walked in, and Jared began hanging his jacket up whilst Gabe went over to Lindsay. He kissed her briefly, before going to hang his coat up too.
" Are you boys okay?" Lindsay asked. " Dinner will be done soon."
" Good," Gabe said, and threw himself into the kitchen stool. " Honey, grab me a beer. It's been a long day."
For some odd reason, silence fell in the room at this point, and Jared and Lindsay's eyes turned to Gabriel. Whilst Lindsay's quickly flickered over him in confusion, Jared's stayed glued on him in shock. What?
Lindsay finally nodded her head, and began making her way out of the room. They must of kept the alcohol elsewhere- perhaps the basements fridge.
Leah tried not to focus on the strange reactions, and carried on placing food on the plates. Lindsay soon returned, hanging Gabe his drink. He smirked at her, and Lindsay hurried back to Leah to help her carry the fold over.
Gabe sipped his drink, and Jared sort of stared down awkwardly as the food was placed on the table. Leah and Lindsay took their seat, and everyone began tucking into their food.
For a few minutes, it was complete silence, and the only thing that could be heard was the clashing of cutlery against the glass plates and the sounds of people smacking food in their mouth hungrily. But someone soon disrupted the quietness.
" I forgot to mention that Taylor wrote," Gabriel said.
Jared looked up from his food, and right at his father. His eyes seemed a little more wider than they previously had been, and Leah examined the change in them; the way his face brightened in exultation.
" Really? What did he say?"
" Well, that the rest of the family want to meet your girl, of course." Gabriel told him. " They're willing to come and stay over next week."
" Next week?" Jared immediately repeated. He even leaned over the table a little, and Leah just watched the two have a conversation. She felt kind of useless. They were talking about her, and somehow she knew just to sit there and stay quiet. Or else.
" Well, yeah. You was promising Leah last night that it would be soon," Gabriel had that sarky tone about his voice again. He must have been earwigging on them when they were talking about Jared's family.
Jared didn't say anything, and just went back to eating into his food, the fork hitting the plate harsher than it had the last time he scooped his food up.
" I think it will be nice for them to finally meet Leah. She's been settling in for months." Lindsay surprisingly added, and then when Leah looked over, she greeted her with a warm smile on her lips.
Gabe quickly looked at his wife, before frustratedly turning his eyes back to his son, ignoring what Lindsay had to say.
" When do you think she will be ready?" Gabriel asked, whilst sipping his beer bottle.
Jared turned and viewed Leah, meeting her turquoise eyes. He moved his around her face, taking in every single feature like it was the first time he'd met her. Leah moved in her seat uncomfortably; she'd never like being stared at. Even if it was by Jared. They say that when you examine someone for so long, you begin to notice things you never did before. Maybe Jared would discover something he didn't like about her. Then what?
Jared then moved his eyes back to his father and shrugged before scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, the fork dangling out his hand.
" I'm not sure," he said.
" Now?"
" Maybe,"
Gabriel leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms. He scoffed, and stared right into Jared's eyes. " You should be more bothered about her meeting your family, Jared."
It was irritating Leah how Gabriel was acting like she wasn't in the room. Calling her girl and her. She was a human, with feelings. But she'd never call him out on it. Instead she just curled her fingers into her palm, allowing her long nails to pierce the skin.
" Fine, she's ready." Jared wafted his hand in the air; his tone was a little more sharper, and he immediately added a cough to hide the fact he'd become brave for a split second.
Gabriel raised his eyebrow, a side- smirk appearing on his lips. He looked over at Leah, and she was immediately met by the menacing eyes of Gabriel, glaring over at her. He gave her the look of question- was she good enough to see the others?
" Are you sure?" Gabriel pushed. " You wouldn't want to make a show of yourself in front of them."
" I trust Leah," Jared fired back, but his voice wasn't loud like it should've been. It was the complete opposite- calm. Trying to hold back the annoyance his father was causing.
He placed his hand on Leah's thigh, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks from Jared's words. Despite everything that happened this morning, and everything Leah had done to him, he still had faith in her. That truly made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Nobody had ever treated her the way Jared did. How could she have ever misjudged him?
" I promise I won't try anything stupid," Leah interfered, and Gabriel shot his eyes towards her. She knew she should of left it rather than adding her own comment, but Leah just really wanted Gabe to know that she was going to try her very best to make his son shine out to the rest of the family. Make them proud of Jared, and accept Leah as one of their own. As if she was blood.
Gabriel sipped his beer again, and Jared just watched him with eager eyes, waiting for approval.
" Fine," he agreed. " I'll write back to them. Your Mom is going to start cleaning out Theo's room tomorrow for them."
"Okay," Jared nodded. Little did he know, she already had been. " We're going to go to bed now."
Gabriel sniggered; he knew Jared was for some reason desperate to get out of this conversation, and that amused him. Leah and Jared exchanged glances before turning back to Gabe. Lindsay had her eyes focused on thin air. A despondent look on her face.
" Go ahead," Gabe said, gesturing his hand to the door. Jared and Leah began to get up from their chairs, and Gabe just watched them with those same wary eyes. Leah could feel them burning into her skin, but she tried to ignore it, and hurried after Jared.
Before they reached the stairs, they heard Gabe call out.
" Goodnight, Leah," he said, and Leah froze, before turning on her heels. She couldn't see Gabe anymore, so she didn't know why she did.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Jared's vision was fixed on her. She snapped her head towards him, and his dark eyes were laced with anger. She gulped before replying.
" Goodnight," she tried to yell back, but her voice was shaking, and Jared continued to stare at her with an animosity- filled gaze. His dad had somehow pissed him off, and somehow now that was her fault.
Jared whipped his arm out from his side, snatching her wrist. Leah let his nails dig into her skin; it was a source of comfort in this moment. He dragged her up the stairs in a a hurry and slammed the bedroom door behind him.
Sorry if this is a boring chapter, guys.