The Life of Jezebel Firetongue

14

A/N***Finally updating! I just want to say that I love you all, and I can't believe how many votes and reads this story has gotten! Y'all are amazing. I love you all. Passionately. Oh! And five votes for the next chapter ;)

When the sun lit up the hotel room, Jake’s eyes fluttered open and he was jolted awake.

He closed his eyes, trying to go back to the dream, but it was obvious he was too late. A shame too. He dreamed that he had told Jez that he loved her, and she had said it back. Jake tried to bring back the final image to little success. All he could conjure was the moment when Jez’s eyes closed and she leaned towards him, his eyes not closing until the very end…

Sadly, that really was the end. Jake couldn’t remember anything to finish off the dream with, not the memory of kissing nor being kissed. He started wondering what it would be like. Would her lips be as warm as the rest of her?

Sighing, Jake finally relented and opened his eyes to face the new day.

Jez laid against him, curled slightly, arms reaching out for something he couldn’t see. And was that-yes, his arms were wrapped around her waist, pulling her close. So he was doing it in his sleep. What a discovery. At least he caught it before Jez woke up.

Jake withdrew reluctantly, not wanting to set Jez off, then sat up and rubbed his eyes. The warmth Jez provided seeped out of him and he shuddered in the cold morning air. What a disappointment, when you wake up from the perfect dream to discover it’s not true. Jake couldn’t be sure that he loved Jez, since he had only known her for less than two weeks, but it was a nice feeling to love and be loved. If only she could fall for him. Sadly, it didn’t seem like she was even capable of it.

Jake turned to look at Jez, and found himself smiling broadly. It was moments like this that reminded him why he liked her so much. He could see all of the things she hid by day-her secretly sweet demeanor, her vulnerable face, and wide set innocent eyes that were closed in sleep. It would all be covered when she awoke by a tough attitude and no-nonsense expression. But Jake knew it was all a façade. Jez wasn’t the girl she pretended to be.

Just a girl who seemed to have grown up too fast.

Jez’s eyes fluttered open and Jake slid off the bed to head towards the bathroom. “Jake?” she called.

“In the bathroom,” he responded. The sound of springs and the thump of her feet hitting the floor told him she was out of bed and ready to go. He didn’t have much time alone. Jake turned and leaned his head back against the wall, shaking it slightly. This couldn’t go on much longer. He couldn’t pretend that he felt nothing anymore. Every moment he spent with her was harder than the last. Thoughts about her plagued him, what it would be like to pull her close and smash his mouth against hers, of claiming her as his and nobody else’s. Jake’s hands tightened into fists, then relaxed. He covered his face with his hands and made a decision. He would tell her; he had to. Otherwise he’d drive himself insane.

Jez was acting odder than usual when Jake slid behind the wheel. She looked around uncomfortably, avoiding his eyes and jumping every time he spoke. Jake raised a brow at her. “What’s up with you today?”

She flushed, and he turned on the car. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

“Really? You seem kind of…tense. More than usual.”

The flush turned inside out into an angry blush. “What makes you think I’m tense?”

Jake laughed. “Don’t pretend you aren’t. Even you know you are.”

Jez huffed and stared out the window as they left the motel. The sky was a damp and lonely gray. Every flash of light from the sun was a welcomed relief from the heaviness in Jake’s heart. Even angry, Jez was adorable. Jake reached for the radio and looked for a station, trying to find a song that wasn’t about love or heartache. How do you tell a girl you like her? He frantically racked his brain for a hint but his memory was useless, as per usual.

“Hey, look!” Jake’s hand slipped on the dial and it landed on a sappily romantic song. Oh great, he thought. He looked up cautiously at Jez. “A rainbow!”

Jake followed her pointing finger and smiled. There was a rainbow hanging over a field of some sort, a cheerful arch against the canvas of bleak gray. “It’s nice,” he commented.

“Yeah,” she murmured. Something was off in her voice, and Jake saw her hand dart out to change the station.

“What was wrong with that song?” he asked curiously.

Her hand froze over the dial. “It’s too slow,” she mumbled nervously. Jake’s eyes narrowed. Something was definitely off with her.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Jake asked.

“Yes!” Jez snapped. “I just need a little more sleep.”

“Okay, okay,” Jake replied. “Go to sleep, I promise not to crash the car.”

“Fine,” Jez murmured sullenly. She started to slump against the side of the car, before shooting up stick straight. “Do you see that car ahead?”

Jake looked up and squinted at the road. Now that she mentioned it, there was an odd car far up the road. It was swerving from side to side, slowing down, and then speeding up. The hell…?

The car came closer, and Jake’s eyes widened as he realized it was coming their way. A blue SUV, driven by a guy who was sweating and slumped over the wheel. “What’s wrong with him?” Jake asked.

“I think he’s drunk,” Jez murmured, leaning closer to the window shield. “You better pull off the road.”

“Okay,” Jake replied. He put on the blinker and started to turn off the road when he noticed something odd about the guy behind the seat. His eyes were blank, not even focusing on the road. It seemed like he wasn’t even aware that he was there. The expression was eerily similar to the one the first guy wore, the one who had been chasing him the day he met Jez.

Jake leaned closer to the window, transfixed by the look in the guy’s eyes, when they flickered to his face. Suddenly, the eyes flickered to his, and the car starting speeding up again…

Straight at their car.

Jake swerved, but it was too late. The car slammed into the side of their mustang, throwing Jake against Jez. His breath was taken away by the bash of air bags slamming against his chest, throwing his body into a twist that strained his spine. A flying shard of glass popped the bag and brought him momentary relief, before realizing that the windshield was raining in on him and Jez. He grabbed her, trying to cover her body with his own. The car tilted, the gas slammed permanently into place by the dented-in side of the car. They sped out of control, scraping against the SUV and jumping back out into the road. As the glass flew, Jake held Jez tighter. Protect her, protect her, protect her!

A shard slashed against his cheek and Jake jolted backwards by instinct. This sent the tilting car into a spiral, sending it hurtling towards a tree. “Jake!” Jez screamed. There was a flash of black, something rough covered him up and then a bang as the car slammed against the tree and the world turned an even darker shade of black, one tinged by the smell and taste of blood.