Frayed Edges

No Different

"That bastard!" Jake seethed.

Mia hadn't moved since the car had skidded out of the parking lot. Her next step seemed impossible, her mind and body void of thought and feeling. In the same breath she had found him he had left. All that remained were her spiralling thoughts.

Was she really a traitor?

Alex certainly seemed to think so. He had left, abandoned her to run off and be a part of Drew's master plan. He had picked him over her and the rage and emptiness that she was left with was close to unbearable.

Jake was still engulfed in his own fury as he paced around the now empty lot.

"You know he could end up back inside just by associating with him?" He spat as he continued to pace "One phone call and I could have him locked up-"

"Don't you fucking dare!" She hissed, silencing him in an instant. The last thing she needed to be faced with was the threat of losing him for good. Jake pursed his lips as a form of apology, all too aware that he had gone too far.

"I'm sorry" he muttered while taking a seat on the hood of his car. His head sunk firmly into his hands as he thought through his next steps.

"What am I gonna do Jake?" Mia mumbled her voice barely above a whisper "He's wrapped up in all this now, when it goes to shit so will he. He'll be locked up again and I'll be-"

"You will never be alone Mia." Jake stated firmly. He took a hold of her wrist and pulled her close, tilting her chin up so he could stare into her big doe eyes. "You will never ever be alone again Mia, that I will make sure of. You're the secret to all of this, remember?"

She leant into the hand that caressed her cheek. The warmth against her skin was comforting but it didn't last long "You know them better than anyone else, where would they go?" Jake asked her once more.

"I have no idea-"

"Yes you do." He replied firmly as he gripped her shoulders. "You have to know, we have to bring him down and if you don't know, no one will!"

Her mind spun with ideas but none of them held much worthwhile information. She knew he would have a head location. Somewhere to sit in wait, somewhere innocuous that no one would suspect but as she racked her brain nothing came to the forefront. She shook her head as if trying to remove the exhaustion from her body. It was only just past noon and she felt as if she had been awake for days.

Jake couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment as she kept her silence. He knew that she was trying her best but with every second that passed their lead went cold. She had been through so much in such a short period of time and it seemed that whenever she found her feet, the rug was pulled out from under her all over again.

"Let's go home love" he mumbled into her hair as he held her tight. She melted under his touch but the uncertainty of where Drew could have taken Alex hung heavily on her mind.

"You're right Jake, I need to go home" she whispered into the thick material of his suit.

"I know that's what I said" he smiled as he gently rested his chin on her head.

"No" she shook slightly, releasing herself from his grip "I need to go home, my own home."

Jake paused for a moment, his hands still rested gently on her arm as he thought through their options.

"I don't think that's a good idea..."

"I just need to feel normal. I need to feel like the world hasn't ended and that everything hasn't fallen apart"

"You can do that at mine" he dismissed her attempting once again to pull her close. His face held a warm comforting smile but it did little to reassure her. She was done with having her feelings dismissed. She had made a decision and she was desperate for some sort of control in her life.