Inglewood

Chapter 13 - Jake

Jakes P.O.V

My phone rang early on Thursday morning, Nats name flashed up and I smiled as her voice hit my ears,

"Mr Flynn, I plan to do lots of work today and that will involve me checking there is plenty of dancing space in the kitchen so if you could kindly turn off the cameras I would be most grateful."

"Well unfortunately, you have now told me your weakness and I shall be watching intently." I teased.

I heard her chuckle to herself, "of course, if you wanted to test the space for yourself, we are yet to meet....but I appreciate you're very busy still."

"Yes, busy, that's me, always too busy. I'm sorry Nat, I've really neglected you, I promise to make it up to you, all of it."

If only she knew, I was never too busy for her, but 12 years was a long long time to have stayed away and made it even harder to just barge my way back into her life.

"Its fine, I know you have alot on, Lara never fails to remind me of that! Speaking of which, I must cancel my meeting with her this weekend, I've decided to take a little road trip back home."

My heart jumped into my throat, never in all this time had she gone back.

"Back home? How come? If you don't mind me asking?"

I waited nervously for her response.

"Of course I don't mind, I am also guilty of neglecting some things, and I need to pay my respects and beg forgiveness from an old friend who passed away many years ago. Anyway, I'm nearly at the house, so I should go."

"Of course, see you soon, and I hope your road trip goes well, take care Nat."

My god, she was going back for me. So far, I had managed to avoid her, but I wasn't sure I could do it for much longer, it hadn't been easy as it was. My aunts had arranged for me to get away when the rumours started. The night the police came to search for me, I had planted the letter just as they had told me to. They knew what my dad had done and they were well aware that he would rather drag me down with him than let me be free.
I had changed my surname to my mums maiden name, but kept my first name, Nat knew me as Junior, but on my birth certificate it was Jake, named after my murdering father. It stung to have people call me by his name, but it also reminded me why I was here, why I was still fighting the good fight.

My aunts had me move around the country every couple of months so as not to be found. They sent money and met up with me when they could, at one of our meetings, I asked them to look for Nat, to make sure she was OK. I couldn't begin to tell them the pain I felt about having to leave her, but this was too much to burden her with, my only hope was that she knew me enough to know I hadn't done anything. When my aunts told me that the whole town thought I was dead I cried for days. I cried knowing that Nat thought I was gone, that she would be thinking that I would leave her alone in this world and I cried out of fear for what she might do. But, I had faith in her, faith that she felt my soul with her still.

It was then I decided to settle here, in the city, it was busy enough that I could go virtually unnoticed. I got a job rewiring security systems and worked so hard, that after 3 years I was head of operations at head office. Going for a long drive one day, I had driven past Inglewood and couldn't believe how familiar it looked to me. It was only after a couple of days I realised it shared an uncanny resemblance to the house Nat had drawn all those years ago. I bought it without a second thought.

Then my aunts called and gave me the news that I had longed for, she was moving out to the city, and somehow, God had played his part and she had decided to settle just a few blocks away from my office.
The first time I saw her, she was walking towards a bookshop right next to my office, of all the places for her to be, she was right here. She still took my breath away. I had so badly wanted to run to her, call her princess and never let her go again.
I had spent that afternoon doing background checks and research on her, for the next 4 years I sat back and watched her career take off, I wanted to be there to congratulate her, to celebrate her success with her. But I couldn't, I had to watch from afar, if I just arrived back in her life too quickly, I could ruin it all.
But now she was going back, I couldn't let her, she had sounded like she was going back to let past ghosts rest and finally telling her the truth would be a thousand times harder if I let her do that. That made up my mind, it was now or never, I had to see her, I had to let her know that I was still here,and with that thought still in my mind, I was on my way to Inglewood.

I called her phone and she paused the song,

"Jake, how can I help?"

"Just didn't want to make you jump"

She nearly gave herself whiplash as she turned to my voice.
I thought it was all over, right there and then, but she said nothing so I played it off.

"But apparently, I still did." I couldn't help but laugh, she looked like a deer in the headlights and it reminded me of the way she looked at me the first day we talked.

"Oh my god, sorry, I didn't hear you come in"

"That would be on account of the excellent music taste, and just so there are no blurred lines, I approve of the volume, its not like I have neighbours to upset."

She held out her hand to me and all I could think was that she was still wearing the ring I gave her. "Its so good to finally meet you. I didn't think you had time to come over?"

She was taking me in, seeing me for the first time again. Her face was as beautiful as I remembered it.

"Well, someone made me feel abit guilty about not having introduced myself yet. And as I promised, I would like to make that upto you, if you would let me."

"I'm always open to being buttered up! What did you have in mind?"

I walked over and pressed play, turning the volume down slightly so that she could hear what I wanted to say to her, I held out my hand, palm upwards,

"Dance with me?" the words almost stuck in my throat as her face changed, she looked scared. She began to shake and took a step back. I grabbed her waist and felt 18 again, holding her on the bonnet of my car.
I lowered her to the floor and saw her eyes burning into me, was this it? Did she know, had I ruined everything?

"I... I'm so sorry," she stammered, her face draining of colour, "I don't know what came over me, I just need some water."

I filled a glass and held it to her lips. I was suddenly aware of how scared I was, but it was too late to take any of it back now.

"It's OK now, Nat, I'm here, you're safe. Take your time."

She just stared at me, her eyes dilating slowly.

"What's wrong Nat? You look confused, shall I call an ambulance? Talk to me."

"No, I'm fine, honestly. I just, I could of sworn..." she tried to stand up but her legs still weren't working.

"Whoa, stay still. You need longer than that. What have you eaten today?"

"Nothing" her answer didn't shock me.

"For fucks sake, you need to look after yourself better, Rob is relying on you at the moment, you're no good to him like this are you?"

I left to grab a bar from my car, I took some deep breaths whilst I was out there, I was so overwhelmed with a mix of emotions and I said a little prayer begging for help.

"You are very lucky I always have snacks in my car for unexpected long drives. Now, eat."

Metallica was still playing, and as she looked at me, I knew she knew. This girl had been with me through so much, there was no way on earth she didn't know my soul when she looked into it, even after all this time. This was it, this was my chance to tell her, my chance to make it right again. I was petrified she wouldn't believe me, or she would reject me, that she would want to just leave, but it was a risk I had to take.

I seized the moment, I couldn't hold it in any longer, I looked towards where the music was coming from, and as I turned back to look in her eyes, I simply said 'Strange, I thought the lady preferred Iron Maiden?"