Trapped Together (Complete)

~ Chapter 28 - 9:07am ~

"It's nice to see you awake." Rachel smiled at her mom as she walked into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee pot. Once she had poured her cup and taken her sip only did, she turn back to look at her mom who was making breakfast.

"Dad gone already?"

"Had a couple of things to do at the office. How did you sleep?"

"Oh, fine." 'Sort of,' she thought to herself. Her dreams were pegged of a man holding her all night and then waking her up by loving her gently, slowly, and stopping only to tease her before going on. But she couldn't tell her mom that. Not that they didn't talk about sex, but her mom would pick up instantly that it was Jake.

"I'm glad Jake was there with you at the cabin. I was scared when Jay told us that a blizzard had moved in but that he had sent Jake to get you. I'm sure Tiffany was freaking out enough and Jay wouldn't leave her."

"Oh, I know mom. But it wasn't that bad, really. I wasn't scared. Although the company was nice to have." Her mom turned to look at Rachel with a mixed expression.

"You and Jake didn't fight?"

"Uh," Rachel lifted a shoulder in a little shrug before taking another sip. Shit, she had to be mindful of what she said. "Not a lot. I mean, we did start off that way, you know how we are. But then the storm got worse, and I just didn't know how long he would have to be there, so we called a cease-fire, I guess. We really didn't fight and got along really well. Found out something about each other, so it wasn't too bad."

"Huh." Rachel stepped up next to her mom and sat her coffee down. She didn't want to get into this, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to have a choice.

"Huh, what, mom?" Rachel watched as her mom shook her head while flipping over the hashbrowns.

"Nothing, hon. I hope you are hungry." She was starving. Anything they had eaten, they surely worked off, and being at the hotel, watching Jake leave, she couldn't eat a thing.

"I am, but you're not getting away from things that easily. What's the big deal?"

"I just find it funny, hon. You and Jake have known each other for many, many years. He hasn't left this house or your brother's side, and yet, whenever you two are together, it's like watching an old married couple, always bickering, but seeing something underneath." Her mom paused and Rachel found it hard not to suck in a breath at those words. "Had I known that getting you two to talk and clear the air would take less than 24 hours of being holed up together, I would have done that a long time ago." Rachel narrowed her eyes at that. Why was her mom so on board with them getting along? And she knew it had nothing to do with Jay.

"Why?" Her mom looked up at her, eyes wide.

"Why what, Rachel?"

"Why are you so worried over Jake and me? Our bickering doesn't bother anyone. We don't break things, we don't hurt other people, just toss words back and forth." Rachel watched as her mom sighed while she plated up the food.

"Look, Rachel, no one knows about it, but me, and I'm okay with that. But the way you and Jake are, it's obvious there's more to you two fighting than just anger toward each other. You two have a lot of feelings there, and I just didn't know if that got explored or talked out while you two had the time. Jay wouldn't leave you alone, I know that, so it just seemed like the perfect chance." Rachel struggled to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor. Her mom knew and never said anything. Then again, what would her mom say? Go for it. She knew her son, knew what could happen.

"It's not like we could mom." Her mom turned the stove off and drew Rachel into her arms.

"Love is a powerful gift, honey, you know that. And you love your brother, which is great. But don't put that love above your happiness. Jay can be...a dick sometimes about certain things, but he loves you, and he wants nothing more than for you to be happy, however that is." Rachel plopped down in the chair, stunned by those words. Not that her mom wasn't right, because she was, she just didn't think she'd ever hear that from her mom. It was a boost that she needed, sure, but she still wasn't sure that Jay would be so loving and give her the blessing to be with Jake. She sighed as she took another sip of her coffee before digging into her meal.

-----

"Are you okay?" Rachel glanced over at the woman walking with her and smiled.

"I'm okay, Tiffany, thanks." Rachel took a sip of her soda as the pair walked down the corridor of the mall. It wasn't what Rachel wanted to do, but she figured she needed to get out of the house and away from her mom. Not that her mom was pushing her, but it still irked her that they had the conversation. So, when Tiffany had asked about going out in the afternoon, Rachel thought it was a good idea. And maybe it would get her head off of a certain man.

"I don't think you are." Rachel paused in her walking and fully turned to stare at Tiffany. "I know you might think I'm a little blonde about things, maybe a little foolish even, but I saw you when you came back from the cabin, Rachel, you wanted Jake." She couldn't lie, she had, and she still did, but she knew it was just plain fucking wrong to want that or go down that road. "That's why I wanted to talk to Jay, I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Tiffany."

"I love Jay, he's a great guy and a good brother, but his issues with Jake and you are...crazy. He told me he could never see you two together and when I made any mention of anything even possibly happening at the cabin, he laughed. Said that was really the dumbest thing he heard. I won't get into all he said, but he really doesn't like the idea of you two." Rachel didn't need the confirmation, in fact, it felt like such a sucker punch that she was forced to sit down. "Why is that?"

"Jake and Jay have been friends almost all their lives, they know the good and the bad about each other. Jay thinks Jake's a horrible man for me, that I could do better than Jake." Tiffany took the seat next to Rachel and frowned.

"What do you think?" Rachel sucked in a breath before slowly releasing it. Here, she had someone she could confide in who might understand things a bit better than her other friends. And honestly, she was tired of holding it in. This morning, she was more than tempted to tell her mom her feelings, but she wasn't sure she could. And now Tiffany was offering an opening and she just didn't think she could escape sharing for the second time that day.

"I think I love him, Tiffany. I think he's one of the sweetest, kindest, smartest men I know, and I think he would be perfect for me. He opened my eyes to things about me that I never would have thought of, and he showed me so many things during the time we were together. I have never gone against my brother, I never wanted to, but I would fight for Jake if I knew it wouldn't destroy their friendship." Rachel hadn't realized that tears were falling until she swiped at her eyes. She also hadn't realized just how much Jake had meant to her and how hard this was going to be.

"I don't know how to make Jay see, Rachel. But I do know that Jay and I are having a party." Rachel closed her eyes because she didn't need to hear anymore. Jay would want his sister there, which also meant that he'd want his best friend there and Rachel just didn't know if she could deal with that right now. The pain of watching him leave the hotel was still too raw for her.

"I don't know, Tiffany."

"No, I don't want you to be in a horrible position." Tiffany took her hand and smiled. "I'm letting you know so that you can make plans to not be there." Rachel sniffled and wiped her cheeks before giving Tiffany a strange look.

"What?" she asked, clearly confused.

"We know Jake will be there, I can see this is way too hard for you, so I'm offering you the chance to make plans. Hang out with some friends, do something with the parents, anything so you don't have to be there." Rachel smiled as she gave into one last sniffle. Tiffany was amazing, no matter what she had thought. Looking back, maybe she hadn't really given the woman a chance. And though she was more than tempted to take Tiffany up on the offer, she wasn't sure she should. Eventually, Jake and she were going to have to be in the same room, in the same area, and she highly doubted that the pain would ease, even in months! So, why not rip the band-aid off faster than she thought and take care of it now? But she would also consider Tiffany's words because if the time and she felt she couldn't deal with the pain of seeing Jake, she was going to cancel and make plans in a heartbeat!