Paper Rings & Dirty Dreams - JakexMC [18+]

I'm feeling your spine bending to my design and it's all mine

I didn't mean to take such a long break from this. Jonerys and Game of Thrones have taken over my life, and finding my way back here was difficult. I hope this chapter makes up for my absence.

We go back to Manon's hometown. She reckons with her past, and Jake makes sure she comes out of it whole and loved. It's purely a Manon and Jake chapter! Chapter title and snippet of lyrics below were taken from the song; Pray by Ryan Vasquez.
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"I kneel at the shrine
I eat from the vine, I'm drinking your wine
I'm feeling your spine bending to my design, and its all my mine
I'm begging you for one more crawl"
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Silence crackled like static between them as Manon navigated the long, winding driveway that led to her childhood home. Surrounded by a thicket of trees, the palatial home peaked through the greenery and Jake's eyes widened as he took it all in.

Perfectly manicured gardens, and beautiful blooms of peonies, daisies and roses added a much needed splash of color amongst all the green. The mansion, there was no other word to describe the house, stood stark white and three stories tall, spreading out in the vast clearing it had been built in.

Windows gleamed but offered no insight into the interior of the home. He shook his head, turning to Manon, and catching her hands flexing too hard on the steering wheel as she stared straight ahead.

He remembered her face the day she got the call that the house had sold and she had to return to ensure all was well. She would need to sort out her personal things to be shipped to Duskwood.

She looked like fractured glass after she ended the call. He was almost afraid to speak lest he demolish her, but she only told him in a dull, threadbare voice that they'd go the following month.

Her feline eyes had slowly lost their lustre as the days wore away, and she reckoned with her past in a way that he couldn't physically help with.

The day had arrived, dreich and grey, in Duskwood, and he'd spent most of the traveling time trying to distract her. It had worked until they passed the huge colorful sign welcoming them to the sun-drenched tiny town of Pinella Pass.

Once that sign was in their rearview, she hadn't spoken a word and barely seemed to breathe as she pulled the car to a stop.

She didn't look at him as she grabbed her purse and got out. He hurried after her and watched the stiff line of her spine curl inward as she climbed the steps to the double frosted glass doors.

She blindly punched in a code on a keypad to the left of the doors and his hand twitched to touch her. He curled it into a fist, knowing she had to get through this her way first.