Tormented

Chapter 9

After an hour of tweaking and finalising our assignment, Benedict left. I let out a sigh of relief when he was finally out of my house, allowing me to finally relax.

'Hi, sorry about him.' I pointed over my shoulder as I went to met Jake downstairs in the living room.

'Why? What happened?' My mum panicked as usual, pinning me with a look.

'Nothing.' I roll my eyes at her as I pull on Jake's hand to follow me upstairs.

'Are you okay?' I ask him, noticing how sheepish he was.

'Yeah... I just... it annoyed me that he was treating you like that in your own home.'

'Like what?'

'Making you sit on the floor like that, especially after everything else he's done.'

'It's fine.'

'No, it's not Char. You told me all the things he's done to you. Why was he even here?'

'I'm being forced to work with him on a project for history... Well every project for the rest of the year.' I correct myself.

'Why?'

'Because my teacher is a sadist.'

'Can't he just, like swap you with someone else?'

'Don't you think I've tried that?' I tell him.

'So he's just gunna be hanging out in your room for the next year?'

'God no. Today was one off. He won't be coming around anymore. I'd rather drive rusty nails through my eyes then see him stretched across my bed again.' I joke...although for a split second my mind flashed back to the way he took up my whole bed. I remembered the way his shirt drifted up his stomach just a little, revealing enough to freeze me to the spot, staring at him like he was an ice cream, begging to be licked.

'Char?'

'What?' I ask, shaking my head out of that very disturbing trance.

'You just completely zoned out.'

'Oh er... sorry.' I say. 'Can we please talk about something else?'

'Sure... What did you have in mind?' He asks.

'I don't know.' I shrug my shoulders. 'You seeing someone?'

He furrows his brow at me before opening him mouth to speak.

'Erm, no. I mean I was, but not anymore.'

'Oh, what happened?'

'They just weren't for me, I guess.' He shrugs, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

It was a stark difference to benedict who was just laying there. Jake was a lot smaller then Benedict. He didn't take up nearly as much room, making the bed look kind of empty.

'Are you... Are you seeing anyone?' He asks looking at his hands.

'God no. You've seen benedict. All the guys in my school are just difference versions of him. All little rich boys with a severe attitude problem.' I laugh, sitting next to Jake.

As soon as I sit on the bed I'm surrounded by a waft of Benedict. I may have hated the guy, but his taste in cologne was impeccable. The smell invaded my senses, as a musky, woody smell lingered in the air. I closed my eyes as I savoured the smell before remembering I wasn't alone.

'You want a hand burning you sheets?' Jake laughed.

Although when he did laugh I couldn't help but sense something in his tone. Something that made me thing that he wasn't joking and was deathly serious. I was going to change my sheets, but it seemed odd having someone I'd only really just started talking to help me. It felt oddly intimate and not something I wanted to do with him.

'That's okay. I'll do it later.' I chuckle back, trying to keep it all light hearted. 'Think I'll just settle for some super strong bleach. Don't think my mum would appreciate a fire in the back yard.'

'Ha... Yeah.' He replies.

Neither of us say anything for a moment. It suddenly felt awkward as I sat there racking my brain, trying to think of something... anything to talk about that wasn't about Benedict. Did Jake fancy him or something? Was he being weird with me because he had a crush? It was odd. He'd only met him the one time for like five seconds and he seemed protective of me just a second ago, but the more I thought about it the more sense it made. Jake fancied Benedict and was jealous when he saw him stretched across me bed. He doesn't like the fact that my sheets smell like him. It's like he thinks I'm just going to sleep in this bed, smelling him throughout the night or something. Which obviously is not going to happen... I mean, It's benedict? My sworn enemy...

'So, How's school?' I ask, tying to break the silence.

'Er... Fine.'

'Cool, cool, cool.' I say, drumming my fingers on my knees.

'Char?'

'Yeah?' I ask a little to eager, wanting to end this tension.

'Can I ask you something?'

'Yeah, Of course you can. What is it?'

'I... I was just wondering...'

'Jake, Come on honey, It's time to leave. Say good bye to Charity please.' Carol called up the stairs, cutting him off.

He goes to stand from the bed, but I catch his wrist.

'Wait. What was it you wanted to ask?'

'Another time.' He tells me, offering me a weak smile before he leaves, leaving me to wonder what the hell that was about...