The Bad Girl

Chapter 19 ~ Blame

A/N- Hey!

School is so hectic right now and I'm stressing out about new subjects and so I've been having early nights which means I haven't been able to write much.

I've been doing bits and pieces here and there but please don't get to upset if my updates slow down.

Bye :) xx

(And I love reading your comments by the way so make sure to leave me some :D)
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Chapter 19 ~ Blame

Riley P.O.V

The thing about falling in love with someone is that you start to notice every small detail about them. Every little habit or routine that makes up the person that they are.

So here I am, watching Jacob Ashford twist his fingers around the steering wheel as he drives, chewing on his bottom lip anxiously. I watch his eyes which appear to be focused on the road, but behind them I can see his mind is focused on other things.

And I guess I can't blame him.

I reach my hand over and gently peel one of his hands off the steering wheel, before holding it tightly in my own. He glances at me and offers a reassuring smile, but it isn't a very good one.

I know we are both thinking about the fire. The tragedy that befell this particular night will haunt most of us for a long time, if not forever. The feelings and memories keep replaying themselves in my head, making it hard to think about anything else.

We pull into the parking space beside the apartment and the car comes to a stop. Jake practically leaps out of the car and I am quick to follow him into the apartment.

"What took you so long?" Chase stands from sitting on the lounge.

"I drove as fast as I could." Jake replies.

The bromance was unbearable.

They both stand there, about 4 meters apart and just staring at each other.

"Just hug already!" I announce, and seconds later the space between them becomes nonexistent.

They pat each other on the back in the manliest hug they can manage, careful not to damage their ego in front of a girl. They pull away smiling, and maybe I imagined it, but I swear I saw tears in their eyes.

The toilet flushes from down the hallway and both Jake and I look at Chase.

"Oh," he remembers, "I rang America," he looks at me.

Just as he finishes talking, Mare appears from the hallway wiping her hands on her jeans. She looks up and looks straight at me.

"Oh Riley," She whimpers immediately as she rushes over to embrace me.

I hug her back tightly as I begin to sob, partly from trauma and partly from relief. America has always been family to me.

"I'm so sorry, Rye. I'm so glad you're ok."

"I know....I'm here." I clench my arms tighter around her.

After we exchange more hugs between the four of us, Jake grabs four bottles of beer from the fridge and hands them out. I sit on the couch cuddled up to him, America on my other side and Chase perched on the coffee table in front of us.

We sip in silence, honoring our fellow students who died less than an hour ago. My body is covered in goosebumps, but not because I'm cold. I can't shake the feeling I had before Jake found me in that office. I was afraid, alone, and helpless. A feeling a lot of other people would have felt in that fire, some of them never making it out to tell the tale.

"I wonder how many we lost." Chase quietly thinks out loud.

"There were a lot of bodies on that lawn. Twenty at the least." Jake replies solemnly, and I grip onto him tighter.

I can still smell the smoke in his clothes, and mine, and Chase's. In fact the smell has become overwhelming in this small apartment, and I wonder if it has even seeped into America's clothes.

"I'm going to stay the night, if that's ok." Mare says.

"That's ok, you can sleep in my bed." Chase offers.

"No, I'm fine with the couch." Mare insists.

They go back and forth arguing about who is sleeping where while Jake and I sneak off down the hallway.

"You can have the first shower." He says to me when we are in his bedroom.

I think for a moment, then say, "No, can you please have the first shower?"

He smiles to one side and tilts his head cutely, "Why?"

I wrap my arms around his torso and look up into his eyes. I watch them watch mine. I smile slightly then lean up onto my toes and peck his lips.

"Because when I get out of the shower, I don't want to crawl into an empty bed. I want to crawl into a bed with you in it. I don't want to be alone anymore." I whisper.

He kisses me back, then heads off into the bathroom across the hall.

*****

I'd let the hot water strip the smell of smoke from my body. My clothes, discarded into the bin in the kitchen. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to wear them ever again, so why keep them?

I returned to Jake's bedroom and he was lying down on his back in bed, staring up at the ceiling with his hands interlocked on his chest.

I opened my mouth to ask if he was okay, but decided it was a stupid question, and closed it. Instead of talking, I just simply got under the covers wearing his clothes and we cuddled.

For the next hour, we seemed to take it in turns comforting each other. I would cry and Jake would comfort me, then he would cry and I would do the same for him. When we were both calm, I started to think about who would be to blame. No doubt the police were already investigating into what happened and why so many students were gathered in the basement of an old building.

Sooner or later the truth would emerge and I would be a culprit. I was in the fight. I suggested the idea in the first place because I wanted to fight. And so I began to come up with loop holes. The only way that seemed possible to get out of this would be to have an alibi. A cover story, one that checked out perfectly and had no flaws.

"Jake?" I whisper.

"Mmhmm?"

"Do you want to go somewhere?"

"Where is somewhere?"

"I don't know. Vegas?"

Jake sits up a little, "What are you talking about, Rye?"

"I can't be here, Babe. I can't stay here right now. I need to leave and I'm going, with or without you. Although, I'd prefer it to be with you."

"Ok, um,". He thinks. "Do you want me to book a flight somewhere in the morning?"

"No. We have to leave tonight. As soon as possible." I sit up properly.

"Wait, what? Honey, it's past 3 in the morning."

"Then don't come." I shrug, getting out of bed. "But I need you to take me back to the dorms so I can get my things."

"Just hold on a second!" Jake whisper yells and stands up in front of me. He exhales slowly, then takes my hands softly. "I will follow you anywhere you want to go. I love you, and right now nothing else matters other than that. But just tell me why."

"I suggested that fight. It's my fault." I try to speak without crying, "When the police start looking, I'll be the first to blame. So I'm getting on a plane right now and leaving."

"Firstly," Jake lifts and kisses my hands, "That fire was not your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself. Secondly," he kisses my hands again, "Help me pack a bag and get everything I'll need, then we will drive to your dorm and get your things. On the way, you can go online and see what flight we can catch." He finishes by kissing my hands again.

I smile, wondering how I managed to be with this incredible guy. "Okay."
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