Our Sick Inheritance (editing)

Ch 84 (jake) - Hiding Secrets

Jake's phone started ringing so he had stopped from leaving the parking lot to talk to his Dad. He was surprised by the story of Anna's mother. He almost felt bad for her but was hoping his Dad wasn't going to have him get a hold of Anna to get her to go back home. He didn't want the situation with Anna around Brittany and her family. Jake looked around the parking lot. He was watching to see if anyone was going to follow him. The very last thing he needed was for Anna to know anything about Brittany and vice versa. Those were two worlds he didn't want to collide for the results would be catastrophic. Jake was sure Anna wasn't here, but his paranoid sense wouldn't let the hairs lie down on his skin. With how angry he was at the thought that Anna drugged and raped him, he wasn't sure if he wasn't going to be the one to explode in a dramatic scene if he saw her.

Stiff from such a long ride in car, Jake felt more tired than he had in a long time and the dull headache that was electrically clinging to his brain didn't help. Waiting longer than he needed to, Jake finally pulled out of the parking lot of the shopping center near Brittany's house aware that his car was the only one moving as the stores were already closed for the night. Though he wanted to make sure he didn't lead her to Brittany's he wasn't sure he was ready for the family at all at the moment. He needed two days to sleep first, but he didn't have that kind of time. He did for a moment consider maybe everyone would be safer if he got a room and used the hours until morning to fall into a dreamless slumber.

Jake was barely able to keep his eyes open no matter how much energy drinks he consumed. With the hangover he suffered from this morning, the drama with Anna, the fall down Mt. Ashland, and all of the hours of driving, he needed to recover and wasn't sure if there were enough hours in life to allow that to happen. That was until he saw Brittany came running out when he pulled into the driveway.

She must have been watching out for him. In an adorable outfit for snow she ran out without worry of falling and Jake was struck by how beautiful she was. It had been a few months since Jake last saw Brittany but had known her most of her life and what he knew to be a sure fact was that the older she got, the more stunning she looked. His heart filled with energy giving him a healthy light feeling. Jake got out of the truck and hugged her as he had never anyone before. Just holding her melted away all of his pain and worries. She let the hug last as also for her heart told him she felt the same way.

It was late but the whole family had stayed up for Jake to arrive. Their dog even acted like he missed Jake. Brittany helped him bring in the family's gifts that they opened after Brittany's mother made him sit at the kitchen table where she put a wonderful plate of food in front of him. He didn't think he was hungry but as he ate it helped fill his sore stomach and settle the sickness he had felt the whole trip here. They made Jake feel at home. He laughed with Brittany's dad as everyone explored the packages that Jake's mother had given them.

"Honey you look horribly pale. Are you ok?" Brittany's mother asked as she put her hand on his forehead to feel for his temperature.

"I'm not used to drinking and I think I drove with a hangover this morning even though I only had a couple of drinks while I gambled." Jake replied.

"Were you drinking because you were winning?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah for a while I was breaking even then won more than I showed up with. People kept buying me drinks I guess. I was a bit paranoid because I can't tell when someone is hitting on me or trying to kill me." Jake said making Brittany's parents laugh though the situation wasn't comical at all.

Jake saw Brittany's expression change on her face and he shut up quickly to listen to the happenings of life from her family as they passed around the smells of the beauty products and treats they were indulging in that were perfectly fattening for such a late hour. After another ten minutes Brittany's parents left the room to put stuff away, as well as let Brittany spend a little alone time with Jake.