Shot in the Dark

Repercussions

I felt absolutely awful. Regret couldn't begin to describe how I felt for the last week. James hadn't spoken, or even looked at me since that night I threw verbal knives at him. We had both said things to hurt each other, but I knew I took it way too far. 

My defences shot up as soon as he mentioned my Dad, it was like I saw red and I had no control of the words that flew out of my mouth. Dad had always said I wore my heart on my sleeve but my anger in my mouth. I had definitely confirmed that now. 

It was Monday, Mum and Will had already left early hours this morning for their week placement. Secretly I think it was their way of having 'alone time', not that they didn't have enough of that already.

Not bearing to be surrounded by guilt I left to go to Tyler's leaving a brief note for James saying that I won't be home until Sunday afternoon. Mum and Will planned on coming home late Sunday evening, but I thought that it would be better to edge my bets and come home earlier just in case they changed their plans.

I had managed to make it until Wednesday, but I couldn't cope with the never-ending guilt that was seeming to consume me. After speaking to Tyler, he told me just to go back and speak to James, knowing that I would just spend the rest of the week moping about it. Thankfully it wasn't raining today, so I decided to leave my jacket at Tyler's and sole one of his Hollister hoodies as a trade.

Unlocking the front door, I shouted, "James? Are you home?"

Walking into the kitchen to see if he was eating breakfast, because we all knew that he was a late riser, he surprisingly wasn't there. I heard his heavy stomps as he raced down the stairs. Anger was radiating from his face, "Where the hell have you been? For the last three days, I've been searching everywhere for you." He slammed my phone on the breakfast bar showing at least thirty missed calls from 'The Devil's Son'.

Slightly taken aback from his sudden outburst I retorted back, 'I left you a note..." He cut me off before I could even finish. "Oh, now that makes it all okay. You plan to leave for a week and not let me know where you are. Something could have happened to you and I wouldn't bloody know until Sunday afternoon. Sure of course, that's just great isn't it Isabelle. How could you be so stupid?" He all but screamed in my face. 

I thought he was finished, but he added "What would your Mum think if you hadn't come back? She trusted me to look after you, I bet you hadn't even thought about anyone but yourself!"

That made me snap, "I'm sorry that I didn't give you more details, but you're not exactly the most approachable person. So, excuse me for wanting to try keep my last remaining friend away from the person who has caused all the others to turn on me. I mean can you blame me? You've made it very clear you want to make my life a living hell. I guess you were just disappointed you were missing out on the opportunity, right?"

James sighed, looking slightly defeated by my comment. "For all I knew you were out on the streets alone Isabelle, I didn't know you had anyone left. You scared me princess, I didn't want you hurt because you were too scared to be around me. That's the last thing I would ever want. This had nothing to do with what I've done previously." The sincerity in his voice troubled me, he sounded like he cared, and that's the last thing I ever expected from James.

Hesitantly, I walked up to James and without thinking I slung my arms around his waist, hiding my head in his chest. I assumed he was going to shove me off him as if he was repulsed by being touched by me. So, you can imagine how startled I was when he wrapped his arms around my shoulders pulling me closer into his chest. 

Scared of ruining the moment I whispered, "I'm sorry for what I said the other day." I genuinely thought he hadn't heard it seeing as he didn't reply for a while. Leaning his cheek on my head he spoke softly, "If anyone should be apologising it's me princess." He released me with a sad smile gracing his face as he walked out, not without placing a very familiar necklace on the breakfast bar.