I woke with a jolt.
"Hey, you okay?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, why?"
"You were crying in your sleep." I reached up and noticed that my face was wet. "What were you dreaming about?" Snippets of conversation came back.
"I fucking hate you!" . . . "I will never love you!" . . . "You're fucking worthless!"
"Danny, why are you crying? Shit, what's wrong?" He sounded desperate.
"My crush said he, uh, that he hated me."
"Oh... that sucks." He paused. "I don't mean to sound like an insensitive ass, but I need to go over to my place and get clothes."
"I'll walk you."
Jake's POV
We were laughing when we got inside, but I stopped short once I saw who was there.
"Mom?"
"Oh thank God you're okay! I was so worried!"
"What are you doing here? I- I didn't think you were coming back." She didn't answer. "Where is everyone?"
"Uh, I'll be right back." Dan murmured.
"Honey, they went to live with your father." My jaw dropped.
"No. This can't be happening." I felt pressure build up in my throat, signaling I was about to cry. "NO!" I screamed.
Danny's POV
I came running back in to see Jake's door slam shut. He quickly came back out with a big duffle bag and ran down a hallway.
"Where does that go?" I asked her.
"Out the back door."
"Goddamn, but I love him anyway." I muttered. Wait love? Yeah, I guess I think it is.
Jake's POV
I didn't want to hide, I just wanted to be away from everyone for a bit. Well, almost everyone.
Danny's POV
Where would he go if he got upset. The gym? No, too easy. I was stuck.
Wait.
The park.
Jake's POV
I was looking down when he got here.
"I knew you'd find me." I told him, never removing my eyes from the ground.
"Why'd you pack a bag?" I sighed.
"I don't know. I wasn't really thinking. I don't even need this big of a bag anyway."
"Let me see your bag." He demanded. I shook my head. "Jake, give me your bag." I sighed.
"Fine. Just, don't get mad." I knew what he was looking for. Razors.
He grabbed it and opened all of the pockets. He sighed with relief.
"They are there. There's a pocket on the bottom, you can't see it unless you look for it."
"I- why are you telling me this?" He questioned.
"I thought you should know." I still hadn't looked at him. I didn't deserve to.
Dan's POV
I was sick of this. I just wanted to see his eyes.
"I'm not mad, if that's what you're worried about." He shook his head, still not looking at me. I sat down in front of him. "Why won't you look at me?"
"Why would you want me to? I scare everyone away. My dad, and apparently my siblings. How long until mom leaves? And then... and then you?" I placed my hand on his knee.
"I'm not going anywhere. You should know that by now."
"I should also know that my parents love me, but I don't. Just... leave. It'll be better for everyone."
"No. I'm not going anywhere until I see you smile again."
"Easier said than done."
"I'm not leaving until it happens." He wasn't scaring me away that easily.
Jake's POV
I looked up, finally meeting his eyes.
"I- you- but you're so- and I'm just- why?" I stuttered out.
"Why not? You're-" He took a deep breath. "You're amazing, Jake." He doesn't mean that. He couldn't. Who would think I'm amazing. "Why do you look so surprised? It's not like you didn't know." He really means it? No. He's can't.
"You don't have to lie to make me feel better."
"I'm not lying."
"Yes, you are! I've been lied to enough, I can't take it from you too." I felt tears well up, and heard the emptiness in my own voice.
"Why do you think like this?" I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
"Kevin didn't just hit me..." I trailed off.
"He made you feel like shit, didn't he?" I nodded. Just then his phone went off. He sighed and checked it.
"I'm sorry Jake, my parents want me to go get some things." He rolled his eyes and stood up. "See you later."
"See ya." I responded sadly. He was lying to me. That wasn't his parents. I could see his phone, he wasn't that good at hiding it.
He went to go see Kevin.
