The Letter

The Letter |Ch. 13

When I got to school the next morning, I saw Jake parking his car at the front of the school.

I put my sweater's hood over my head, hoping he wouldn't recognize me.

As i approached the double doors, he noticed me and tried to catch up.

"Hey Kat, wait up!"

I pretended I didn't hear him and hurried inside the school, walking faster to get away from him.

I heard rushed footsteps behind me and he grabbed onto my arm, which I quickly pulled away.

"Kat, stop! Please! I deserve an explanation!"

I froze in the middle of the hallway and turned around to face him.

"Meet me at the back entrance after school. Before then, stay away from me. Got it?," I snapped.

"What the hell are-"

"Just do as I said! You'll understand later!," I said angrily and walked away, heading towards my locker.

The day went by slowly and the thought of meeting with Jake scared me. What if Connor had really meant what he'd texted me?

I knew this was a bad idea.

When the bell rang, indicating the last class was over, I hurried to my locker and put my books away.

I threw my backpack over my shoulder and walked to the back of the school.

I stepped outside and saw Jake was already there. I looked around, making sure no one was watching us.

When I found the surroundings quiet enough, I took my iPhone out of my back pocket and handed it to him.

"Unlock it."

Jake swiped the screen from left to right with his thumb and looked at the screen.

"You want me to read this?," he asked, confused.

I nodded and he brought his attention back to the screen.

A few seconds later, he gave the phone back to me and stared at me with tears in his eyes.

"I won't let him do this," he whispered. "I won't let him hurt you. I promise."

He pulled me into his arms and we hugged quietly for a few seconds.

Then I took a step back, feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

"So what should we do about this?," I asked.

"Connor's just scared I'll say something to the police. It's a threat to keep us quiet, so we ignore him. I won't keep myself from hanging out with you because he's an asshole."

"But what if he-"

"He won't. He won't hurt you. Not when I'm around," he assured. "But you're not always around. What if he really meant it? This is stupid, we shouldn't even be talking," I answered worriedly.

I gave another anxious glance around us: still no one else visible.

"Don't be so paranoid. This is what he wants. C'mon, we're going to my house."

I followed him to the front of the school, where his car was still parked, and he drove us to his house.

When we got there, I made Jake close and lock all the windows and doors.

After I double checked everything, we took a seat on the couch and watched T.V until Jake's sister got home around 7:30 PM.

Then, once again, he drove me to my house. When I was about to thank him and get out of the car, he spoke up.