Star Light

Chapter 14

October 12, Thursday

Jacob picked me up this morning and brought me to school, even when I said I was going to drive. He insisted on taking me for whatever reason. On the way to school, I tried to look at his right hand but he drove with only his left hand and his right upside down on his lap. I knew he was trying to hide it. I looked out the window until we got to school. When we arrived I saw a big scratch on the side of his car that I didn't see when I got in.

"What happened to your car?" I ask looking at him. Did he also hit those two?

"Oh, I parked too close to somebody on accident." He says putting an arm around me. When we get into the school and down a few halls to my locker, I see Steven and Brody. They looked at me and I smiled but they looked at him as we got closer.

"Hello." I say opening my locker then changing my books out. Nobody said anything until I stood up and closed my locker. I don't even think Jacob knows what is happening but he just stares into Steven and Brody's angry eyes. Steven grabs my arm and pulls me away from Jacob. Jacob looks at me hurt but then I look at his hand and see all the bruises and cuts and my pity fades. He looks where I am looking then looks up.

"I know what this is about." He says smirking. "They told you lies to try and get you to hate me."

"Are they lies though?" I ask in a quiet voice.

"Yes!" He takes a step toward me but Steven push's me behind him.

"You stay away from her." Steven says. Their muscles are bulging, ready for a fight.

"Steven..." I try to say but he talks over me. I want him to calm down. Steven and Brody went to the hospital after they dropped me off last night to see how they were doing. They both broke bones and were going to be in the hospital for a few days.

"You lay one more hand on her and I will call the cops." Steven says then turns around and pulls me with him. I look at Jacob with a sorry look then follow Steven and Brody.

"Where are we going?" I ask as he pulls me toward the parking lot.

"My cousins house." He says.

"It is the safest place away for him." Brody says as we stop at Stevens car.

"What about my stuff at home?" I ask.

"We will only be there for a few days at most." Steven says and I nod as we get into the car

We drive for maybe a hour then pull up to a nice house. It is surrounded by trees with only a few neighbors on the road but the houses are so spaced out they can't see us and we can't see them. I guess that will have its advantageous and disadvantageous.

"Here we are." Steven says and I stretch my arms out and groan.

"Brody." I say turning around and rubbing his leg as his head is tilted sideways. "Wake up hun."

"Huh?" He asks snapping his head up right.

"We're here." I say as he looks around then places his eyes on me and smiles.

"Ready?" Steven asks then we get out of the car and walk towards the house.

"Nice place." I say as we stop at the door so he can put the key in.

"I used to come here all the time as a kid." He says opening the door and letting me walk in first. I look around at the massive house.

"Holy shit." I say. Right as you walk in you can see the stairs on the right and a living room right before that. There is a huge fire place with stone all around it on the farthest most wall.

"All the rooms are upstairs, kitchen up this hall. The basement is just for storage." He says as I walk around. I turn back around to see both of them following me, Brody just looking at Stevens back, ignoring the beauty. I walk in a circle and go to the living room, sitting down on the couch. They sit on opposite couch's looking at me.

"So what now?" Brody asks and I look at my phone in my hand.

"I call him." I say and go to his number. I can feel my stomach churn when I think of how he will react. He was really trying to change for me and this is how I react? By dumping him? I look at the number changing my mind then think of the guy and girl who he jumped. I need to do this. He said if he does anything I don't like I can dump him and he would be fine with it.

"You can do it," Brody says getting up and sitting next to me, grabbing my hand. "If anything happens we are here."

"Everything is going to be okay." Steven says looking at me. I lean forward and hit call then put it on speaker.

"What if he's in class?" I ask looking at them.

"With what we just did, no chance. He's most likely looking for you." Steven says then the line rumbles as he answers. Before he can even say anything I feel my stomach churning.

"Laura, I am so sorry." Jacob says before I can say anything, taking me completely off balance. My head starts spinning. "I will explain everything if you just please come and talk to me..."

"What you did wasn't right." I say.

"I know that. I'm changing, I promise. Where are you? I will come explain it to you, I swear."

"No. You go back to school. I can't do this anymore. I need a break from all of your drama. You force me to date you, beat me up and my friend," I look at Steven who still has a small bruise from when they got into a fight at the party on Homecoming day. "and now you jumped some people. This isn't alright and you know this."

"I'm sorry..."

"It doesn't matter. You need to get help..."

"I am. You are helping me. I am changing because of you." He says and I look at Brody then Steven.

"Well, my help isn't working so go try and have someone else help you because I'm done." I can hear his breathing get heavier.

"Please just talk to me about this." He says and I feel like I'm going to cry. "Whatever they said isn't true."

"I have to go..."

"No please..." He says.

"I'm sorry. We're done." I hang up the phone and look down at it.

"Its going to..." Brody started to say looking at me.

"He was changing." I mutter to myself. "He was changing, calming his anger for me and I just ruined it."

"Don't talk like that." Steven says standing up and sitting on the table in front of me. "We all know you are just telling yourself this to put the blame on someone."

"I'm not putting the blame on me." I say looking up and not even believing myself. It is my fault, I put them into danger.

"Its going to be okay." Steven says.

"No, its not." I say. I think I love him... but how do I tell them that when they hate him? We decide to all just watch a movie to calm down. Maybe I should tell them?