A Friend's Love

Chapter Eleven: Truth Be Told

I cried.

I cried for what seemed like forever. I was in shock. This couldn't be happening! Things were moving way too fast for me to understand anything that was going on! All of a sudden, Jake cared about me? And Erec wanted me back? This was happening way too fast! And Tessa... Tessa's death was still there. It still haunted my dreams. My heart still felt like it was tearing whenever I heard her name. I wasn't over her death. Maybe I wouldn't ever get over it... Not with things like this popping up and ruining the control I have over my emotions! It scared me now, these sudden changes. I used to be up to any challenge, but now... I was so unstable... the littlest thing scared me and made me crawl back into my shell. And I didn't like being that way... but I didn't have any control over it now.

On one hand, there was Erec. And on the other, there was Jake. They had both been jerks to me, in their own way. They had both changed... Erec, maybe. Jake, I knew he had. But they could both also go back to their old habits... And I didn't want that to happen. And... I guess they both liked me. Erec, a lot. Jake... how much, I wasn't sure yet. But I knew it took a lot of guts to admit something like that. So I had to give Jake more credit because he'd told me over the phone, which was close to in person. Erec, had said it in a message.

I continued with my list of pros and cons. Eventually I had to write it down because it became too much to keep up with in my head. There was so much. I couldn't make up my mind. My heart already knew, and maybe my mind did too, but maybe I didn't want to admit it to myself.

I needed something to tell me what I needed to do. I needed a sign... something that would make up my mind. But what could do that?

Hours passed. Or at least, that's what it felt like. I couldn't be sure. My phone was still lying on the floor where it had hit the wall and fallen. I'd yanked the cord to my alarm clock out of the wall ages ago. Honestly, I didn't care what time it was. Even if it was 2:00 in the morning, that wouldn't change anything. I couldn't sleep if my life depended on it.

My room was trashed. Whenever I got mad, I would pick something up and throw it. So most of my things had been thrown. Now I sat on my bed and looked out the window, watching drops of rain race down the glass. I would've stayed like that for a while, if a sudden noise hadn't made me jump up a foot into the air. My heart pounded as I looked wildly around the room. A small light drew my eyes. It was my phone. Who was calling me?

I stared at my phone for a few seconds, and then scrambled off the bed without thinking. My hands were shaking as I answered the call.

"Hello?" I whispered. My voice cracked. I'd been both screaming and silent for hours. My throat wasn't taking the strain very well...

"I'm coming over. I'll be outside soon."

A chill went up my spine.

"Jake..? What...?" I stuttered.

I took the phone from my ear and looked at the screen.

Call Ended.

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The doorbell rang 5 minutes later. I stood by my door for a few seconds longer, and then ran down the stairs to the front door. It was still raining hard. I couldn't see anyone through the window waiting outside, so I turned the knob and pulled the door open.

It was dark outside, and cold. I could barely see the shape of a person through the rain. Goosebumps covered my arms when a cold breeze blew some raindrops into my face. Shivering, I called out. "Jake?"

No answer. The wind howled even louder, but I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. "Jake?"

The person turned around, and then started walking towards me. I still couldn't tell who it was. Nervously, I inched back to the door, just in case. I didn't relax until I could see a face. Thankfully, it was Jake.