A Friend's Love

Chapter Nineteen: Still

I was starting to hyperventilate. Jake and Liz's voices sounded distant. The memories were overwhelming me. All I could see were Tessa's face, 'The Crash,' and Erec's face when he held me and told me he couldn't me with me anymore. And suddenly the pain was crashing down on me all over again. I couldn't see, partly because of the tears in my eyes, but mostly because of the fact that I was squeezing them shut as hard as I could. My whole body was shaking. It was hot. I felt like I'd just run a mile. My mouth was muttering words that didn't make any sense and I couldn't control it. This was too much. This was just too much.

Gently, hands pried my hands from my ears (I hadn't even realized I'd covered them.) and smoothed the sweaty hair away from my forehead. Liz's voice whispered words I couldn't understand in a soothing voice. Slowly, very slowly, I opened my eyes.

I was now aware of three things. One: I was in the back of Alise's car. Two: Alise was nowhere in sight. Three: I couldn't see Jake. There was only Liz, saying things I didn't stop to listen to. Because just then, I heard yelling. And the voices were all too familiar.

I tore open the car door, ignoring Liz's hand trying to pull me back. And I held back a scream when I saw Jake and Erec standing less than a foot apart, both snarling. Their fists were curled tightly into balls.

Before I knew it, I was out of the car and standing in front of Jake. I put my back to him and pushed him back roughly, facing Erec the whole time.

"Get away from him! Don't touch him!" I hissed at Erec. I couldn't understand why he was here, and I didn't care. All I knew was that he was making Jake mad, and I didn't like that. And some part of me had to protect Jake, even if he didn't need protecting.

Erec's expression went from rage, to shock.

"Amy? Don't you remember me?" he whispered.

My rage was bubbling up inside of me. It took just about everything I had to not punch Erec in the face. I didn't know why he was here, and I didn't care. I wanted him to leave, so I could get back to the person I loved. Somehow, seeing Erec's face made me sick.

"Of course I remember you, Erec." I hissed. I didn't care that I was practically spitting in his face. "You left me when I needed someone the most. You're a jerk, and I don't care if you've changed or whatever you said happened. I don't care about you anymore. I don't want you in my life. I, am happy. So just leave me alone!"

I would have said more, but Jake swept me up into his arms before I could do anything else. At first, I fought against his firm grip, but then I gave up. Suddenly, I was exhausted again. Why was it so hard to keep my eyes open?

I let myself relax in Jake's arms, and then curled into the back seat of Alise's car. I heard Liz dialing a number, but I didn't care to listen and find out who it was. Then, I heard heels clicking on the road and soon my ears were straining to hear Liz's voice. Even with how exhausted I was, I managed to wonder what she was doing.

Faintly, voices reached my ears again, like in a dream. Someone called out, "Wait!" and then there was a cry of pain. Sleepily, I frowned. Had someone just gotten punched?

I heard Jake's voice. He was talking in a way I'd never heard before. He was... threatening. I could hear the barely controlled fury in his voice... and it scared me.

"Go. Home. And don't come back. She doesn't want you here."

Silence. And then the car door slammed. Someone slid into the backseat with me and pulled me onto their lap. I relaxed when I realized it was Jake and finally let my eyes close with my head resting on his chest. Some time later, the car started and we were on the road. And then, I guess I fell asleep, because I don't remember anything about that night. I just remember waking up in Jake's bed.