A Locked Box

Chapter 11

    It was when she was getting ready for bed that her day flipped upside down.

   A quiet whistling sound came from the opposite side of the bedroom. Kat froze, halfway through pulling her T-shirt off of her body. She had been unlucky to have her tank top underneath pull up as well. The majority of her torso was exposed, the defined scars and bruises inked across her skin. She whipped around to glare at Jake. She pulled her tank top down, steam pouring from her ears. "I have a door you know!"

   Jake smirked as he walked over. "I've seen more than that, you don't have to be so cold,"

   Kat shoved him away. "Shut it," she grumbled as she threw her old clothes into a hamper by her door. "I thought I asked you to leave me alone,"

   Jake sighed. "I couldn't do that,"

   "Why not? You've done it before," she replied, her words sharper than knives.

   Jake was silent. They were both reliving heart-wrenching memories as they stood a foot away. He pulled out the cream colored envelope from the inside of his jacket. "They found you," his voice had lost all of its hilarity as he grabbed her arm with a strong grip.

   Kat gritted her teeth. "I know, you don't have to remind me. And where did you get that?" she snatched it away, throwing it onto her desk.

   "I was here while you were at school. I wanted to make sure you were safe,"

   "By breaking and entering?"

   "If that's what it takes,"

"Listen," she turned on him, moving to be inches from his face. "I don't want you near me! So, you can go back to your new life and forget about me!" she spat through gritted teeth. It was testing her patience just to not stab the man before her. The only deadly thing she had near her was the pen in her hair.

   Jake stepped back, face solemn. "My one piece of advice,"

   "No! I don't want to hear it," Kat's voice shook with misery.

   Jake was stepping towards the window, his head hung low. "Just don't hurt yourself. Please," his voice was a whisper. With that, he turned and hopped out of the window into the setting sun. The twilight signaled the end of their relationship.