Love's In The Water ~Jake Nolan~

Chapter Twenty Nine

At knockoff, Jake and I walk back to his apartment, hand in hand with Harrison. "So, Eve when are going to talk to Harries again?" Harrison brings up and I sigh, dropping my head "Mate, come on. Not now" Jake defends "I'm just wondering when! She's seventeen! She doesn't know what's good for her" Harrison argues "Harrison, really, drop it" Jake asks "Jake, wake up! She's seventeen! She doesn't know what she's doing or what's she's going to do! She can't take care of myself!" He starts yelling in front of the apartment complex. Jake is about to retaliate when I speak up "You don't know sh*t! You don't know what I've been through! So do not say that I don't know what I'm talking about because you do not know what has happened between me and father behind closed doors!" I say looking at Harrison through my eyelashes and angry eyes "So don't tell me how to live my life when you don't know the whole story" I say and walking into the apartment with Jake's key. I look back once I'm inside and see the two friends arguing before Jake punches Harrison across the head.

I run out and grab his fist behind him before he can strike again "That's enough! The two of yours. I don't need to fight my fights!" I yell at Jake, his eyes turned dark with anger and hatred. "Inside now!" I demand and he yanks his fist away my grasp and marches inside and up the stairs "And I don't need to get in my personal life!" I yell at Harrison and grab him by the ear and drag up the stairs. As we walk in, I hear Jake slam his bedroom door shut followed by a few curse words. I tell Harrison to go sit on the couch while I grab an ice pack, a band-aid and a cloth. I squat down in front of Harrison and wipe across the bloody mark, Jake left on his forehead. "I didn't mean for him to punch you," I say placing the band-aid on "I know," He says and I hand him the ice pack and he walks off to his room. I sit back on the couch and take a breath, everything's going too fast and too heckdict for one's liking on a Wednesday night. I get off the couch, grab another ice pack and walk to Jake's room and knock on the locked door, after a couple silent moments he opens it and I hand him the ice pack before turning my back again and walking back down the narrow hallway "Eve, wait" He calls, I turn around and walk back to him and into his room, where he closed the door.

"What haven't you told me? Is there something you haven't told me?" He asks and I feel my eyes get glossy "There's nothing you or anyone can do now. What's done is done" I manage to say "What do you mean? What on earth are you talking about?" He asks concerned "Jake, please don't put me through it again" I pled, my lip quivering "Eve! Tell me!" He demands "No! I can't. I won't" I whisper "What aren't you telling me, Eve? Do you not love me? Do you not trust me enough?" He starts to questions my love for him. "Yes, of course, I love you, of course, I trust you -" I start "Then what won't you tell me?" He demands, stepping closer to me and grabbing my arms "No! I'm not going through that again! The first time was bad enough!" I struggle to escape his grip, but he only tightens it. "Ow Jake! Jake, you're hurting me!" I say as my arms begin to hurt, I look into his eyes and see emotions that I've never seen in them before; anger, hatred and betrayal. "Tell me!" He yells and I start to cry "My teacher raped me in America! That's why I came home early!" I say looking up at him as the tears fell down my face. He was surprised and let go of my instantly and stumbled back onto his bed "Happy now?!" I spit and look for my bag that I brought here and begin packing it.

"Eve..." Jake says as I zip the bag and walk to his door "You wanted to know, now you know" I say not looking at him before walking out of the apartment and to the pavement on the sidewalk. I look up and see Jake staring out of the living room window, looking down on me before looking down at his phone. Where will you go? My phone read, from Jakey💕 I've got a Mum and a sister who want me to live with them I text him back before shutting off my phone and walking to the address Piper had given me a few days ago.

I knock on the door and Mary answers it "Eve?" She asks surprise "Is it too late to change my mind and live with you guys?" I ask shivering as it's raining and there's no cover at their Airbnb "Yes, of course. Come in, come in" She says and greets me in, kicking the door shut behind me. The next morning, I wake up at my usual time of six am, and I head downstairs to make myself some breakfast before writing a note telling Mary and Piper that I've gone to give in my uniform as a lifeguard.

I walk to Dad's place and wait until he has left for his shift before I sneak into the house, grab the bikini set, board shorts, shirt and hoodie before walking down to the tower. I open it and Hoppo is standing closest to the door "Hop?" I ask quiet "Hey E, you're not on today, are you?" He asks "That's what I wanted to talk to you about," I say "Is that your uniform?" He asks pointing to it in my hand "Yeah" I say and Whippet, Mouse, Jake, Dad, Maxi and Jesse all look down over the first aid bed. "I wanted to resign from being a lifeguard, here at Bondi Beach," I say not looking up at the six men above me "Eve...are you sure? What will do?" Hoppo asks concerned "Yes, I want to do this. I want to do something other than surfing, I want to get away" I answer reaching out my hands so he could take my uniform "Eve..." He takes the swimmers, shirt and hoodie from me. "We're gonna miss you," Whippet says from above and I think I hear him crying "We're all going to miss you," Dad says and I look up at them. I walk around the cabinet and to the little kitchen where they were leaning over and hug them all but Dad and Jake. "Eve," Dad says "Don't. Mum will take care of me" Feels weird saying Mum, I've always called Emily, Emily. "So this really is goodbye then" Jake says awkwardly "Yeah, I guess so" I say as I still love him "I still love you E" He confesses "I love you too, but it's too late now" I say taking off my necklace that has his ring attached to it "Eve, no. Please don't give it back" He begs, but I close the clasp and place it in the palm of his hand "I'm sorry," I say and kiss his cheek before hugging Hoppo and walking out of the lifeguard tower... forever.