In My Mind

Chapter 18

It's official. After 13 years of school, I am officially a high school graduate. I never thought this day would come, giving all the troubles and obstacles I've had to go. It feels satisfying to finally get one thing right in my life.

Rebekah was still in a deep sleep when the day finally arrived. I asked Elliot what he was going to do and I was surprised to learn that Elliot was a bit older than he originally lead on. Elliot confessed to being 20 and that he was only in school to look over me. He and Rebekah had finished homeschooling two years earlier. With the revelation, it made me wonder what else Elliot was keeping from me.

The annual graduation party was tonight and I felt guilty that I wanted to go. Alex is still devastated at the unchanging Rebekah. Besides graduation, he's stayed by her side since we found her. Elliot is trying his hardest to find out what is wrong with her, but no matter what he does he's left with nothing.

As I stare at myself in my full length, the twinge of guilt comes back. Dressed in a white knee length dress, the feeling of normalcy feels undeserved. Elliot is on his way to pick me up. Since finding Rebekah, the two of us have become close again. Not as close as we once were, but I'm trying.

The doorbell sounds and butterflies overtake my stomach. This will be the first night alone with Elliot since Gran's death. Being with him before, all I could see was Gran, but now after saving Rebekah I know Gran;s death was not his fault, it never was.

I quickly move down the hallway and through the kitchen to the front door. Anticipation riddles my body and I throw open the door. To my surprise, Jacob fills my doorway, a bouquet of yellow daisies in his hand.

"Oh! Uh. Hi, Jacob," I take a step back, letting him inside. His large feet bang against the floor as he makes his way into the kitchen.

"Sorry to just barge in on you," Jacob hands the flowers to me, "I brought these for you."

"Thank you. They're beautiful."

"So are you," I can feel the heat rising up my neck and landing on my cheeks, "Where are you going all dressed up like that?" Jacob's eyes trace the length of my body.

"Elliot and I are going to the graduation party at Kathleen's place."

His face turns to stone, "Elliot? You're with him again?"

"It's not like that. We're just seeing where it goes." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly and grab a glass from the cupboard.  As I fill the vase with water, Jacob walks around the kitchen

His gaze wanders over the room, "I don't know how you stay here."

Placing the daisies on the counter, I turn to him as he continues, "I mean if I found my grandmother gutted in my own house," he shudders, "I mean all that blood; I know I couldn't stay."

My ears ring. Gutted? How could he have possibly known that? I didn't tell anyone that, not even Elliot. My eyes follow him as his fingers graze over  the walls, practically tracing the outlines of where Gran's blood spewed. My heart thuds against my chest and it's a wonder that Jacob couldn't hear it. There's no way he could have known that tiny detail, unless.

I turn my back to him, cautiously searching for a weapon. My eyes latch on the set of knives in the corner. Just a little farther-

"What are you doing?" Jacob's breath tickles my neck. The shock of him being so close causes me to flinch, my hand knocking over the knives I was so close to grabbing.

Jacob's eyes follow my arm, landing on the useless weapons and his jaw clenches. A hand wraps around my wrists and he pulls me into his body, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."