J e a n s J a c k e t

00:14 [bonus chapter part.1]

//Dedicated to everyone//

.

Nate

.

I held the steering wheel with both my hands. Held it with intensity and strength that would soon fallback onto me with how my knuckles had whitened along with how the paths of my veins uncovered. No sense of ease seems to past through me, with the fear of not being able to fix my biggest mistake ever. I felt relentless; far too preoccupied with the need to get to her before it was too late.

I wasn't sure with what I was going to say, or do, to show her I was going anywhere ever again. And no stabbing truths from her father will knock me back.

 I knew I was a fool for getting stuck with Ellie in the first place, well aware of all the complications and the hard walls we would ever have to face. I was a fool for even thinking we could fight, thinking we could survive any hurdle in our path. I'm a fool right this minute for even running back to her.

But I would be a bigger fool to ever let her go.

My foot itched to drop down on the gas and accelerate through the alleyways to get to the hotel quicker. The sudden traffic I found myself in made my jaw clench and I gritted my teeth in aggravation. When the traffic was close to testing my patience, it finally started to get a move on until I could turn the corner to the hotel we were currently staying at. I left Ellie right there, at the front steps and as the Jeep came closer and closer to the hotel, my heart sank.

I parked the Jeep at the side and jumped out just as Riley and Elliot came out the door.

"Where is she?" I said quickly, looking past both their shoulders hoping to see my girl walking out behind them.

Wishful thinking.

"She's gone." Elliot replied, his eyes trained on my face on a calculated measure.

"Where did she go?"

With the way Elliot stood, his hands pushed inside his pockets and with his straight face, I fought the urge to grab him by the front and throttle him. He knew exactly where Ellie went but with the fading smirk on his face - he wasn't going to say anything.

But to my relief, and to his rescue, Riley pushed in front of him. "Cole took her home. She was crying too much to even speak properly."

The sudden stab that pricked at my heart was overwhelming and I stumbled back on my feet. I made her cry. I gulped down the sickening guilt and collected myself quickly. Without uttering a single word of gratitude to Riley, I turned on my heel and raced back to my Jeep.

.

.

.

I was parked outside her house, my eyes zoomed into the front door and waiting patiently for Cole to step out. It was past nine in the evening and Cole, her cousin, was still with her ever since I saw him come back from the store around three in the afternoon.

Six hours I've been waiting in my car for Cole to leave. Six hours. When it was pushing ten, I unbuckled my seatbelt and decided I had enough. I wasn't going to be waiting around, giving her more time to cry and waste all those tears. Just as my hand landed on the latch of the door, I saw the front door of her house open.

Cole stepped out.

Marla was right behind him and they were engrossed in a small conversation. Both looked concerned but Cole looked slightly more angered. He nodded his head at his last word, dipped his head to kiss Marla on the forehead and turned around and walked back  down the steps.