It Began With a Smirk

48: Knight and his Trusty...Car

“Rein what are you doing?!” It was Jakeson’s voice and I gave a relieved sigh as I stopped running.

“Just out for a run.”

“Get in the car.” he demanded.

“What? No.” Had Kale sent him to get me?

Jakeson leaned across his seat and opened the passenger door. I could see him clearly by the cars lights.  “It’s almost one in the morning.”

I shrugged breathing hard.  “So?”

“So you’re miles from home at one in the morning running on roads without street lights. . . some creepy stranger may try and pick you up and I’m not going to let that happen.”

“You’re a creepy stranger.”

He chuckled. “Creepy I’ll give you but I’m not a stranger.  You have known me for two months now.” I looked away. “Please?” he asked giving it one last try.

“I’m not going back there.”

“You don’t have to.” he replied. I sighed, giving in, and got into the car still panting from the run.  “So why don’t you want to go back home?”

I shrugged. “Dunno.”

“Does it have anything to do with the reason Kale won’t let anyone else talk you lately?”

I turned my eyes towards him. I hadn’t even bothered trying to talk to any of them. I’d already known that Kale would have followed through on his threat and made sure they wouldn’t talk to me. “Well why are you talking to me? Isn’t this against the rules?”

 

“Because Kale can’t tell me what to do and he knows that very well.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“So where have you been eating lunch? I looked for you the whole week.” Jakeson pulled off driving down the roads.  He handed me a water bottle from under the seat. “Catch your breath first.”

I downed the water. “Thanks.” I wiped off my mouth and looked out the window. The sky was black.  “I just go into the library for lunch.”

“The one place I didn’t look.” He chuckled.  “So tell me, what was the fight about?”

“Then or now?”

“Whatever started this whole mess.”

I can’t tell him Kale kissed me. “When two people with conflicting personalities are forced to live in a house together drama happens.”

“Fair enough. What did he say that got you mad enough to run off?”

I looked out the window. “He insulted me.”

“What did he insult about you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jakeson looked at me a moment. “Were you crying?”

“ A little but I’m over it.”

“Is it all right if we go to my house?” He asked. “Since you don’t want to go home and I have a feeling you wouldn’t want to be at the populated places that are open this time on the weekend.”

I nodded. “That’s fine.”

We drove for silence for a while. “You were pretty far from home. He must have really pissed you off for you to run that far.”

“What were you doing out at one in the morning?” I asked, changing subjects.

He laughed and shook his head. “My brother wanted some pineapple.”

I laughed caught off guard by that.  “What?”

“Don’t ask. He just wanted some and I felt like going for a drive so I offered to get it.  But the stores were all closed so I had to go to one a few cities over to find one open and selling pineapple.”

He parked the car and we got out. “That’s so sweet of you.” I teased him as he grabbed the grocery bag and he headed into the house.

“Do you want to take a shower?” he asked locking the door behind him.

I laughed. “Do I smell that bad?”

Jakeson smiled. “No just thought you’d be more comfortable if you were clean.”

“Yeah I’d like to take one, thanks.” I returned his smile.

“This way.” He led me upstairs and into a bathroom. “Towels are in the closet there. This knob’s for jets if you decide to take a bath. Help yourself to soaps and shampoos.”

“Thank you Jakeson.”

“No problem. I’ll set some clothes out for you by the door. I’ll probably be downstairs watching a movie so you can find me down there when you finish.”

Heart in a Blender - Eve6