Falling For My Mentor Jake Peralta X Reader

5. The Restaurant

It was cold outside, my parents had locked my keys in the house so I'd had to wait outside. This stupid dress certainly wasn't doing anything to keep my warm. I had goosebumps and had started to shiver.

I was relieved when Jake pulled up in his car. He gets out of the car and immediately notices I'm freezing so he wraps his jacket around me then leads me to the passenger side of the car and opens the door. I get in the car, Jake shuts my door and gets in at the driver's side. I smile gratefully at him. "Thank you."
He smiles back. "It's almost like we're going on a date. But with your parents."
I blush a little as I laugh. "That would be an awful date."
"We could ditch them and go somewhere else?"
I mock gasp. "And get into even more trouble? I'm already the the naughty child."
Jake bursts out laughing and I look at him in confusion. "You? Naughty? Please, you follow every rule there is!"
I frown. "I do not! I... I..." I think for a moment. "Alright fine, you're right."
"Always am."
I smile. He was always so confident in himself, and it made me like him even more. We spent the rest of the drive in a comfortable silence.

When we get to the restaurant, my family are already deep in conversation. My dad looks up as Jake and I sit down. "New dress sense, Y/N?"
"Huh? Oh!" I pass Jake his jacket back, and he puts it on his chair.
Jake looks towards my dad. "It was cold out, and her keys were locked inside." My dad just nods and turns his attention back to the conversation at hand.

About an hour later we've all finished our meals. My parents had looked delighted that Ella had eaten a salad, yet annoyed that Jake and I had full pizzas each. They looked even more annoyed when I'd slouched down into my chair due to being so full. Shawn had looked incredibly smug, as usual. They're now talking about Ella's interests. I turn to Jake instead. "This is dull, I'm sorry you have to endure this." We both start laughing and I notice my dad's attention is now on us so I try to quieten myself, it was too late.
"What's so funny?" He glares at me like I've just made a right scene of myself.
"Nothing really, just work things." I lie.
Ella suddenly turns to look at Jake and I. "Oh, what do you both do?"
"We're detectives."
"Oh, me too!" She grins.
I glance at my parents. And to my horror my dad says: "That's really impressive!"
My jaw drops as I turn to look at Jake. "He what?" I mutter. "Did I hear that right or did I imagine it?" Jake grimaces as he nods. But then it hits me. She still looks exactly like the perfect daughter to them. She didn't seem like a detective, she wasn't a little rough around the edges like me. Her hair was still perfectly in place, she was tall, skinny and beautiful. She wore the right clothes too. Exactly what my parents wanted.

(T/W: Eating disorder for this chapter)
I felt sick. I quickly excused myself and grabbed my phone as I rushed to the bathroom and locked myself in a stall and immediately threw up. I shouldn't have eaten all that pizza, no wonder I wasn't as skinny and perfect as Ella. I already knew what my parents thought. I'd heard some of the men they set me up with complaining about me, and my parents had agreed rather than stick up for me. The room started spinning. I sit down and put my head in my hands. All of a sudden I was struggling to breathe, and crying wasn't going to help. Once I'd calmed down, I flush the toilet, wash my hands and wash the mascara off my face. I then text Jake to meet me outside the bathroom.

I exit the bathroom after Jake has texted back to let me know he's waiting. I immediately spot concern on his face as he rushes over, I stare at the floor. "What's wrong? You've been ages. Have you been crying?" He gently lifts my chin but he's forcing me to look at him.
"No?" I tear up again.
"Hey, come on."
I sigh. "I just, I feel like all my life, my parents have wanted me to look and act a certain way and not be a detective. And then perfect Ella shows up and they're all "oh you're a detective, how wonderful." And I can't do this anymore."
"She's hardly perfect, she's very stuck up."
I sigh and shake my head. "She's perfect to them. Don't you see? Maybe I'd have been a lot happier if I'd never become a detective and had just done what they wanted all along..."
"Hey don't be silly, you love your job and I hardly think you'd be happier just sitting around like they want you to."
I nod a little. "I need to leave, follow my lead."

I march back over to our table and go straight to my dad. "There's been an emergency at work. Jake and I need to leave, now."
"Okay. See you later." Was all he said. That was a lot easier than expected. Jake and I grab our things and leave hastily. I was practically running I was so desperate to get out.

I sigh once Jake and I are finally in his car, I'm shaking slightly but I sit on my hands to hide it.
"Where are we going then?" Jake snaps me out of my thoughts.
"I don't know..." I sigh. "I don't wanna face my parents, and I haven't got my keys anyway."
"Looks like you're staying at mine after all."
"But I haven't got any stuff."
"It's fine, you can use mine."
I smile. "Thank you."