It Started With Lake (Book 1)

Chapter 1: Emani

I can't leave him on the dangerous streets of Chicago. It's November, and the temperature is starting to drop in the thirties. I doubled back around the corner, praying I was making the right decision. I held my purse close to me as I approached a dark-skinned guy eating out of a dumpster. As I reached to touch him, he dropped his turkey sandwich on the ground and backed away. His dark chocolate eyes locked with mine, and I swallowed hard. He towered over my 5'3 frame, and my head only reached the middle of his chest.

"What's your name?" I asked.

He dusted off his stained jeans. "Lake Richardson."

I extended my hand, and he shyly shook it. "Hi, I'm Emani, and I live not too far from here. Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

My gut clenched when he shook his head no, and I knew I had to do something. My mom will kill me for what I'm about to the do, but I don't care. If I were in Lake's shoes, I would want someone to help me.

"There's a bed in my basement. My mom will never know," I offered him.

Lake pondered my proposition and then nodded his head. I gave him a weak smile before walking in the direction of my house. The wind was picking up, and my long wavy black hair was blowing all over my head. Lake gently tucked a strand behind my ear without a word, and my face turned dark red. He was making me nervous, and I bit my nails, ruining my manicure.

"How old are you?" I asked him as we crossed the busy street.

"Seventeen," he said in a deep voice. "I've seen you before. You walk past here every day with a little girl."

I smirked at him, adjusting the purse on my shoulder. "My little sister Seven." I paused for a moment. "Do you go to my school? I've never seen you before."

He nodded. "I haven't been in a few days."

I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. I can tell he's on the quiet side and decided not to push him. After rounding the corner, I dug in my pocket for my keychain and put it around my neck. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my mom's car was gone. Lake's mouth dropped open as he stared at my house. It's a beautiful five-bedroom ranch style home with an attached garage. It was built in 1975 and renovated five years ago.

"This is it. Come on. My mom isn't here," I explained, unlocking the door.

Lake nodded and followed me inside. I hung my jacket up in the living room closet and headed downstairs to the basement. Contrary to popular belief, our basement isn't as scary as the ones in the movies. It reminds me of a mini apartment. There's a small lounge area with a brown sofa and large tv mounted on the wall; a bed pops out of the couch. The walls are orange because that was my dad's favorite color, and my mom refuses to change it.

"My mom keeps snacks and beverages in that little fridge in the corner," I whispered, not wanting our voices to carry. "You can pop food in the microwave, but don't let it beep." I pointed to the bathroom. "It has a shower you can use, and towels should be in it."

"Ok." Lake paused for a moment running a hand through his hair. "Why are you helping me, Emani? You don't even know me. I could be a bad guy."

"It's the right thing to do," I simply said. "My dad has some old clothes in the closet you can wear."

"He won't notice his stuff missing?" he asked, looking apprehensive.

I felt tears building in my eyes. "My dad passed away last year. It's okay." Lake wiped a tear away from my face using his thumb, and I tried to force myself to get it together. I don't like to show my emotions around strangers.

I will never forget that night. We were laughing about my tennis match, and a drunk driver hit his side and kept going. Our car flipped over two times in the intersection. I remember hitting my head on the dashboard and blood oozing from my forehead. The impact knocked me out for a few minutes and when I woke up the car was on fire. The doors were jammed, and my dad managed to break a window, forcing me to climb out. However, my dad wasn't so lucky and didn't make it out of the vehicle. After that night, my mom made me start seeing a shrink, and I somehow managed to get back to my old life.

"I can keep my clothes on if it makes you uncomfortable," Lake said, adjusting his backpack. His navy blue polo shirt was wrinkled and dirty. When Lake noticed me gazing at his shirt, he covered his body with his arms.

I changed the subject. "Make yourself comfortable, Lake. Also, there is a door down here that goes outside. Do you have a phone?"

He shook his head, and I handed him my old iPhone 6s that I still carry. It surprisingly still works even though Apple has come out with a million phones since then. Lake took it without hesitation, and I smiled at him. I texted him my number, and he stored it in his contacts.

"You can always message me if you ever need something or have a question. You just have to stay out of sight when my mom is home," I reminded him.

He nodded. "Ok."

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I smiled when Gunner's name flashed across the screen. Gunner and I have been dating since freshman year. He's the most popular guy in school and on the football team. Every guy wants to be him, and every girl wants to date him.

"I'm going to take this. See you later." I pressed the accept button, and Gunner's sleepy voice made me laugh.

"Hey, babe. What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm chilling. What are you up to?" I shut the basement door and headed to my room.

"I'm thinking about you. Have you thought about what I said the other day?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not ready, Gunner, and I would appreciate it if you stopped pressuring me."

He sighed. "I'm beginning to think you don't feel the same way I do. I'm getting tired of you teasing me. We have been together for three years, and you STILL haven't had sex with me."

My blood was boiling. "How am I teasing you, Gunner? I can't help it that I feel scared."

"You wear those skimpy little outfits and wonder why I get angry. Many girls would kill to sleep with me," he bragged.

"You're a dick, Gunner."

"I'm just saying Emani. I get hit on by girls all the time, but I turn them down for you. You need to decide if you want this relationship, " he said before hanging up.

I swallowed the huge lump in my throat as tears prickled in my eyes. I knew I deserved better, but it was hard to move on. I kept praying that Gunner would go back to being the sweet guy I met in art class, but every day, I lost hope. He's not the same person anymore, and I just have to accept it.

It sucks.

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Hey guys, thank you for reading the first chapter of It Started with Lake. This is my first story on Wattpad, so be gentle. What did you think of Lake and Gunner? Let me know in the comments 💞🤗