Tangled Love

CHAPTER 62

I have to prepare myself for that because right now, my emotional state is on the line. How can I tell him how much I care about him anymore than I already have? I'm not prepared to stand by and allow him to use me and throw me away once he's done with me. If Tobias' words are true, I need to distance myself away from Jake and be nothing but friends.

I don't plan on avoiding Jake but somehow I'm aware of every step he takes and the small movements of his head as he turns to look at me. I can't bring myself to maintain eye contact with him because I'm afraid I'll break down in frustrated tears. Why do boys have to be so damn complicated?

I focus my energy on Ivory because right now, I need a friend.

"I can't wait to go back to college and see Trish. I'm seriously missing her chatting my ear off." I tell Ivory, glancing at my watch. There's only two weeks to go before we're back in school and my best friend comes home from being on holiday. I feel like I've lost my right arm without Trisha Lockwood in my life. Ivory nods, agreeing with me.

"Trish definitely needs to throw some fun in our direction. I feel like a slob binge watching Netflix all day." She chuckles, taking a bite from her toast. I giggle with her, lifting my mug and taking a sip of my coffee. Jake enters the kitchen, his shoulders physically tense and his jaw locked with tension. I avert my gaze, studying the fascinating checkered print on the dining table inside.

Ivory notices the hostility and awkward tension hang in the air and she raises an eyebrow —

"Trouble in paradise?" She asks us both. Jake turns to glare at her. "Shut up Ivory."

She lets out a low whistle. "What's the deal between you two?" This time, the question is directed at me. I simply shrug my shoulders, a burning sensation rising to my cheeks. Ivory looks up at Jake and waits for him to respond but he never does. The air grows increasingly thick with tension and I feel myself beginning to shrink inside my chair. Eventually Jake leaves, slamming the door behind him.

"Tobias is such a jerk." Ivory mumbles, knowing exactly what the issue is between Jake and I. She was there to witness him break me down with his words.

"What's his problem?" I blurted out, annoyed at the mention of her brother. Ivory stood up, walking over to the sink before turning round. This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

"Jake and Tobias have always been really close, like brothers. Two years ago, Tobias did something that hurt Jake. He still hasn't let it go and neither of them have been the same since. All they ever do is fight."

"What did Tobias do?" I ask, intrigued to know. Ivory gives me a small smile before adding —

"Its not my place to say, you should ask Jake. He's a good person Emily, he doesn't trust many people. What Tobias said wasn't true, even I can tell you that."

Ivory smiles at me before reaching for her keys, leaving me alone. I sit in silence for a few moments, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

The kitchen door opened, pulling me away from my distressed thoughts. I looked up to see a women dressed smartly in a deep plum suit that contrasted perfectly against her skin. Her hair fell around her shoulders in soft dark curls and she had strikingly similar features to Jake. I stood up, pulling my PJ shirt down, feeling incredibly under-dressed.

She smiled at me warmly, showing off a set of perfectly white teeth. Okay, she is definitely Jake's mum. They both had a gorgeous smile. I held my hand out nervously and she looked at it slightly amused before shaking it.

"It's nice to finally meet you Mrs Melvin," I said politely, pushing down the nerves. She smiled at me before walking over to the kettle.

"You don't need to call me Mrs Melvin, that title disappeared a long time ago honey."

Her voice was smooth with a hint of maturity, she oozed sophistication. I nodded at her words before taking a seat, placing my hands in my lap. I fiddled with my hands nervously before remembering I had to thank her.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Miss..."

"Call me Michelle darling, and don't look so worried. I won't bite your head off."

"Right, thank you again Michelle," I said truthfully, feeling at ease from her friendly smile.

"You're a friend of Jake and Ivory's, right? That means you're welcome anytime. We definitely have the space and the kids seem to love your company."

"You have a lovely home. It's fun living with them both and it's a far better option than my own home."

Michelle gave me a comforting smile. I cleared my throat and stood up, motioning that I was going back upstairs.

"It's nice to meet you." I said and Michelle put down her coffee, turning towards me.

"You too, I'm sure we'll get along fine," she smiled and my heart warmed a little from her words. She was so nice and caring and it made me miss my own mother. The mother she was before Trevor came along.

I shut the kitchen door and headed upstairs to get dressed for the day, going over my first conversation with Jake's Mum. I

I know I have to talk to Jake at some point for first, I need to fix my appearance.