Chapter 12 " It's not Ebola , " I explain , breathing in and exhaling out slowly . " It's always best to be safe than sorry . Ebola kills pretty fast Em . " Trish continues , her eyes wide as she inspects me from head to toe . " I'm fine Trish . Let me copy your notes that I've missed . " I mumble , reaching for her book . She nods and pushes it further in my direction . As I'm halfway through writing , Trish leans closer and bumps her shoulder with mine . " I have so much to tell you ! " It's a completely innocent interaction but the force of the impact against my bruised muscles causes me to hiss in pain . I suck in a breath and yelp , jumping backwards . Her eyes widen and she stills , watching me squirm beside her . I close my eyes and silently pray the tears building up inside my eyes will disappear . " Excuse me , " I mutter , my jaw clenched from the pain . I quickly stand up and head straight for the door , ignoring the murmurs of my classmates behind me . I don't care anymore , all I want is the pain to stop . I run through the empty hallway , pushing past the double doors and heading straight for the girls bathroom . Painful tears roll down my cheeks and I wipe them away quickly . I'm strong , I can do this . I clutched my arm desperately and let the tears slide down my cheek willingly knowing I'm not strong at all ... I'm lying to myself . I hear the door push open and I hide my face behind my hands , hoping whoever it is would leave me alone . " Emily ? " His voice is low and lined with concern . " Leave me alone Jake . " I respond , my words muffled behind my hand . I glance up through my blurred vision to find Jake stood against the doorway , a worried expression on his face . Upon noticing the tears in my eyes , he walks towards me and crouches down . I immediately feel my stomach twist in nerves and I want to shuffle backwards but for some reason , I don't . His blue eyes watch me intensely for a moment , scanning over my features . Eventually he looks directly at me , blue eyes darkening 'I think it's time you tell me what's going on with you . " I remain silent , unable to let him into my thoughts . I couldn't tell anyone , the thought terrifies me . Jake sighs at my silence and instead reaches up , wiping away a tear with his fingers . I immediately freeze , sucking in a deep breath from the way his fingers feel against my cheeks . He places one hand under my chin , tilting my head up so that I'm holding eye contact with him . " The teacher wouldn't allow Trish to leave . " He mumbles apologetically . " What about you ? " I ask him quietly , " I'm not going to let a teacher stop me . " He responds , giving me a small smile , I can't help but notice how soft his voice is , completely opposite to the way he speaks to everyone else around him . " Please talk to me , " Jake pleads , his words taking me by surprise . I close my eyes and shake my head , leaning back against the wall . The words that I want to tell him are at the tip of my tongue but no matter how hard I try , I can't speak the truth . 1/3 B 9:03 Tue , Oct 14 B Chapter 12 ... " My life is completely messed up . " I eventually mumble which isn't the complete truth but not a lie either . I feel his arms wrap around me and he pulls me into his chest without hesitation . His body feels warm and for the first time since my dad died , I feel safe . 88 88 The feeling of safety is one that I haven't felt for years . I'm surprised that someone like Jake Melvin is the first person to make me experience it . I want to remain here forever , the one place I truly feel safe . I can hear the soft thumping of his heart through his shirt and 1 sniffle , burying my head closer to him . " Whatever it is , it's going to be okay . " Jake tells me , not pressuring me into opening up . I relax against him and we both remain in the same position for a while . A comfortable silence falls upon us until Jake gently pushes backwards , his eyes meeting mine again . I feel embarrassed and reach up , wiping away the last of my tears . " Sorry , I must look a mess right now . " I mumble , a red tint covering my cheeks . Jake doesn't respond and looks at me intensely , almost as if he wants to say something . Before he can , his phone begins to beep inside his pocket . He reaches for it but doesn't break eye contact with me and his stare makes me feel vulnerable and exposed . I clear my throat and look away , focusing on a small piece of rubbish on the floor instead . From the corner of my eye , I see Jake smile before glancing down at his phone . The smile on his face vanishes as his eyes scan over the message - " I have to go . " I nod quickly but couldn't help feeling a little dis - heartened . Jake must have noticed my disappointment and he sighs , running a hand though his hair . He pushes it back away from his eyes and stands up off the floor , holding out a hand for me to take . I reach out , placing my hand in his and I'm not surprised that his hands radiate warmth just like his body . " Thank you , " I say quietly , noticing how close our bodies are . I could see his chest in front of me , rising and falling as he takes slow breaths . " Anytime , " Jake whispers . He inches forward , raising his hand to tuck a piece of stray hair behind my ear . I flinch automatically but don't realise that I'm doing it . " Why do you do that ? " He asks suddenly , looking at me with his head slightly tilted to the side . I glance to the right , unable to keep eye contact with him as I'm afraid he'll be able to see right through my lies . ' I don't know what you're talking about . " Jake raises an eyebrow and opens his mouth to respond then his phone beeps again , multiple times . ' Fuck , ' He mutters under his breath , clearly annoyed at the person on the other end . He answers the call , holding his phone up to his ear . As he listens to the call on the other end , his blue piercing eyes never leave mine . I find myself staring back , getting lost inside the swirls of blue and his thick dark lashes . " Don't let him leave , I'll be there in twenty , " he eventually speaks , his tone low and lined with a danger I haven't heard before . His voice snaps me out of my daze and I blink , taking a step back . It's my turn to raise my eyebrow at him questioningly and he shrugs in response , pocketing his phone . " I'll see you later , " he says quietly . The only thing I can respond with is a simple nod of my head . Jake takes a step back , his eyes flickering over me one last time . He sighs unhappily before disappearing out of the bathroom . I watch him go , replaying the last half hour in my head over and over again . ... 9:03 Tue , Oct 14 G .. His Mission Chapter 13