31. Jake: Trying to Show Others the Truth

Chapter thirty-one

Jake – Trying to Show Others the Truth

I glare at the space right in front of me, seeing nothing, feeling nothing. It’s been like this for the past week, since my heart has gone numb from regret, pain, and guilt.

It’s been a few weeks since everything went crashing down. Everything I’d been building so carefully with Aurora going down the drain faster than I could ever imagine.

It’s totally my fault for yet again underestimating Sophia’s ability to drain off people’s happiness like a leech. I totally regret letting my guard down, and it cost me something extremely precious. I’ve never seen Bella look so disappointed when I met her in the hallway, her eyes tear stricken.

Of course, I remember what happened, but going through it again and again makes no difference. Aurora is gone from me. And it’s all from a mean trick that reached its target of hurting me and breaking Bella’s and Aurora’s hearts.

** *

“What the heck were you doing with Sophia?” Bella had glared at me, disappointment painted on her face in vivid colors.

“You saw that?” I asked foolishly, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot.

“Yes, I did. And you know who else saw it too?” she asked, her eyes glaring at me heatedly.

I feel a boulder settle in my stomach. No . . . no!

Please, not her. Please not her . . . please . . .

Bella cut in as if she could read my mind. “Yes, it was her. She saw the whole thing right here. After which she fled to her room. I tried to stop her, but now she probably feels I tried to stop her so that she wouldn’t interrupt your time with Sophia.”

I feel the blood drain from my face. No! No . . . no . . . my mind keeps repeating, urging me to wake up from this bad daydream. But yes, it is happening. And Aurora currently thinks I’m the most despicable being in the whole of the universe.

“Why would you do something like this, Jacob? Why?” Bella screams at me, and my eyes widen in surprise. I’ve never seen Bella yell, or get angry, ever since she’s been old enough to talk. Especially with me as the recipient.

“You texted her to come see for herself? Because you’re too much of a coward to break it to her directly?” Bella had questioned .

What is she talking about? Texted Aurora? I never did! Frantically, I check my pocket for my phone. It’s nowhere to be found.

Understanding dawns on me, and I shut my eyes tightly, anger roaring through me like a boiling volcano.

“I never texted Aurora to come meet me here. I was going to her room to look for her when I met Sophia. She said she wanted to apologize to me for everything, and that she would be leaving immediately after. I was trying to convince her to leave after the wedding for your sake."

"The next thing I knew, she was gripping my face so hard and was trying to kiss me! Of course, I didn’t allow that to happen! I had to forcefully pry her tentacles off my face because the other option was to fling her on the floor. But I just can’t hurt a woman, no matter how much she deserves it!”

“Whatever you or Aurora saw is totally wrong. You saw wrong!” I had shouted, the anger, fear, and remorse getting to me.

I know I was shouting like a madman, but the enormity of my plight was just too much. I don’t think I have ever cried in front of my baby sister, but there was no avoiding it now.

Bella’s eyes go wide at my outburst, disgust, and anger warring on her face, but somehow, I know it’s directed at the right person now. Sophia walks back into the passage, and Bella turns to face her with fire spewing out of her eyes.

“Is it true, Sophia?” she asks, and I go silent, willing her to lie so I can break my rule of never hitting women.

A lie right now and I’m ready to throttle her vulture- like neck.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bells,” she says, glaring at her. “You of all people know how much I love your brother. He’s mine and I can’t let any other girl take him away from me!” she shrieks and begins to cry.

“You know how much he hurt me when he left me, Bells,” she snivels, and Bella moves towards her.

Disappointment perches on my heart as I see Bella raise her hand to wipe away her tears. Sophia smiles, and I shake my head in disgust at the act, but then I hear a resounding slap go off.

Turning abruptly, I see Sophia’s eyes widen in shock and pain, Bella close in Sophia’s face with her hand raised to slap her again.

Ethan rushes forward to hold her back. “Don’t do that, babe. Leave her be.” Ethan hugs Bella close to him, stopping her from slapping Sophia again.

“Mom told me the full story already, you backstabbing bitch! She told me the day we came to book this hotel for the wedding, but I kept mute. I don’t know why, but I didn’t do anything. I just didn’t want to believe it and lose our friendship—obviously our SO-CALLED friendship, that is. Mom told me about how you cheated on my brother with countless men! And then you would come back to cry, apologizing to him how each and every one of your escapades was a mistake!”

She looks back at me, full-blown crying herself now. “I’m sorry, Jake. I’m really sorry,” she cries, looking at me with so much guilt and regret on her beautiful face.

Ethan hugs her tightly, muttering soothing words to her .

She shrugs out of the embrace and points a finger at Sophia. “Get out of here, Sophia. I don’t want to see your face ever again.”

And that’s when Dylan comes running in from a lunch trip with Ryan and Brittney, skidding to an abrupt halt at the scene before him, looking confused.

“We saw Aurora crying and getting into Alex’s car. They’re gone. What is going on, Jake?”

And just like that, I feel the whole of me shatter, breaking into thousands of tiny pieces.

Much later that night, I got the news of her dad being involved in an accident. And when she needed me the most, I wasn’t available. The thought settled deep in my stomach … and my heart.

***

Weeks later, here I am, sitting in the park around the corner from Aurora’s house, yet again staring blindly at the space right in front of me. I was too much of a coward to face her at the hospital, and now I’m camping out here in the cold, being miserable, still unable to face her.

It’s been a few weeks since the fiasco at Ethan and Bella’s party.

I’m at the lowest I have ever been in my life. I just don’t know how I will go on without Aurora. She is the absolute light in my soul, and I cannot even contemplate going through the rest of my life without her.