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Ten
Jake takes me back to his place. He in an apartment above a small store he owns in a town that neighbors the city. As we step inside, he races around, trying to clean up, picking up clothes off the back of the sofa and cups that lie scattered around the place.
“Jake, it’s fine. Stop,” I tell him. I know Jake lives on his own, and sure, it’s the messiest I’ve seen his place. Yet I don’t care about that; he could live in a cardboard box for all I care. He is my friend and a good one at that.
“Sorry, I left as soon as I heard what happened. I didn’t have time to clean up,” he tells me with an armful of clothes.
I move toward the blue suede couch and take a seat before reaching for the remote that Alisha and I usually fight over when we’re here.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can run you a bath?” he offers, and I peer over the back of the couch at him.
“Why are you being weird? I am fine, Jake,” I tell him, and he lets out a breath but nods, taking a seat.
It’s a little awkward. I usually come here with Alisha, and for the first time, I realize how much of the talking she does when we fall into a semi-comfortable silence.
“So, what have you got planned? Your next move?” he asks.
I sigh, resting my head on the couch and peering over at him. “I was kinda hoping I could stay here for a while. I can help with your shop until I figure out what to do next?”
Jake smiles and nods. “Be nice to have company here,” he tells me before plucking the remote from my fingers.
“But I am not watching this garbage,” he chuckles, and I wiggle up the couch before placing my feet over his legs.
He turns some game on, and my brows furrow, having never seen him interested in sports. Usually, we watch chick flicks and do facials while here or girly stuff. Well, mainly, Alisha forces us to do girly stuff, and we become her personal dolls.
“Since when do you like football?” I ask him.
“Since always,” he laughs. “Why?”
I shrug, turning my attention back to the game playing.
It’s taken a couple of hours, but eventually Alisha arrives, letting herself in with her spare keys, a bag tossed over her shoulder.
“I bought pizza because I am a good best friend,” she calls, dumping the duffle bag on Jake’s lap, making him grunt.
“I will take your bag, I guess,” he groans, clutching his balls.
“Her bag. I can’t stay. It will draw too much attention.”
“You’re not staying?” I ask her, and she smiles sadly.
“No, but I will be here every day until the heat dies down.”
“Heat?” I ask her.
“Yeah. Axton shut the borders down; I had to bloody run here,” she tells me, pulling twigs from her hair. “Caught a taxi from Stroud, real bitch carrying that while running.”
“You should have called. I would have come and got you,” Jake tells her, placing the bag in his room.
“Currently, they are looking out the other side of the city. We can’t draw attention to this side for now. Not until you work out what you are going to do,” Alisha says, looking at me pointedly.
“And why are they looking at the other side of the city?” I ask her.
“I may have paid a rogue five hundred dollars to wear your bloody clothes you arrived in at the hospital and jump on a train. Some little birdie called it in as an anonymous tip,” she says, handing me a pizza box.
I chuckle. “Yeah, it means I can’t stay here long. Dad will no doubt tell him where I am eventually,” I tell her with a sigh, knowing I will have to move on faster than I thought.
“Yeah, that isn’t happening,” she tells me, dropping onto the couch behind me.
