Tangled Love

CHAPTER 52

Ivory motions for me to follow her lead. She begins to move her hips along to the beat, her arms flying above her head. I grin widely at her and mirror her actions, my own body reacting to the music. It feels good to let loose and have fun.

Within moments, I forget about everyone else in the room and it's just Ivory and I. Her infectious smile and crazy dance moves cause me to giggle constantly. Freedom washes over my body as I sing along to the music, swaying my head left to right. My dark curls bounce around me and for the first time in forever, I forget about my troubles.

I forget about Trevor, I forget about Mum. I forget about pain, danger and heartache. For the first time, I'm having fun.

That's when I feel his warm arm snake around my waist from behind. He tucks his head between the crook in my neck, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Dance with me," he murmurs down my ear, the lights in the room dimming completely. I nod my head, the low rumble of his voice causing my insides to clench tightly. Butterflies fill my stomach as I spin around, sucked into the beauty of his eyes. He doesn't make any effort to hide the fact that he's checking me out and his stare causes my body to heat up. His arms snake around my waist and he leans down towards my ear. It makes me shiver.

"You're right," I say, turning to lean closer to him. His scent wraps around me and I breathe it in deeply, missing his warmth. He doesn't respond and I take it as my cue to continue —

"I can't do this without you. I understand why you did what you did. Next time, please talk to me first."

Jake pulls back, guilt filling his eyes. I know he's about to apologise but I shake my head, letting him know it's okay.

"I'm sorry Muffin," he murmurs down my ear, burying his face into my hair and placing a kiss on my neck. I shiver from his touch and he lets out a low chuckle, the sound causing me to smile.

"I was angry. I didn't understand why you won't accept my help. I've been around the gang for years, it doesn't scare me. I know that won't be the same for you, I'm sorry for not putting myself in your shoes. This entire situation is tough and I'm still learning." Jake sighs, pulling back. I can see the distress in his eyes, the struggle of having to know what decision to make. I reach up and place my hand on his cheek, my heart warming.

"One step at a time, yeah?"

He nods, resting his forehead against mine.

"Do you fancy being my partner in crime?" He whispers, lips tugging upwards into a smile. I bite down on my bottom lip to stop my smile from spreading into a huge grin and I nod.

"You bet I do.”

Jake and I end up in his bedroom, shutting out the rest of the party downstairs. I'm sat on his bed, propped up by the numerous cushions. Jake is lying in front of me, his blue eyes watching me carefully. The door suddenly bursts open and a boy and girl run in, the girl giggling hysterically. Jake slowly turns his head, eyes darkening considerably.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?" He asks harshly. The girls eyes widen when she notices Jake and the boy takes a step back, equally as scared.

"Sorry man, I didn't know this was yours, I swear!" He mumbles, eyes dropping to the floor in fear.

"You don't ever come in this room again, got it?" Jake warns him off. The boy nods before scurrying out of the room, the girl right behind him. They both shut the door firmly and a silence falls upon us.

"Why are people so scared of you?" I ask Jake, breaking the silence. He shrugs in response, diverting his eyes away from me.

"I kind of have a reputation, you know?" He says uncertainly, scratching the back of his neck. I narrow my eyes at him, intrigued.

"Reputation for what? What have you done that's so terrible?" I ask him, wanting to know more about him. Of course I know he's part of a gang but what is the main reason people are so terrified at hearing the name, Jake Melvin?

Jake stares at me intently, tilting his head to the side.

"You don't need to know." He replies flatly, shutting himself off.

"You can tell me," I urge him. I want to know him better, I want to know the real Jake. His jaw tenses and his face became emotionless as I venture further into a touchy subject.

"I'm not telling you so drop it," he murmurs quietly, warning me off. I huff at his attitude and cross my arms.

"Idiot." I mumble, looking away from him. I hear him suck in a sharp breath.

"Did you just call me an idiot?" Jake asks in disbelief and I turn back around to face him.

"Yeah, I did." I reply confidently, my eyes challenging him to react.

Jake swiftly moves till he's in front of me. He grabs both my arms, staring straight into my eyes. I hold my head high and look back at him, equally as intense. Moments pass where both of us glare at each other before Jake's eyes soften, lighting up with humour.

His gaze flickers down to my lips before looking back in my eyes and I know he wants to kiss me. I smirk at him, my lips twitching. He shakes his head before dropping my arms.

"Seriously, you're a piece of work." He chuckles, walking away. I grin, jumping off the bed and walk up to him to wrap my arms around his waist.

"Its weird seeing you mad at me." I say truthfully, tilting my head up to meet his. His body tenses and he looked down at me, his eyes now soft and full of sadness.

"I wasn't mad at you. I'm angry at the situation, annoyed that I can't protect you further."

"You're doing a great job so far." I said quietly, looking up into his eyes. Jake pauses, looking down at me questioningly.

"Really?"

I nod, reaching up to press my lips against his. I want to thank him for everything, feel his lips on mine. I miss the feeling of having him close to me, his scent. The way he causes electricity to shoot through my body at a simple touch. Jake returns my kiss, his more intense and passion-fuelled. I gasp as he pulls my lower lip into his mouth, biting them before attacking them hungrily. He pulls back for a second to look at me with passion-filled hooded eyes.

"I forgot to tell you," he whispers, breathing heavily against me.

"You look hot as hell tonight.”