Chapter 17: The Confrontation
My head was spinning as I returned home, only to find Jake leaning against the wall by my door.
The hallway was dimly lit, illuminating his face in shadows as he stood with the collar of his black jacket pulled up high.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Olivia and I broke up,” he said, looking down at me with an unreadable
expression.
“What does that have to do with me?” I instinctively stepped back.
jake moved closer, step by step, until he had me cornered in the dark hallway.
Being a head taller than me, he loomed over me, his face half–hidden in shadow. “Alex isn’t right for you. Break up with him.”
“Excuse me?” I stared at him in disbelief.
“I’ve thought about it,” Jake said, brushing my bangs away like he used to. “Autumn, I like you. You like me too. Let’s be together.
“Just like before.”
He spoke with such entitlement that I couldn’t help but laugh incredulously. “Jake, you’re seriously delusional. I don’t like you anymore. I like Alex now.” “Like?” His expression turned mocking. “You’ve only known each other for what, a few weeks? What kind of ‘like‘ could that be?
“Does he understand you? Do you understand him? How long will it take you to get comfortable with each other? Once the novelty wears off, will you still be
together?”
He bent down to envelop my hands in his. “I was wrong before. I didn’t realize I had feelings for you. I’ll make it up to you. We can go back to how we were. You
liked me for so many years–how could you just let go so easily?”
“You’re insane.” I realized there was no reasoning with him. “Let me go or I’m
calling my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend? Alex?” Jake’s mouth curved into an angry smile. “You’ve been
together a few weeks and you’re using him against me?”
He suddenly grabbed both my wrists and pinned them above my head, then roughly pressed his lips against mine. I kept my mouth firmly shut and tried to
1/2
away. Despite my resistance, he wouldn’t stop. I struggled against his grip as he continued his unwanted advance.
I couldn’t breathe, feeling both violated and furious. Tears streamed down my face onto his hand. He jerked back as if burned.
I gritted my teeth and slapped him hard across the face.
Jake didn’t dodge. His head snapped to the side from the impact.
“Jake Fraser, you bastard,” I said through my tears. “What do you think I am, your pet dog? You kick me aside when you’re tired of me, then whistle and expect me to come running back? I’m a person just like you. I had feelings for you, but that
doesn’t make me pathetic.”
“That’s not what I meant,” he said frantically. “I just—”
“I don’t care what you meant,” I cut him off coldly. “This ends our friendship too.”
I hurried upstairs and slammed the door behind me.
Jake didn’t follow, but I knew he hadn’t left either.
I sank down against the door, wanting a cigarette. My hand reached out, then
retracted.
I wanted to quit smoking.
