Laura
I had no idea Jake was also on leaving the room. I heard when he went into the room, he wasn't so gentle with the door and I thought he would be asleep already. My heart practically jumped into my throat when I saw him there, standing so close, his presence overwhelming the narrow hallway.
"Sorry," I quickly muttered, my voice sharper than I intended. My nerves were still rattled from the outburst we had earlier, and running into him like that didn't help. I could barely meet his eyes before I quickly stepped back, trying to put some distance between us. He didn't say anything, didn't even acknowledge me. He just brushed past me, his jaw set in that hard, unreadable expression I'd grown so used to.
I watched him head back to the living room, where he resumed his obsessive attempts to get a signal on his phone. I knew it was pointless, but I also knew there was no stopping him when he was like this, single-minded, determined, and probably angrier than ever. I sighed and followed him into the living room, though I kept my distance this time. I didn't need another confrontation, not after everything that had already happened tonight.
Jake sat down on the couch, staring at his phone as if sheer willpower would somehow make it work. I sat on the opposite end of the room, quietly watching him, but trying not to make it obvious. The air between us felt tense, like something unspoken was hanging over us, waiting to snap.
He set his phone down for a moment, and then started to set up the TV, once he was done, he picked up the remote, and turned on the TV. I wanted to tell him not to, I've tried something like that before and it didn't end well. Jackson had looked at me with fury in his eyes before a heavy slap landed on my face. I was close to passing out that day. I would have. But I knew he wouldn't try to save me so I had to call my senses back…
I watched Jake out of the corner of my eye as he tried to find something to occupy himself with, but the second he pressed the power button, there was a loud, sudden pop. The screen went black, and a couple of the lights in the room flickered and died, plunging us into near darkness.
I held my breath, waiting for the inevitable explosion of anger. The last thing we needed was for the power to start acting up too. I could feel my muscles tense, bracing myself for whatever came next. Surprisingly, though, Jake didn't say a word. He just sat there, staring at the dead TV, his expression unreadable in the dim light.
I needed to get out of there, to escape the oppressive tension in the air. My stomach growled softly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything since the small lunch hours ago. With everything that had happened, I hadn't even thought about food. Now, though, the hunger was gnawing at me, and I welcomed the distraction.
"I'll…uh, check the kitchen. Maybe there's something to eat," I said softly, more to fill the silence than anything else. Jake didn't respond. He didn't even look up. I didn't expect anything different. I took his non-reaction as permission and slipped into the small kitchen, trying to keep myself busy.
The fridge was nearly empty, but there were a few odds and ends I could work with. Some bread, a couple of eggs, cheese, and a few vegetables. Not much, but I could make do. I started throwing together a quick meal, focusing on the task to keep my mind from spiraling. My hands moved almost on autopilot as I cooked, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Jake, how everything between us had spiraled out of control so fast.
I should've been angry at him, but all I felt was exhaustion. Three months of working together, and while I'd managed to get used to his grumpy, borderline rude behavior, tonight had been different. Something had snapped between us, and now I wasn't sure how to fix it. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to.
When the food was done, I hesitated for a moment before grabbing two plates and bringing them back into the living room. Jake hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. He was still staring blankly ahead, his phone now abandoned on the coffee table. I set the plate down in front of him.
"Here. It's not much, but it's better than nothing," I said, trying to sound casual. I half expected him to ignore me again, or worse, snap at me, but to my surprise, he glanced down at the plate. His jaw clenched, and for a second, I thought he was going to refuse it. He sat there, staring at the food like it was some sort of challenge.
"You don't have to eat it, maybe I'd just eat it in the morning before we leave. After all I would be needing all the strength I can get for the day's work." I said quickly, intentionally baiting him to say something but he didn't fall for it.
He didn't say anything, but after a long, uncomfortable pause, he finally reached for the plate. He took a bite, still not looking at me, but I saw the slightest hint of a nod in my direction. That was as close to a thank you as I was going to get from him, and coming from him, that was such a huge gesture.
We ate in an uncomfortable silence, both of us pretending to be focused on our food, though I could feel the tension between us still hanging thick in the air. Every few minutes, I found myself sneaking glances at him. I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but I couldn't help it. Maybe I was hoping for some kind of acknowledgment, some sign that we were both still human under all this anger and frustration.
But every time I glanced at him, he was still just Jake, quiet, brooding, and distant. And yet… there was something else. I could feel his eyes on me too, every so often. Quick, subtle glances that he quickly hid the moment I looked back. It was strange, this unspoken dance we were doing, as if neither of us wanted to admit we were even noticing the other.
The silence dragged on, almost unbearable in its weight. I finished my food quickly, setting the plate aside, and tried to focus on anything but the man sitting across from me. But it was hard, hard not to think about the day, the fight, the way he'd looked at me when I screamed at him in the car. Everything had gone so wrong so fast, and I wasn't sure if there was any going back to the way things were before.
I disrespected him and while it felt good that I was finally able to stand up to him again, I felt bad. I'm not that kind of person. He's my boss and though grumpy and annoying, he still deserves to be treated like a boss.
Maybe I went over the line a little bit but he caused it. He pushed me to the wall and he had a taste of what happens when people are overbearing.
"I think it needed more seasoning…" he finally let out while I rolled my eyes.
"I think the word you're looking for is thank you for the food. I would have starved throughout the night." I replied him sharply and I saw his mouth curve into a furrow.
He was about to give me a deepening response but before he could say a word, a loud crack of thunder suddenly echoed through the cabin, so loud that it felt like the whole building shook.
I jumped, my heart racing as the noise reverberated through the room. I tried to steady my breathing, but before I could calm myself, another thunderclap boomed, even louder than the first.
Instinctively, I moved. I didn't even realize what I was doing until I felt my body press against Jake's side. My hand reached out, grabbing onto his arm tightly, holding on like he was the only thing keeping me grounded.
"Sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the sound of the storm outside. I wasn't sure if I was apologizing for the touch, for the fear, or for everything that had happened. Maybe it was all of it. But I couldn't let go. I was terrified of the storm, of the memories it stirred up, of everything.
I felt Jake's body tense under my grip, but he didn't pull away. He didn't say anything either, but I could feel his gaze on me, heavy and unreadable. Another clap of thunder shook the cabin, and I instinctively held on even tighter, my knuckles turning white as I squeezed his arm.
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the storm, the memories, the fear. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the feeling that something was about to change, something I wasn't ready for…