23. Marcus
T hings with Chloe seem to be going from strength to strength, and in an effort not to sound like a love-sick teenage girl, I really couldn’t be happier.
When it’s just the two of us, in our own little bubble, everything is surprisingly easy. Gone are the days where I worried about how I’d cope sharing my space with someone else. Living with Chloe is simple, almost like we’ve been doing it forever.
The issues start whenever we’re forced to leave our bubble and confront the harshness of reality.
I’m very aware that I’ve created this little fantasy world with her where everything is great, and we can ride off into the sunset without any issues, but it’s a fucking fantasy. Reality is much harder.
Whenever we’re forced to interact with her family, and I have to pretend she means nothing to me, it drives me crazy.
To hear her family plan her wedding to another man makes my blood run cold, and the urge to murder people grows with each passing second.
I also hate what it does to Chloe. The whole time she’s been with me, I’ve watched her grow. I’ve chipped away at the carefully constructed facade her parents helped mould, and I’ve watched her slowly find the real Chloe.
She laughs more now than ever before, and when she smiles, there’s nothing fake about it. I love being the one to put that smile on her face, and in return, she makes me feel lighter and freer than I have in a long time.
We were both raised with heavy responsibilities on our shoulders. I’ve always known ruling would be my end game, and I spent my whole life training for it, even though it wasn’t necessarily my choice. My father raised me to follow in his footsteps, and that included believing that all his decisions were the correct ones.
Whereas, Chloe knew her role would be to strengthen her family’s connections through marriage, and her parents have raised her to be the perfect wife and mother to a person of their choosing. Her right to make her own decisions was taken from her at birth, and she didn’t think she could question it.
While I forced Chloe to think about what she wanted, in turn, it made me do the same. Maintaining the peace treaty and ruling Blackthorn to the best of my abilities has been my only goal in life, and it took me far too long to realise my father created that goal for me.
Of course, I want to keep Blackthorn safe. They’re the people that I rule, and I care about their safety and wellbeing, but I didn’t realise until I fell for Chloe how much I’ve given up to make that happen.
Since I asked her to look deeper, I did the same.
That’s when I realised I was faced with an awful dilemma. If I choose to be with Chloe, I put the people I’m duty-bound to protect at risk, as the peace treaty would be in jeopardy, and that could lead to war. But if I choose the people instead, I’d have to give up the only thing I’ve ever really chosen for myself—Chloe.
I may not have told her yet, but it’s strikingly obvious to me that I’m falling in love with her. I probably have been for a while.
I knew when we started having sex that it’d be a slippery slope, but there’s a good chance I was in too deep before I even touched her.
She’s all I want, and now that I’ve had her, I don’t want to let her go—I can’t. So now I just need to find a way to stop the world from going to shit.
I managed to get us both out of going to the next two family dinners. After the stress of the last one, I didn’t want to put Chloe, or myself, through that again.
Naturally, her parents were pissed, and her father tried to argue with me, stating I was breaking the rules of the bet. I was quick to point out he didn’t care much for the rules when he whisked his wife away on holiday and missed two weeks.
I made up a lie that I was extra busy with work, since I am doing the job of two while Jake is in rehab.
Pulling on his guilt helped, though I did feel bad about using Jake as an excuse. But it worked as I intended, and they reluctantly agreed to us missing the lunches.
However, since I’m not that lucky, I had to agree to Chloe doing two short check-ins via video call. Chloe wasn’t happy about this, but since she knew she could hang up on them if things got to be too much, she agreed.
I made sure to stress that the check-ins would be with her parents only. If I got word of Scott trying to use them to contact Chloe—which is in breach of the bet, I reminded them—I would end the call. They agreed, and we didn’t hear from the shit-stain for two blissful weeks.
As the weekend of our seventh week approached, I could tell Chloe was becoming more anxious. I’ve stopped looking at us as being on the clock, as I know when the sixty days are up, I won’t be giving her back. I’ve told Chloe as much, and even though she smiles and tells me she believes me, I can see her hesitancy.
It’s not that she doesn’t trust me, it’s that she believes something will go wrong. She wants to stay here with me, and she’s said as much, but there’s a part of her that’s waiting for everything to go to shit, forcing her back to her old life.
I’ve stopped telling her that won’t happen, I’m just going to show her. There’s no way I’m letting her go without a fight, and nobody will want to take me on. A man fighting for the only important thing in his life is the most dangerous of all, as he knows what he’s got to lose.
When Miles strolls in on Saturday morning with a strange look on his face, I’m on edge. He sits down with us for breakfast, and we both know something is off, he’s being far too quiet.
I take the approach that always seems to work—I wait.
After about ten minutes, Miles lets out a long dramatic sigh.
“Are you both busy today?”
Chloe looks at me, trying to see if I know what’s wrong with Miles, and I shrug my shoulders.
“I’ve got some work to catch up on, and Chloe’s practising her cake decorating. Why?”
His face scrunches into a wince. “It’s family day at Jacob’s rehab, and he’s allowed visitors. He initially said he didn’t want to see anyone just yet, but now he’s changed his mind, and he’d like to see you both. ”
Chloe and I have matching looks of shock on our faces, and I’m the one to voice what I’m sure we’re both thinking. “You’ve stayed in contact with Jake?”
Miles nods his head, refusing to make eye contact.
“When I dropped him off, the doctor said he would be cut off from the outside world, as that’s usually the best way to handle the initial detox. But they always ask for a family contact person. Initially, it’s just the doctor who keeps them updated, but when the patient is well enough, they can call their contact too, but only them.
“Jacob wasn’t sure who to put as his contact person. He thought of you, Chloe, but he didn’t want you to see him at his worst. Same goes for you, Marcus. He couldn’t bear the thought of talking to his parents, for obvious reasons. So, in the end, he asked if he could put me down.”
“And you said yes?”
Obviously he did, but I can’t help phrasing it as a question.
Miles nods, the hint of a smile on his face now. “I didn’t want to at first, but Jacob can be quite insistent. He wanted someone he knew could handle seeing him at his worst, but who wouldn’t cave to his demands, and he had a lot of them,” Miles laughs, before continuing.
“When he was going through his roughest patch, he’d call me several times a day. Mostly begging me to break him out, or to bring him things he was sure he needed. When I refused, he’d call just to shout, swear, and get angry at me, but then things changed. I could hear him starting to get better.”
A rogue tear slides down Chloe’s cheek and she tries to swipe it away, but I saw it.
“He’s better?” she asks, her voice thick with emotion.
Miles raises his gaze to meet hers, giving her a small smile. “He’s better than he was. He still has a way to go, but he’s over the worst of it. He could come home and start a community program, but he’s volunteered to stay there a little longer. Just until he feels strong enough to deal with the real world.”
“But he’s well enough to see us?” I ask.
Miles nods. “I think so. The doctor agrees. Jacob is a little more hesitant, but that’s just because he has a lot to work through, and some of that involves the two of you. But as both me and his doctor reminded him, he won’t know if he’s capable of doing it unless he tries. So, can you both come?”
I look over at Chloe, who is already nodding her head rapidly. She then glances over at me, her eyes pleading.
“Can you spare the time away from work to come?”
I reach over and grab her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Of course. Nothing is more important than this.”
Just over half an hour later, we’re in the car, making the journey to Jake’s rehab centre. It’s a small, private facility out in the countryside, so we have to drive for close to an hour to get there.
I use the time to mentally prepare for what we might be walking into, whereas Chloe uses the drive to get more and more anxious.
She fidgets constantly, drumming her hand on her thigh, shuffling in her seat, not able to sit still. Eventually, when she’s almost driven me mad, I reach over, unfasten her seat belt, and pull her over to me. She curls up by my side, resting her head on my chest as I wrap my arms around her.
We don’t say anything, as I know she doesn’t want to hear false platitudes, so I just stroke her hair and comfort her the best way I can. I just hope like hell Miles has read the situation correctly and we’re not visiting him too soon.
From the small amount of research I’ve done, people can detox in a month, but the road to true recovery is much longer. Getting free of the substances is almost the easy part.
Looking at why people use in the first place, and making enough changes to stop them from using again when they’re back in their real life, that’s the hard part.
Jacob has never spoken to me about the catalyst that made him fall off the deep end. I’m not even sure if there was just one, or if it was a series of things that snowballed. I’ve tried looking back, to see if I could tell when he started becoming wilder, but I honestly can’t pinpoint any specific time.
Maybe he’s just been losing control for so long, I can’t remember a time when he didn’t drink or do drugs?
Then again, he wasn’t like this when we were teenagers, so something must have changed. The more I think about it, the worse I feel about myself. What kind of shit friend doesn’t notice their best friend slowly falling into the darkness?
Don’t make this about you, arsehole , I remind myself. This is about Jake, you can berate yourself another time.
Fuck, my mind really can be brutal sometimes, but it’s not wrong. I’m here for Jake, and to support Chloe. It’s time for me to be the friend I should have been all along.
As we arrive at the facility, with the exception of all the security we have to pass, I’m shocked by how normal the place looks. It’s a large manor house, and seems more like a home than a healthcare facility. Though if you look closely, there are a few giveaways.
The old-fashioned windows have bars over them, painted white so as to not detract from their beauty. All of the doors have locks on them, along with magnetic strips that appear to be for key cards.
It’s eerily quiet, and we don’t see another person until after Miles has parked the car, and he takes us to what looks to be a white security hut. There’s a glass window with a two-way speaker in the middle, and behind the person who is sitting waiting for us, I can see several security monitors showing the various CCTV streams.
Miles steps towards the microphone. “Hello, Doris. It’s lovely to see you again. Are you having a good day?” he says, far more chirpy than he was in the car.
The older lady with tight curls all over her head gives him a bright smile. “My day always gets better when I see you.”
Miles laughs, winking at her as her cheeks flush.
“You flatter me. I’m here to see Jacob, and I’ve got the two visitors with me that I told you about.”
Doris turns her attention to me and Chloe, and she’s much less friendly with us. Her assessing gaze turns into more of a glare when she gets to me. Although she’s staring at me, she talks to Miles.
“Have you made them aware of the security protocols?”
“Of course, Doris. You know me.”
Miles went over the very extensive rules that the place has when we were in the car. We both listened intently, making sure we do right by Jake.
“Do they have anything that will need to be stored?” she asks.
“Our electronics. Marcus is wearing a belt, and Chloe will give over her bag too,” Miles states, pointing to us as he does.
Doris glares at me, her gaze dropping to my jeans, and for just a second, I worry she’s staring at my junk, until Miles elbows me.
“Take off your damn belt.”
“Oh shit, sorry.”
I’d literally just heard him say that, but clearly my brain isn’t functioning correctly.
We had to agree to hand over all electronic devices, and anything that could be seen as a weapon, or could be used by someone to harm themselves.
Doris opens a large hatch beneath the window. “Slide everything into the hatch.”
Miles grabs Chloe’s bag from her, and I hand over my phone, wallet, and belt. Miles adds his own things into the hatch, as he says, “Done.”
Doris glares at each of us again, though her expression does soften more for Chloe and Miles. She then does a quick double take back to Chloe.
“Turn around.”
When Chloe doesn’t move straight away, Miles gently pushes her to spin around. As soon as her back is to Doris, she shouts for her to stop.
“I’ll need the hair grip. ”
Chloe turns around, looking confused. “What?”
Doris rolls her eyes, growing inpatient. “The clip that’s in your hair. I will need to take it.”
Chloe shakes her head. “How the hell can a hair clip be used as a weapon?”
“You’d be amazed by what I’ve seen,” Doris replies.
Before Chloe can reply, Miles reaches up and unclips her hair. “Just hand it over, then we can get in and see Jake.”
At the mention of her brother, Chloe backs down, though I can see she’s not thrilled with Doris’ less than friendly approach. Doris turns back to Miles and slides a clipboard into the hatch.
“Fill in the paperwork as always.”
Miles quickly fills it in, adding both mine and Chloe’s information, so we don’t have to. He slides the clipboard back to Doris, who inspects the paperwork closely. After a few minutes of silence, a loud buzzer sounds and the side gate slowly begins to open.
“Follow the rules, or you’re out. Give Jacob my best, Miles,” she adds, in a much more friendly tone than the stern one she initially used.
Miles blows her a kiss as he practically pushes us through the door.
“Well, she’s a treat,” I grumble, earning a laugh from Miles.
“She’s actually fairly sweet, when you get to know her.”
I’m about to argue when Miles drags us both towards the entrance to the large house, where we’re greeted by a middle aged woman in a nurse uniform. She has a kind smile, and she waves at Miles, calling him over.
“Good to see you again, Miles. How have you been?”
Miles reaches out and shakes her hand, giving her a bright smile back. “Same old, Jane. Thanks for asking. I brought Chloe and Marcus, as discussed. How’s Jake doing?”
Jane smiles at us both, holding her hand out for both Chloe and myself to shake in turn.
“I’m so glad you could both be here. Jacob will be pleased to see you. He’s doing good, if not a little nervous.”
“How’s he getting on with the new nausea medication?” Miles asks, and both Chloe and I look at each other in bewilderment.
It’s very clear Miles has been here a lot, and more than that, he knows enough about Jake’s treatment plan to ask questions about the side effects of his medications.
It fucking obvious Miles has been keeping a lot from me, from us both, and I very much intend on quizzing him about this later. For now, he gets a pass while we visit Jake.
“He’s actually not needing any nausea meds anymore, which is great,” Jane replies, before turning to face me and Chloe again. “Before I take you to see Jacob, do you have any questions?”
I look over at Chloe, who looks just as startled by the question as I am.
“Should we have some?” I ask pensively.
Jane chuckles. “No, not at all. Some people are apprehensive the first time they visit someone here. They have questions about what they should or shouldn’t say, things like that. Miles spent almost an hour with me on his first visit, making sure he wouldn’t say or do the wrong thing to set Jacob back in his progress. I’m assuming he’s filled you in on all that, so you don’t have the same worries.”
I look over at my friend, his cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as he purposely tries to avoid meeting my gaze. Chloe shuffles from one foot to the other, looking more nervous as she replies to Jane.
“Is there anything specific we should avoid saying to him?”
Jane shakes her head. “What we usually say is just let Jacob guide the conversation. Don’t ask too many questions, and if he doesn’t choose to answer one you ask him, please respect that. He’s working through a lot of psychological treatments, but he still has a way to go. We’ve talked extensively about what he’d like to say to you both today, so I suspect, if you let him lead the conversation, you will be fine.”
“Thank you,” Chloe says, letting out a breath as she does.
“Miles, can you lead the way, or would you like me to escort you?”
“I’ll take us. Thank you, Jane,” Miles replies, and Jane waves as she walks away.
As we walk down the corridor, Chloe takes hold of my hand. “I’m nervous. What if seeing us does more harm than good?”
“It won’t,” both Miles and I reply at the same time.
Miles stops in front of a door that says Family Room on the tag.
“I know this feels weird, and Jane has already told you how hard I found the first visit, but it’s still the same Jake. Let him lead, and it’ll be fine. If he’s not happy, he’ll ask you to leave.”
I narrow my gaze at my friend. “Has he kicked you out before?”
Miles chuckles, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. “A fair few times. So you have nothing to worry about.”
Without saying anything more, Miles opens the door and steps inside. I give Chloe’s hand a squeeze before letting go, ushering her into the room before me.
While the room has a clinical feel to it, with white walls and the sterile smell you associate with hospitals, they’ve added a few personal touches to make it seem homely.
To the left of the room there’s a long wooden table with six chairs around it, a water jug and empty plastic cups in the centre. Along the right wall there’s a bright green sofa, with two matching arm chairs arranged beside it, making it into a U shape, with a low coffee table in the middle.
Other than a couple of landscape paintings on the wall, what looks to be a coffee machine against the wall beside me, and a TV in the corner, the room is almost empty.
Jake is sitting on one of the six chairs around the table, his fingers tapping on the surface until he sees us walk in. At first, he looks a little nervous, but as soon as his gaze lands on Chloe, he brightens up, smiling at her.
I don’t know what I expected, but he looks better than I’ve seen him in a long time. Although he’s a little pale, and appears to have lost some weight, he has regained some of his muscle definition.
His brown hair looks clean and soft again, and there’s no dark circles under his eyes.
I can’t remember the last time I saw him and he didn’t have sunken cheeks and hauntingly blank eyes. Now his face has rounded out, and there’s life in his chocolate eyes again.
I can’t help but smile at how much he looks like the friend I remember.
“Thank you for coming,” Jake says softly as he stands.
Chloe sniffles, and I don’t have to look at her to know she’s crying.
“Can I hug you?” she whimpers.
When Jake holds his arms open, she launches herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him as he catches her. Chloe sobs loudly as she tells her brother how much she’s missed him, and I see the tears sliding down Jake's face too.
I almost feel like I’m invading a personal moment between them, so when Miles goes over to the coffee machine, I join him. Although I don’t help him or speak, having my back to them, giving them the alone time they clearly need, makes me feel better.
When Miles has made coffee for us all, we turn back to the dining table, taking two cups each. Jake and Chloe pull apart as we put the cups down on the table.
Jake and Chloe take their seats at one side, her hand still firmly in his, and Miles and I take two seats opposite.
We each take sips of our drinks, silence filling the room, all of us waiting for someone to be the first to speak. I’m surprised when it’s Miles who addresses Jake first.
“How’ve you been? Jane says the nausea has gone.”
Jake nods, giving Miles a bright smile. “I’m good. So fucking glad the nausea has finally gone, I can eat a bit more now.”
“Anything special you want me to bring now you can eat more?”
Jake’s eyes widen as he nods, looking like a kid in a sweet shop.
“Nutella. I’ve been craving it, but the thought of eating any sort of chocolate has made me sick. Now that’s gone, I want to try it.”
“I can do that. I’ll bring you some next time.”
“Thank you,” Jacob replies, his gaze fixed on Miles in a way I’ve not seen before, and he almost seems shy about it.
“I’ve missed you,” Chloe says, breaking the tension that seems to have been growing as Miles and Jake look at each other.
Jake turns to his sister, a sad smile on his face.
“I’ve missed you too. It’s been really rough in here, I’m not going to lie. For a long time I hated it, and I hated all of you for making me be here.
“I didn’t want to get better, far from it, but I think if I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t have lived for very long.”
“Don’t say that,” Chloe sobs, and Jake pulls her into his side, wrapping his arm around her in comfort.
“It’s not nice to hear, but it’s the truth. Being here has forced me to look at my life in a way I never have before. The drink and the drugs were what I turned to so that I could block out the bigger issues. They were my crutch, and without them, I had to confront the reasons that made me use in the first place,” Jake explains, taking a sip of his coffee as Chloe pulls out of his hug.
“I bet that’s hard.”
I can hear what Chloe isn’t saying—she knows better than anyone what it means to hide from her demons, acting out as a way to avoid dealing.
“It is. Identifying what my issues are was tough, but actually working through them has been harder. Part of healing involves facing the people who have been hurt through my addiction, and that’s why I wanted you both to come today.”
“You didn’t hurt?—”
Before Chloe can finish, he raises his hand to cut her off.
“Please, just listen to me. My addiction may have hurt me physically and emotionally, but it would be selfish of me not to acknowledge the way it’s affected all of you. The person I was, whilst under the influence, was not great. I wasn’t a good brother, or a good friend.”
Jake looks at me and Miles as he says the word friend, and when neither of us challenge him, he gives us a tight smile.
He then turns in his seat to face Chloe, and I feel Miles stiffen beside me, like he knows what’s about to happen. I lean forward, on edge, ready to protect Chloe if she needs me.
“Chloe, while I’ve been doing my therapy sessions, they’ve been forcing me to look at my behaviour, and how I was around others. I knew you’d started acting out, drinking more, sleeping around, generally displaying destructive behaviour, but I was too caught up in my own issues to care.
“I remember thinking, I wonder why you’re behaving like that, but then I’d take drugs and forget all about it. I know that makes me the shittest brother in the world, and I want you to know how sorry I am.”
A tear rolls down Jake’s cheek as he apologises, and Chloe leans over to wipe it away with her thumb.
“You don’t need to apologise. You had your own stuff to worry about,” she says, but he shakes his head, giving her a fierce glare.
“That’s not an excuse. You clearly had stuff going on, but still found the time to take care of me.”
“It’s in the past,” Chloe replies, waving her hand dismissively.
Jake’s expression turns sad. “It’s not in the past, but you do seem better lately,” he says, looking over at me. “I guess, I have you to thank for that.”
I smile at my friend, not really sure what to say.
“She’s doing much better than she was.” It’s the truth, but it doesn’t betray any of the trust Chloe placed in me.
Jake turns back to his sister, grabbing her other hand now too. “I want to be a better brother, so when the time comes that you feel comfortable enough to tell me what happened, I’ll be here to listen. I’ll do whatever it takes to prove you can trust me.”
“It’s not about trust, Jake,” Chloe says, sounding so lost and sad.
I want nothing more than to reach over and pull her onto my lap, but she needs to do this with Jake. I can hold her later.
“It is, Chloe. It’s about you trusting me with your secret, knowing I won’t be selfish, and will help you.”
Chloe turns to me, and I can see the confusion on her face, but there’s longing there too. She wants to trust her brother, to believe all the things he’s saying.
“You don’t know until you try,” I tell her, reminding her that she has to give people a chance to be there for her.
Chloe lets out a long sigh and looks down at the table. I can see her trembling from across the table, but Jake keeps hold of her hand, supporting her.
As Chloe opens up, telling Jacob her biggest secret, I watch it play out over the table.
She starts with the date she went on, and when Jacob finds out who she means, the rage in his eyes is barely controlled. It worsens when she tells him about the days he kept her kidnapped .
Although she glosses over the details of what happened in those two days, like she did with me, she uses the word rape , and I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the gut, so I can only imagine how Jake feels.
He keeps hold of her hands, giving her his full attention, even when they both have tears streaming down their faces. And when she finishes, he pulls her in for a hug that seems to last for ages, but they both need it.
As the siblings hold each other, Miles leans over to me, whispering in my ear, so that only I can hear. “Did you know about all of that?”
I turn and give him a stern nod, trying to keep my expression as neutral as I can.
“She told me a while ago, before anything happened between us.”
“I’m assuming we’re killing him?” he growls, looking just as furious as I feel.
I’m sure the sadistic grin that spreads across my face is almost maniacal, but I don’t care.
“He’ll be wishing for death when we’re done with him.”
Miles’ sadistic smile matches mine, reminding me why we’ve been friends for so long. “I’m in.”
I give him a short laugh. “I assumed you would be.”
Whilst Miles appears friendly and easy going, and often has a smile on his face compared to my scowl, if you’ve wronged him, or anyone he cares about, he’s a sadistic son of a bitch, and won’t hesitate to get his hands dirty to get his revenge.
I hear my name being mentioned by Jake as he talks to Chloe, and it pulls me back to their conversation.
“We don’t have long left in this visit, and I’d really like to talk to Marcus about work stuff. Are you okay giving us five minutes alone? Miles can show you around a little, if you’d like?”
Chloe nods and smiles at her brother, looking lighter than before she came in here.
“Of course. Do you promise you’re going to be okay? I don’t want what I’ve told you to set you back.”
Jake shakes his head vigorously. “No, I promise you, that won’t happen. I’m stronger now, and I’m glad you told me. I’m just sorry you couldn’t tell me before.”
“It’s okay.”
Her voice is small, and we all know she doesn’t mean it, but it’s nice of her to say that to Jake. Knowing him, he’ll have to live with the guilt of not protecting his sister for a long time, but being in therapy should help.
Miles stands and gestures to Chloe. “Come on, I’ll show you around and tell you all the gossip I’ve learnt about the staff here. ”
Chloe links her arm through Miles as he leads her to the exit. She turns to face me, giving me a soft smile. “I’ll see you soon.”
As soon as the door closes behind them, I turn to see the solemn face of my friend.
“Did you know?” he asks, his voice thick with emotion.
I shake my head. “No. I knew something was going on with her, but it took her a while to open up to me.”
“You better be able to tell me the arsehole is dead already,” he snarls, balling his hands into fists on the table.
I let out a long sigh. “Sadly, no. I have a plan, but executing it has not been easy. His family is protected by yours, and while your father is in charge, in your absence, there’s not much I can do.
“I asked Caleb for permission to punish him, but without going into details about his crime, which I can’t do as Chloe asked me not to tell anyone, he refused.
“If I were to take him out, without Santoro permission, it would be in breech of the peace treaty,” I explain, sounding just as fucking frustrated as I feel.
Jacob bangs his fist on the table.
“Fuck my father. You have my permission. You won’t be breaking the treaty, just deal with him.”
“I wish it were that simple, Jake, but until you get out of here, Caleb is calling the shots, and he’s made that very fucking clear to both me and my father.”
“I don’t give a shit. I’ll back you up with my father, if it comes to that. I just can't bear knowing he’s breathing for another day,” Jake pleads, his voice breaking at the end.
“Okay, we’ll take care of it. But it won’t be a quick or easy death. He made her suffer for two days, and I intend on repaying that back to him,” I snarl, anger coursing through my veins at the thought of what the sick bastard put my girl through.
“Good.” Jake smiles. “Now, tell me what’s going on with you and Chloe.”
I groan, running my hand over my face. “You’ve had a lot of information thrown at you today. I’m not sure this is the best time to have this discussion.”
“So there is a discussion to be had?” he probes, glaring at me with his brows raised.
“Jake,” I warn him.
If he keeps tugging on this thread, I’m not sure he’s going to like what he finds on the other end.
Jake lets out a loud sigh, running his fingers through his hair, making it stick up at all angles.
“Look, I’m not an idiot. I see the way she looks at you, how she’s always looked at you.
“I may have been high most of the time, but I noticed there was something going on with her, even if I ignored it. I’ve also seen a change in her since she came to live with you… A change for the better, and I can’t deny that.”
“I know there’s a lot of reasons why we shouldn’t, my friendship with you being one of them, but we are together.”
My chest almost feels lighter now I’ve admitted it. I think this might be the first time I’ve said the words aloud, and it feels right.
“Together, together? As in, it’s more than just…sex?” He shivers at the last part, cringing as he asks about his sister's sex life.
I chuckle. “I really like her, Jake. It’s not just about sex. I know you’re going to say we can’t be together—a lot of people will say that—but I don’t care. I really like her, and I’m not giving her up. She’s mine, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her.”
His chocolate eyes narrow as he assesses me, the silence between us growing more tense until he finally sighs.
“I’ve never seen you be serious about a girl. I can’t even remember the last time you had a relationship.”
“I’ve never had one. I’ve never wanted one before, then Chloe happened,” I admit, unable to keep the smile off my face when I think about her.
“Look, I’m not thrilled by the idea, but I’m not against it. I see how happy you make her, and there’s nobody I trust to protect her more than you. So, not that you need it, but you have my blessing.”
“Thank you,” I say, hoping my voice shows just how grateful I am for his words. “I’m just not sure your blessing will be enough.”
Jake’s brow furrows as my smile turns to a scowl. “What do you mean?”
“When people find out about us, it’s not going to go down well. Your parents will be furious, as will Scott and the Caprillos. What I’ve done goes against the rules set out in our bet, but more than that, I’m in breach of the peace treaty. By choosing Chloe, I could start a war between our two families.”
As I voice the worry that’s been on my mind since I first decided I was going to keep Chloe, Jacob grows more pensive and then angry.
“Look, I can’t say exactly what will happen if the news gets out while I’m still in here, but if you can hold off telling anyone until I’m out, then I’ll support you. There’s no way I’d allow our families to go to war over this. I’ll stand by you as much as I can.”
“I knew you’d be a good leader one day,” I tell him, and he waves his hand at me, not wanting to hear the compliment .
“Promise me, you’ll look after her,” Jake says as he stands and rounds the table towards me.
“With my life,” I reply, pulling him in for a hug.
“I’m glad you have each other. You both deserve to be happy,” he tells me, patting me on the back.
I pull away, fixing him with a look that he can’t turn away from.
“So do you. I’m proud of you for taking care of yourself. You deserve happiness too.”
He lets out a small sigh as he nods. “I’m starting to finally believe that.”
We head out of the family room and find Miles and Chloe waiting nearby. We all say our goodbyes, and it feels sad to leave Jake behind, but he’s clearly in the right place.
Miles says he’ll meet us at the car after he’s walked Jake back to his room, so Chloe and I make our way outside, choosing not to comment on how much their friendship seems to have changed recently. I’m glad they’re finally becoming friends again.
Once we get to the car, I spin Chloe around, pinning her against the door with my body. I lean down to capture her lips with mine, kissing her the way I’ve wanted to for the last hour.
As I pull back, I give her a bright smile as I keep my gaze on her.
“I’m so proud of you. I know today wasn’t easy, seeing Jake here like this, or telling him your secret, but you were really brave.”
She reaches up to wipe a stray tear off her cheek. “I’m worried I overloaded him with information at a time when he’s fragile. What if I set his healing back?”
I reach up and take both her cheeks in my hand, smoothing my thumbs under her eyes.
“I spoke to him afterwards, remember? You haven’t set his healing back. If anything, you’ve made him stronger. He said that if we keep our relationship a secret until he’s out of here, then when he’s back as the Santoro leader, he’ll support us.”
Her eyes widen as her mouth falls open. “Does that mean I won’t have to marry Scott?”
I smile and nod. “Exactly, but there’s so much more. If he condones our relationship, it means I’m not breaching the peace treaty, or breaking the terms of the bet. I won’t have to start a war to keep you.
“If his leader has backed our relationship, Scott isn’t allowed to retaliate. Our relationship would be official, and we wouldn’t have to hurt anyone or start a war for it.”
Chloe squeals and jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist when I catch her. She threads her fingers through the hairs at the nape of my neck and presses her lips against mine.
She kisses me with passion and my heart races as she claims me with her mouth, our tongues mingling as one. I meet her kiss, showing her just how much she means to me.
When she pulls back to draw a breath, her smile brightens up her beautiful face. “I can’t believe I finally get to live the life I want, the life I choose.”
“And what do you choose?” I ask, needing to hear the words.
“I choose you. And I couldn’t be happier with my choice.”