Page 27 of Unpredictable Flames

“I…” Words failed me. I wanted to say something. Anything that could bridge the gap and heal the wound. But the words felt like they were miles away, stuck in some part of me that was too tired, too much in pain to reach them. So, I just stood there, holding her gaze, hoping she could read in my eyes the apology I couldn't voice.

Finally, she nodded, a small, sad acknowledgment of whatever she saw in me, and then she was gone, disappearing back into the shadows of the hallway.

I was left standing there in the quiet kitchen, clutching a plate of sandwiches in my hand that suddenly seemed too heavy, and a heavy pain in my heart.

“Might as well eat, I guess,” I sighed to myself, grabbing a sandwich off the plate and putting it in my mouth.

With each bite, I mulled over how to bridge the gap. How to make things right again. But the words eluded me, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.

Frustration bubbled up as I reached for my phone, a desperate attempt to find a solution. But as I scrolled through my contacts, I realized that Ali's number wasn't there. I needed to find a way to fix this.

I hurriedly finished my meal and made my way back to the bedroom. I opened my laptop. My fingers danced across the keyboard as I searched for Ali's contact. The familiar pang of guilt gnawed at me. I knew what needed to be done.

The next morning dawned with a sense of purpose in the air. I set out early, the cool morning air blowing against my skin. As I slid into my car, Lily's silhouette caught my eye in the window, and I took a deep breath to calm my nerves…

With a firm nod, I pulled out of the driveway, the engine humming beneath me as I pressed forward, each mile bringing me closer and closer to resolution. Eventually, I found myself parked outside a house.

I let out a puff of air and got out of the car, standing on the lawn with my phone pressed to my ear, heart pounding in my chest as I waited for the call to connect. Each ring felt like an eternity as I nervously tapped my foot against the ground in impatience.

“Hello?” Her voice cut through the uncertainty of that moment.

“Ali, it's me,” I blurted out, relief flooding my veins at the sound of her voice. “I'm outside.”

There was a pause, filled with unspoken questions and doubts. But in that moment, I needed her.

“I'll be right there,” she replied. “We need to talk.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - REKINDLED DEVOTION

Lily’s POV

I couldn’t believe it. The sinking feeling in my stomach twisted with each word I read from Jake’s computer screen— Just Between Us.

Another woman's name, hearts, and kisses. Just before my birthday. How could he?

I didn’t have many friends, and Jake was supposed to be different. He was supposed to be the one who cared. The one I could count on. But now, as I stood at my room door, hearing his door creak open, curiosity burned inside me.

I couldn't help but think back to last night when I stumbled upon Jake in the kitchen, attempting to make a sandwich with one hand. The mess he had created was funny, to say the least, and I had laughed inside as I helped him put together a simple sandwich. In that moment, I had allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, he would try to make things right.

But now, as I watched him leave the house without a word, any hope I had harbored vanished like smoke in the wind. I pressed myself against the wall, hidden behind the curtain, as Jake climbed into his car. Our eyes met for a fleeting moment, and I quickly averted my gaze. My heart squeezed in my chest as he glanced in my direction. I ducked out of sight.

As the sound of his car faded into the distance, I let out a shaky breath, my racing heart gradually slowing to a steady rhythm. With nothing but silence echoing through the house, my thoughts turned to Jake's laptop, sitting innocently on his desk. It called to me like a forbidden treasure, and despite the trembling of my fingers, I couldn't resist its call.

I walked into his room, every step filled with unease. As I opened his laptop, the fear and anticipation of what I might see gripped me like a vice.

I lifted the lid, revealing an unlocked desktop screen. My heart pounded in my ears as I scrolled through the messages, but then I realized Jake had deleted the messages from Ali. But just when I was about to close the laptop again, I noticed a recent message from Jake.

“I have to see you today, meet me at your house at the break of dawn.” — Jake.

My heart sank as I read it over and over again. Anger boiled within me, but beneath it all lay a deep sense of hurt and betrayal. Tears stung my eyes as anger boiled in my chest. How could he do this to me? I wanted to scream, to lash out, but I was frozen in disbelief.

In a fit of rage, I slammed down the laptop screen, and as I was about to walk out of the room, my phone rang. I quickly fished it out of my pocket to see that it was Alissa calling. Suddenly, I had an idea to ask Alissa to let me stay with her and her roommate. I didn’t care if I had to live in her fucking toilet. I was definitely not going to spend another minute in the same house with Jake anymore.

I picked up the phone on the second ring, and Alissa's cheerful voice sliced through the silence, her excitement obvious even through the phone.

“Hey, Lily! Happy birthday!” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious.

“Thanks, Alissa,” I managed to choke out, my voice betraying the upset raging within me.

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