Authors Note: PAULS IN THIS CHAPTER!! WOO!! By the way, this is long. (enjoy)
'Nice isn't it?' Jacob said.
'It's wonderful. Did you seriously fix this up all by yourself?' I asked.
'Yeah, well it's not finished yet. Still have to get it running' he replied.
In front of us was a 1986 classic Rabbit.
'This is your Rabbit?' I asked.
'Well nobody else lives here except Jared and Kim. Kim wouldn't know how to fix a toaster and Jared; well he can't even drive a car, let alone fix one.' He replied.
'Ok, well then it must be yours.' I laughed.
'Yep.' He smiled. He was really cute when he smiled, his face kind of lit up. His beautiful white teeth shined brightly against his tanned skin.
What are you doing Chels? He's probably taken already, and he wouldn't like you anyway. You're a red-head who he picked up on the side of the road. Don't get your hopes up.
'Chelsea? Are you ok?' he asked, just lightly touching my shoulder.
'Yeah, I think the heats just getting to me a bit.' I said, looking up into his dark, chocolate eyes. My insides were melting...
'Ok, well, you'd better come and sit down.' He squeezed my shoulder gently and guided me to the Rabbit. I sat in the passenger seat while he pulled up the bonnet and fiddled with the engine.
'How long have you been working on this?' I asked.
'Around 2 or so years. It took me a while to get some of the parts so that was a setback.'
He stuck his head around the side of the bonnet to check on me. Then he shut it and pulled his shirt off, I suddenly had the urge to squeal. His beautifully defined body was like something from a dream. I started hyperventilating at the site.
'Chels. Are you ok? Geez, this heat must really hit you bad'
'Yeah... the heat' I said dreamily.
He bent down and spread his back across a skateboard looking thing, grabbed some sort of tool and slid under the car. Now it was safe to check that I was 'decent'. My hair was so frizzy, just as I was trying to smooth it down Jacob started talking, more like mumbling to me though.
'Pardon?' I said loudly so he could hear.
He slid out from under the car on his little skateboard thing. There was grease all over his stomach, making it even harder for me to concentrate on what he was saying.
'Why were you on the side of the road when I found you? Did your 'rents kick you out or something?' he asked politely.
'Umm... It's complicated' I replied.
'I'm sure I can keep up. I learn fast.'
'Ok, well. Where do you want me to start?'
'At the very beginning.' He said.
'Well I was born in Hous-'
'No' he butted in 'I mean why did you run away? What happened and how long were you out there on your own?'
'Well, my family was not exactually one of the best you could get.'
'What do you mean?' he asked, he seemed very interested.
'My dad was a cruel man, he used to bash my mum, abuse her. Every time I came home from school she'd have a few more bruises than yesterday.'
He gasped. 'That's horrible'
'It gets worse. He used to come home drunk and scream at her for being a bad mother, and that I deserved better. Mum did everything she could to provide me with a good education and life. Some days she would go without food so she could pay my school fees. I was always a good student and I just kept trying hard to please mum. Dad on the other hand always thought I could do better and that I had to look after them, I never got new clothes or allowance so we could pay the bills.'
Tears started to brim at my eyes.
'I never had it easy; In the end dad went overboard, he made mum cry every night, most nights I'd go to bed with an empty stomach. He started to take his anger out on me.'
I pulled up the bottom of my singlet to show a yellowing bruise on my stomach. Jacob's frown got deeper and he started to shake.
'Jacob are you ok?' I asked.
'What? Yeah. Please continue.' He replied and his body stilled.
'After that I couldn't take anymore. I waited until dad went to work and then I called my Aunt Catherine. She came over and while she was talking to mum I snuck out with my suitcase full of stuff and just walked, I had been walking for about 3 days when I must have fallen asleep on the side of the road and you picked me up.'
'You're kidding. 3 DAYS! How did you survive without food or water?' he asked with a stunned look on his face.
'I raided our spare money tin before I left, there was about a hundred dollars in there and I was living off that until you found me.'
'Was school the only place to get away for you?' he asked, concerned.
'Ummm.... not really, I was teased alot.' I said.
'Why were you teased?'
I pointed up at my curly red hair and gave him a dumb look.
'Oh, well I like red-heads' he said.
Is he blushing, OH MY GOD, he IS, this is so weird, I wonder whether he likes me, or just red heads in general....... god Chels, stop getting your hopes up.
There was a knock on the shed door.
'Come in.' Jacob yelled, ending the awkwardness.
'Oooh, who's your hot ranga Jake?' said the guy who had just walked in.
AHHHHH! The suspense is killing me! Next chapter should be coming in the next few days I PROMISE!