Chapter Six

Laura wasn't talking to Collin. It wasn't that she was angry at him, she was just angry in general. She couldn't get over the way the other girls – Emily and Kim – had treated her. Even Leah, who Collin had always spoken so fondly of, had been a righteous bitch. She didn't know what the hell their problem was, and she didn't really want to find out.

Still, she wasn't talking to Collin. If his friends hated her so much, he'd eventually start to. Past experiences had shown her that friendship sometimes won out over love, especially with guys. Someone better would come along, someone prettier. Well fuck that.

She knew she wouldn't be angry at him long, but for now, she just wanted to be left alone. She wasn't particularly wounded by the other girl's behaviour, more like insanely furious. She didn't want to say anything to Collin that she might regret later, that was all.

Laura took a deep breath and let out a ragged sigh, reaching for the door of the shop. It was her first day. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"You know the door doesn't bite, right?" Jacob asked from behind her, a good natured grin on his face. He reached over her shoulder to pull it open, chest against her back. She wondered what the hell they were putting in the water to make all these boys so damned huge.

"Yeah, I know."

"And you know Collin doesn't bite, right? Emily and Kim do, but Collin only bites when he's asked to." He flashed another grin her way, walking through the door. Didn't hold it open for her. Somehow, his carefree attitude brought a smile to her own face. She pulled the door open and slipped inside.

No one else was there yet, and that suited her just fine. "I'm not worried about Collin's teeth Jake." She didn't know why or how she felt so comfortable talking to a complete stranger, especially one that seemed so close to Emily and Kim, but oh well. Shit happened.

"No you'd probably like it if he bit you." Jake joked back, stripping his clean shirt off in favour of a grease stained one. To her credit, Laura only stared for a second. "Emily got her scars for a reason, Laura. It's not that she hates you, it's just that it's easier to be mean to you. When people around here fall in love or whatever, they get hurt. Take it from me." He slung a friendly arm around her shoulder, squeezing her to his side in a hug.

"Still if you go through life being scared of every little thing, you don't end up living." Laura sighed wistfully, patting Jacob on the back.

He released her, dragging a tool box from a shelf and opening it up. "I know that. That's why I'm not bothering to be mean to you. Collin's gonna do whatever Collin wants to do, unless I tell him not to." Seeing her confused look, he shrugged. "It's a long story. Anyway." He sighed "Just ignore everyone else. It's what I try to do."

"Try to do?"

"Yeah well, when you have as much control as I do, it's hard to pretend they don't exist. I rely on them, they rely on me. We're family. You don't have to like 'em but you have to love 'em."

Thinking of her own family, Laura snorted. "I hear that."

"Yep. So stop taking it out on Collin. He was fucked enough when you left the first time but now that you're here, and ignoring him. It's killing him. So knock it off." Lightly, he cuffed her in the side of the head, before ruffling her hair.

She shot him a vicious glare, complete with dog like growl as she tried to finger comb it back into place. "Yeah, well I'm pissed off right now, so sue me."

"I don't think I'd win that court case." He paused. "Look, Laura. Hate Emily, hate Kim. But don't take your hate on them out on Collin because he doesn't deserve that. He's been waiting a long time to see you again, and you're hurting him really bad right now and I don't like seeing my brother hurt. It's not fair to him and it's not fair to you. I know you missed him too."

"You don't really know anything." She shot back.

"I know more than you think I do, sweetheart. So take it from me, okay? It's not worth it to be angry at him. Do what you two can for now, before something changes."

"Before what changes, Jacob?" She cocked an eyebrow.

Jacob smiled again, not looking at her. He kept his eyes firmly focused on the car he was working with. "I don't know, Laura. I don't know."