A/N A shorter chapter, but safe to read! Sorry its short, but I wanted to give you guys something to read while I update my other stuff too. So, enjoy!
Chapter 9
I felt dizzy and sick, and I was hyperventilating. I'd ran about a mile straight, but I guess Ralph distracted the cops. I was sat against a hand rail, rocking back and forth, shivering. I wasn't cold, just scared out of my wits. I couldnt shake the sensation writhing through me, still present even though the experience that caused it happened over half an hour ago.
A bitter taste burned my throat and my mouth filled with vomit, which I spat copiously on the stone beside me. The blanket sat loosely on my shoulder, and I inhaled the scent remaining on it. The smell only brought back memories of that foul, foul cigarette and instantly brought another mouthful of liquid up. My brain was buzzing foggily and my fists were clenched. I'd stopped rocking, but I was still hugging myself, attempting to ward off my nightmares. A voice broke the silence around me. I whirled around quick, in case it was a cop, or worse, Ralph.
"Suze?"
I looked up into sky-blue eyes. Kind, worried eyes, covered slightly by wheat-coloured strands.
"Jake!" I sighed, throwing myself into his arms. I inhaled his Jake smell: sea salt, sand, and surfbaord foam, trying to lose the sour scent I'd breathed in before.
"Jake, Jake, Jake," I wailed, eyes shut, fingers clenching his T-shirt and crying. "I'm so sorry. But Jake, I'm so scared, so scared. I need you, please don't leave me-"
"Sssh..." hissed Jake, and he scooped me up, lifted my rugsack over one arm and carried me to the car, he'd parked 5 minutes down the road.
"I've been looking for you," said Jake in his soothing voice. "I feel so bad, abandoning you. I'm so sorry, and whatver you did to get away from New York, put it behind you, we'll start again in California."
"I can't," I moaned. "Its so terrible, so horrible, so bad. And then Ralph-"
I broke off in tears. Jake lowered me carefully into the passenger seat and took my hand.
"Who's Ralph? Did he hurt you? If he did I'll kick him to-"
"He gave me...he gave me this," I whispered, and I handed him the blanket from my shoulders. Jake looked at it and fingered its woven pattern. Then he brought it to his face and sniffed it.
"Suze, this is smoke, but not tobacco." He sniffed it again. "Definitely not tobacco. Suze, did he do drugs?"
"Um," I murmured. "Yes, but Jake-"
"Did you do them?"
I looked into his honest blue eyes and then at our hands together. I couldn't give Jake another reason to leave me.
"No Jake," I lied.
"Good. Now lets press on to sunny CA. Unless you wanna stop off at a motel and wash off?" Jake's hands were ready at the wheel.
"Motel'd be great, I need to shower all this grime off."
"Ok, but be quick, Dad's expecting us by the end of the month."
Jake started the engine and we re-joined the freeway. Even though Jake had found me and we were on our way, I still couldn't shift the guilty pulp in my stomach.