When I awoke, I jumped up with a start, and the world seemed to spin. A shooting pain burst into my head, and I let out a shout of discomfort, falling back onto the couch I'd slept on. A warm hand touched my shoulder, and I started to feel the pain subside; it was replaced with a feeling of calm. I heard words being whispered next to me, but I couldn't make them out. They seemed almost forign to me. I tried to pry open my eyes, but my vision was blurred and swirling. There was a figure next to me, and I guessed that it was that figure who was holding my shoulder, trying to calm me. I was instantly flooded with memories of when my big brother used to try to calm me when I had those splitting headaches I used to have. They were worse than normal headaches, and no amount of medicine could reduce the pain they inflicted. But I hadn't had one in years. Not since my brother went missing two years ago. I guess they had returned. So who else would be helping me through this?

Jake.

But why would he help? We hardly knew each other, and he seemed like a crazy mad murderer to me. Maybe he was just trying to earn my trust, so he could kill me later without me suspecting a thing.
"Get off me!" I screeched, the emense pain still clouding my mind. However, as soon as he let go, the pain increased so much, that I let out a loud scream, and clutched my head tightly, rocking back and forth.

Warm arms enveloped me, and no matter how much I tried to protest, I couldn't because of the pain. Yet, as soon as I was enclosed in these arms, the pain disappeared almost suddenly, and I tried to bring myself closer to the person. I shook and let out long, pained breaths.

After all the pain had gone, and I knew it wasn't coming back, I pryed the arms of me, and glared at Jake. "What the hell, was that?" I growled at him, sitting up and pushing him away from me. He had been kneeling next to me on the floor, but when I pushed him, he almost went spiraling away, and caught himself on an armchair nearby.
"What do you mean? I helped you." He told me in exasperation. I could see the confusion on his features.
"I mean, how did you get it to stop so...suddenly?" I asked him. He stood from his postition, and sat in the armchair he had been leaning against.
Jake looked at me, and sighed. "Remember when I said we needed to talk? Our deal?"
"Yes. You wanted to know about me, and I would get to know about you in return." I turned away from him, pulling my knees to my chest. "But right now, I just want to go home."
"You can't." He told me, and I still refused to look at him.
"Why?" My lower lip trembled. I was tired, scared, and a homesick little girl.
He stood from the chair, and perched next to me on the sofa. "Look at me," He said, and slowly I turned to him. I just didn't want him to see my expression. "Do you really want to go home to that? To a mother and father who care nothing for you?"
Tears threatened to spill, how did he know? "I...but they're still my parents."
"Do you really think that?" He questioned. "You spent you're whole life wanting better parents. You wanted to live with your Aunt ever since you were six. The only reason you didn't, was your brother. And he's gone now."
"How do you...know so much about me?"
"I know a lot more than you think," He told me, gently grabbing my hands in his. "I know you're Aunt, and she likes me...or at least she did. I think I kinda scared her off."
"How could you do that?" I asked, but I knew the answer. Jake, and this house, were a whole load of mysteries I was not ready to uncover.
He smiled at me. "I told her some things...I guess I shouldn't have."
"She rang me, you know. When I told her where I was, she didn't want me to be here. She wanted me out of here as soon as possible." I had no idea why I told him this, but that calm feeling I had earlier was still there. "Why?"
"Brey...look. I don't want to tell you, but if you give me a chance, one day, I might tell you."
"A chance? To do what?"
He sighed once more. "I can...protect you, if you'll let me?"
"From what?"
"From your brother."

"Liam? Why I would I need to be protected from my own brother?"
"You know when you were...abused?" I nodded timidly. "The...person who did it. He was, your brother's friend. He is your brother's friend."
I gasped out loud, and pulled my hands away from Jake's. "How do you know this?"
"I just...do. I don't expect you to believe me, but I want you to know that I am telling the truth. Except your brother doesn't know it was his friend who did it." He frowned, and turned away. "He lives with your brother, and since Liam knows about your unhappiness with your parents, he's going to try to come and get you."
"But...I can't live with him. He'll do it again." I shuddered, and unwillingly started to cry. "Why would he do this?"
"As I said, he doesn't know it was his friend who did it," He stood, pulling me up with him. "Now, when he goes to your home, you, obviously, won't be there. And you won't be at your Aunt's either. You'll be here. But your Aunt knows that, and she'll send them here to take you away from me."
I had nothing to say, and let him continue. "I can protect you, but you need to convince your Aunt that I'm no danger to you. If you have to, lie, say something so she believes you. Only I can protect you now."
"Y-you?" I stuttered. "But how?"
"Remember, I'll tell you later. If I can?"
"So, you're going to protect me from my own brother and him? When I don't even know you? Why?"
He nodded, and forced a small smile on his face. "You...remind me of a girl I once knew. I had to leave her...to face her dangers on her own. I won't let you face this on your own."
"Oh, Jake. My life is such a mess." I cried, and he pulled me into his arms; I let him.
"We'll piece it back together. Just us two."

***

A few hours later, me and Jake where sitting in front of a fire he had made. He held me tightly, and it comforted me. Everything he told me was too much to bare. But to be with him right now, was all I wanted. He kept me safe, even by just holding me; and I don't know how. And somehow...I trusted him. I don't know how I did so soon, but I did. Everything was so confusing.

I turned to Jake, there was something I really wanted to ask him. "So...if you won't tell me about your life now. Can you tell me about before? Who that girl was? Why you had to leave?"
He had a pained expression on his face, but he turned to face me anyway. "If you really must know..."
I nodded. "I need to know more about you to trust you."
"Ok...so my parents died when I was young, and I had a brother. Nick. Unfortunatly, he died, and I decided to visit the town he had lived in. I quickly became...friends with his friends, especially this one girl. Her name was Cassie Blake, and I started to fall in love with her. There was one time, when I saved her. Someone was trying to...hurt her. Anyway, she started to fall in love with me, I think, but she also loved someone else. Adam, and he loved her. I knew I could never compete with him...so I left. Even though everyone I knew there was in danger; in one way, or another."
His past was more than tragic, and I thought my life was bad. He had no family. None at all. And yet I complained about my parents that I still had. "So, you just left."
"Yeah, I guess I couldn't deal with anymore pain."
"Then what?"
He sighed, and turned away from me. "I left, and wandered. Stayed in motels, I camped, whatever I could. Then I found this place. It was abandoned, and no one cared about it. When I went to the town hall to see how much it would cost me, they said I could have it, no charge. No one wanted it anyway."
"Wow," I drew out a long breath. "So you...live on your own? And always have?"
"Until you."
"Until me."

I stood from my sitting place. I felt stiff, and even though I'd been sitting by a fire, I was cold. I rubbed my arms, and spun in a slow circle. When I turned back to the fire, it was out. Completely gone, and no heat came from the fireplace. It was if it was never there. I turned to Jake, a question on my lips. However, he was already in the doorway, smiling at me. "I'm going to make dinner. Why don't you have a shower, and sort yourself out." He paused. "There's a phone in the hall outside your room." He told me, and I knew what he wanted me to do. I needed to call my Aunt.