I've been glued to the couch all day. It feels like my body is paralysed and taking time to recover from years of abuse. The sky begins to darken outside when the living room door opens. Tobias walks in before noticing me huddled in the corner of the couch. He turns around to walk away and I sit up before calling out to him.

"You don't have to leave because I'm here, Tobias." He pauses before lingering in the doorway. I expect him to respond with rudeness or silence, but he surprises me by glancing over at the television. "What are you watching?" He asks cautiously. "An Adam Sandler movie." Tobias' dark eyes flash with approval and he silently swings the door shut behind him before taking a seat on the opposite couch. A small smile of victory spreads across my lips when I figure I'm making progress with him. It's small progress, but progress nonetheless.

He sits with his legs spread far apart. His arms rest on his thighs, and he stares blankly at the television screen. He doesn't laugh, even when Adam Sandler makes his legendary one line jokes. I chew on my bottom lip while feeling the need to fill the silence between us. To my surprise, Tobias is the first one to initiate conversation."Why are you sitting in the dark?" He asks me quietly.

"I can't find the energy to turn on the lamp," I respond truthfully. My body feels like it's weighed down, along with my mind. I've been sitting in the same position for hours, feeling like I'm rotting away while I come to terms with the current state of my life. My response causes Tobias' chocolate brown eyes to settle on me.

"Just because you're expected to drown doesn't mean you have to," Tobias tells me quietly. It's the last response I would have expected to hear from him. He's barely spoken to me, and when he has, it's been rude and brash. His words are meaningful, deep and unexpected. I blink in surprise before turning to look at him. As soon as our eyes connect, he looks away from me. "Why don't you take your own advice?" I ask him quietly. If I had to describe someone drowning in darkness, I would describe Tobias. His entire aura feels haunted, almost as if he's seen and done things well beyond his years. I feel the same aura around Jake sometimes, but he handles it better. The darkness seems to have invaded Tobias' entire being, consuming him through the day and night.

"How do you know I'm drowning?" Tobias asks me. It's the distant look in his eyes. It's the way he can't hold eye contact with people in fear of him feeling something. It's the way he treats everyone with disrespect so he can remain numb to his emotions. I've been tempted to live the same life myself.

"It's just a feeling," I whisper before turning my attention back to the movie. Neither of us speak again, but the silence doesn't feel suffocating. Eventually the living room door opens, and Jake walks in searching for me. He seems surprised to find Tobias sitting in the same room as me. His gaze flickers between me and his cousin before he gestures for me to follow him. "Can I talk to you?" Jake asks me. There's an urgency in his voice and a hint of desperation for me to hear him out. I pull back the blanket from my body before attempting to stand. My legs wobble unsteadily and Jake immediately walks forward to aid me. He slides an arm around my waist before allowing me to lean my body weight on him.

"Thanks," I whisper while avoiding Tobias' burning gaze on me. I can practically sense the curiosity seeping from him when he watches me struggle to do a simple task like walking. My body hasn't recovered from Trevor's abuse and I don't know how long it will take before it does. I have my good and bad moments. The worst moments are when the painkillers wear off and I'm left with a constant reminder of Trevor. It doesn't help when I remain in one position for long. My body turns stiff and it takes all of my strength to fight through it.

"Do you need help?" Tobias asks me before standing from the couch. His offer takes me by surprise. Jake tenses beside me and he lifts his head until his eyes connect with Tobias' dark ones. When he speaks, his voice is cold and harsh. "No. I've got it." Jake responds before guiding me out of the door. What terrible thing happened for them to live with such animosity? It takes me the time to walk down the hallway slumped against Jake before I gain the strength to do it independently. I gently pry myself out of Jake's hold before taking the stairs one at a time.

"Your bedroom or mine?" I ask him while ignoring the flare up of pain shooting through my sides. I breathe deeply to subside the discomfort. He follows closely behind me, keeping one hand hovered against my back in case I lose my balance. His actions fill my heart with warmth, and it encourages me to keep going until I reach the top of the stairs.

"Neither. I'm going to run you a hot bath so it helps with the pain," Jake tells me. He slowly guides me toward the bathroom and I feel tears prick the back of my eyes due to his care for me. It's been so long since I've been looked after by somebody else. I stand in the bathroom doorway as Jake fills the bath with warm water. He rifles through Ivory's toiletries before opening up every one. He lifts the bottle to his nose to figure out which bath soak smells the best. I stifle a laugh as I watch him grimace his way through them until he lands on his favourite one.

"Do you like lavender? According to the bottle, it's supposed to be calming." Jake tells me. I cover my mouth with my hand so he can't see the embarrassingly wide grin spreading across my face. When I first met him, I had no idea Jake Melvin would be running me a lavender bath on a Sunday evening.

"Yes, I like lavender," I tell him. He pours the contents into the bath and the water begins to bubble up with suds. Once the bath is filled, I walk inside before closing the door behind me. The bubble bath does look extremely inviting and exactly what I need right now. My hands land on the hem of my shirt, and I begin to lift it over my head. Jake immediately clears his throat before turning around."Do you want me to leave?" He questions me.

"No, you can stay," I respond quietly. I strip off my clothes while Jake keeps his back turned on me. I slowly slide down into the bath until my body is submerged and covered. A deep sigh of relief comes from me and I groan softly in delight. "Is it good?" Jake asks. He looks like he's been placed in the corner of the bathroom for a time out. I bite back a giggle. "Yes. You can turn around now." He turns around before smirking in my direction.

"Knowing you're naked in there is hot," Jake comments, sounding exactly like a hormone filled eighteen year old. I roll my eyes at him before throwing a scoop of bubbles in his direction. Jake catches it and his laughter fills the bathroom. I like having fun with him. His eyes connect with mine before his smile fades. He walks toward me before taking a seat on the edge of the bath. My hands stroke back and forth in the water, and I enjoy feeling it soothe my aching muscles. I feel Jake's eyes lingering on my face and it feels like he's ready to dive into a deep conversation.

"I have to give you an apology," Jake starts quietly. I stop wading through the water with my hands before looking up at him. He looks sincere and filled with guilt. "For what?" I ask him. Jake releases a deep breath before looking up at the ceiling. He blinks several times before speaking.

"I'm not good with my words, Wentworth. I'm not good at expressing my feelings, or always doing the right thing." Jake starts off. I already know he isn't perfect, but it isn't enough to deter me away from him. It didn't work last night, and it isn't going to work now. There's something about Jake Melvin that pulls me toward him despite how much I warn my heart to be careful.

"I wasn't ready for any sort of relationship when I met you. My life is more complicated than you know, and I didn't feel ready to drag anybody in on that." Jake tells me truthfully. I keep my eyes trained on him while remaining silent to give him the chance to speak his thoughts. "I've been hurt in the past and it's stopped me from opening up that piece of my heart again. I want you to know it's nothing to do with you and everything to do with my own struggles."

His words lift the pressure lingering on my chest. Despite him leaving out the details, it's enough of an explanation to ease the worries consuming me. Jake turns to look at me, and his blue eyes soften considerably. "I didn't expect to fall for you, Wentworth." Jake murmurs. My throat turns bone dry and I feel my heart thud furiously against my chest. If I wasn't already sitting down, I'd lose all stability in my legs.

"Do you want to fall for me?" I ask him, needing to know whether he's ready to accept the connection building between us. It's no use gaining feelings for someone if the feelings end up ignored or pushed aside. Jake has to want to want me, otherwise I'm going to be left with a broken heart and a bruised ego. He shuffles closer on the edge of the bath before reaching out his hand.

I hold my breath in anticipation when he rests his hand against my cheek. His touch feels good, and I close my eyes before leaning my cheek into his palm. "I want nothing more than to be wrapped up in you, but I want to take it slow for both of our sake. There's a few things I need to figure out first," Jake murmurs softly. It's nice to hear honesty after days of being trapped inside my own mind. I nod my head in acceptance, and Jake appears relieved at my response.

"Thanks for being honest with me," I smile up at him. He mirrors my expression."It was Ivory who gave me the push," Jake tells me with humour lining his voice. "She's rooting for us to end up together," Jake adds. His blue eyes light up with a sparkle, and I find myself silently agreeing with Ivory.

*

It's incredible what a long soak in the bath can do for my mind and body. I feel like a new woman once I'm changed into fresh pyjamas and lying in bed. I stare up at the ceiling, wondering what Jake is doing in the room next to mine. Is he thinking about me just like I'm thinking about him? I wanted to sleep in my own room tonight, but I can't help feeling out of place in the large bed.

I reach for my phone in search of a distraction. I've avoided talking to Trish since the party because I'm nervous of her finding out about Trevor. How do I explain moving in with Jake Melvin without telling her about the abuse? I decide to bite the bullet and call her. She's my best friend and she doesn't deserve to be kept in the dark. Trish answers immediately and I can sense she knows something is wrong.

"I have so much to tell you and I'm sorry I haven't done it sooner." I blurt out to her. There's a pause on the other end of the line before my phone vibrates with an incoming video call. I answer the request to find Trish pop up on my screen. She must have figured my words warranted a face to face call instead of speaking over the phone. Trish's eyes scan my surroundings and she frowns with confusion. "Where are you? That's not your bedroom."

I give her a sheepish look in response. "I moved in with Jake Melvin." I tell her. Her mouth falls open in shock and the phone begins to shake violently as she runs to her bedroom for privacy. She drops down on her bed before focusing her attention on me."What are you talking about? Tell me everything!" Trish says with disbelief in her voice. I settle back against my cushions before talking her through everything that has happened since the party. I laugh at times during the call, but the majority of it is spent in tears. She's the second person I confide in about Trevor and I feel myself grow lighter at the confession.

I've spent years lying to Trish, and she didn't deserve that. She reacts just as a best friend should... She laughs and cries with me. She gets angry with me. She plots revenge against Trevor before giving me a pep talk I definitely need to hear.