I'm settled on the couch with Jake and Ivory. There's a box of extra cheese pizza sitting between us, and we're making our way through the classic comedy movies on Netflix. I hear the front door slam shut and Ivory sits up before glancing at the door. There's a look of concern on her face, almost as if she doesn't know what to expect. The door swings open and a figure steps into the living room. My eyes immediately land on his face.

His features are sharp and he bears a striking resemblance to Jake. His wavy dark hair is longer than Jake's, and his eyes are the shade of dark melted chocolate. He's wearing a hood over his head and he's dressed in all black. A neck tattoo sticks out from under his shirt, spreading across his pale skin. There's an unsettling aura surrounding him and it causes me to quickly look away. This must be Tobias Melvin. I feel his dark eyes burning intensely in my direction. "Who is this? I thought the party was over," Tobias asks his sister. His voice is low, lined with boredom and a hint of irritation. I squirm uncomfortably in my seat before shooting him a friendly smile. He doesn't return it.

"Her name is Emily. She's going to be staying with us for a while," Ivory says casually. The entire time Tobias' presence is known, Jake keeps his eyes glued to the television. Am I wrong in suspecting there's major tension between the two of them? "Hey," I smile at Tobias but he ignores me completely. My heart deflates.

"How long?" Tobias snaps with a deep frown on his face. I slowly lower myself in my seat, hating how the awkward tension seems to be growing with every second. Tobias' question causes Jake to turn toward him with a scowl on his face. "Does it matter? Last time I checked, you didn't own this house." The two boys stare intensely at each other before Tobias eventually releases a deep breath of frustration. He steps out of the room before slamming the door shut behind him. I jump at the sudden noise and Ivory throws an apologetic look in my direction. "Ignore my brother, he's acting like his usual moody self," Ivory tells me.

"He's an asshole," Jake corrects her before reaching for another slice of pizza. Ivory doesn't correct Jake's opinion of Tobias. We all go back to watching the movie, but I can't help but wish Tobias would have been a little more welcoming toward me.

I'm searching for the bathroom later that night when I come face to face with a surprised looking Tobias. His room is engulfed in darkness and it's lit up dimply with a lava lamp by his bed. He stands in the doorway of his room, blocking my view from the rest of his space. "Stay out of my room," he warns me in a low tone. The hostility radiating from him makes me uncomfortable, but I've dealt with worse. "Sorry, I was looking for the bathroom. Can you show me where it is?" I ask him. He stares straight at me with a blank look on his face before releasing a dramatic breath.

"Fine," he mutters before walking down the hallway. He turns the corner and flings open a door that leads into a large bathroom. I shoot a tight smile at him in gratitude. "Thanks." Tobias brushes past me to walk away. Before he disappears back into his bedroom, I make the first move to break the tension between us. "Have I done anything to offend you?" I ask him a question. I want to clear the air so we can all live without unnecessary drama. The last thing I want is for my presence to cause more tension in the family. Tobias pauses before glancing at me from over his shoulder. It's eerie how much his face resembles Jake's considering they're cousins.

"No." Tobias responds bluntly. "If you want me to leave, I can leave. I appreciate this is your house too, so you should get a say in who stays here," I say to him. My words appear to take him by surprise. He lifts his head until his dark eyes lock with mine. Having his stare on me causes a flutter of nerves to fill my stomach.

"Nobody cares about my opinion. They both want you here, so I can't argue against that. Stay out of my way and I'll stay out of yours." Tobias says with a hard edge to his voice. He doesn't hang around to hear my response. He storms back into his room before slamming the door shut. I exhale a deep breath when I realise my attempt to break the ice between us has only made things frostier.

*

My first night in a new bedroom goes down exactly as I expect. I toss and turn in the sheets, wondering how soon it will be before Trevor and Mom realise I'm missing. Should I have left a note? Should I send my Mom a text message explaining I won't be coming home? I don't know the right steps to take after running away from home. I sit up in bed before running my hands over my face with exhaustion. My seventeenth birthday is definitely going to be one to remember.

I glance at the clock on my bedside table. The time reads midnight and the house is quiet and still. I lift the sheets before climbing out of bed. I tip toe downstairs, in search of a warm drink to ease the racing thoughts inside my mind. The kitchen is dark when I enter and I fumble around to find the light switch. My eyes land on a dark figure sitting at the kitchen table. A gasp slips through my lips and I immediately take a step back.

"It's me, Wentworth. Don't be scared," Jake's voice floats through the kitchen. I breathe out a sigh of relief before soaking in the sight of him. He's sitting at the kitchen table with a glass in his hand. I can smell the alcohol lingering around him. Has he been drinking alone? "Are you okay?" I whisper before taking a step toward him. Jake lifts his head before turning it to look at me. His eyes appear tired and his face is solemn. He gestures for me to take a seat next to him, so I do.

"Are you having trouble sleeping?" Jake asks me, ignoring my previous question directed at him. I nod my head before dropping my gaze to the table. "Yeah, I keep replaying today over and over again inside my head. Plus, I get nightmares," I whisper. "That makes two of us," Jake says quietly. His response sparks my interest, and I want to press him for more information. What plagues Jake's thoughts to give him nightmares? I figure he isn't in the mood to share right now.

Goosebumps scatter down my arms due to the slight chill in the kitchen. Jake's gaze lands on them – "Are you cold?" He asks me while shrugging off his jacket. I nod before smiling at his actions. He drapes the jacket around the back of me before dropping down in his seat. His jacket instantly warms me up and I pull it tightly so I'm wrapped up in his scent. His hand reaches for the glass, and he lifts it up to finish it off. "What are you drinking?" I ask him.

"Scotch. It helps me sleep," Jake tells me. I begin wondering about the troubles an eighteen year old could possibly have to lead to him drinking scotch alone in his kitchen at midnight. My hand slides across the table and I place it over his. Jake pauses and his gaze drops down to our hands. "Do you want to talk about it?" I whisper, wanting him to know he can open up to me. Jake's lips tug upwards into a small smile and his eyes flicker up to connect with mine. The look in his eyes causes butterflies to ignite inside my stomach. They seem to be a permanent part of my DNA whenever Jake is around.

"You're a good person, you know that? Your life has been turned upside down, yet you're worried about me. You're like the sunshine after a storm." My cheeks warm a little due to his words, and I shrug my shoulders to play it off as no big deal. "I care about you," I tell him, feeling like he needs to hear the words. Jake's eyes flash with a deep sadness and I sense the war brewing inside his mind. Our demons come out at night to haunt us. It becomes harder to ignore when the rest of the world is silent. He lifts our intertwined hands to his lips before brushing a sweet kiss over my fingers.

"Thanks, Muffin. I'll save the conversation for another time," Jake tells me quietly. I don't push him to confide in me. He seems like the type of person to remain guard until he chooses to let down his walls. Jake scrapes his chair back before gently pulling me up to my feet.

"Come on. We should get to bed." He wraps an arm around my shoulder before leading me out of the kitchen. On the way back to our rooms, I glance up at him from under my lashes with a strange request. "Can I ask you something? You're totally allowed to say no," I say with slight embarrassment. Jake pauses, and he looks down at me with curiosity in his expression. "Okay. What is it?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" I ask with a deep blush spreading up my neck and cheeks. Falling asleep in Jake's embrace is the only time I've ever felt safe. It's also the only time I managed to sleep all night without a nightmare. Jake's blue eyes ignite with a flirtatious sparkle. "It's your first night away from home and you're already jumping into bed with me?" Jake teases me. I slap his chest playfully in response.

"No, I don't mean like that. I sleep easier whenever you're around," I explain myself. Jake's smirk deepens and he pushes open his bedroom door before stepping aside to allow me to enter first. "Welcome to my abode," Jake says, keeping the situation light and fun between us. I release a laugh and feel my embarrassment beginning to fade away. I brush past him before climbing into his bed. The sheets smell exactly like him and my entire body grows heavy within a split second. I release a soft groan of delight.

"You smell so good," I mutter under my breath. Jake's laughter fills the room and he stands at the end of his bed before lifting his shirt over his head. My eyes instantly grow wide with shock and I tear my gaze off him."What are you doing?" I question him with a slight panic in my voice. He allows his shirt to drop back down before giving me a confused look in response. "What does it look like? I have to sleep shirtless, Wentworth. I get hot at night."

My breathing instantly catches in my lungs and heat spreads throughout my entire body. I never anticipated Jake coming to bed without clothes on. What am I going to do now?