"Hey, Emily. Wake up. The police want to talk to you," Jake calls out while gently shaking me awake. My eyes fling open and I release a small gasp before sitting up in bed. "The police? Why? What have I done?" I question him with nerves sprawled across my face. I roll over in bed to climb out, but I lose my balance and end up hitting the floor with a hard thump. A groan slips through my lips and I hear Jake laughing from my bedroom doorway. "Are you okay down there?" He calls out with amusement.

"Yeah, just a bruised ego." I mutter before standing up. I rub at my eyes before looking at Jake. He's standing in my bedroom doorway dressed and ready to go for the day. He doesn't look hungover in the slightest and I don't remember him creeping out of bed this morning. "Why are the police here?" I ask him before reaching for his hoodie. I throw it over my pyjamas before tying my long hair into a ponytail.

"They want to talk to you about leaving home. Your Mom filed you as a missing person," Jake tells me. My mouth falls open in shock and I quickly snap it shut. How dare she! She hasn't called, text or checked in on me once. Does she believe sending the police round to talk to me is going to bring me home? How does she know I'm living with Jake? My stomach stirs with uneasiness.

"I'll be downstairs in five minutes," I say quietly. My hands grow warm with nerves. I've rehearsed what I'd say to the police for many years, but now that it's here, I feel my mind turn blank. What if they don't believe me? What if they force me to go home because I'm not yet eighteen? I'd rather live on the streets than return home to Trevor. "You're going to do fine. Tell them the truth," Jake says when he notices the worry etched into my features. I respond with a small smile but I don't feel confident. I really don't want to screw this up.

*

"My step-father abused me for years," I say quietly to the two female police officers. They're sitting on one couch, and I'm sitting opposite them in the leather armchair. I roll Jake's hoodie sleeves over my hands before wrapping my arms around my shivering frame. Jake is standing in the doorway of the living room, giving us enough space to talk but keeping his presence known. I feel comfortable knowing he's in the room with me. The two police officers look at each other, and one begins writing in her notepad.

"Can you give me examples, Emily?" The older police officer asks me. She appears to be in her early fifties and she has a kind face. I feel warmth flood my face with embarrassment and I glance over at Jake. He shoots a reassuring smile at me to urge me to keep going.

"It started when I was a child. He punched me, kicked me, fractured my bones. He's left behind bruises and scars. He's verbally abused me too for as long as I can remember." I whisper, hating how broken I sound. Will talking about Trevor ever get easier for me? I don't want to be defined by the things he did to me. My words cause Jake's jaw to harden, and he inhales a deep breath to keep himself calm. I know he wants nothing more than to lay into Trevor for revenge. The officers fall silent and I take their silence as a sign they don't believe me. I quickly stand up before lifting my hoodie to expose my bruised body.

"Do you see them? I'm not lying. The bruises are starting to fade," I say to them firmly. The older officer gives me a reassuring smile with sadness filling her eyes. "We believe you, Emily. That's why we're here. We want you to write an official statement against Trevor so we can prosecute him." Hearing her words causes a deep sigh of relief to flood through me. "I don't want to press charges," I say quickly. I don't have much confidence in the police. I don't want to be dragged in for hours of questioning before attending a court case that would probably end up in Trevor's favour. I want to deal with Trevor on my own terms, with Jake by my side.

"Why do you not want to press charges?" The other office speaks for the first time. She narrows her eyes in my direction and I can sense she doesn't agree with my decision. Not many people would, but it's a personal choice.

"I'd rather not drag myself through the investigation," I tell her truthfully. "I don't live at home anymore. I'm safe now," I add. Her eyes linger on my face for several seconds before flickering over to Jake. I notice her mouth curl up with distaste at the sight of him. "What is your relationship with Jake Melvin?" The officer questions me. "We're friends," I tell her with a small frown on my face. What does my relationship with Jake have to do with Trevor? My response doesn't satisfy her need for information.

"You're friends with Jake Melvin? He doesn't seem like the type of person for you to befriend," the office says to me. Jake clears his throat before taking a step inside the room. His eyes narrow at the police officer. "Is there an issue with her being friends with me, Helen?" Jake asks bluntly. My eyes flicker between the two and I wonder how they managed to end up acquainted to know each other's names. The officer called Helen releases a sigh that sounds deeply exaggerated. She tenses her lips before responding,"Of course not."

"Let's talk about Trevor instead of getting personal. We can save that for another time," Jake says sarcastically before sitting on the edge of my armchair. Helen's gaze settles on me, and she looks frustrated at Jake's decision to enter the room. "Be careful who you choose as your friends, Miss Wentworth." A deep frown takes over my face. "What is that supposed to mean? Jake kept me safe from Trevor more than you ever will. He's the one responsible for getting me out of that situation. We're here to talk about Trevor, not my relationship with Jake. I'd like to stick to the subject," I say firmly. My response earns a smug smile from Jake. The officer's jaw turns sharp, but she doesn't argue against me.

"On that note, I think we're finished up here." The older office tells me. She stands up before extending her contact card toward me. "Your Mom wants you to come home, but the decision will be left to you. It's your choice where you choose to live, Emily." The officer tells me. My shoulders sink with utter relief, and I take the card from her. "Thanks," I whisper with gratitude. It feels like a weight has been lifted knowing I won't be forced by law to go home to live with Mom. "Do you want me to pass along a message to your mother?"

I shake my head in protest. "My Mom can go to hell," I mutter, hating the fact she requested for me to go home. Is she not satisfied knowing I'm no longer in danger? Is she not grateful for Jake taking me in when Trevor's abuse was beginning to get worse? The officer ignores my unhappy outburst before reaching for her police hat. She places it back on before turning toward me.

"I want you to call me if you change your mind about making a statement. In the meantime, keep yourself safe." She smiles. I mirror her expression. Before she leaves, she looks at Jake with a knowing look in her eyes. "Stay out of trouble, Mr Melvin." The older officer says to Jake like a Mom with her son. He shoots a grin in her direction that anybody would find hard to resist.

"I only get into trouble to see your pretty face, Rachel." She shakes her head at his confidence before releasing a light laugh. She gently pats his shoulder before leaving the room with the younger police officer in tow. I exhale a deep breath while scanning over the police card. I can't believe my mother. Does she have any maternal instincts left at all? I hear the front door slam shut before Jake walks back into the room.

"That went well," Jake says before sliding his hands into his jean pockets. I look up at him with a look of suspicion on my face. "You seem to know them well," I say, gesturing at the couch where the police officers sat minutes ago. A sheepish look crosses Jake's face. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. We've run into each other a few times," Jake tells me while leaving out the details. Why am I not surprised at his secrecy?

"I need a strong coffee after that. Do you want one?" I ask him quickly before standing up from my seat. My voice is strained, and I'm left feeling angry and frustrated at my Mom's behaviour. Before I walk past Jake, his hand shoots out and he wraps it around my wrist. I pause before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"It's okay to be angry," he says quietly. Hot tears prick the back of my eyes, and I quickly blink them away.

"She hasn't reached out to me once and when I do hear from her, it's through the goddamn police department. What is wrong with her?" I whisper with heartbreak. Jake tugs me toward him before wrapping his arms around me. I bury my face in the side of his neck to compose myself. I hear footsteps approaching us from behind before Tobias' voice cuts through the tense silence.

"Can you do that somewhere else? Your PDA is starting to gross me out," Tobias says bluntly. Jake stiffens against me and he pulls back to glare at Tobias. His eyes grow ablaze with anger, and he looks like he's had enough of his cousin's sarcastic remarks. "What is your problem, man? Can't you see she's upset?" Jake says with a cold edge to his voice. I expect him to walk away from Tobias, but he shoves him hard until Tobias stumbles back into the wall. Tobias recovers quickly and his dark eyes zone in on Jake. His lips twitch up into a satisfied smirk and his hand balls into a fist.

"Oh, you're going to regret doing that," Tobias says quietly before charging at him.