Chapter 10.3: It's already too late

Jake felt as if he had been hit by a brick and a sudden wave of suffocating feelings drowned him. He thought he better not get too attached because he knew one day this would happen, but he never thought that it was already too late for it.

He felt so hopeless, drowning... his heart felt heavy... remembering the way Aiden and his friends had seen him yesterday, the look in their eyes, the disgust in their faces, and imagining Ryder seeing him like that... Jake felt like crying. His hand subconsciously went to his wrist and scratched the bandage over it.

He was choking in tears that didn't dare to come out.

"How..." Jake forced out a word before his voice broke and he couldn't say the next one. He was scared to ask. Did she hate him? Did she feel disgusted by him?

Seeing him not saying anything, Ryder was having second thoughts. "I recognized you by your voice." Her voice softened and guilt filled her eyes. Damn it. Where is this guilt coming from?

"I..." Jake didn't know what to s