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Jenny’s POV

The door slammed behind me as I walked into the house, the sound echoing off the walls in a way that made it clear I was in trouble. Again. I braced myself, trying to ignore the knot of anxiety that had settled in my stomach. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not really. But I knew Jacob wouldn’t see it that way. He and I were the only ones in the house today and I had managed to sneak out without him knowing.

He was waiting for me in the living room, standing with his arms crossed and an expression that I’d seen too many times. Angry, frustrated, protective in that way that was starting to get on my nerves. I had just gone out for a quick drink with some girls in my class—nothing dangerous, nothing that should have mattered. But in this house, everything was a big deal.

“Where the hell have you been?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the air like a blade.

“Out,” I replied, my tone deliberately nonchalant as I tossed my bag onto the couch. “What’s the big deal?”

“The big deal?” He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing. “The big deal is that you went out without telling anyone, without any protection. Do you have any idea how reckless that is?”

I rolled my eyes, trying to play it cool even though I could feel the tension rising between us. “I’m not a child, Jacob. I can take care of myself.”

“This isn’t about you being a child, Jenny. This is about you being stupid.” His voice was louder now, the anger barely contained. “Do you even understand the kind of danger you’re in?”

I could feel my own anger rising too. “I wasn’t in any danger! I was just out with friends, having a drink. I wasn’t doing anything risky.”

He shook his head, his frustration evident in the way he ran a hand through his hair. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t just about having a drink. You’re in a world that’s not safe, and you keep acting like none of it matters.”

“I’m not acting like it doesn’t matter,” I snapped back. “But I can’t live my life in fear, Jacob. I refuse to do that.”

His eyes flashed with something I couldn’t quite place—something beyond just anger. “You don’t have the luxury of refusing. This isn’t just about you, Jenny. It’s about everyone who cares about you, everyone who’s trying to keep you safe. And you keep throwing that in our faces like it doesn’t mean anything.”

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “That’s not fair. You’re acting like I’m some kind of burden—like you’re all doing me a favor by caring.”

“Maybe I am,” he shot back, his voice hard. “Maybe you are a burden—one that I’m tired of carrying.”

The words hit me like a slap, the impact leaving me breathless. For a moment, all I could do was stand there, stunned by the cruelty of his words. But then the hurt turned into something else—something hot and sharp that made my blood boil.

“If I’m such a burden,” I said, my voice trembling with anger, “then why don’t you just leave? No one’s forcing you to be here.”

He stared at me, his eyes burning with a mix of emotions I didn’t care to understand. “You really think I can just walk away? After everything?”

“Yes!” I shouted, my anger finally spilling over. “If you hate it so much, if you hate me so much, then go! I don’t need you here, Jacob. I never asked for any of this!”

For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the sound of our heavy breathing, the tension crackling in the air between us. I could see the hurt in his eyes, the way his jaw clenched as if he was holding back something he didn’t want to say. But then, before I could even think about what I’d just said, he took a step closer, his expression darkening.

“You don’t get it, do you?” His voice was low, almost a growl. “You really don’t understand.”

“Understand what?” I demanded, my heart racing. “What am I supposed to understand, Jacob? That you’re pissed off all the time? That you can’t stand being around me?”

“No,” he said, his voice harsh. “That I’m in love with you.”

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and suffocating. For a moment, I couldn’t process what he’d just said. Couldn’t believe it. But the look on his face, the raw, desperate way he was looking at me—it made it impossible to deny.

“You’re what?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

He took another step closer, his eyes locked on mine. “You heard me. I’m in love with you, Jenny. And it’s driving me fucking insane.”

I stared at him, dumbstruck, unable to find any words. This was the last thing I’d expected. The last thing I’d ever imagined hearing from him.

“I—” I started, but the words stuck in my throat. What could I even say to that?

He let out a bitter laugh, running a hand through his hair again, this time with a sort of frustrated resignation. “Yeah. That’s what I thought. You don’t know what to say, do you?”

“I just—” I swallowed, trying to get a grip on the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. “Why didn’t you ever say anything before?”

“Because what difference would it make?” he shot back, his voice raw. “You don’t feel the same way. And even if you did, what kind of life would that be for you? Constantly in danger, constantly worrying about what’s lurking in the shadows?”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to deny it, to tell him he was wrong, but the truth was, he wasn’t. I’d never really let myself think about what was happening between us—what it meant, what it could mean. We’d been so careful not to acknowledge it, to keep it at a distance, but now it was staring me in the face, and I didn’t know what to do with it.

“Jacob, I—” I hesitated, the words tangled in my throat. “I don’t know what to say.”

He looked at me for a long moment, and I could see the pain in his eyes—the pain of someone who had just laid everything on the line, only to be met with uncertainty. “You don’t have to say anything, Jenny. I get it.”

“No, you don’t,” I said quickly, stepping closer to him. “I just… I never thought…”

“Never thought what?” he asked, his voice softer now, the anger already gone from his voice.

“I never thought you’d feel the same way,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes widened slightly, a flash of hope crossing his face before it got replaced with doubt. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that I care about you, Jacob,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “I’ve cared about you for a long time. But I didn’t know what to do with it. I didn’t think it was even an option.”

He stared at me, his expression unreadable. “And now?”

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. This was too much, too fast, but at the same time, it was something that had been building between us for so long that it felt inevitable. “Now I’m scared,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “Because I don’t know what this means. I don’t know how to do this.”

He took a step closer, closing the distance between us, his gaze softening. “You don’t have to be scared, Jenny. We’ll figure it out.”

“But what if we can’t?” I asked, my voice shaking. “What if this ruins everything?”

“It won’t,” he said firmly, reaching out to take my hand. “It doesn’t have to.”

His touch was warm, grounding me in a way that made the fear reduce just a little. I looked up at him, seeing the sincerity in his eyes, the way he was holding onto me like I was something precious. It made my heart ache with the intensity of it all, the way he could make me feel so safe and so vulnerable at the same time.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I repeated, my voice breaking slightly.

“We’ll figure it out together,” he said softly, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand in a soothing motion. “One step at a time.”

I searched his face, looking for any hint of doubt, but all I saw was the same sincerity that had always been there—the same strength that had drawn me to him in the first place. And suddenly, I realized that maybe this was worth the risk. Maybe we were worth the risk.

“Okay,” I whispered, nodding slightly. “Okay.”