Chapter 100: Don’t Lose Her
Jake slumped onto the bench in his cell, Vanessa's words replaying in his mind like a haunting echo. He rubbed his face with his hands, frustration and confusion bubbling to the surface.
Kidnapping Emma... hurting her? The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth, one he couldn't shake.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling, his mind tugged toward memories he'd buried deep.
Images of Emma filled his thoughts—her bright smile, the way her eyes sparkled when she was passionate about something, and the sound of her laugh that used to light up his world.
The way she had obediently done his bidding with asking questions and how she had passionately loved him in the purest form without for once holding malicious intent towards anyone.
Emma... he thought, his heart clenching. There was a time he would've done anything to protect her, not harm her. How had he let things spiral so far out of control?
When did things get to where they are now? She was someone he used to love. What happened? Where did things go wrong?
Jake closed his eyes, letting the memories come. He remembered the first time he saw her in college, how she'd been sitting under a tree, completely absorbed in her book.
She had looked up, catching him staring, and instead of being annoyed, she had smiled—warm, genuine, and kind. It had been that smile that pulled him in, that made him feel something he hadn't felt before.
From then onwards, all she had ever wanted was a genuine love and a complete family. One that she never had.
He thought about how she had wanted a child because she wanted them both to be fir the child so their child wouldn't have to be raised by a single mom or left to be catered for by herself when her mother dies.