Jake’s blue eyes beamed down at me. “Yeah, well, I’m still gay,” he giggled, and I never thought I would have missed his giggle until I heard it.
“Thank god for that,” I said through a laugh. “Heading to dinner?”
Jake nodded, and we continued to walk down the hall side by side. “Catch me up on things. What’s happened over the last two months?”
“Ollie’s still not back, and Alicia’s gone.”
“What? No!”
“Yeah, last year was her final year. I thought you knew that,” I said, tilting my head up to face him.
Jake kept his eyes in front of him. “I knew it was her last year, but I was still hoping to catch her one last time,” his hand smacked his forehead, “Bollocks, I don’t even know her last name.”
“Bria’s here, though,” I added in a hurry, hoping it would lighten his spirits and nudged his arm with mine, “and Liam, and a really cute new guy.”
Jake’s brow spiked in the air. “New guy for me or you?”
“Ha! New guy, period. For no one,” I shook my head, “Just some eye-candy to keep your thoughts entertained.”
“Name?”
I took a tray from the buffet line. “You know, I don’t know his name. He’s quiet, doesn’t really talk to anyone.”
Jake’s baby blues scanned the mess hall on a mission. “Is he here now?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “No.”
“We should go to his dorm and introduce ourselves, offer an invitation to our ‘pity-party,’” he said with a slight mock in his tone, and flashes of the time Jake and Alicia had shown up at my door to introduce themselves came forth. I smiled to myself. It seemed like ages ago when I’d first arrived here but it had only been a year.
“You’re relentless.”
“Girl, and don’t you forget it.” He lifted his tray and followed my lead over to my table. Jake and I both greeted Zeke before Jake took a seat at the end. “Any news on Isaac or Oscar?”
Every time someone mentioned those names, my skin crawled. Oscar’s dark eyes, hands on my body, and taunting tone haunted me every chance they had. New Year’s Eve night still haunted me. Oscar, Ollie’s brother, was the very reason Ollie wasn’t here any longer.
“Lynch confirmed Oscar’s behind bars for good,” I fell back in my chair, “he got thirty years after linking him to other sex crimes.”
“And Isaac?” Jake asked with a mouthful.
“Five. Isaac wasn’t a repeat sex offender. Was only here because of drug addiction, or at least that was the little amount of information Lynch would give me.”
Jake nodded. “How’s Bria holding up?”
“Good. She should be here soon,” I said, looking over at the entrance for her. “We’ve grown pretty close over the last few months. Dr. Conway and Lynch approved for us to hold an open support group once a week for those who suffered sexual abuse.”
Jake’s eyes danced like a proud brother. “Look at you!”
“Yeah, I put it together and convinced Bria to do it with me. Use our experiences for good, you know? Plus, I needed something to keep my mind occupied … ” I trailed off as Ollie, once again, invaded me.
Jake dropped his fork and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin before crumbling the paper up in his fist. The words sat on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to spit it out, but his eyes studied me for a moment before he finally stated, “You miss him.”
I exhaled. “You have no idea.”
Brief silence wrapped a noose around my neck, and I wondered if this was how the rest of my life would be—silently suffocating in the memory of him. I knew I would never find what Ollie and I shared again. “Embrace it, Mia. Every moment, no matter how long it lasts, it’s all worth it, yeah?” Ollie had once said.
Yeah, Ollie. It was all worth it.
“Sweet mother of Jesus,” Jake whispered, reeling me back to reality. “I forgot how fine Prince Harry over there was. His sweet ass is turning my bigger bollock blue,”—Jake leaned into me— “What’s his name again?”
Shaking my head, I pulled the fork from my mouth. “Ethan Scott.”
“That’s right.” Jake picked up his fork, but his eyes stayed on the security guard, opened mouthed and watering. “Never been into redheads, but I’ll gladly start a forest fire with that one.”
I laughed. An honest laugh. God, I missed Jake. “Good luck with that.”
“Oh, c’mon. You can’t tell me he isn’t fit as hell,” Jake dropped his head closer to me, “Can you imagine what he’s hiding behind the uniform?”
I lifted my attention from my food and found Ethan’s electric blue eyes from across the mess hall. Ethan sent me a wink with a slight head nod.
Jake dropped his fork. “Yup, my john just jerked.”
“Jake!”
“How the hell do you know him like that?” he asked me, but his eyes we’re still on Ethan.
“We’re friends,” I casually said, remembering the day so vividly. Originally, Ethan and I met when he had questioned me in the nurse’s station after Oscar’s attack. He had been the officer to take my statement. Now he was a security guard at Dolor, and the day Ollie slipped away, Ethan had scooped me from the hallway, carried me outside, and held me until I thawed from the mental state I’d been stuck in. His only explanation at the time was he didn’t want anyone seeing me like that—didn’t want them to send me back to the psych ward. Ethan had sat quietly at my side until day turned to night and I had no tears left to cry.
“Friends?”
“Yes, friends. He was the one who convinced me to start a support group.” I glanced from Ethan back to Jake, and Jake’s disbelieving grin didn’t falter. I pointed my fork to his tray. “Whatever, eat your dinner.”
“I’d much rather be eating something else.”
“If it isn’t Jake-the-bollock,” Bria chimed, taking a seat beside me.
“I prefer Jake-the-bull,” Jake smirked, “the raging bull.”
“Oh, you wish,” I laughed.
Bria and Jake exchanged summer adventures as we finished our dinner. Hearing Bria gloating about our program made me smile. Her eyes lit up every time she talked about the plans she made for the upcoming year. If Ollie were here to see this change in her, he would be elated. Of course, I took a little credit myself.
“So, we’re heading to new guy’s dorm to see what he’s all about,” Jake explained, lifting his tray. “You coming, Bria?”
Bria nodded as she finished her juice before tossing it into the nearest trashcan.
As we made our way out of the mess hall, Ethan ushered me over with a small nudge of the head. “I’ll be right there,” I called out to the two of them.
“Jake Tomson, he’s from last year, yeah?” Ethan asked, looking straight ahead with his hands fastened securely to his belt.
I’d known Ethan for seven months now. Over the summer, we’d established an unusual bond no one could know about. He’d become overprotective of me, and at times I believed Ethan used me to replace the relationship he used to have with his sister before she died. Other times, I wasn’t so sure. Ethan was very back and forth, treating me like a child, but also looked at me with pining blue eyes. He was hard to read, and I’d always been fascinated by him and his ways.