Double update for y'all cause I love you guys so much!! Welcome to all of my new readers, thank you so much for following and reading my books, all of you make the time I spend writing worthwhile, you guys are angels!😘😘😘 Hope you enjoy the chapter! Happy reading my loves!💖💖

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It's been a month since I had moved in with Uncle Jay; he's been accommodating and very understanding. He gives me my space; he seems to know when I want to talk and when I don't. My attachment to him was growing, Jay had become sort of like a safety blanket for me, I almost forgot how warm a human body could be until he had thrown his arms around me in a bear hug every morning for the past three weeks. In those weeks every night I had dreamt of my father, crawling into my uncle's bed and snuggling up to him made me feel less lonely, like piece of my father was still physically there.

But all of that changed when Jay had broken the news to me that he hadn't left the navy, under my foolish assumption I thought he had but he was only home for so long because he had suffered an injury and was recovering.

I hadn't taken the news well at all.

My panic attack was instantaneous when thoughts of him returning like my father had filled my mind. I had passed out and only woke up twenty minutes later to see a worried Jay beside me. Tears had burst from my eyes like waterfalls, I had begged him not to go back, to stay but it was already too late, he was leaving in three days. I had clung to him like he would've disappeared that moment, Jay didn't once complain or yell at me. He understood and he comforted me. When he did leave, he promised to be back and I prayed he would be.

My first semester in college started a week later and I had concluded that the universe was against me. Walking into an empty house after eight hours of school was bad for my already broken heart. Instead of sleeping in my room I had slept in Jay's for the entire week, I would send a whisper of a pray to the heavens, to dad to keep Jay safe.

The doorbell rang catching my attention, looking up from the homework I was doing I looked in the direction of the door. Confusion filled me as I stood and made my way to the entrance of the house; Jay didn't have much people visiting him, he didn't have a wife or a girlfriend either, I remember him saying that he wouldn't want to put someone through the agony that most families go through.

Turning the knob I pulled the door open, standing with hands in his pockets was a boy whom I'd never seen, he was built like a twig, lanky and scrawny, goosebumps rose on my skin as I stared at the boy not much older than me. His dark eyes roamed my body hungrily, my face twist in disgust when he licked his thin lips.

"Who are you?" I didn't bother hiding my expression or the rudeness my voice held.

"Hello there sweetie, I'm Callum, your next door neighbor, it's nice to meet you" he smiled extending his arm. I looked at his hand then back at him before slowly extending my hand and shaking his.

I yanked my hand away from him when I tried to hold it longer "do you want something?" I questioned.

The creeper's eyes lit up "oh yes...I mean, yeah, my mother had sent me over. She'd like you to join us for dinner."

Hell no.

"I'm busy" I immediately retorted.

Callum's face fell into a frown, "you can take a break from whatever you're doing right?" he was desperate, that much was obvious, I wasn't about to go over to his house for whatever reason he or his parents cooked up.

"No, first week of college and I'm buried in paper. I'm sure you know how that goes, please do tell your parents thanks for the offer and send my apologies okay?" I smiled sweetly at him watching as he grinned.

"Sure thing sweetie, maybe next time."

"Bye."

I took a step back and shut the door in his face, there won't be a next time or anytime. He was the kind of guys my father warned me about, the types with the hidden agenda are never the ones to associate with.

I turned the locks on the door and headed back into the living room, dropping myself onto the floor in front of the coffee table, I resumed my work. Although the deadline to my assignments was sometime away, they were needed distractions, they took my mind off of everything that made me hurt and for that I welcomed the work.

Hours after finishing up I had found myself in the shower, standing still as the water poured over me. I watched as it went down the drain wondering if I could get rid of some things in the same matter.

God knows I'd want nothing more than to flush my feelings and be rid of the torment I was going through but just like water, my feelings flowed.

Turning off the shower I stepped out, drying my skin I had made my way to my room quickly changing into a long t-shirt and wrapping my wet hair in a towel. I went back to Jay's room and turned on the television, assuming my position, I watched the screen for what seemed like hours until darkness started to envelop me. I welcomed sleep with open arms, looking forward to seeing the face of my hero again and hoping to never rise when the sun came up.