The Blank Space Between You and Me

TW: attempted human trafficking, violence

*ding*

Jake: Did you hear that Ben and Olivia broke-up?!🥺

You: Realy?! Why?🤯

Jake: Another girl, so I hear.🙄

You: OMG. Poor Olivia, I should call her.😰

Jake: Yeah, I can't believe Ben would do that to her. I would never do that to my girlfriend.😇

You: You don't have a girlfriend.🥴

Jake: Yeah, but if I did I would never do that to her.😌

*3 minutes later*

Jake: Are you going to the festival tonight? 🤔

You: Yes, are you?🤨

Jake: No, my I'm at my mom's house, she's going out with her boyfriend and doesn't want me to go alone.😔

You: First of all you're a 16 year old boy, I'm sure you'd be fine. But, you can come with me. I'll pick you up at 8:00pm.😁

Jake: Ok, cool. See you then.🙃

-------

"Come on Jake", I think as I ring the doorbell again. I told him 8:00pm, did I not? I pound on the door.

"Jake!" I yell. "Come on, we- Ahh!" I scream as if I feel someone grab me putting their hand over my mouth. I try to scream but I can't. I can feel the strong biceps of a man pulling me away from the house into the forest. The man is telling me to stop fighting but I refuse. I've done 5 years of martial arts and I'm a third degree black belt. This guy chose the wrong girl.

I snap my head back into the guy's nose. He stumbles back cursing under his breath. I turn around to get my first look at him. He is a very tall and big man. Maybe 6'3 and at least 200 pounds. He reaches for me again with his right hand. I grab it before he can touch me and I twist it breaking his wrist. But if that's all he thinks he is going to get he is so wrong. He doubled over in pain holding his broken wrist. I walk up to him grabbing his other wrist using my other arm to slip it under his. I pull him over my shoulder and throw him over me.

He falls hard on his back hitting his head causing him to cry out louder in pain. I push my knee on his, putting pressure on a very uncomfortable pressure point. He cries out in pain again trying to get up. But with his broken wrist and probably a fractured back, not to mention a head injury from the fall, he can't get up. I press harder on his knee and reach over to his foot, grasping it with both hands. I roughly turn it to the left hearing a loud snap. The satisfying sound of his ankle breaking.

He is full on crying and screaming now, tossing and turning not sure with body part to comfort in pain. Just as I'm getting off him to really finish him, someone comes running from behind me to jump on the man, finishing him with their elbow. There is a loud snap from him, his rib must have broken. The man screams in pain before passing out. I now look at the person who finished the man before I could.

"Jake! That's my favorite part!" I say before lightly pushing him.

Jake and I met at our dojo when we were 10. We started at the bottom and worked our way up together. Of course he would come out at the last second and steal my thunder.

"You just got jumped and you're upset because you didn't get to finish him?"  Jake asked confused.

"Ugh! Where were you anyway? I waited for 15 minutes."

"Didn't you get my texts? I told you not to come because there was a shady guy watching my house," Jake said, gesturing to the unconscious man.

I took out my phone to see five new texts from Jake. "Oh," I sigh. I put my head up to the sky, closing my eyes trying to breath.

"Hey," Jake said, coming closer. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. And I didn't need your help, I had him." I say sharply.

"Sure you did."

"I did!"

"That's what I said," Jake said pulling me into a hug.

I reluctantly put my arms around him. I hated how good it felt to be in his arms, espaclay when I'm trying to be mad at him.

"I had him," I say again in his ear.

"I know."

"I didn't need your help," I repeat.

"I know," he said again, hugging me tighter.

I finally give up and embrace his hug fuly. I let my head fall into the curve of his neck as he does the same with mine.

I don't know how long we stay in eachothers arms. Finally Jake and I pulled away.

"What are we supposed to do with him?" I ask, looking at the lifeless man.

"Call the cops I guess." Jake says, taking out his phone to dial 911.

-------

The cops arrive shortly after, we tell them everything that happened. Neither Jake or me got charged with any crimes because we used self defence against this man. It turns out that this man “Benny Lue” is famous for trafficking young girls. We did the cops the favor for catching this man. They left after about an hour taking the man away with them.

"You don't still want to go to that festival, do you?" Jake asked.

"Haha, I don't think so I'm beat." I said stretching. "Ow!" I yelled holding my neck.

"What is it? Are you ok?" Jake said rushing to my side.

"My neck, I think it might be bruised." I said grasping it.

Jake lifted my hand and pushed my hair asid to examine my neck.

"Oh, yeah definitely bruised." Jake said, taking my hand. "Come inside I'll put some ice on it for you."

A few moments later I was sitting on the sofa next to Jake as he applied the ice to my neck. We sat in silence for a moment until I realized I had no idea how long I've been here.

"Jake, what time is it?" I asked, looking for my phone. I must have dropped it in the forest.

"Wow, it's after midnight," Jake said looking at his phone. "My mom must be having a NICE date with Freddy," he added rolling his eyes.

"After midnight!" I shout standing up looking for my jacket. I put my jacket on quickly. "Ow, dame it!" I yell. I must have put my jacket on too harshly and hit the bruise on my neck.

"Ash calm down. I'll text your dad, you can stay here for the night. It's too late to go home and your neck needs to heal. Come back so I can put more ice on it." Jake said, taking out his phone to text my dad.

"Oh just stop right there Jake," I said, taking his phone out of his hands. "First of all you know I hate being called Ash, I have a name, it's Astrid use it. Secondly, do you know what my dad will say if he knows that I've been here all night? I told him that I was going to the festival with Olivia and some other friends. Luckily I was supposed to spend the night at Olivia's house so I don't have to be home. But if you text him it will blow everything." I say taking a breath. "Mind if I call Olivia, hopefully she didn't ask my dad where I am."

"No go ahead," Jake said.

After explaining everything to Olivia. I thank Jake and return him his phone.

"Just one question," Jake begins. "Why didn't you tell your dad you were with me?"

"You obviously don't know my dad. He doesn't trust any male, he is extremely overprotective," I say.

"Why? Does he not like me?" Jake asks looking sadly at the floor.

"No, not just you all MALES," I enunciate.

"Well, do you like me?" Jake asks looking at me, inching closer.

"Do I what?" I asked confused by the question.

"Do you like me?" he asks again now in my face.

"I am very fond for you, we've been friends for a long time, I-"

"You know that's not what I mean," he says smiling at me.

"I-ah-I-"

"You need me," he says.

"Excuse me?" I ask completely taken back. Need him? Where is this coming form?

"Yes, you need me," he repeats. He must see the confusion in my face for he continues. "For example, last week in Mr. Aruther's class you needed me to help you out of detention for that silly comment you made. And on Thursday at the dojo you couldn't fight Sensei alone so I helped. And just tonight I saved you from that man," Jake finished proudly.

"Oh really?" I challenged. "Then I guess you need me to. Like yesterday when Anna kept hitting on you and you wanted to walk away but couldn't, so I made up some excuse for you to leave. And at the park that kid was crying on you and you didn't know what to do so I helped YOU. And tonight I was completely fine on my own thank you very much!" I huffed. It's hard to be mad at him when I do really like him. But he sets himself up with the stupied things he says.

"Fine so we need each other, but you still haven’t answered my question,” Jake said, sliding his arms around my waist. “Do you like me?” he asked again. Of course I do and I can see he likes me too. But he is playing some sort of game with me, there seems to be some space between the two of us. Lucky for him I love games.

“Let’s find out,” I say before raping my arms around his neck pulling his lips to mine.