Jake P.O.V.

I cradled Adriana's skinny frame as I gingerly walked up the long winding stairs to her bedroom. Lucas hovered at my side, whimpering like a wounded puppy and stroking Adriana's hair as she dozed snuggled up against my chest. I swallowed my irritation with Lucas and continued to stalk forward, ignoring him.

I stooped and opened her bedroom door and walked into the warm room. Clothes littered the floor and the faint scent of coconut lime perfume clung to everything. The bouquet of roses I gave her on Valentines Day were hung and dried from the wall by her bed. I smiled at the fact she kept them.

I gently lowered her onto the bed and brushed away a stray strand of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun. As I bent over the bed to tuck her in I jumped as arms slinked around my torso and pulled me down close. I slammed out a hand to keep myself upright and barely missed Adriana's head. Her face was right next to mine and I found myself looking at her lips, which were parted slightly as she sighed in contentment and tightened her grip a tad bit.

She had just been released from the hospital, thank God. Everything checked out with her. Of course it should have, me rushing her to the most expensive best hospital in San Diego.

Lucas's constant hovering and pacing was starting to grate on my nerves as I unwound Adriana's skinny arms from my waist and stood up, finishing tucking her in. I brushed my hands off on my jeans and glared at Lucas,

"Can you please stop that pacing?"

Lucas ignored me and dropped to his knees beside Adriana's bed. He peered at her softly,

"Let me worry about her a little bit, sir."

I crossed my arms and puffed my cheeks out in irritation. What right did he have to be concerned? His dumb expensive tuxedo crinkled as he rocked on the heels of his dumb dress shoes. His dumb brown hair was spiked in a dumb style. I rolled my eyes; he was just so dumb.

Lucas chuckled when he glanced up at me, his brown eyes narrowed in amusement.

"You have no need for worry, sir."

I tapped my black Nike shoe against the plush carpet as I continued to glare at him, not believing a single word that came out of his dumb posh British mouth.

Lucas tossed his head back and laughed loudly,

"I am not interested in her in that way, sir. She is quite adorable isn't she though, no?"

I felt my back stiffen when he smiled at her with affection shining off his dumb features.

The door suddenly was thrown open and Loraine stalked in in her classic booty shorts and crop top. She held up her bright pink phone and the song Bootylicious was pouring out of the speaker.

"I don't think you're ready for this jelly!

I don't think you're ready for this jelly!"

I rolled my eyes as Lucas paled as Loraine danced wildly as she walked towards us. She clicked off the song and slid her sunglasses up her face.

"Seriously bro the tension levels were so high I wonder what they smoked."

I smacked my face, ignoring the sharp sting. I loved my sister Loraine but she was rather quirky and took after our Father more.

Loraine beamed and flung herself at Lucas,

"Lucccccciiiiii!"

Lucas blanched and blushed profusely as he tried to peel Loraine off him,

"Please get off, Loraine!"

Loraine pouted and tightened her grip,

"Usually it would be 'Please get on, Loraine' but I can let it slide, Luci."

I screamed and covered my poor bleeding ears,

"No no no no young brother in the room please be disgusting somewhere else!"

Loraine chuckled and walked over to me and pinched my cheek with her bright pink manicured nails.

"Aw is my widdle bwother all embawassed?"

I slapped away her hand and scoffed,

"No of course not."

Loraine rolled her eyes and walked over to Adriana's bed, where by some miracle, was still sleeping peacefully. She chuckled her tongue,

"Poor little nerd-bird."

She smirked and twisted her head to flash me a sneer,

"I told you not to be too rough Jake."

"Loraine!"

I buried my face in my hands. I take back every time I ever said I loved Loraine. I was lying. I meant to say I hate you Loraine. The love part was a slip of the tongue.

Lucas frowned disapprovingly at Loraine before sighing in defeat and running his fingers through his hair. I suddenly noticed how tired and sickly he looked, like he hadn't gotten sleep for days.

Like me.

Loraine set down a bag next to Adriana's bed and winked at me as she walked out,

"Just a little present for little nerd-bird."

After she left me and Lucas curiously walked up to the bag and peeked inside. At the same, we flew away from the bag like an invisible force was pushing us. After seeing the fluffy handcuffs and whips we found out Loraine had made a trip to Spencer's.

"God damn it Loraine..."

I slapped my forehead and picked up the bag and called Alyssa to take it away. Adriana would never need this stuff.

My phone suddenly tweeted loudly from my pocket and I pulled it out with a groan.

"Mother: Come up to my office."

I shoved my phone back into my jean pocket with a bitter sigh. I turned to Lucas and shook a finger at him warningly,

"Watch over Adriana but no funny business."

Lucas placed a hand over his heart and gave a little bow. He winked,

"A real man does not take advantage of a sleeping woman, Mister Jake Collins. There is no need for worry."

I gave a sharp nod and opened the door,

"Let me know when she wakes up."

"Of course, sir."

I closed the door behind me and raked my fingers through my hair as I sighed heavily.

~~~~~~~~~

Mother laced her boney fingers together and rested them on the mahogany desk in front of her. I rolled up the sleeves on my black leather biking jacket and slouched in my seat, just to annoy her. Her eye twitched slightly at seeing my poor posture but didn't say anything about it.

I waved at her to speak and drawled mockingly,

"So, what do you need, Mother dearest?"

Her lips drew into a thin line at my blatant disrespect. She let out a deep sigh before speaking coldly,

"You are not allowed to be around Adriana Layman any more."

I glared at her just as coldly and sneered,

"Oh and since when did you have a say in what I do or who I hang out with?"

Mother narrowed her eyes at me,

"Since a girl was just shot perhaps?"

I tightened my fists in anger. Did she think it was my fault?

"I can take care of her,"

I hissed bitterly, curling my lip slightly. Mother just laughed coldly,

"Funny you say that, considering that the poor girl took a bullet for you. Usually it should be the other way around do you not think so?"

She stood up and walked towards the window, her heels clicking on the wood floor. She crossed her arms behind her back and continued to speak,

"This is for her safety as much as it is for yours. In this house, you may speak with her all you wish, but outside of these walls, she may as well be invisible to you. Am I clear?"

I had no intention of ignoring her but still growled out,

"Yes ma'am."

Mother turned around, looking pleased and surprised at my response.

"Good, I am glad you understand the gravity of the situation. You may go."

I rolled my eyes and stood up, spat on her desk, then walked out.

"Jacob Andrew Collins!"

Mother's voice was laced with barely contained rage and a stiff authority that made me freeze in my tracks. I slowly turned around to see her bracing her desk, breathing heavily in anger. Her jaw was tight as she spat out,

"Care to explain your behavior?"

I shrugged, trying not to show how intimated I was,

"Not really."

Mother leaned across the desk and slapped me so hard the earth lurched under my feet.

She hissed out between her teeth,

"I demand respect, Jacob. You shall deliver it."

I cradled my throbbing cheek and glared at her silently. She boldly returned my heated glare till I dropped it and glared at the floor. Her thin lips tilted up into a gruesome smirk at my silent submission.

"You are excused."

She wasn't worth the effort. I left without a word but made sure to slam the door shut as hard as I could behind me.

~~~~~~~~~~

I aimlessly wandered the huge maze that was my house, fuming and grumbling under my breath. When I stopped ranting in my head I looked around and noticed I was in the small club room Adriana had made fun of before. Truthfully, she was right, we never used it.

I trudged over to the bar and to my surprise a bored voice piped up,

"What can I get for ya?"

I furrowed my eyebrows and leaned over the bar to see Loraine leaning back in a chair. Her Beats hung around her neck, still blasting some kind of rap as she smirked up at me. She held a box of Lucky Charms at her side and kept tossing handfuls back. I rolled my eyes and sat down on my stool again.

"Really Loraine? Lucky Charms?"

She shrugged,

"I have had some good times with a couple boxes of Lucky Charms, a hot Italian model, a bed, and a marshmallow sorting contest."

When I just stared at her, speechless, she misunderstood my silence for lack of understanding.

"Ya see, when you get ten purple rainbows the loser has to take off an article of clothing. Get fifteen lucky clovers and you get to touch-"

I slammed my hands over my ears and shut her out. My sister's sexual adventures was not something I was interested in. Believe me, I wasn't a prude, I just was around my sister.

Loraine snickered,

"Oh common its too late for you to play the too-innocent-for-you act."

"What kind of sister talks about hot Lucky Charms sex with their younger brother?"

She clicked her tongue and pointed at herself lazily.

I slid off the bar stool and went to walk away when Loraine called out after me,

"Oh by the way, your innocent little nerd-love is awake. Might wanna go say hi. Oh, and take this."

She threw a box of Lucky Charms at me, which I caught. I groaned and set it down as I walked out of the room.

"Go taste the rainbow, little Jakey!"

~~~~~~~~~~

"My family is a bunch of freaks, I swear,"

I muttered to myself and I leaned against the wall outside Adriana's room. The cracks around the door where dark so I hadn't gone in yet in case she was still sleeping.

As I stood there in a daze thinking, I had a dull thud come from inside the room followed by a nearly inaudible whimper.

My heart pounding in my throat, I threw open the door, praying she was alright.

I saw a thrashing writhing pile of covers on the floor.

"Daddy please don't!"

I ran over and dropped to my knees by her frail figure. I clicked on the the lamp on her nightstand and turned back to Bookworm.

Tears streamed down her face as she dry heaved and sobbed, still thrashing as if she was fighting to get someone off her.

I shoved her shoulder jarringly, trying to make her wake up.

"Wake up Ri its not real wake up."

After a few more shakes, she shot up dead straight, panting and looking around in terror. Beads of night sweat rolled down her pale cheeks and the deep purple bags around her dull green eyes looked prominent against her pale complexion.

Adriana turned to me in confusion, still stiff from the fresh terror of her nightmare. Then her face slowly crumbled and a tear slipped out of her eyes. She launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and sobbed broken-heartedly. I held her close and rubbed her back soothingly as she cried. I felt tears fall on my neck and make my shirt damp but I didn't care.

I rocked her back and forth softly, murmuring soft words of comfort to her. After a few minutes, the inconsolable hysterical sobbing had died down and now a relentless stream of tears poured down her face.

She whispered so hoarsely and quietly I had to strain to listen,

"H-He b-b-beat me. I-It's my fault..."

My broke slightly at seeing the broken look in her eyes.

"Oh no Ri it isn't."

She shook her head in refusal,

"It is. I was the reason Mom died. I broke our family, Jake."

She buried her face in her hands in shame and despair. I cooed softly to her and pulled her tighter in my arms, still rocking her.

"No you didn't, beautiful."

She shook her head in my neck, her small fists bunching the fabric of my jacket in their tight grip.

"Adriana."

I pulled her away from me and cupped her face in my hands and looked seriously into her watery eyes.

"It. Isn't. Your. Fault."

"But you don't even know what happened..."

I shook my head,

"I know enough about you to know you couldn't do something like that. The most badass thing I have ever seen you do is rip a douch's

twenty bucks in the mall, not kill someone."

She frowned at me and I swallowed when I realized my slip. Shoot, now she knows I was watching her. Crap I probably looked like a creepy stalker.

I hurriedly explained,

"I-It isn't anything weird or anything. Me and Reece were going shopping and we happened to see Madison..."

I trailed off when I saw Adriana hiding behind her hair and her shoulders were slightly quivering. Was she angry with me?

I softly touched her should and her head popped up and she laughed in my face. She fell back on her back and grabbed her belly in laughter. I felt myself start to blush so I huffed and crossed my arms, glaring sourly at her.

After a few minutes of snorting and chuckles, she finally was able to talk,

"I-I must have seemed like a total bitch when we first met didn't I?"

I chuckled bopped her nose,

"Yep."

She smacked her with a pillow laying down next to her while giggling,

"Oh shut up."

I grabbed a pillow too and winked,

"Make me."

She just smirked and tried to smack me again but I blocked her attack with my pillow.

"Ha missed!"

She threw her blanket at me, momentarily blinding me.

As I grabbed and pulled the blanket away from me I heard a soft little voice ask,

"Why is big brother dress up as a ghost?"

"Because hes a monster! Hes going to eeeeeat usssss!"

Adriana spoke in a spooky voice to Rosalyn and Rosalyn screamed and ran behind her and grabbed her legs. Adriana laughed and winked at me,

"Fear not Princess! I shall protect us from the monster beast!"

I played along and bellowed as I stood up,

"Never! I need my daily meal of Princess!"

Rosalyn laughed as she clambered onto Adriana's back.

"Forward!"

Adriana charged towards me, following Rosalyn's steering. I made a mooing sound and dodged her. Adriana raised an eyebrow at me at my sound affect.

"I do not think we have a reason to fear, Princess. This seems to be a very confused ugly cow."

Rosalyn nodded thoughtfully.

"I think so too. Do you think she would make good milk?"

I glared indignantly at my little sister as Adriana tried not to to crack up.

"I think this heifer can't give us much."

Rosalyn nodded again,

"Then we need to kill it and help the grass farmers."

Adriana gasped in fake horror,

"Oh of course we can't let this cow hurt the poor grass farmers! Charge!"

They launched themselves as me and grabbed my sides and began to tickle me furiously.

I laughed and tried to bat them away. Adriana's eyes were light with playfulness as she teased,

"Moo little cow moo."

I gasped breathlessly,

"No I am a big powerful bull."

Rosalyn placed her hands on her hips and glared at me,

"Princess says for you to moo."

"Hm... But I still had my daily meal of Princess!"

I lunged for her and threw her over my shoulder. She squealed and thrashed in my arms.

"Adriana save meeeeee!"

"I shall save you, Princess!"

I ran out of the room, hearing Adriana's feet running after me, and headed to Rosalyn's room.

"Mwahaha I have made it to my lair! What shall I eat you with, Princess? Carrots oh or maybe cashews?"

When I mention cashews her face screwed up and she wailed,

"I don't wanna die with nasty cashews!"

"Not even pink cashews?"

She pouted at me before admitting,

"Better than icky brown ones... Pink tastes better than brown..."

As I laughed Adriana busted into the room, breathing heavily,

"I am sorry I got lost in this monster cow's Labyrinth. Are you the Minotaur?"

How did this turn into Greek mythology?

I rolled my eyes,

"No I am a regular heifer remember?"

She snorted in amusement,

"Oh ya I forgot. Sorry Betsy."

"That is so stereotypical!"

I threw Rosalyn on the bed and charged to Adriana. I swept her up into my arms and ran away. Rosalyn cried out for Adriana but she just yelled back,

"It's bed time anyway, Princess. Sweet dreams!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

I ran back to Adriana's room and threw her onto the bed, making her bounce into the air. She just laughed and slid off the bed to pick up the pillows and blankets the fix her bed again.

"Your little sister is so cute."

I chuckled softly as I stooped to pick up a pillow,

"Ya she is."

She added,

"Your good with kids. Honestly, its a pleasant surprise."

I rolled my eyes in mock insult,

"Please, I am best friends with Reece of course I am good with little kids."

"I am so telling him you said that."

"Whats he gonna do? All the dangerous weapons are child-locked."

Adriana laughed as she fluffed up her pillows and placed them on the bed. Then she turned to me and a look of seriousness flashed over her,

"Thank you for helping me."

I knew she was talking about her nightmare.

"No problem Ri."

She smiled softly at me, a gentle glow in her eyes,

"Your a nice guy, Jake."

That meant more to me then it should have. The fact she knew my background and the whole accident with Justin Arden and still thought I was a nice guy and wasn't scared of me meant a lot. I didn't really know what to say so I just smiled back at her.

The comfortable silence slowly turned awkward and Adriana twiddled her thumbs as she stood by her now made bed,

"I probably should go to bed..."

"Oh right of course. If you need anything come get me. I'm right next door."

"Mmkay"

I really wanted to kiss her goodnight or even just a peck on the cheek but my nerves won out and I left the room with a simple 'goodnight'.

I peeled off my jacket and shirt and climbed into my bed in my boxers. Alyssa picked up my littered clothes and asked,

"Can I get you anything, sir?"

I shook my head and dismissed her, feeling like a worthless coward for not kissing Adriana goodnight. That dumb country song started to play in my head and I groaned. God I hated country.

"I should have kissed you. I should have pushed you up against the wall. I should have kissed you, just like I wasn't scared at all."

I found myself singing softly. I heard a soft chuckle come from Alyssa as she closed the door behind her on her way out of my room. I heard a soft knock come the wall next to my ear and I frowned.

"You're a good singer."