Between Two Worlds

Chapter 12 Obey Me!

Neve

Things within our friendship group have been ok since Anita’s party. We are all hanging out together at school, and whilst it is a bit awkward adjusting to Team Samita as we have dubbed them, Anita has confessed to me and Fleur that Jake is being ‘actively supportive’ of Samuel and her relationship… whatever that means. Everyone has been pretty normal, except Jake who seems to be deliberately avoiding me since that almost-kiss a few weeks ago. He isn't being overtly mean to me more like making sure he is never alone with me. At the moment, I don’t really have time to stop and analyse what the hell it all means as I have been studying my butt off preparing for finals. Our first exam is today, and it is the one I am most nervous about- my music individual performance. Fleur and Anita are just as nervous as I am. We’ve met in the packhouse dining hall to have breakfast together and try to calm our nerves.

“I keep having this recurring nightmare that I open my mouth to sing, but instead of words coming out a frog climbs out of my mouth,” wails Fleur dramatically.

“Gross!” I cry, scrunching up my nose.

“I cannot stop shaking,” Anita is twisting her fingers nervously.

Samuel pulls her close to him, trying to reassure her. “Your exam is in second period right?”

Anita nods.

“I have a study period then, so how about I try and sneak in as some moral support?” Samuel offers.

“Oh, I would love that!” Anita’s face lights up.

“I have a study period then too, how about I come along too?” Jake suggests overenthusiastically.

“uh, sure, thanks,” Anita responds hesitantly.

“Just be careful Mrs Crabbe doesn’t catch you,” warns Fleur. “Her name reflects her personality and she will not take kindly to you sneaking into her classroom.”

*

Jake POV

“Hurry up,” whines Samuel. “If we walk any slower, we are going to miss it!”

“Calm down, lover boy,” I tease. “We have plenty of time.”

As we turn right into the Creative Arts corridor, we can hear a guitar and a sweet familiar voice singing…

“And I can hear you dreaming.

Do you feel the way I do, right now?...”

“What did I tell you?” snaps Samuel. “It has already started.”

“Dude, cool your jets,” I joke as we near the door. “That isn't even Anita singing, that’s… Neve?” My jaw drops as I see her sitting on a stool on the low rise stage fingerpicking her guitar. It is captivating.

“And I will make sure to keep my distance,

Say I love you when you're not listening…”

Her voice is just so beautiful. It is like she is singing those lyrics directly to me, like a hidden message. I forget that I am supposed to be hiding in the back of the theatre, and I slowly start walking forward.

“Jake! What are you doing?” Samuel hisses at me. “You are going to get us caught!”

“Please don't stand so close to me

I'm having trouble breathing…”

Neve has noticed me walking up the aisle. She is looking straight at me. Confusion flashes in her eyes, but she continues to sing, not breaking eye contact with me. The emotion in her voice gets stronger.

“I'll give you everything I am,

All my broken heartbeats.

Until I know you'll understand.

And I will make sure to keep my distance,

Say I love you when you're not listening,

How long, can we keep this up, up, up?” (Distance, by Christina Perri from the album Lovestrong).

Neve finishes the song and ducks her head, trying to hide her tears. Why was she crying? I suddenly realise I am standing in the middle of the theatre in full view of the music class. Anita and Fleur are looking from me to Neve with their mouths agape in shock.

“Excuse me, Mr Brady, but what are you doing in my theatre?” asks a very pissed looking Mrs Crabbe.

“I… I was…”

“You were what?” She probes with one eyebrow raised.

“I was just leaving,” I finally blurt out. Not able to articulate how I had just been overcome by Neve’s voice. Neve suddenly stood up from the stool and ran offstage. “f**k! Neve!” I yelled after her.

“MR BRADY!” Mrs Crabbe raised her voice. “It is one thing entering my theatre uninvited during the middle of an examination and disrupting my class, but it is completely unacceptable to use such vile language in my classroom. Now please, LEAVE!” She roars and points to the exit.

“Yes, Mrs Crabbe,” I reply, turning and running out the door to look for Neve.

I have searched everywhere- the library, our bench in the cafeteria, the quad, the senior common room… she is nowhere! I finally decide to head out to the oval and I see Neve sitting under a tree, Duke holding her in his arms. I let out a sigh of relief and jogged towards them. As I got closer, Duke stood up and blocked my view of Neve.

Seriously, dude. What the f**k were you doing crashing Neve’s music exam like that? Duke is roaring at me over mind link.

Honestly? I have no f*****g idea what happened! I roar back.

I don’t know what game you are playing with Neve, but you need to BACK OFF because you are hurting her with your inability to control your behaviour. One second you are treating her like she is the scum between your toes, and the next you behave like she is the centre of the universe.

I know, I know. I’m sorry. I apologise.

Neve is not a plaything, dude. She is a person, and the bullshit you are carrying on with makes it hard for me to maintain loyalty to you because the compulsion to protect her is becoming too strong to ignore.

I stare at Duke wide-eyed. I cannot believe he is saying that. That is a pretty serious statement for a future Beta to be making to his Alpha.

“Can you please stop having a conversation over mind link please?” Neve begs. “You look really stupid standing there glaring at one another and not saying anything. It is clear you are talking about me.”

“Sorry,” I apologise. “I didn’t mean to upset you in there before.”

“What were you doing?” She demands. “That was an important performance for my final grade. You could have really messed things up for me.”

“Neve, I am so sorry. I have no idea what came over me,” I confess.

“You have been doing that a lot lately,” she mumbles.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask defensively.

“The way you have treated me these last few months has been so uncalled for,” she cries in frustration. “First there is your nasty comments about my clothing not being appropriate, your refusal to hang out with me, insulting me by telling me no one wants to kiss me then completely contradicting yourself a few hours later.”

“Contradict himself how?” Duke asks, his eyes narrowing and starting to darken.

Neve gives me a wicked smile, before turning to Duke. “Oh, didn’t Jake tell you? After he helped me take you home after Anita’s party he kissed me.”

“What did you just say?” Duke spat the words out slowly.

“Jake kissed me,” she replied simply. “Oh, but don’t worry Duke, he was a complete gentleman, and ran away straight afterwards,” she adds sarcastically.

I swallow hard as I watch Duke struggle to maintain control of his wolf.

“Neve, you need to leave, NOW!” Duke orders her through clenched teeth.

“Duke, calm down!” I say putting my hands up in front of me.

“Neve!” Duke pleads.

I turn my gaze on Neve, “Why did you have to tell him that?”

She shrugs her shoulders carelessly. “Because I am done, Jake.”

“Done?”

“Yep. Done. I am sick of bearing the brunt of your unpredictable behaviour. I cannot handle it anymore. I want nothing to do with you.”

I flinch at her words.

“NEVE!” Duke shouts. We both jump. For a second I forgot Duke was there, and unfortunately, he is still pissed and struggling to hold his wolf at bay.

“Oh, snap out of it!” Neve barks at Duke, and to my surprise, he obeys her command and calms down. Duke and I stare at Neve in awe, and she stares back flabbergasted at what just happened.