After we had parted ways with Umar, Uzma, and James, I found myself alone with Jake. I had always been wary of him, but I tried to keep my guard up as he threw his arm around my neck.

"Now it's me and you alone" Jake said throwing his arm over my neck and pulling me closer.

I quickly pulled away from him, reminding him that he wasn't allowed to touch me.

Uugh" I grabbed his hand and released myself.
"You're not allowed to touch me remember" I said.

Jake seemed taken aback by my reaction, but he quickly recovered and started up a conversation.

Fine fine" he responded. "So what's up with that? Why can't I touch you huh?" He wanted to know why I was so against being touched. I hesitated at first, but eventually decided to explain everything to him about the non touching subject.

Jake listened intently as I spoke, and I could tell that he was genuinely interested in what I had to say. When I finished, he looked at me sympathetically. "I'm sorry , I'll make sure to not cross any boundaries"

I nodded, feeling grateful for his kind words. As we continued talking, I started to feel more at ease around him. As we continued talking, Jake seemed to be opening up more and more to me. We talked about our families, our hobbies, and our dreams for the future. I was surprised at how much we had in common. As we talked, I started to feel more comfortable around him.

Suddenly, Jake's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and his face fell. "I have to take this," he said apologetically.

I nodded understandingly as Jake walked a few steps away to answer the call. As he spoke, I couldn't help but notice how tense he looked. I wondered what was going on.

When he finished the call, he came back to me with a look of concern on his face. "I'm sorry, it was an emergency call.

I nodded again, feeling disappointed that our conversation had been cut short. "It's okay," I said. "I hope everything is okay"

"I gotta go,I'll catch you up later"

Jake gave me a small smile before turning and walking away. As he disappeared from view, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of emergency could have come up at work. And why did he look so worried?

As I walked towards the hotel, I couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Some of the students were standing in groups, whispering and laughing amongst themselves, while others were sitting in the lobby, scrolling through their phones. I tried to ignore them and made my way straight to the elevator, eager to get to my room and text Ibrahim.

Two of my classmates, were standing along with Rebecca and her minions beside me in the elevator. I felt a little uncomfortable being around them, but I tried to keep my distance and avoid any unnecessary conversation. As the elevator doors slid open, I stepped out and made my way towards my room.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp tug on my arm, and before I knew it, I was being pulled into a room. My heart raced as I looked around, trying to figure out where I was. I saw James standing in front of me, a sinister grin on his face.

"Hey there, beautiful," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "What's the rush? Why don't you stay and chat for a while?"

I tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. I felt a surge of panic rising within me as I realized that I was trapped. I didn't know what to do or who to turn to. All I could do was pray that someone would come to my rescue before it was too late.

"What's so special about Jake? We're twins, yet you're always chasing after him instead of me," he said, his grip on my wrist tightening. "Why won't you talk to me like you do with him?"

I struggled to free myself, but his grip was too strong. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to reason with him.

"Please, let me go," I begged. "You're hurting me."

He loosened his grip slightly, but still held onto my wrist. "Not until you tell me what's going on between you and Jake," he demanded.

I shook my head, trying to keep my composure. "There's nothing going on between us," I said firmly. "We're just friends."

"Friends?" he scoffed. "I don't believe you. I see the way you look at him, the way you talk to him. You're hiding something, and I want to know what it is."

I felt a surge of anger rising within me. How dare he accuse me of something like that? I had done nothing wrong, yet he was treating me like a criminal.

"Let go of me," I said, my voice trembling with rage. "I'm not going to stand here and be interrogated by you."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally released my wrist. I rubbed it gingerly, feeling the bruises forming beneath my skin.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice softening slightly. "I just don't understand why you won't talk to me.I thought of being close, but now it feels like we're strangers."

I looked at him, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me. but now it seemed like we were drifting further and further apart. I didn't know how to fix it, or even if I wanted to. All I knew was that I needed to get away from him, and fast.

I took a step back, putting some distance between us. "I don't know what to say," I admitted. "Things have been different lately, and I don't know how to fix it."

He looked at me, his eyes searching mine. "Is it because of me?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head. "It's not just you," I said. "It's everything. School, friends, life in general. I feel like I'm drowning sometimes, and I don't know how to make it stop."

He nodded, his expression sympathetic. "I get it," he said. "I feel the same way sometimes. But we can't let it tear us apart."

"But what you just did pulling me like this? I hate you for this James."

I could see the anger in his eyes, and it was like a knife to my heart.

"I knew I had messed up, and I didn't know how to make it right. But I couldn't let you go, not like this. Not when we had so much going between three of us"

"Please, don't go," he said, reaching out to touch my arm. "We can talk about this. We can work it out."

But I just shook my head, pulling away from him. "No, James," I said firmly. "I can't do this anymore. You keep hurting me, over and over again. And I can't keep pretending that it's okay."

I wanted to argue, to tell him that it wasn't all my fault. That you had your own issues to deal with, and that you weren't perfect either. But I knew that wasn't the right thing to say. Not now, when I was so upset.

"I understand," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I'm sorry. I'll try to do better, I promise."

I looked at me, my eyes softening just a little. "I want to believe you," I said. "But you've said that before. And it never seems to change anything."

"I know you were right. I had made promises before, and broken them just as quickly. But this time its different. This time, I know I have to .. I mean it this time. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right between us. Just please, give me another chance."

I hesitated, and for a moment, thought of walking away. But then nodded, just once. "Okay" I replied.

I nodded, saying "but I'm still mad at you" just before going out if the room.

As I walked out of the room, I noticed Rebecca eavesdropping, and my anger flared up. I couldn't believe she had invaded my privacy like that.

"Woah, you have two men's yearning at you"

"What are you doing here".I say looking everywhere but at her face.

"Whaaa.. are you scared I may go tell jake that she was with your brother, doing god knows what" she says with a smirk"

I could feel my blood boiling as I stared at Rebecca. How dare she come into my personal space like this? How dare she try to blackmail me?

"Get out," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "I don't want you here."

But Rebecca just laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, come on," she said. "Don't be like that. I'm just having a little fun. And you know what they say - two men are better than one."

"hold your nagging tongue, you miserable old shrew!" I spat out of anger.

I wanted to slap her. I wanted to scream at her. But I knew that wouldn't solve anything. I had to keep my cool, no matter how angry I was.

"Don't play-act with me, you vicious, conniving she-devil!'" She said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "And even if I did, it's none of your business. Now get out before I call security."

Rebecca just shrugged, still smirking. "Fine," she said. "But remember, I know your little secret. And I'm not afraid to use it if I have to."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me seething with anger. I wanted to go after her, to tell her that she didn't scare me. But I knew that wouldn't solve anything. I had to find a way to deal with her, and fast.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I couldn't let Rebecca get the best of me. I had to be strong, for myself.

I walked out of the room, my head held high. I wouldn't let anyone bring me down, not even Rebecca. And I knew that, no matter what happened, I had Jake by my side. Together, we could face anything.
——————————————————————
To all the amazing readers out there, I hope you are enjoying the story so far and I'm curious to know your thoughts about james . If you liked reading it, please do consider leaving a vote and a comment to let me know your feedback. Moreover, I would love to hear your opinions on James characters Please feel free to share your thoughts with me!