Were you mine?

Chapter 77 -Chasing her

Jake's POV

I watched Lea excuse herself and start to leave. Her exit was graceful and I watched her move, mesmerized as she nodded and waved at the rest of them goodbye. The moment she walked out, I excused myself hastily, mumbling something incoherent about needing some air. Philippe and his band of pests barely noticed as I slipped away, their focus possibly on their next prey.

I sprinted after her, my heart pounding, my mind racing. When I reached the street, I spotted her heading towards a sleek, black car parked just down the road.

"Lea!" I called out, my voice breaking with desperation.She didn't turn around, didn't even flinch. She just kept walking, her pace quickening as if she knew I was right behind her.

"Lea, wait!" I shouted again, breaking into a run.Just as she reached her car and fumbled for her keys, I caught up with her. Grabbing her arm, I spun her around to face me. Her eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and anger.

"Jake, what the hell are you doing?" she hissed, trying to pull her arm free.

"You're not leaving," I growled, my grip tightening. "Not like this."

"Let me go, Jake," she demanded, her voice shaking. "You have no right..."

"I have every right!" I cut her off, my voice raw. "You walked out on me again...I..." She wrenched her arm free, but I blocked her path, refusing to let her escape. "Jake, move. I don't have time for this."

"You always have time for this, Lea," I said, my tone softer but still intense. "You have to make time. We need to talk."Her eyes softened for a brief moment before hardening again. "There's nothing to talk about. We said everything we needed to say a long time ago."

"Bullshit," I snapped, stepping closer. "We left things unfinished, and you know it." She tried to sidestep me, but I was quicker. Grabbing her again, I pulled her towards my car, which was parked a few spots away. "Jake, stop it. You're being ridiculous," she protested, struggling against me.

"Get in the car," I ordered, my voice leaving no room for argument.

"You're insane," she spat, but there was a flicker of fear in her eyes. "You can't just..."

"Watch me," I said, shoving her gently but firmly into the passenger seat. I slammed the door shut and quickly rounded the car to get in the driver's seat. Before she could make a move to escape, I locked the doors and started the engine.

"Jake, let me out," she demanded, her voice rising in panic. "This isn't funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny, Lea," I said, my voice steady but filled with an edge. "We're going to talk, whether you like it or not."

Just then her phone rang aloud. Before she could answer it, I snatched it from her hand and locked it in the glove box, along with my phone after switching them both off.

"You're crazy," she muttered, crossing her arms and glaring out the window."Maybe," I admitted, pulling away from the curb. "But I'm not letting you go until we sort this out."The drive was tense and silent. I could feel the anger radiating off her, but I didn't care. I was beyond reason at this point. I needed her, I needed some answers, I needed some clarifications ,I needed to get some load off my chest, and I was going to get them.My mind was racing with a million thoughts, each one more desperate than the last.

"Jake, you can't just abduct me like this," she finally snapped, breaking the silence."I didn't abduct you, Lea," I shot back, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I needed to talk to you, and you weren't going to give me a chance otherwise."

She scoffed, turning to look out the window again. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Nothing to talk about?" I echoed incredulously. "Lea, you left without a word again. You left me, and I don't really know why."

"You know why. And you know it very well. This wasn't like last time," she said bitterly, not meeting my eyes."No, I don't!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over. "Was it because of Rosa? Because I got her pregnant? I was stupid, okay? But it was a mistake, and it meant nothing. Nothing!"

"Meant nothing?" she repeated, her voice rising. "Jake, you created a life with her. How could that mean nothing?"

"I didn't know what I was doing," I said, my voice cracking. "I was lost. But you... Didn't you get pregnant with Phill's child? I didn't even care. Because I love you. But you...you just left. You didn't even give me a chance to explain...make things right. "

"You didn't deserve one," she whispered, tears filling her eyes"That's not fair, Lea," I said, my voice dropping as if about to break as well. "You don't get to decide that for me."

"Fair?" she laughed bitterly. "You think any of this is fair? Your family duped mine, Jake. They killed my parents. You think I can just forget that?"

"It's not like that," I said desperately," I don't represent them. You and I go back way before we even knew about our families. Is it necessary to bring that up? Especially between you and me? I love you, Lea. I always have."

"Love?" she said, her voice breaking. "Love doesn't fix this, Jake. It doesn't change what happened."

"It can," I insisted, reaching out to touch her arm. She flinched but didn't pull away. "It can if we let it. We can start over. We can make this right."

"How?" she asked, her eyes filled with pain. "How can we make this right?"

"We can be together," I said simply. "We can fight this together."

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It's too late for that."

"It's never too late," I argued, my voice breaking. And I let it break. "I don't care about the past. I care about you. I care about us."

"There is no 'us,' Jake," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There hasn't been for a long time."

"Because you didn't let there be," I shot back, my anger flaring again. "You walked away. You left me. You left us."

"There was no 'us' to leave," she said bitterly. "You made sure of that."

"That's not true," I said, my voice filled with desperation. "I didn't know what I was doing. I was an idiot." She shook her head, her shoulders trembling with sobs. "I can't, Jake. I can't do this anymore."

"You can," I said, pulling her into my arms. She resisted for a moment before collapsing against me, her sobs wracking her bodytight. "I should have fought for you. For us. I'm sorry." I cried along with her.

She didn't respond, just cried into my chest. But I knew,I wouldn't let her go again. No matter what it took, I would make things right."Did you... did you carry the baby to term?" I asked hesitantly, my voice barely above a whisper.

She pulled back slightly, her eyes filled with a mix of pain and anger. "What does it matter to you?"

"It matters because I care about you," I said, my voice breaking. "It matters because I want to know everything about you."

"You don't deserve to know," she said, her voice cold. "You don't deserve anything from me."

"Maybe not," I admitted, my heart aching. "But I want to. I want to be there for you, for the baby like I promised. To do so, I need to know if he exists. If you'll let me."She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks at an alarming rate. "It's too late, Jake. It's too late for us."

"No!It's never too late," I insisted, my voice filled with hope. "We can start over if we can't mend the past. Lea, please. "

She didn't respond, just looked at me, her eyes filled with uncertainty... a hesitation that I could not understand.