seven.

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height


S E V E N

"the first threats"

β€”

Jake's POV

HE THOUGHT HE COULDN'T be more alone just when he saw two familiar faces in the bar. Gina and Rosa spotted him, and apparently they didn't notice that his expression told that he didn't need company, for they started walking toward him. Jake only stared at his beer, which was still full, and didn't acknowledge them.

At work, they had acted the same childish way: first, Jake tried to talk to Gina and ask for advice, but she said she couldn't talk to him. She did the same twenty minutes later, and again ten minutes later... and when Jake tried to talk to Rosa she was cold and short. They made sure that his day was hell.Β 

If they were there to make it worse... with that in mind, Jake tried to stand up, but Rosa didn't let him.Β 

"We're here to apologize," she said. Even if her words were a little reassuring, her tone was tough.

They sat down on the booth, Gina smiled and rubbed Jake's shoulder, but he didn't feel comfortable being there with them. Maybe he was better alone, knowing that next day he could do another attempt to talk to them.Β 

"I'm guessing Sarah told you about Iris," he muttered.Β 

"Yup," Gina said, nodding, "but we realized that it's kinda unfair to treat you like this."

"She said that... Deacon talked to her tonight," Rosa seemed to have trouble saying Iris's last name. "Sarah thought you sent her."

Jake rolled his eyes. "I didn't. I told her to stay away at first but she said she wanted to tell Sarah that it was all her fault."

"Was it?" Rosa asked. Jake scowled, skeptical.Β 

"Of course it was. I was drunk!"Β 

"I'm assuming that's the reason of why you look like you wanna stay sober now," Rosa said. Jake looked down at his still full beer bottle, shrugging. "We know you're having a hard time right now, and that you don't deserve any of this, but you should give Sarah some time."Β 

"Yeah... she isn't ever gonna give me a second chance."

"Not with that attitude she isn't," Gina intervened. "Hold onto hope. Sarah will understand."

"But what if she doesn't?" Jake said, sinking on his seat. "What if we never..." he didn't finish his sentence, for his throat was knotted.Β 

He had never cried in front of Gina or Rosa, and they'd known each other for a long time. But this time he couldn't help it, he felt too weak, he felt as though everything inside him was just collapsing. He looked down so they wouldn't see him cry, but they noticed immediately.

"Hey, man..." Gina got closer to him, and put an arm around his shoulders. He felt helpless. Pathetic.Β 

"Jake, don't..." Rosa sighed. "We want you to be happy. It's not enjoyable to see you like this. Besides, I have the title of emotional mess in the precinct, alright? So you're gonna have to keep it together."

Jake barely smirked at the joke, as Gina rubbed his back. At least he'd got those two friends back. Rosa pushed his bottle in his direction.

"Wanna drink until you forget it?"

"Not really, but... I don't have anything else to do tonight," Jake said, taking a sip from his beer.Β 


Sarah's POV

SHE'D BEEN SEING HENRY FOR A WHILE NOW. It was not like they were already dating, she was not ready for that yet, but he was really nice and made her feel like a really interesting person, she felt so comfortable being next to him. They met almost every morning or night in that same cafΓ©, and just kept knowing more about the other.Β 

Sarah was still taking her time from work, she'd been only visited by Gina and Rosa, who updated her about Jake. She was still not ready to talk to him, but she decided she would forgive him. The only thing she didn't want to go wrong between them was that now everything would be awkward. Of course it wasn't gonna be any easy. They would have to work on it.Β 

"... Sarah?"

She realized that she'd zoned out because of the way Henry looked at her. She cleared her throat, sitting straight.Β 

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

Henry giggled. "It wasn't important. You seem distracted. Why?"

"Because..." Sarah sighed. Perhaps it was too soon to tell him about her personal life, but at that point even her anxiety had anxiety. "I know this might sound weird, but it's just... I kinda broke up with my boyfriend recently. And, well..."

Henry nodded, as Sarah took a sip of her coffee only to hide her face a little. She wasn't ashamed of it, but she didn't want to seem desperate or something.

"May I ask why?"

"We... well, I.... don't know... it's a long story," Sarah stammered.Β 

"I get it. I broke up with my girlfriend a while ago and I gotta admit it's a little hard to move on, but I got a lot of support."

"I don't know if I'm gonna need only support to get over it," Sarah said.

"Everything will be fine," Henry cocked his head, looking at her reassuringly. He had his charm, she had to say.Β 

She was about to thank him, but before that, her phone started buzzing. She looked at Henry apologizingly and answered, without even looking at the number. Then... she didn't hear anythingΒ at first she just heard a breath that sounded like an old television with no signal. Sarah's eyebrows contracted.

"Hello...?"

"Are you Sarah Moore?" a voice asked. It was really deep, contorted.

"Yes?"

She didn't get an answer. After that, whoever had called her hung up suddenly. She frowned, looking from Henry to her phone.

"Well... that was weird."

"Who was it?" Henry asked, genuinely worried.Β 

"I have no clue," Sarah mumbled. "It sounded like... I don't know."

Henry gulped. "Are you okay?"

Sarah wasn't so concerned at first, but his question made the color leave her skin. She was a little confused, but she sketched her best smile and nodded. Maybe it had been a prank or something. Nothing to worry about.Β 

"It's a little late, right?" she said.

"Not so much... why? Are you tired?"

"Yeah," Sarah swallowed. "I didn't get enough sleep last night."

Henry shrugged. "D'you want me to take you to your place?"Β 

"Sure."

On her ride back home, she stayed silent. Henry kept looking at her, for she'd changed her attitude without warning after the call, but she didn't look back. For some reason, she thought it would be weird if she did. She needed someone closer next to her. Henry was great, but... she couldn't stop thinking about Jake.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Henry asked when they arrived to her apartment. He cut the engine and made her face him. "What's wrong?"Β 

"Nothing, I swear," she lied again.

"You can tell me. I won't judge you or anything. But if something bad's happening, I wanna know, because I care about you."

"You are a great friend," Sarah smirked warmly, "but I swear nothing is wrong. If it was, I would tell you."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Henry finally gave in and accompanied Sarah to the entrance of her apartment. She felt weird. All she could think of was that, normally, it would be Jake who'd be walking along with her. It would be Jake who would talk to her everyday and cheer her up. It would be Jake... Jake...

"Well, this is it," Henry again had to take Sarah off her thoughts, but he didn't notice this time. "See you tomorrow Sarah."

She found herself grabbing Henry by his wrist and pulling him closer. She didn't kiss him, but their faces stayed inches apart from the other. He was looking at her lips, however, but he now knew about her recent break-up, so he surely wasn't gonna kiss her.

"Can you... stay here tonight?" Sarah said.

Henry blushed. "I... sure. Really? I mean... if you want..."

"Yes, please," Sarah's throat knotted. Everything felt wrong. Like every decision she would take, would put her in a wrong path. She missed the moment when she still felt like her life was complete. She didn't even know what she wanted. But for now... she needed at least somebody with her.


Jake's POV

HE STUMBLED IN HIS ROOM, HIS EYES ALMOST CLOSED. He had like four bottles of beer, and even if he'd drunk more before, he felt as though he'd never been drunker. Staying sober didn't make sense anymore, it meant pain and sorrow to him. Rosa and Gina left him at his apartment and now he was there, laying in his bed as his head spun. They had been drinking with him at Shaw's for a few nights now, only to make him feel good.Β 

It had been a week without Sarah already. The thought of her...

A tear fell on his pillow. And then another one, and then countless. He didn't even know why he was crying. Well, deep down he did, but since a lot was going on with him at the moment, it was hard to know.Β 

Jake was startled by his phone ringing. It sounded way too loud. He tried to get his phone from his pocket, but his hands seemed to go in the opposite direction. When he reached it, he answered, and he would've looked at the number, but his vision was a little blurry.Β 

"Jake Peralta?" a voice said. Little did he know that Sarah, a few minutes ago, had received the same call, and listened to that cold, deep voice as well.

"Yeah...?" Jake slurred.

"You and Sarah Moore were assigned to a case two weeks ago, the murder of Kyle Thompson. If you don't drop the case a week from now, my men are going to look for you and kill you as well."

Jake took long to understand every word, and, when he finally did, he burst out in laughter. Whoever was at the other side must've been perplexed by that reaction to a death threat.Β 

"Good one," he drunkenly said, sitting up.Β 

"This was the first warning. We tracked Sarah's location and now we'll find you. We are watching you."Β 

They hung up. Jake was still giggling quietly, he'd gone from crying his eyes out to laughing. He leaned on to put his phone on a drawer, but again, his hands went in another direction and his phone landed on the floor. Jake winced, crouching to get his phone, but his eyes traveled to another place.Β 

Inside that drawer was the ring. The ring he was supposed to slid through Sarah's finger the day he proposed and hoped she would say yes. But that day never came... he lost it all, he lost the chance to spend his life with her. Jake grabbed the ring and looked at it with hate, trying to focus his eyes on it. He tossed it under his bed, angry.Β 

Crying again, he threw himself on the bed and muffled his whines with a pillow, closing his eyes as he fell alseep slowly...


THERE WAS A THROBBING PAIN BOTHERING HIM, his head felt like it was being squeezed. Jake leaned against the elevator wall. He wasn't in the least interested in how scruffy his appearance was, he just wanted to get to the top floor, evade everyone else, and lie down on his desk.

He was hoping that, as it was a new day, he could make it clear for everyone that he didn't want anything to change between the squad for a stupid mistake he'd done. The elevator doors were about to close when someone else entered.

Sarah. She was back.Β 

Jake frowned. He didn't say anything as she pushed the button to go up, and he just stayed there, trying not to lose his balance. It was obvious that he was hungover, and Sarah clearly noticed, but she didn't talk either. Until...

"Hey," she said, not looking at him, but he could see her smirk. "Why the sunglasses?" she asked, amused.

"I think you know why," Jake said with a hoarse voice. Sarah chuckled, making him smile. He stopped immediately, but the fact it was the first time he heard her laugh in days... he didn't know it was driving him insane.Β 

Sarah sighed, crossing her arms. The way her fingers fidgeted restelessly told Jake she was nervous about something. And then she stopped the elevator. It shook a little, churning his stomach. He was never drinking again, he told himself, but of course he was going to do it.Β 

"Why did youβ€”"

Sarah interrupted him. "We have to talk."

β€”

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net