Jenna ✨
Flashback/First date
New York, Spanish Harlem
*This chapter will be a little longer than most*

"How do I look?" I asked my sister, Gigi. You look good. Stop worrying. He saw you when you looked your worst anyway. If he didn't run, he likes you," she said, typing away on her phone. I picked up my pillow and threw it at her. "HEY!" she said, laughing. You're not funny, Gigi." I just wanted to look my best. This was my first actual date.

I still didn't know where we were going; he wouldn't tell me. "I'm happy for you," she said. "You finally are being properly treated right by a guy," she said, throwing shade at Ryan. Gigi hated me; she felt he wasn't a good boyfriend, which she was right about. He wasn't a good boyfriend. "I have to speak to him before you leave," she said, grabbing my phone. She unlocked it and found his contact before I could even grab the phone before he picked up.

"Already missing me?" he teased, and I rolled my eyes. "This is her sister, Gigi," she said, smiling at me. "My bad, I thought you were Jenna. What's up?" he said calmly as she walked out of the room and into the hallway, closing the door behind her. I walked up to the door. I thank god every day for these thin walls and cheap doors. I was able to hear everything

I just wanted to know about your interest in my sister. I want to ensure that she will be in good hands. In good hands with you," she said. I could hear a chuckle come from him. "I like your sister, and I promise I won't hurt. That's not my intention to do that anyway," he said thoughtfully. "Good because I will beat you up over my sister, and watch out for Ryan. He likes to try to ruin her future relationship. Anything he tells is a lie," she said

She never seemed to lie; each time I attempted to move forward, Ryan sabotaged it by unexpectedly appearing at our dates or fabricating stories. "I'm not worried about Ryan. I can handle him," he remarked calmly. The assurance in his voice indicated that he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon, or so I believed. "Ryan will learn whatever I like. I always get what I want," Even though I couldn't see him, I could hear the smirk through the phone. "As long as you can handle him, I'm happy my sister is in good hands.

I started to hear movement and quickly returned to my vanity, acting casual. Gigi walked through the door, and she handed my phone back to me. "I like him for you," she said with a smile. Before walking out, I smiled; getting approval from Gigi meant a lot to me. Gigi was the only sibling who cared enough about my safety and the person I dated; Lilly cared, but not like Gigi did,

My phone was vibrating off my bed. I walked over to my bed and picked up the phone. I noticed a text from Ryan and Arias. I rolled my eyes and deleted Ryan's text. I opened Arias, and he was outside already "shit, I'm not ready yet," I said, going back to my vanity and finishing the last touches of my makeup before putting my shoes on. I grabbed everything I assumed I might need, turned the lights off, and walked downstairs

Lilly, my father, and my brothers were all in the living room watching TV. I rolled my eyes. "Wait!" Gigi yelled out. I stopped at the door. "Here, wear this also," she put on her lucky necklace. "Hopefully, it brings you luck as it did for Me," she said, smiling. "Where is she going?" my father said, everyone looking at us now. "She is going on a date," Gigi said, rolling her eyes. "With who? Ryan? That's not a date," Lilly said, popping popcorn in her mouth. "it's not with Ryan," I said, not trying to get into it

"She is going out with a guy named Arias," Gigi said, smiling. Lilly stopped eating and looked at both of us. "Arias? Like in Roc's friend Arias?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yes," I said, Keep it simple "Are you fucking stupid Arias is dangerous. You can't and won't be going out with him. That's final," Lilly said. We looked at each other and started laughing. "shut up and sit down, Lilly; you aren't her mother," Gigi said, waving her. "go before he leaves you here." She pushed me out the door, and Lilly was right behind me

I rolled my eyes. Arias was waiting in front of his car. He raised an eyebrow when he noticed Lilly behind me, and I shook my head. "hey," I said with a smile. He hugged me and opened my door. "Jenna, you get in that car. I'm telling Mom about this," Lilly said, pointing at me. Arias chuckled. "get in; I'll handle this," he said, helping me in the car

Arias 💜
Flashback
New York Spanish Harlem

I closed the door and turned to face Lilly. I pulled her to the side, away from the car. "Arias, she is not cut out for this lifestyle," Lilly said. "You will ruin her. She is too innocent," she said again. I tried my best not to lose my temper, but Lilly made it hard not to. She talks but doesn't say anything meaningful. "I'm not going to hurt her, and I don't want her to be part of my life; she is in good hands," I said calmly.

I was reluctant to involve Jenna in my work as I wanted to shield her from that aspect of my life. I firmly believed that she didn't need to be aware of it. "Just mind your business," I told her, gazing down at her. However, she refused to budge, pushing past me and making her way to my car. Quickly, I retrieved the key fob and locked the doors before she could reach the vehicle.

She pulled on the door handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Jenna, can you please unlock this door?" she called out to her sister, struggling to open it. While watching her efforts, I cautioned her, "Be careful; if you break the handle, you'll be responsible for the repairs." I expressed my concerns, explaining that I just wanted to take Jenna out on a date and that she was overreacting. "I don't feel comfortable with you taking my sister out. She's too kind," she said, rolling her eyes. "And besides, she's already in a relationship," she added. Her eyes widened as she saw the car. "Ryan! I'm calling your boyfriend, Ryan," she declared, grabbing her phone and dialing his number.

I sauntered to my car, rolling my eyes at Lily's antics. "You have fun with that. I've got a date to attend to," I quipped as I swung the door open and hopped in. "Are you okay?" I inquired, taking note of her irked expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's start this date," she replied, mustering a smile. As I glanced at her ensemble, I couldn't help but admire how stunning she looked in black - her signature color. "You look magnificent," I complimented her, unable to contain my grin. Pulling out of the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of her blushing in the corner of my eye.

"Where are we headed?" she inquired, peering out the window, attempting to discern our location. "It's a surprise. Just sit back and relax. We're almost there," I reassured her with a smile. Sensing her nervousness, I placed my hand on her thigh to ease her tension. It had the desired effect as she relaxed under my touch. We enjoyed a comfortable silence until we arrived at the beach. Gazing out of the window, she smiled and reached for the door handle. I intervened, saying, "When I'm around, you don't need to touch the door," before exiting the car and walking around to her side to open the door.

As I held her hand, she smiled at me, her beauty illuminated by the moonlight. "Come on," I said, leading her to the elegantly set table where a private chef awaited us. I had arranged everything to make this night perfect. Looking back, I saw her face light up with amazement as she took in the breathtaking view and the exquisite table in front of us. I pulled out her chair, and I went to my seat as she sat down. Once seated, she glanced around again and exclaimed, "This is so beautiful," her smile lighting up the night even more.

"I'm Monique. I'll be waiting for you guys tonight. Can I start you off with some champagne?" the waitress asked. "I don't drink, and I can't drink," she said, looking at me. I understood her and requested water. As she went to get the water, I asked her why she didn't drink. I tried to read her expression, but she was a hard person to read. "Two reasons. Number one, I'm underage," she paused for a bit before sighing and dropping her head. Reason two is a touchy subject. "Why do you work at that store at night on weekends?" I tried changing the subject, and she caught on and sighed. "It's okay I can talk about it just kind of stupid on my part"

She took a deep breath before looking at me. "I was 15, young and dumb. I hung out with these girls I thought were my friends. I got invited to a party by one of them. At first, I wasn't going because of this weird feeling, but the girls convinced me," she looked uncomfortable but kept going. "I went to the party still having that bad feeling. I tried to push it to the side, but for some reason, I couldn't," she took a deep breath. "I walked to the house; the feeling didn't go away; it just worsened. Once I got to the house, I walked in and found my friends immediately. They handed me a drink. I took and drank it," she looked like she wanted to cry. I stopped her before she could keep going.

"You don't need to say anything more; when you are ready to talk, we can talk about it; don't push yourself, though." I understand how challenging it must have been for her to open up about such a painful experience. She was in a difficult situation, and I can see why she felt so uncomfortable. It takes a lot of courage to share something like that, and I want her to know that she's not alone. I'll listen and offer support if she ever feels ready to talk more about it.

She greeted me with a smile as the waitress returned with our drinks and meal: Cajun chicken alfredo pasta. Jenna looked at me with surprise and asked, "How did you know this was my favorite?" I had researched to ensure this evening was remarkable for her. "Just a lucky guess, I suppose," I replied. As we enjoyed our food, we delved deeper into the conversation, getting to know each other more personally. She was indeed a wonderful person.

"Are you interested in pursuing a career working with kids?" I discovered that she aspired to work with children. While she was still determining the career path she wanted to pursue, she was confident it would involve working with kids. "Yes, it has always been my passion to work with kids. I'm not sure whether it will be in a school environment or as a social worker," she said, smiling. "But I do know that I want to work with them." As I gazed at her, I found myself admiring her even more. She was a kind-hearted individual, someone I felt I needed in my life. She brought the perfect balance to my hectic life. "I believe that you will figure it out and achieve your goal," I said with a smile, glancing at my watch as it read 11:59.

The waitress emerged from the side carrying a beautifully decorated cake, the candles a glow, and began singing "Happy Birthday to You" in a jovial tone. Jenna's face lit up with surprise and delight; in that moment, her expression was priceless. Without hesitation, I reached for my phone and captured a candid photo of her, her smile radiating pure joy. "Make a wish, beautiful," I whispered to her. As she locked eyes with me, I could see the genuine happiness and contentment reflected in her gaze, making the moment even more special.

She closed her eyes momentarily and gently blew out the flickering candles, their warm glow casting a soft light on her face. Our applause filled the beach as she beamed with delight. "I can't believe you remembered," she exclaimed, genuinely surprised. She had confided in me about her upcoming birthday, and from that very first day, I began planning something special for her. I wanted to make our date unforgettable. "Why wouldn't I listen to everything you tell me?" I reassured her with a smile. Our eyes met, holding each other's gaze for a few precious seconds before she shyly looked away, her bashfulness only adding to her charm.

I confidently extended my hand towards her and called out for the waitress, Monique. As she approached, I handed her my phone and instructed her to take a photo of us. With a confident smile, she raised the phone and captured several shots. In the final one, I leaned in and kissed Jenna passionately. To my surprise, she responded kindly, wrapping her arms around my neck as I drew her closer. Feeling the contours of her petite frame against mine was exhilarating, but I knew I had to pull away before things went too far.

We gazed deeply into each other's eyes before we leaned in for a kiss. As I rested my head on hers, I tried deciphering her emotions from the depths of her eyes. Everything happened so quickly, and I wasn't sure if she enjoyed the kiss as much as I did. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that," I apologized, uncertain of her reaction. She met my gaze and then leaned in to kiss me again. I didn't resist; instead, I deepened the kiss and drew her closer to me. Our intimate moment was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. "Um, here you go, sir," the waitress said as she handed me my phone. As she walked away, we chuckled at the timing.

"I hope you had a great night," I said, watching her cheeks turn cherry red as she tried to hide her face with her hands. I gently moved her hands away to see her blushing smile. Standing together, I said, "Don't conceal your lovely face." Just then, we heard approaching footsteps. We turned around to see a furious Ryan striding toward us. "You stupid slut bitch" I clenched my jaw in response to the words he spoke to her as he approached us.

"Lying the." he didn't finish that sentence. I sent a punch to his jaw and fell backward. A gasp escaped from Jenna's Mouth. I looked over at her as she stood with her mouth open, not making any movement, and she looked at me with an expression I couldn't understand. Ryan got up and attempted to swing at me, but he missed. I took the opportunity to punch him in the gut once again. Despite my strong desire to release my anger, I consciously tried to restrain myself because Jenna was nearby.

I composed myself and redirected my attention to Ryan, bending down to his level. "I Don't think you want this trouble left. " The intense look in my eyes conveyed to him that I was dead serious, and that's when he decided to get up. The fierce look in my eyes conveyed to him that I was dead serious, and that's when he decided to get up. Spit out his blood and looked at Jenna. "This won't be the last time you see me bitch" he walked away

I saw a tear from her eyes as she turned to me. With a gentle gesture, she wiped it away, but her sadness broke my heart. I nodded in understanding, knowing she didn't want to be there. Taking her hand, I led her to the car. After opening the door for her, I jogged to the driver's side, and we began our quiet and long drive to her house. Finally arriving, I got out, opened her door, and helped her out. Before she went inside, she looked at me and then surprised me with a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for this special night," she said with a smile before entering her house.

✨VOTE & COMMENT✨

I hope you enjoy this chapter. This one is the longest one I actually wrote, and I put a lot of thought into it, so please let me know what you think