♥Chapter 10: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ᴏᴘᴇɴꜱ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ♥

✿Kennedy✿

"What's in for food today, chef?" Dad asks moving the camera to my face as I mix something in a bowl that mom told me to.

"Creamy chicken." I grin.

"Mm sounds tasty." Dad licks his lips before turning the camera towards mom. "And you Miss," A wide teasing smile stretches his face, "Making our poor girl do all the work. What have you got to say for yourself?"

A dishrag hits his face.

"She's only mixing the ingredients I asked her to," Mom says.

Dad turns towards me, "Should we call child protection against mom?"

Before I could nod, another dishrag hits dad on the side of his head. This time the dishrag's sopping wet.

"Ah, the water went in my ear!" Dad jumps, scrunching his face in disgust.

I laugh as dad picks up the wet dishrag and looks at mom with a glint in his eyes. Mom understood what was going to happen and dashes out of the kitchen with a shriek while dad chases her.

A knock interrupts the quiet videos of memories I play on my laptop.

My head snaps up towards the door with tears covering my face.

In about two seconds I have two conclusions of what I had to do; either hide under my bed or grab the nightlamp and bash the intruder's head outside.

Slowly, sliding off my bed, I creep towards the door not before grabbing a pen to stab the person if he attempts to murder me.

I throw open the door and raise the pen, ready to commit murder.

"Hiya-! Jake?"

My eyes widen. 

A look of worry etches his face before his eyebrows furrow at the pen in my hand.

I immediately hide the pen behind my back before smiling innocently, "You did not see that."

"You're crying." He's looking at my face.

My smile falters.

My eyes flicker to the open laptop on my bed and my grip on the pen tightens.

"I was taking a shower," I say, shrugging.

He furrows his eyebrows, "Why are only your eyes and cheeks wet then?"

"It's a special kind of shower."   

"But there's no bathroom in your room."

"I don't need a bathroom for this kind of shower, Jake." I scowl.

We both stare at each other.

I look away first, not being able to look into his eyes for too long.

"I'm fine." I mumble, "Thanks for checking on me."

For a moment, his face closes up like he's about to say something rude or something, but he surprises me when his fingers brush my face, wiping away the salty water.

Is he gonna lick his fingers now?

Salty tears do be tasting tasty.

"I didn't want to make you cry." His voice goes low.

I blink, "You didn't."

His fingers softly caress the side of my face, "You don't have to lie."

Does he think of me as a liar? I can't even lie for real. I'm a bad liarrr.

I furrow my eyebrows, "I'm not lying."

"I'm..." He struggles to say something, "I-sorry?"

"For what?" I ask in confusion.

"I'm not good at apologizing and I don't like it if a girl cries because of me."

"But you didn't make me cry!" I throw my hands up.

He frowns at me, dropping his hand from my face and crossing his arms against his chest, "Then why are you crying?"

"I'm the boy who cried wolf," I answer.

He raises an eyebrow.

I sigh, running a hand down my face, "I just miss my parents." I mumble, looking at the ground, "That's all."

He stares at me for a while and we bathe in silence.

"Memories bring back, memories bring back you." I sing quietly.

He clears his throat, "Wanna-wanna talk about it?" He asks before grumbling a, 'I'm so fucking bad at this'.

A smile almost shoots to my face at the thought of talking to someone, but I cower away just as quickly. I don't want him to be rude to me when I'm already feeling really bad tonight.

I look down with my fingers tangling together, "How will I know you won't be rude?"

His fists tighten.

"I promise I'll try." He sounds sincere.

I nod but remember I had to stay alone for a while.

"I can't make new friends." My throat tightens.

He furrows his eyebrows, "Why not?"

I wipe away a stray tear, "I have to stay alone for a while before making new friends."

He frowns in confusion, "Why is that?"

I shake my head. "You won't understand."

"I already don't understand half the other things you say."

I look up to see if he was serious or joking.

He's serious.

"Yeah, so you won't understand this too," I say.

He rolls his eyes, "I was kidding. Come on." He prods, "Speak to me."

I shake my head again, turning around and walking back into the room.

My eyes widen when Jake follows in.

"Do you need something?" I ask.

He glares, "Why do you have to be alone?"

I look away, "You won't under-"

"I'll try." He cuts me off, "Speak. Now."

I scowl, "Stubborn man."

He gives me a waiting look.

I sigh, sitting on the bed and clearing my throat, "You see it all started a year ago when I was a happy little girl living in California. I had a pet goldfish. He died when I tried changing its water. He went flopping down the sink. I think it's probably in a Shark's tummy by now."

Jake puts a hand on his face, "Ken-" He starts but then cuts himself off and shakes his head, looking at me, "Just-just continue."

"I think my Goldfish is finally dead," I say then stare at Jake.

He stares back.

"You completely missed the point!" He grumbles, annoyed. 

I blink, "What point? Did something poke you?"

He runs a hand through his hair, frustratingly, "You were supposed to tell me why you had to be alone!" He sounds annoyed.

My eyes turn wary, and my voice lowers, "You were not supposed to get angry. You promised."

"Fuck, sorry, I'm trying." He replies.

I remain rooted in my position, watching Jake as he tries to control himself.

He takes in a deep breath, dragging his hand from his hair to his face, "You make me wanna fucking kiss you to shut your damn mouth."

My eyes widen with my cheeks turning instant warm.

He wants to kiss me again?

My mind flashes back to the couch. Does he wanna kiss me again because he thinks I'm seeking attention?

"Is it because I'm an attention beggar?" I ask.

A look of regret comes on his face. "I didn't mean that. I said that to make you go away."

I look at him. "So...you want to genuinely kiss me?"

He gives a nod.

"Why don't you?" I blurt.

His eyes snap to mine with a hooded look.

I don't even know why I said that!

He tilts his head to the side, his gaze raking me from top to bottom. I gulp.

"You sure?" He asks.

My cheeks flush, "I don't know why I said that."

He takes two long strides and is suddenly towering over me. My eyes widen as his large form looks down at me, "Do you want to though?" He asks.

Want what?

What's he talking about?

Crap, I forgot my own name! What's my name?

"My name is Kennedy and I like warm hugs," I say.

He gazes at me for a while before slowly lowering down until he was kneeling in front of me. We're at eye level now. He looks at me. Holy—is he going to make me sacrifice him or something?

His hands reach around my waist, and I thought he was going to pull me down and attack me or something, but he only rests his head on my lap, his large arms around me.

My body tenses at the feel of his soft feathery hair ticking my bare thigh with his large hands gently holding me. Slowly, I loosen up and do what I've seen most girls on TV do; I rake my hands through his hair.

He lets out a contented sigh at that. "This will do for now." He murmurs.

I don't know what he's doing but this feels so good. I get giddy. 

What happens if I bounce up my legs suddenly? Will his head snap back and break?

"You're so fucking soft." He murmurs.

My hand grips his shoulder to feel him, "Holy Mama, you're so hard."

His mouth stretches into a small smirk.

"I want to get strong muscles like you," I say and squeeze his biceps. "Oh wow." His muscles feel so good, "I tried lifting a 2kg sugar packet once. Let me tell you, my arms fell off my body and I had to get them stitched back."

His lips quirk up.

Aww, he looks so cute.

"I even tried lifting a gas cylinder but then broke my tooth when I accidentally face-planted myself on the metal," I wince at the memory, "I was seven. But I think I can maintain a pretty good fight if I had to. Maybe break some legs and snap some bones. I'm really good with guns and knives and I didn't even have practice! I'm that good." I state proudly.

I continue talking but Jake's head snaps up with a glare in my direction.

"Can you fucking allow even a moment of silence?"

I blink then become apologetic, "I didn't know you wanted silence. I would have tried keeping quiet if you said so-"

He groans, putting his head on my thighs and I almost kick him halfway across the room because of how his hair tickles my skin.

"Please keep quiet." He mumbles.

"You sure?" I ask. Sometimes I just need that extra confirmation.

He nods his head.

I nod back and close my mouth.

I look at the walls of the room. Fairy lights decorate most of the empty space.

I look back at Jake. His head looks so big and soft on my lap. Should I squeeze it?

What if I accidentally put my finger in his nose?

"You have a pretty nose," I say and he sighs.

A few seconds pass.

My eyes land on the open laptop and my mood shimmers down at the faces of my parents.

My dad's thick red hair curls around his ears with brown eyes glinting. My mom had blonde hair and green eyes. They both look so perfect. My dad, a silly nerd and my mom, bold and chaotic.

I remember when mom used to do the nastiest pranks and dad used to pull me in the corner to discuss our revenge.

A deep sigh comes out of my lips.

"My parents loved recording every moment of our lives. There are like five hundred videos on my laptop. People usually take six years or something to get over someone's death," I start halfheartedly, my voice low and gaze fixed to the ground. "My parents died a year ago. I feel like I'm doing something really terrible to get over their death so soon. I mean I'm not completely over them. I'm just...better. And that scares me, making me think that I didn't love them enough because I'm not mourning more. I feel like I should be alone for a little longer. Maybe that'll help me prove that I did love my parents. Does that make me a bad person? Not morning enough over someone who deserves it?"

I realize I had rambled off and didn't even bother to check if Jake was listening or not.

I wouldn't mind if he wasn't listening. It's stupid anyway.

I look down to see his eyes open and staring ahead, a small crease between his eyebrows telling me had been listening to me.

And I don't know if that made me want to slap myself for opening my mouth or feel happy that he was actually listening to me.

"There's nothing wrong with moving on, Ken," He speaks in a distant voice. "You have no idea how lucky are those who have the ability to move on."

"I love my mom and dad." My throat tightens with tears covering my eyes, "I don't wanna make them feel like I didn't love them enough."

His hand rubs gently up and down my back, "They won't feel that way."

"And you know how?"

He shrugs, "I just know."

"What about your mom?" I ask and his entire form tenses up.

"There's nothing." He grits out after a moment of silence.

I furrow my eyebrows, "Nothing?"

He remains silent.

"There must be something about her that you wanna talk about. I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours. I-"

He abruptly pulls away from me with glaring eyes, "I fucking told you, there's nothing about it."

My mouth parts open at the sudden change of his mood.

He was doing so well.

"Why do you call Alex by his name?" I ask. I can't help it! I'm nosy and curious and can't keep quiet even if my life depended on it.

His anger seems to troll over him as his eyes darken further. I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly turns into the hulk. Before he could turn into the hulk, his anger simmers down and he shakes his head, clenching his jaw.

He stands up and walks over to the door, not even sparing me a glance. The door slams shut behind him.

I look from the door to my laptop, feeling alone all over again.

One thing is for sure though.

Jake hides a lot more than he wants to show.

✄ ✄ ✄ ✄

What are your fav songs?

Word: 2,280

Date of posting: 22nd March