♥Chapter 30: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀɪᴏ♥

I skip up the stairs and into Jake's room. Right when I push the door open, a body jumps up in Jake's bed.

He bolts up into a sitting position, his eyes wide and expressions taught as if he just plunged out of cold water. It's clear he just woke up from a nap.

My hand loosens on the door handle as I gaze at him. "Are...you okay?"

His gaze flicks to me, and his taught expression softens. He doesn't respond to me and instead lifts his fingers to massage between his brows, closing his eyes.

I enter the room and close the door behind me, watching Jake as he exhales through his mouth before giving his neck a stretch.

"What happened?" I ask, referring to the way he bolted up from his sleep.

"Just a weird dream." He responds, saying no more than that.

"Wanna tell me about it?" I plop down on his desk chair.

He doesn't give me a response.

"You have such amazing cousins." I start. "Cole was telling me about all of them. He said the younger ones are extremely bratty—oh Cole said that he wants me to go with him to his place sometime, to meet the other cousins and his family. I'm getting excited here. Think how fun it would be! You, me, Cole, and the rest on a road trip..."

It takes me a full minute to realize Jake's not even listening to me. My chatter gradually silences.

He's staring off somewhere, with his jaw tight.

"Is something wrong?" I ask, frowning in concern.

He's not even looking at me.

"Nothing's wrong."

My eyes widen slightly at the edgy and snappy tone of his voice.

He gets off the bed and walks towards his wardrobe, pulling out a hoodie.

"Are you going somewhere?" I ask.

He doesn't answer, putting on the hoodie over his white t-shirt.

"It's eight in the night right now," I speak.

"Why don't you go and continue your chattering with Cole and Corey?" He pulls the hoodie down his torso.

My hands grip the armrests of the chair. "Why...are you speaking to me like that?"

He finally looks at me but there's a hint of irritation in his gaze. "Like you don't know."

"I really don't know." I frown in confusion.

"You say you like me then you go ahead and flirt with my cousin?"

My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline.

I don't even know how to flirt!

"Jake, if I did something then tell me. I'll apologize."

"It's pretty fucking obvious, Kennedy." He yanks the hood over his head.

"It's not to me. Tell me what's bothering you."

He turns his irritated gaze to me. "What's bothering me?" He asks. "What's bothering me is how you act like you don't like me at all but with Cole and Corey you're all over them."

"I do like you!" I state. "I've always liked you. Cole and Corey are my friends."

"Oh yeah? How would you react if I danced with my friends right in front of you while she's feeling me all up?"

"Cole was only kidding, Jake."

"You laugh with other guys, you dance with them, you sneak off to the football field when you knew there were gonna be all guys there."

"You're saying I shouldn't talk to other guys?" I ask in disbelief.

He shakes his head. I know there's something else that he isn't telling me. I can see it in the way his jaw clenches and unclenches, telling me that he has to say something else.

Maybe he doesn't know how to say it out loud that's why he's hesitating.

"Jake, I wouldn't mind if you spoke to other girls, or danced with them, because they would be your friends," I say.

"Friends fuck each other all the time."

My mouth drops open a bit. "That's why there's this thing called loyalty and trust. I'm loyal to you and you should trust me. The same goes vice versa."

"Why do you make it so hard though?" His voice rises in irritation with a frown on his face. "You say you like me but then you act differently which makes me question if you really do like me or not."

"What did I do though?" I throw my hands up.

He opens his mouth as if he's going to start yelling a list of reasons, but he just as quickly shuts his mouth, glaring at me instead.

He keeps glaring at me before shaking his head. "I can't do this shit right now." He mutters, walking to the door, a troubled expression on his face.

"Jake, is this really about me talking to Cole and Corey?" I question before he reaches the door.

He doesn't stop walking though, grumbling something under his breath.

"Jake," I stop him before he steps out.

He turns around, raising an eyebrow.

"I cannot do this with you if you don't trust me or won't even talk to me properly." My heart feels heavy as if someone's pushing it down my chest.

He stares at me for a couple of seconds.

He turns around without a word.

And walks out the door.

I stare at the empty space where he was moments ago.

Did we just break up or something?

✯✯✯

"Yup, he broke up with you." Corey nods.

"You can always stay at my house," Toothy offers, sitting beside me.

After Jake stormed out and I came down a little while after, it was obvious to them that something happened. 

Toothy immediately demanded I tell her what happened. So I did and then we thought if it was a breakup or not. It didn't entirely feel like one. But Corey and Cole persisted that it was. I don't know.

"Yup, we got a couch." Corey nods, sitting on the other side of me.

"Couch? They've got fifteen fucking guest rooms," Cole gives Corey a sour look. Cole's sitting on the carpeted floor near my legs.

"Excuse me, I'm tryna act like a normal teen here?" Corey raises an eyebrow at Cole.

"Normal teen?" Cole scoffs, "Says the one who got invited to the Social Star event."

"That comes with the perks of having a better social life." Corey winks. 

"We all know the reason you're famous is because you've got man-boobs." Cole states.

"Excuse me?" Corey scoffs in offence, "I've got pecs harder than fucking rock."

"So the surgery worked after all, huh?" 

"Bitch, what surgery?" Corey throws his hands up. "All this is natural." 

"Boys..." Toothy flashes a fake sweet smile in their direction, getting their attention, "Can you please..." she drops her smile into a glare, "SHUT THE HELL UP?"

Both the boys jerk back and wince.

She huffs and flips her brown hair behind her back before turning her attention back to me, "Don't listen to them. Boys are always stupid. They're even more stupid when it comes to girls."

"Like Jake?" I ask.

"Yeah. Like Jake." Toothy narrows her eyes before shrugging. "He'll come to his senses. I'm glad you broke up with him though because I'm not about to just sit here and watch you get cussed by him when you didn't even do anything."

"I'm not sure we broke up though—" I start.

"Want me to get you ice cream?" Cole offers. 

"Yup, we can watch some movies too," Corey says. 

I stare at them before thinking maybe Jake and I did break up. I mean, I don't exactly know everything about a relationship since I've never had one. They've dated more than me. So they know better than me. 

Meaning Jake really did break up with me...? 

My bottom lip wobbles all of a sudden as sadness seeps into me. What did I even do though?

I'm pretty sure it wasn't because I was "talking" to guys. Jake didn't have a problem at all with me talking to Corey or going to the football field before. I'm pretty sure he's using that as an excuse for something else. 

Maybe it was the dream that he had before I walked into his room. He must have dreamt something that made him don't want me anymore. 

Alex's sitting on the other couch, silently listening to us.

There was no reason to shoo him off to his room, so we made him sit on the other couch.

Jake is somewhere out right now and not picking up his phone when Toothy tried calling him.

"Thank you," I speak. "But it's alright, I'll be fine. You guys can go home and I don't need to come to your house."

"You sure?" Toothy asks.

I nod, "Yup. Besides, I have Alex here. I'll make him shoot Jake if Jake appears in front of me."

Alex chokes on coffee before looking at me with wide eyes, "He's my son."

Toothy narrows her eyes at Alex, "Do guys seriously don't know when to read the room?"

I give Toothy a sad shake of my head.

"Anyways, ring us up if the asshole decides to do something again." Corey taps my knee. "We'll bring in a bat and bash his eyes out."

I grimace at the image forming in my head of Corey's words.

Such violence.

After a few more minutes, Corey, Toothy and Cole leave.

Right after they leave, it's just me and Alex in the living room.

"Hi." I smile at him.

He nods at me, giving a little smile of his own as of he's suddenly scared to be all alone with me. "Hi?"

"How's life?"

Alex looks at the time, "You should go to sleep."

The clock displays the time 11.

On cue, a yawn comes out of my mouth.

My eyes move towards the staircase that seems like Mount Everest right now.

My eyelids droop just looking at the staircase.

I ain't gonna climb that.

I look back at Alex, "Can you carry me to my room?"

An amused smile comes on his face, and he stands, setting his cup of coffee down and walking over to me.

I lift my arms up to him as he comes closer, and he picks me up.

A strange sort of feeling seeps into my heart. This gesture suddenly feels too...fatherly. My eyes start tearing up.

I suddenly start missing my own dad and can't help getting emotional all of a sudden. My face crumbles and tears cover my eyes. 

Alex notices and looks alarmed. He sets me down on the ground, examining my face, "Did I do something? Are you hurt?"

I wrap my hands around Alex's torso, hugging him.

His whole posture tenses.

"You remind me so much of my dad," My bottom trembles and I sniff.

"Oh." Alex's voice is soft. After a while, he slowly eases and wraps his hands around me.

Alex's embrace is so warm, it makes me content, making more tears roll down my face.

"You remind me of your father too," Alex says, his hand coming to rest on top of my head.

I pull away, looking at Alex curiously, "How were you and dad best friends?" I ask.

He gives a small smile, "We were friends since high school until he moved to California."

A distant look crosses his face as if he's drifting off into his memories.

"Then why haven't I heard about you until recently?" I ask.

Alex's face falls a little and he gives me a tight-lipped look, "I...I kind of messed things up before he left."

I furrow my eyebrows, "How so?"

He sighs, running a hand through his hair.

I sit on the couch and pat the spot beside me for him to sit.

He does and I give him a waiting look as he takes his time to speak.

"Your dad, Reece, and I were really good friends. We were a trio in high school."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion, "A trio?"

How do two people make a trio?

If a duo makes a trio then how does a trio makes a duo? Aduoatrio.

I internally shake my head at myself. What word did I even make up?

Alex nods, "We had another friend, Amelia." He says, "We were all so close, so inseparable." A smile comes on Alex's face as he speaks.

Alex goes silent for a while, thoughts and memories dancing in his eyes.

"Reece was the crazy one," Alex continues, "Amelia, the fierce one, and I was always the weak one."

"Weak one?" My face morphs into a look of disbelief.

I look at Alex's broad and strong shoulders travelling down to a bulky chest. His huge frame makes me look like a seven-year-old child next to him.

How was this man flipping weak?

Alex lets out a small laugh at my expression, "You can say I was the nerd."

"Then Jake definitely is your son," I nod in understanding.

Alex leans back on the couch, relaxing. 

"Amelia, Reece and I were everywhere. We did so many things together, got into so much trouble. Then something happened, and things began getting bad for us." Alex gives an uneasy look.

"What happened?" I ask.

"I fell in love with Amelia."

My eyebrows raise slightly, "Friends to lovers?"

Alex nods, "Everything was fine. We all were still friends, we all still had fun but...Reece suddenly disappeared."

I blink. "Disappeared?" 

Like my dad became invisible or something? 

Alex bites his bottom lip, "He...was in love with Amelia too." 

My eyebrows raise. 

He looks at me. "It was too late before I realized that. Reece must have left because he must've been hurting. He was a really good guy. He didn't tell any of us because he knew I'd move back if I knew he loved Amelia. But he couldn't stay with us because it hurt him."

Alex's face takes on a grim look, "We tried finding him. We tried looking everywhere. Amelia and I graduated, we were in college, and Reece was still missing. Amelia and I got married then. We had Jake...then things started getting worst..."

Alex's fist tightens on his lap, and he looks down, "Amelia got diagnosed with cancer. Jake was just a little boy. I had to give up on looking for Reece to take care of Amelia. Years later, she died."

Alex takes in a deep unsteady breath. His jaw clenches before he speaks, "I lost everything after Amelia's death. Jake didn't want to speak to me, I had no other people," Alex stops abruptly, his voice lacing with raw emotion. A gulp goes down Alex's throat before he speaks. "One day I got a call." He says. "Of Reece's death."

My heart drops.

"They said he got into a car accident with his wife and daughter," Alex shakes his head, "I thought I was dreaming at first. Reece? Reece was married and had a daughter? Reece was dead?"

My hand goes to Alex's arm.

"Hearing Reece's name after so many years made me..." Alex's hand clenches tighter. "And hearing that he was dead?"

My bottom lip trembles again and I roll it into my mouth.

"They said his daughter was still alive and breathing. They asked me if I could care for her because there was no one else and that her condition was really fragile to let her live on her own." Alex's eyes drop to me.

Wait what daughter?

Oh right, that daughter.

The daughter has got to be me, right?

Of course, it is.

Who else could it be?

Unless my dad had another secret daughter.

"I didn't know what I was thinking at that moment—everything was insane," Alex continues, "I knew I would never see Reece ever again. I felt like I owed him...so I said yes."

My eyebrows furrow, "You're taking care of me because you think you owe my dad...?"

Alex looks at me, "That's what I thought when I said yes. Then I saw you, standing with this big teddy bear in your hands at the airport. I immediately knew you were Reece's daughter. You have the same red hair and innocent look."

Alex looks at my face, "I see you as my own daughter, alright? I'm glad you're here."

"I'm so sorry you went through all that all alone," I say, honestly. 

He shrugs. "Things get better eventually. My better days will come soon, don't worry."

I offer him a soft smile. 

"How was Reece?" Alex asks me suddenly. "Was he...happy?" 

A grin comes onto my face. "He was the best dad ever. I have videotapes of him and my mom. You want to see? You can look at them when I go to sleep. I would watch with you but right now I'm so sleepy, I'm gonna drop dead on your tree trunk arm."

A smile breaks out on his face. "Yeah, I'd like to see those videotapes. Still want me to carry you?"

"When did I change my decision about that?" 

Alex carries me upstairs to my room and I hand him my laptop where all the videos are. With a tiny gulp and hesitation, he takes the laptop from me, tells me goodnight and walks out of my room, closing the door behind him.

I sigh and fall onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Should I call Jake? He still isn't home and it's almost the middle of the night. 

He's unlikely to be kidnapped so I'm not worried about that. 

Maybe I should just give him time to sort himself through.

Right when I thought I would drift off to sleep, the door to my room opens and I jump up.

Burglar!

Mission: ATTACK!

"Stop right there, you thief!" I  grab my pillow before even looking at the person at the door.

I dash towards the burglar and raise my pillow to smack the living daylights out of him before—"Jake?" My eyes widen.

Jake stands tall and silent in the darkness of my room, warily eyeing the pillow mid-way towards him.

An immediate smile comes onto my face at the sight of him. He's safe and he's back. But then my smile drops when I remember what had happened. Jake notices all of that and purses his lips. 

I slowly put the pillow down, gazing up at him.

Even while standing four feet away, his presence brings out a feeling of calm and reassurance in me. I don't know why I feel this way around him. Like I can just get lost in his eyes and not even worry about it. He makes me feel so safe.

"I'm sorry." He starts.

I stare at him. "You want to tell me what happened?"

He nods. 

I wait for him to go on. 

"I'm so stupid, Kennedy." He speaks in a low voice, his hands two fists on his thighs. "I got a stupid fucking dream right before you walked into my room." 

I knew it was the dream!

"What was the dream about?"

"I dreamt about how you looked happier with other guys and how you were better with them while I was on this other side of a room, watching you people all alone." He mumbles. "It was just a dream I know that but then I remembered how you talk to Corey and danced with Cole and thought maybe you are better with them. I'm no good at expressing myself or being playful like Corey and Cole."  

"I never wanted you to be like that," I speak. "I like you just the way you are."

"See, you say that but then sometimes you act as if you don't." Jake breaths out, running a hand through his hair.

"How did I act?" I question. "You don't trust me?"

"Of course I do. More than myself." He says.

"Then what is it?"

He looks at me. "I come to spend time with you, but you always try to murder me or always want to play these games."

"I thought you enjoyed it!"

"I do!"

"Then what's the problem?" I give him a look of confusion.

"I think of us. I think of you with me. After picking you up from school, I want to-I want you to-I want us to-" He struggles before cutting himself off and glaring. "Well, you don't give me attention!"

"Huh?" I blink.

"You pair up with Toothy against me. You don't slap Cole and Corey when they smile at you. You wanted to fight me for protecting Cole!"

"I was just playing with you! And I slapped you because I'm used to the glare or blank expression you give me all the time." I try reasoning.

"I try showing you affection but you don't even take it seriously. It's like you don't' even care how hard I try to make you see that I care for you. I say something to you, you turn it into a discussion of fucking murder!"

"I love murder!"

"And I love—" He cuts himself off, shaking his head.

"Jake—"

"You're the first girl I'm ready to let into my life after my mom died. It's so fucking hard for me to go through this. Attraction. Affection....Jealously. It's fucking up my head, Kennedy." He runs a hand through his hair. "Believe me or not this is all new to me and call me a loser for saying this, but I need that confirmation and constant reminders that you like me."

"Jake." I take a step toward him.

"For the first time, I'm letting down the gaurd to my heart since my mom died. You can think I'm a big pussy when I say this, but I'm fucking scared. I don't want to be left alone again after giving my heart to someone entirely."

I take another step towards him, a warmth seeping into my heart. He clenches his fists on either side of his body as if he's restraining himself.

He clenches his jaw, raising his chin. "I'm scared that if I let down my guard I'm going to be vulnerable. That I'll feel emotions I can't bear."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," I say. "You can open up to me. I'm here for you." I place my hand where his neck meets his face.

"Teach me how to open up." His voice gets lower. "Teach me how to do this. I didn't realize how alone I felt and how much I've isolated myself until you came along. I want to be yours only and I want you to be mine."

He leans into my hand, his piercing eyes lighting a fire inside me as he gazes at me.

"It took me a long time to figure this out but it's so fucking plainly obvious, Kennedy, what I feel for you." He murmurs, emotions swirling in his eyes that I could read so easily.

The way Jake's so open right now has my heart melting with tenderness. The blank face he usually has is gone. I feel closer to him. Like I could take him, lock him up and keep him all to myself.

"What do you feel for me?" My voice turns into a whisper, watching the pupils of his eyes enlarge over the blue-greens of his eyes, under the soft light from the window.

His hands come to my waist. Not hard or possessive. Just there, holding me.

He lowers his head down, his breath fanning against my face, sending tingles all over my body. I resist the urge to close my eyes and take in a huge breath of his scent.

"I'm falling in love with you."  

 ✄ ✄ ✄ ✄

I hate this chapter for some reason, ignore me, everyone. 😭😭😭😭 for some reason I was avoiding editing this chapter until the very end. Today I had free time because I finished studying for my exams two days before, so I finally sat down to do this.  

I got only four more exams then I'm FREEEEEEE!!!

Words: 3,800

Date of publishing: 10th May 2022