I Promised Her

If the person standing in front of her at this time was Liam, she wouldn’t tell him.

But now, this was the first time for Ashley to meet this person.

From the beginning of the first sentence, Jacob was particularly gentle, as if he would not lose his temper when he heard anything. She could not see through him, and because of this alienation and unfamiliarity, she dared not be too presumptuous.

As long as there was the slightest change in his tone, Ashley would completely lose the courage to continue to hide.

Ashley was silent for a few seconds and confessed reluctantly, “I didn't listen in class."

Jacob, “Ok."

"My teacher asked me to get up and answer the question, and I answered it." Ashley paused and slowly organized the wording. "Then he asked me if I wanted to take his place and be the headteacher of our class. I didn't think it would work, so I refused. "

"…"

Jacob:?

Ashley glanced at him carefully, as if she wanted to see his reaction, and quickly withdrew her attention. She stood there obediently, looking honest, “Then he said he wanted to meet my parents."

Finishing the last word, Ashley felt that the whole world seemed quiet.

Concealing some content, Ashley was actually quite guilty. Seeing that he was slow to speak, she couldn't help saying, "Believe me."

Hearing this, Jacob finally opened his mouth, with a smile, “I can’t tell."

He seemed really amused. His shoulder trembled slightly, the chest fluctuated with it, and there was a small laugh in his throat, mixed with a shallow breath.

He was born good-looking, his smile was even more dazzling, and his lips shone brightly.

The two were close to each other. Ashley could smell the smell of smoke that had not gone away from him, and she felt even more uncomfortable.

She reluctantly choked out a sentence, “I'm telling the truth."

Jacob, “Really? "

Ashley nodded hard and looked extremely sincere, “One hundred percent. If you don't believe me, you'll find out tomorrow. The teacher will tell you the truth tomorrow. "

"Well…"

As soon as the word fell, the door was opened again.

Without looking at them, Liam walked in the direction of the wardrobe and said bluntly, "Kid, get out."

Although Ashley felt a little sorry because of framing him, she was still reluctant to leave like this. "Can't I stay here?"

Liam looked back and said without a smile, "I want to change my clothes."

"Then this brother…"

Speaking of which, Ashley grabbed Jacob’s clothes. "This brother should also go out. I don't think he really wants to see you change your clothes."

Liam only pretended not to hear, “Close the door when you go out."

Asley then tugged Jacob out and said, “OK, we'll close it."

"…"

Liam stared at them for a moment, then waved his hand and didn't bother to worry about it.

Because this topic cannot be heard by a third person.

After leaving the room, Ashley immediately pulled Jacob back to her room, closed the door vigilantly, and eagerly asked, "Brother, will you come tomorrow? I told you the truth. "

Jacob lowered his eyelids and said, "Why don't you tell your brother?"

"No way!" Ashley stared wide-eyed, "I just wronged him like that. If I told him, he would tell my mother right away. "

Jacob was still smiling, “Your brother is not that kind of person."

"…"

The tone did not tell whether it was serious or joking.

Although Ashley threatened him just now, she only talked big, and there was nothing she could do at this time.

When there was no way out, she remembered what had happened before and reminded him bitterly, “Brother, if you hadn't said that to my brother, I wouldn't have quarreled with him."

Jacob raised eyebrows, “Hmm?"

At this time, the door was opened.

Liam stood outside and looked at Jacob, “Let's go."

As if he didn't hear what Ashley said just now, he nodded, “See you next time, kiddo."

Ashley couldn’t believe it.

‘What the hell!

It's not settled yet!’

Sensing that Jacob was really leaving, Ashley immediately grabbed his arm and said, "Are you leaving so soon? It's so late, why don't you leave after dinner? "

Jacob declined, “Maybe next time."

Ashley stared at him with no intention of letting go.

‘What next time! Did you just forget the topic?!

Are you old enough to have amnesia?!’

But she dared not say these words, so she could only ask pitifully, "When is the next time?... "

Jacob bent his lips and did not speak.

Looking at the life-and-death-like interaction between the two, Liam lifted his eyebrow, “What are you two doing? Are you in love? Jacob, take it easy. My sister is only twelve years old. "

Ashley subconsciously retorted, “Thirteen!"

Hearing this number, Jacob was a little surprised, and his eyes were on Ashley's body.

"Thirteen?"

The tone sounded extremely unbelievable.

It was as if it was a fantasy to believe that she was thirteen years old.

This reaction pissed Ashley off directly.

She suddenly forgot that she had to ask him for help and said angrily, "Do you want to say that I am short and don't look thirteen years old at all?"

Liam leaned against the door with his arms covered and said, "That's what he meant."

Jacob scratched the skin under his eyes and shook his head, “No."

But there was no truth in the words.

Ashley stared at the two of them for a few seconds and lost her temper. "Forget it, I don’t want to talk to you."

She no longer quarreled with Liam as she did just now, as if she had been really hurt, and whispered, "I'll grow up anyway."

Seeing this, Liam's heart rarely floated with a trace of guilt and spoke out to comfort, “Isn't it good to be short? When you are thirty, some people may think that you are only eighteen. "

It was more like injecting a needle into her pain.

Ashley said with a poker face, "So is it because you are tall that people think you are my father?"

"…"

A little bit of guilt disappeared in an instant.

The little girl's eyes were still red, a pair of bullied miserable appearance, but still not to be outdone.

He seemed to be the source of her unhappiness on both occasions.

Jacob sighed and began to be soft and asked, "Thirteen years old, in the second year of junior high school?"

Ashley did not look at him and said, "The first year."

"Which school?"

"Rising Sun Middle School." Ashley paused. She didn't know if her idea was right, but she added, "Class one, Grade one."

Jacob dragged his voice and repeated, "Class one, Grade one, Rising Sun Middle School."

Then he bent down and looked her in the eye.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

Ashley pursed her lower lip and whispered, "My name is Ashley."

"Ashley?"

"Yes."

Jacob affectionately pinched her face, “Then, little Ashley."

"..."

He lowered his voice as if he were whispering to her so that no one could hear him.

"Do you know when the next time is?"

After saying goodbye to Grace, the two left the house.

The sun has completely gone down, the sunset has fainted the whole sky, and it was a little cooler.

Jacob suddenly asked, "Your sister should be quite obedient, right?"

"Obedient?" Liam snorted. He turned to a lollipop out of nowhere and sucked it into his mouth. "Not at all. She was going through her rebelling. Annoying. "

‘Rebellious period.

Annoying.

It's okay.’

Jacob thought about it for a while.

After all, she was an immature child, and it was not clear whether anything serious had happened.

He mentioned this matter to Liam, “Your sister’s teacher wanted to meet your parents, and she just asked me if I could help her to meet the teacher."

Liam said, "No wonder she kept you for dinner. I knew this kid was playing tricks."

Jacob smiled and said nothing.

"I guess it's not a big deal. My parents have been called several times, each time for the almost same reasons."

Liam bowed her head and answered the message and asked absentmindedly, "Are you free tomorrow? Can you go there for me if you are free? I have something to do tomorrow. "

"Tomorrow…"

"Well. Forget it. I'll tell my mother later. "

‘I promised her.’

"I have to be free." Jacob drooped eyebrows and eyes and said loosely, "I can't lie to children."

Hearing the sound of the door closing at the porch, Ashley secretly had a look, then ran barefoot in front of Grace, “Mom, why is my brother back?"

Grace, “He said he was playing basketball nearby, so he stopped by to take a shower."

"It's so late, why don't you keep them for dinner?"

"Your brother’s friend has something to handle."

Grace did not take this matter to heart and asked leisurely, "Ash, did your brother really hit you?"

"…"

Ashley immediately became guilty and dared not ask any more questions. She turned and ran to the room. "I'm going to do my homework!"

She went back to her room and locked it.

Ashley jumped on the bed, pulled the puppet aside, and hugged it into her arms.

She was still in a bad mood, but her thoughts were unconsciously empty, and her mind reverberated with the last words of Jacob's.

--- "Do you know when the next time is?"

The response should be her "when is the next time".

‘Does that mean he's coming?’

Ashley finally breathed a sigh of relief, turned over, swayed her legs alternately, and hummed happily. She looked at the dark sky outside and continued to think about what had just happened.

Further forward---

Jacob raised his hand and pinched her face.

"…"

"?"

Ashley sat up at once.

‘Did she just get pinched by that man?

Isn't that right?

How could he pinch her face?

They just met for the first time!

How could he pinch her face!!!

And why did he get so close to her!!!

And…and he even called her little Ashley.

Forget it.’

Ashley tried to calm herself down and pretended not to care, and stressed, "Forget it."

Thinking of it as a return to his help.

She glanced at the room and happened to see the mirror on the desk.

She ran into sight with herself in the mirror and noticed her red face.

Ashley’s calmness collapsed in an instant.

‘?

Why! Why did you blush!!! Ashley!’

After 13 years of life, she had such a feeling for the first time.

Ashley fell back to bed and rolled herself into the quilt at a loss, feeling that the air inside was getting thinner and thinner.

Then, she listened to the sound of the heartbeat amplifying.

The next morning.

When Ashley finished washing and went out of the living room, her parents were already sitting at the table eating breakfast. Now that she had found help, she pretended that nothing had happened and did not tell the event about her parents.

She sat down at the table. Her mother packed a bowl of porridge for Ashley.

Nobody had the desire to talk in the morning.

The house was quiet.

Ashley had the porridge slowly and suddenly remembered Jacob's reaction yesterday.

She exhaled and whispered, "Dad, am I short?"

Her father Tim looked at her and asked, "Who said anything about you?"

Ashley nodded and pushed everything to Liam, “My brother said so."

Grace, “Don't listen to your brother."

Ashley poked the bottom of the bowl with a spoon, “But my classmates are only twelve years old and are taller than me. Bella is 1.6 meters tall. "

Tim comforted her, “You are still young, baby. You will grow taller."

"You've all grown taller, but I can't grow taller. When I took the bus, someone offered his seat to me, thinking I was a primary school student. "

Ashley was particularly depressed and asked gloomily, "Was my brother 1.5 meters when he was 13 years old?"

Grace hesitated and said, "Your brother is a boy, so..."

Tim suddenly interrupted her and replied, "No."

"…"

"He was not that tall."

Tim said calmly, "Dad doesn't remember much, but Dad barely has an impression. At that time, your brother should have been less than 1.4 meters. "

"..."