Sebastian dropped his hands to the side and turned his attention to me. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I changed my mind,” I shrugged.
His lips curled at the edges as he took slow steps toward me. His scent drove me crazy. It was that same woody and coffee mixture that pushed my brain into ecstasy. Everything about me became conscious including my wobbly legs.
“Is that so? What changed your mind? Or should I ask...who changed your mind?” he reached over and lifted my chin to look up at him.
“I don’t think I should report everything I do.”
He grinned. “Even so, I want to know if I was behind that decision.”
I took a step back and out of his burning touch. “ I forgot h
Jake is one of my favorite characters. How about yours? I missed him in this chapter, but I promise we will see a lot of him in the future. Do you have any questions for Jake? Let me know so we can have a special interview with him. If you have any favorite characters as well, leave your comments.
"Jake," I tapped his small shoulder to wake him up. When he didn't respond, I pinched him harder. He couldn't be dead. When he moved under my hand, I let out a sigh of relief. He massaged the back of his head as he spoke. "What happened? " He must have felt the wetness of his head so he stared at his hand when I spoke. "Mike hit you. That bastard pushed you and me- I- thought I lost you." I sobbed. His brows furrowed in confusion while he continued staring at his hand. "We have to get you cleaned up. Let's go to the hospital," I commented trying to pull him up. Jake was very quiet compared to other days which worried me even more. In their room, mom's screams competed with Mike's. "How dare you hit my kids. They do not fault this." "Jessica was being a bitch like usual and Jake was defending that little piece of shit. No one goes against what I say." There was a brief silence before mom continued. "I know what you did to Jessica and I can see why she hates you." Like a bucket
A few years later... I stared at the school gate as the students crowded outside in groups before they headed home. The memories made me sick. It had been a while since I was back in San Fernando but the disgusting feeling in the pit of my stomach was still there. I had friends here and once upon a time I used to wear the same uniform but the vague memories were a compilation of nothing but nightmares. Mike had me followed, that I was sure. He couldn't respect privacy. My eyes followed the faces in search of Jake's. It had been five years since I last saw him and I was scared I wouldn't recognize my little brother. My heart raced against my chest at the thought. Blood called blood, of course, I'd know him. It felt like ages and for a moment thought that I was given the wrong direction. Scattered groups started disappearing until the place was half deserted. I turned in the radio to drown the suffocation and the nerves. My hand started sweating so I turned on the A.C. What if Jake
Jake was sleeping soundlessly on the passenger seat. He hadn't said much on our long drive except for when he was hungry and tired. I knew he was mad at me but for now, he was worrying more about momma and her girl than any other thing. It was Jake we are talking about and he cares too much about people. "Two burgers with fries and coffee." The girl said as she extended the foam tray. Gabe's number flashed on my screen as I finished talking to Sebastian. Again, I battled with the bag of junk food in one hand and the tray in the other. "Any news?" "He is tracking you. The boy must have something on him. Stop in the following town. Wait for me there." I fastened my pace. I settled the food in the car and opened the door. Jake was still sleeping. He sure wasn't used to traveling. Having Mike behind him meant he had never left San Fernando. "Got it. " I cut the call and pinched him hard. He moved lazily and looked around confused by the surrounding. "Do you have a phone? " He gav
I gazed outside the window of the black jeep thinking... Sebastian wasn't pleased about the idea of me coming back to San Fernando without him. But he doesn't own me. We married for convenience and we have sex because we enjoy it, and although I've grown feelings for him, he is a heartless son a bitch who doesn't deserve an ounce of it. But it's not easy to just turn off the feelings. It's my fault for falling for his enchantment when he is such a dickhead with me. I wonder why I agreed to the marriage. Probably because I felt alone and saw someone good in there. The way he helped me escape, the things he did, and the shelter he offered when I had nowhere to go. But even then, I knew he wasn't good for me. I was stupid, that I can tell. "The bag is underneath your chair," Gabe voiced interrupting my thoughts. I nodded and pulled the item from its place. I opened it to verify its content and pulled them out. "This is your passport," I told Jake as I handed it to him along with oth
Jake stared at me from across the table which made me self-conscious about what I was doing. "Is the food good?" He slurped his noodles as he made a perfect sign. But his eyes didn't falter. "Don't look at me like that," I sighed and pushed the plate away. "I didn't realize you don't like pasta. " I shook my head. "It's not like that. I am not hungry, that's all." "Since that man came, what did you say was his name?" "Sebastian." He spun the fork to tangle his noodle around it. "Yes! Sebastian. Since Sebastian came you are acting all weird. Who is he anyway? An ex-boyfriend...or a fuckbuddy?" I choked on my saliva. "Jake!" "I am just asking. He got to be someone important. You were both a mess. I am not a kid anymore and I understand what I see." "I can see that." He ate silently and waited for my response. I didn't answer right away. "Something like that," I admitted. "I knew it," he shrugged. "I just wanted to know. Whenever he comes around, I now know I am not supposed
I was back in Russia in that old stinking room. Sitting beside me was that sixty-something-year-old man stiff and dead. He was a regular client. He had come over and over every weekend since he met me and now he was there, lifeless because of his greed. I had learned through Kenya, another girl, that he owned a casino. He was a nasty son of a bitch, with a long thick beard and no hair. Because he paid for the service, he thought that he had a right to do as he pleased. Sometimes he tied me to the bed and did things to me like a dirty pig. Sometimes he'd spit on me or hit me over and over until I was half dead. But now it was my turn and this time I did end his worthless life. Kenya was a wild and tough girl. She drugged men and knew how to seduce them to do what she wanted. She didn't love it here either but she learned to live with it. Good thing she never had to deal with crazy men as I did. She was exclusive and almost unreachable, so men who wanted to be with her needed a cert
Jake was easy to recognize anywhere we went. Even if staring at the back of his head was the only thing at the moment. I wormed through the tables and headed straight to him with a smile. He said it earlier, he wasn't a kid anymore, but how I wished I could turn back the clock to be with him those five years I missed. The echo of cutlery faded in the background as I approached the table. Jake was fiddling with the button on his shirt, unbothered by anything in this world. I thanked God for not letting him possess any feature of the devil. It would have been harder to look at him if that should had been the case. "Hi!" I pulled out the chair and sat. "I thought I'd be here earlier than you. Sorry for making you wait." He waved his hand. "Hey! No biggie. We went for a ride to waste time but turns out I was still early. I hope you don't mind." "No. It's good you entertained yourself. I shouldn't have left you alone in the first place." "I understand you have work. Or else, how would
Every time I saw Sebastian with Pollen, my heart became numb. I wanted to stop loving him. I wanted to stop looking at him the same way I'd been looking at him since the moment we made those vows. I wanted to hate him for playing with me the way he was doing, but I couldn't. Each time something happened, I made excuses for his mistakes. The sad truth is that I'd do it all over again without hesitation. But it wasn't his fault. I'd willingly take the blame for believing his vacant promises. A wave of jealousy ran through me when Pollen locked her arm into Jake's. Sebastian and Pollen had caught up with Jake and Elena. Immediately, Jake's eyes found mine. He was concerned about my reaction, but I had no right to ruin his night. I gave him a smile of reassurance before stepping away for the waiter. I took a drink from the tray and turned back to Alex. He was inspecting the bottle of wine I gave him. "It sure is my favorite one," he chuckled. He settled the bottle into the bag before