Shawn heaved a sigh of relief and sank to the floor as he heard the sound of Sergio's car starting. Jade sighed and leaned back against the wall, watching as her bodyguard put back his gun.
“This won't do. I'm moving back in.” He announced stoically.
“No.” Jade protested, frowning as she stood upright.
He glanced at her and sighed. “I need to protect you at close range and I can't do that staying in a hotel five kilometers from here. I can't imagine what could have happened if I was a minute late.”
“I had it under control, Lewis.”
“You didn't. Jade... Miss Adler, I know I promised you freedom but I can't keep letting you endanger yourself. So, I'm moving back in. If you have a problem with that, let your father know. I'm pretty sure he has sent your details to that boarding school. All that's left is you.” Lewis said, his voice sounding threatening.
Her eyes flared up in anger but he didn't seem to care. “Are you trying to threaten me?
Jade sighed as she threw another glance at the couch where Lewis was sitting. His eyes were fixated on her, watching her like a predator does its prey, and if she were not alone in the living room, she would have felt a little more comfortable. Also, if he hadn't downloaded the video of the incident with Sergio, threatening to send it to her dad, she would have forced him to leave. She sighed again as she looked at the television, thinking of a plan to escape his watchful eyes. She could drug his juice but he'd probably follow her into the kitchen. She could knock him out but when he woke up, he'd be angrier. She could make it look like he was trying to molest her but he was her favorite bodyguard so far and she didn't want to lose him. She could try to appeal to him but as long as he called her by her last name, nothing she said would touch him. She sighed again as she folded her arms around her chest, sulking as she turned her attention to the television. The show
Shawn sighed as he watched Jade run in and out of the water. She was giggling loudly as she chased crabs and threw them into the sea whenever she caught any. Even though he had excused himself from going into the water, she still seemed to be having a good time. If he went away now, she wouldn't notice. He turned around to look at Lewis who was still standing where Jade had told him to. He was holding her shoes, hat, the sunglasses she had turned back halfway to get, and the swimwear she decided not to wear anymore. All his attention was on her, and even though it was barely visible, Shawn could still see the smile on his face as he watched Jade. If it weren't Jade whom Lewis was watching and smiling, he would have tagged him a pervert or a freak. But, knowing who Jade was and everything she's gone through, seeing her smile should be enough to melt the hardest heart. Besides, he could tell that Lewis cared a lot for Jade. It wasn't a type of care he had been gi
Bang!!! The sound of a door banging echoed from inside the house. Shawn bolted into the house and Jade ran after him. The entrance door was wide open and the sitting room was a mess. Broken glass, clothes - some torn, others intact - and a bunch of books littered the floor and giving Shawn an idea of what was happening.His dad had probably wanted to destroy everything that belonged to him in his rage but his mother had disallowed him. Shawn pressed his lips together, balling his fists as he ran to the kitchen where Sergio was banging against the door.“Leave my mother alone!” He said, earning him a stare and a chuckle from Sergio. “You wanted me. Here I am. Leave mom out of this.” Shawn said again as Sergio turned to face the door again.Sergio glared at him. “She's not your mom! She's my wife and you're not my son. Not anymore. So, she's not your mom.” He turned to face the door. “Rachel, you have five minutes to come out to me. If you don't, I'll break down this
“Hey. Are you okay?” She heard Shawn ask and felt his hand on her shoulder.She rose to her feet, wiping her hands across her face. “Yeah, sure. I'm fine. I'm okay.” She replied with a faint smile.Shawn pressed his lips together, not wanting to inquire further. “Uh... Okay. So, what do we do about him?” He asked, tilting his head toward Sergio.“What do you suggest?”“Turn him in. Charged for assault against you.”“Okay.” “You should go.” Jade furrowed her brows. “Alone?” She asked, a lump rising up her throat. She was reluctant to let Shawn leave. Her life was much better whenever he was with her.“My dad's not a problem anymore.” He replied, smiling sadly at her.Jade shook her head, clutching the hem of his shirt. “You can't tell. And you haven't done your part yet. Take me home.”Shawn gave her a confused look. “Uh...” “Remember when we were ten and I sprained my ankle.”“Yeah, you insisted the floor was lava and climbed up the fridge. If I hadn't softened your fall, it would
Jade scratched her head as she walked down the stairs. She hadn't looked in a mirror since she woke up but she was sure she looked very untidy. She had overslept and had had a pleasant dream. Her mouth was plastered with dried drool and her hair was in a tangled mess. Her eyes were probably swollen from her very long and peaceful sleep. She knew she was supposed to wash up first but she woke up feeling very thirsty. If she didn't drink water, she reasoned she'd turn to stone. So it didn't matter how heavy her legs were and how messy she looked she trudged towards the kitchen to get a drink.She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and immediately gulped it down. Once she was done, she proceeded to wash her face in the sink."I'll take it that you had a great sleep last night." She heard Lewis's voice and she lifted her head turning it in his direction. He was leaning by the kitchen door eating a bowl of cereal."What time is it?" She asked making a futile
Jade tapped her feet impatiently on the floor as she scrolled through Netflix, searching for something to watch. None appealed to her as her mind was preoccupied with Shawn. It was almost 9 pm and he still hadn't returned. He hadn't even sent her a text to inform her of his job or that he wanted to move out.Now that Sergio was away, and only his mom was home, it made sense for him to accompany her. She was being selfish to hope he would still stay with her. To hope he would choose her over his mom. To think she meant anything to him.All his smooth talks about being best friends were to get something from her. He was just looking for a place to stay. Maybe, he had intentionally shared in her punishment to get her to trust him. He was a smart kid and always weighed his decisions carefully. He had a backup plan for his backup plan. Why would he intentionally jeopardize his future by ruining his perfect school record with a suspension if he had nothing to gain?
Shawn trudged slowly along the street, his phone in his hand, praying for a call from Jade. He hoped she'd stop being difficult and let him by her side. Even though he knew it would never happen, he still wished she could go back to being the carefree yet lovable girl he used to know. He wished he could reverse time. He would make sure she never got hurt.But these were all wishful thinking. Jade had changed and was never going to call him back and if he doesn't return to his home, he'd have to sleep on the streets. He hated the idea of returning to his home. Being in it made him feel caged up and now that he had tasted freedom, he was reluctant to go back to his cage.He groaned, coming to an abrupt stop. It was the middle of the night and he was stuck outside with no money on him and nowhere to go. Heck, he hadn't stayed up this late intentionally before. Thinking about it made him want to cry, but according to his father, real men don't cry - only sissies do.
Jade shut the door after Jacob left, biting her lip as she walked to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tears falling from her eyes. She hated the person she was becoming - an irritable person with no interest in life who keeps pushing away everyone from her. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone but she knew she probably would. Everyone she knew hated her. Rachel, Sergio, Principal Dolan, her teachers, and her classmates all hated her. Sally only pretended to like her because she was her father's wife. Lewis only protected her because he was paid to. Jacob couldn't wait to be rid of her. And Shawn - she had no idea why he was even pretending to like her. She closed her eyes trying to imagine a life where nothing went wrong. A life where her father didn't cheat on her mother. Or one where her mother forgave him. She would probably still be alive and Jade would be a carefree youth with a perfect family. A straight-A student whose goal is
Jade hummed happily as she removed the chicken from the oven. She carefully carried it and placed it on the counter. She carried a tray containing Mac and cheese and put it in the oven. After closing it and setting the timer, she went back to chopping the cabbage she had been working on before the oven had beeped. She heard silent footsteps behind her and her nerves tensed up. The only person in the house who walked that quietly was Sally. She never forgave Sally for ruining her parents' marriage and she had planned on making life as miserable as she could for her. However, she had promised to be nicer to her and while she didn't know how to go about it, she knew it involved not chasing her out of the kitchen. “Uhm... Hi.” Sally said awkwardly, making Jade cringe. What on earth did Jacob see in a woman that struggles to even have a conversation? “What are you making?” Sally asked in an attempt to get Jade to talk. It was always like this, she would try to engage her in a conversat
7:45 a.m. Shawn sighed with relief as he checked his phone. He was right on time. He knocked on the door of the principal's office feeling somewhat lucky. His father was currently behind bars so his mother was safe. He had found a job and could now support himself and his mother.His suspension had been rescinded and so he was back on track to emerging as the valedictorian. And best of all, his estranged best friend was again warming up to him. Also, even though he had only woken up about thirty minutes ago, he had somehow managed to be on time for his appointment with Principal Dolan. The universe seemed to be working in his favor.He was about to knock again when he heard footsteps and a chuckle from behind him. He turned around and saw Principal Dolan and Jacob Adler - Jade's father - walking toward the office. Immediately, he bowed his head a little, offering a word of appreciation to Jacob but all he did was smile at him.Principal Dolan cleared his throat, stretching out his han
Jade shut the door after Jacob left, biting her lip as she walked to the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tears falling from her eyes. She hated the person she was becoming - an irritable person with no interest in life who keeps pushing away everyone from her. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone but she knew she probably would. Everyone she knew hated her. Rachel, Sergio, Principal Dolan, her teachers, and her classmates all hated her. Sally only pretended to like her because she was her father's wife. Lewis only protected her because he was paid to. Jacob couldn't wait to be rid of her. And Shawn - she had no idea why he was even pretending to like her. She closed her eyes trying to imagine a life where nothing went wrong. A life where her father didn't cheat on her mother. Or one where her mother forgave him. She would probably still be alive and Jade would be a carefree youth with a perfect family. A straight-A student whose goal is
Shawn trudged slowly along the street, his phone in his hand, praying for a call from Jade. He hoped she'd stop being difficult and let him by her side. Even though he knew it would never happen, he still wished she could go back to being the carefree yet lovable girl he used to know. He wished he could reverse time. He would make sure she never got hurt.But these were all wishful thinking. Jade had changed and was never going to call him back and if he doesn't return to his home, he'd have to sleep on the streets. He hated the idea of returning to his home. Being in it made him feel caged up and now that he had tasted freedom, he was reluctant to go back to his cage.He groaned, coming to an abrupt stop. It was the middle of the night and he was stuck outside with no money on him and nowhere to go. Heck, he hadn't stayed up this late intentionally before. Thinking about it made him want to cry, but according to his father, real men don't cry - only sissies do.
Jade tapped her feet impatiently on the floor as she scrolled through Netflix, searching for something to watch. None appealed to her as her mind was preoccupied with Shawn. It was almost 9 pm and he still hadn't returned. He hadn't even sent her a text to inform her of his job or that he wanted to move out.Now that Sergio was away, and only his mom was home, it made sense for him to accompany her. She was being selfish to hope he would still stay with her. To hope he would choose her over his mom. To think she meant anything to him.All his smooth talks about being best friends were to get something from her. He was just looking for a place to stay. Maybe, he had intentionally shared in her punishment to get her to trust him. He was a smart kid and always weighed his decisions carefully. He had a backup plan for his backup plan. Why would he intentionally jeopardize his future by ruining his perfect school record with a suspension if he had nothing to gain?
Jade scratched her head as she walked down the stairs. She hadn't looked in a mirror since she woke up but she was sure she looked very untidy. She had overslept and had had a pleasant dream. Her mouth was plastered with dried drool and her hair was in a tangled mess. Her eyes were probably swollen from her very long and peaceful sleep. She knew she was supposed to wash up first but she woke up feeling very thirsty. If she didn't drink water, she reasoned she'd turn to stone. So it didn't matter how heavy her legs were and how messy she looked she trudged towards the kitchen to get a drink.She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and immediately gulped it down. Once she was done, she proceeded to wash her face in the sink."I'll take it that you had a great sleep last night." She heard Lewis's voice and she lifted her head turning it in his direction. He was leaning by the kitchen door eating a bowl of cereal."What time is it?" She asked making a futile
“Hey. Are you okay?” She heard Shawn ask and felt his hand on her shoulder.She rose to her feet, wiping her hands across her face. “Yeah, sure. I'm fine. I'm okay.” She replied with a faint smile.Shawn pressed his lips together, not wanting to inquire further. “Uh... Okay. So, what do we do about him?” He asked, tilting his head toward Sergio.“What do you suggest?”“Turn him in. Charged for assault against you.”“Okay.” “You should go.” Jade furrowed her brows. “Alone?” She asked, a lump rising up her throat. She was reluctant to let Shawn leave. Her life was much better whenever he was with her.“My dad's not a problem anymore.” He replied, smiling sadly at her.Jade shook her head, clutching the hem of his shirt. “You can't tell. And you haven't done your part yet. Take me home.”Shawn gave her a confused look. “Uh...” “Remember when we were ten and I sprained my ankle.”“Yeah, you insisted the floor was lava and climbed up the fridge. If I hadn't softened your fall, it would
Bang!!! The sound of a door banging echoed from inside the house. Shawn bolted into the house and Jade ran after him. The entrance door was wide open and the sitting room was a mess. Broken glass, clothes - some torn, others intact - and a bunch of books littered the floor and giving Shawn an idea of what was happening.His dad had probably wanted to destroy everything that belonged to him in his rage but his mother had disallowed him. Shawn pressed his lips together, balling his fists as he ran to the kitchen where Sergio was banging against the door.“Leave my mother alone!” He said, earning him a stare and a chuckle from Sergio. “You wanted me. Here I am. Leave mom out of this.” Shawn said again as Sergio turned to face the door again.Sergio glared at him. “She's not your mom! She's my wife and you're not my son. Not anymore. So, she's not your mom.” He turned to face the door. “Rachel, you have five minutes to come out to me. If you don't, I'll break down this
Shawn sighed as he watched Jade run in and out of the water. She was giggling loudly as she chased crabs and threw them into the sea whenever she caught any. Even though he had excused himself from going into the water, she still seemed to be having a good time. If he went away now, she wouldn't notice. He turned around to look at Lewis who was still standing where Jade had told him to. He was holding her shoes, hat, the sunglasses she had turned back halfway to get, and the swimwear she decided not to wear anymore. All his attention was on her, and even though it was barely visible, Shawn could still see the smile on his face as he watched Jade. If it weren't Jade whom Lewis was watching and smiling, he would have tagged him a pervert or a freak. But, knowing who Jade was and everything she's gone through, seeing her smile should be enough to melt the hardest heart. Besides, he could tell that Lewis cared a lot for Jade. It wasn't a type of care he had been gi