Blood

Scarlett's POV:

My eyes shot in surprise the very moment he began to walk towards my direction, my body suddenly becomes stiff, like I just lost my ability to move. The nearer he moved, the faster my heart raced and the more queries I received from mom, something I was totally absentminded about.

The stick of a cigar that was tugged at the corner of his lips removed a tremendous amount of smoke while another unlighted cigar hung at the back of his ear. Clearly, I could see the ring piercing at his left ear, his tipped red hair falling over to his hair, a tiger face tattoo at his neck, something I had failed to notice before.

" Howdy Anonymous!"

He grinned, throwing the cigar from his mouth to the floor. The anguish honk from mom caused me to flinch a bit.

" Hey,"

Now, I was divided between going to the car or standing here with Jones.

" How destiny brought us back together again,"

He chuckled while I just stood there doing nothing.

" Yeah...what are you doing here?"

" Just lurking around the town for a while before going to the club, are you coming tonight?"

I blinked repeatedly and then my blood flowed rapidly the moment my mom got out of her car.

" Scarlett!"

She walked up to me. Her eyes full of fury as she moved them away from me and towards Jones.

Improper.

Unimpressive.

Unattractive.

Those words were what my mom would describe Jones. The kind of lashes mom would throw at me the moment we get home was something I didn't want to imagine.

How do I even explain to her who Jones was to me? For all I knew, mom was always curious to meet our friends, she was quite picky when it comes to making new friends and meeting new people because in her opinion, not everyone is as they seem. You cannot trust them.

Jones looked stunner as he stared at my mom, blinking his eyes in an unbelievable way and a small grunt left his mouth.

" Beautiful,"

Excuse me! I didn't know if he said that consciously or not but what the hell does he mean by that. Is he trying to make moves on my mom?

Hilarious! Right?

" My name is Jones,"

He said while stretching his hand towards my mom for a handshake. She glared at him almost as if she wouldn't waste a second to put some sense into his head if she ever had the chance to.

" You have five minutes to get back to the car,"

Her stern look sent shivers through me.

Whoooo!

She retired back to the car and just immediately I started counting my time.

One, two, three...

I wouldn't deny that feeling that sure wanted me to spend more time with Jones. It's odd though.

" Shit! Your mom's hot..."

Okay! His statement didn't surprise me but what surprises me was the fact that he rolls his lower lip between his teeth, sexily biting on it while he stretches his neck to peek over at my mom.

Wait! Did I just say sexily, oops! I meant... causally.

" Quit being disgusting,"

He returned his gaze at me. A sharp throaty laugh leaving his mouth.

Two minutes and four seconds to go.

" I wouldn't like to delay you any more..."

He dipped his hand into his pocket.

" Here's my card. I'd like it if you give me a call before the day run out,"

Hesitantly, I collected the card, my eyes ripping every single piece of writing on it.

Quite impressive.

" I'll try,"

" Try or not, I have a surprise waiting for you tomorrow, it's going to be a blow up for you. Trust me,"

Second time we'd be meeting and he already had a surprise planned up? If there was anything my subconscious mind was telling me was that I shouldn't trust him. I shouldn't believe him. I shouldn't be closer to him. And that he was one way or the other not sincere.

That's what my mind thought but my body and feelings said otherwise. Trust me. Believe him. You need him. Get closer to him. He's good for you. He's better than that shit head boss of yours. Just try him!

Even I with the body and mind didn't have a say in this equation.

I purse my lips, blinking my eyes over and over again trying to look for the right word to say.

" Uh!"

I muttered, looking anywhere but not at him.

" It's okay! I'm sure you would like it,"

I couldn't help but look up at him.

" Don't flatter yourself,"

The way I was so tempted to roll my eyes but I decided it's best I remain cordial and coordinated as mom would say.

" It's a fact Queenie,"

Before I even got the time to react to what he called me, I surprisingly see him standing quite close to me, he leaned further and before I could pull away from him he placed a kiss on my cheek, a soft and wet one, this made me ignite, my heart pounded hardly, reminding me of the way he kissed my cheek last night.

I nervously clear my throat. I was speechless.

One thing I prayed for, I hope mom didn't get to see that.

" I'll keep doing that until you tell me your name and before then I'll keep calling you Queenie,"

I was still speechless!.

He smiled lightly then brought his thumb and caressed my bottom lip for a while, an act that sent adrenaline through me.

The furious horn from mom jolted me and with full speed, I left to get into the car leaving Jones behind not caring about him anymore, for now though.

The drive was awkwardly quiet. Mom wouldn't stop sending hard stares at me through the rearview mirror, Max wouldn't stop piling my phone with his stupid text messages and I wouldn't stop being so nervous while I chewed on my fingers.

' He should've kissed you on the lips instead, was he afraid mom would beat him up?'

My eyes caught the mockery message Max sent a minute ago with a hard laughing emoji.

Again, I ignored his messages aimlessly scrolling through F******k barely enjoying a bit of it.

' Is he your boyfriend or something? Where did you even meet that guy and how come I don't know him?'

Another annoying message from Max. What was wrong with him!!!

Heaving a sigh, I decided to text him back.

' Minding your business wouldn't land you to hell, you know that right? Except you'd enjoy hell then keep poking your nose where it doesn't belong'

I sent that to him and he stopped texting. Thank Goodness.

Finally, we got home. Puff! I was exhausted.

It had been so tiring packing and arranging the kitchen with the goods that we purchased. Not even a minute to take a rest and we already begun cooking, except for Max. He was out of the house, he said he was going skateboarding with his friends as usual.

He never got tired! His vivacious personality was one thing I admired about him and something I wish I had too.

Too bad for me!

" Kisses, kisses. How many more do you need to finally get pregnant?"

Mom aggressively threw me an apron, picking a spatula and walking up to me. Her eyes bored into mine with great intensity.

" I await your answer young lady,"

" Mom I didn't know he was going to do that,"

I groaned.

" You didn't know! Oh really, so what then did you do the moment he kissed you? You should have slapped, kicked him or even yelled at him and tell him never to mess with you. If you keep giving those kinds of boys your silly silent treatment then they will take you for granted. Did you even see his manners when I walked up to you both? That's a red flag Scarlett, a sign you need to run away from. Those kinds of boys don't mind who you are or what you are, they'll always find a way to get through your legs_"

" Mom!"

" What!"

" Stop it. I know Jones, he isn't like that,"

" Oh so you're doubting me now?"

" I'm not but...you need to try to understand that it's not everything concerning my life you should meddle in, I'm twenty, I'm old enough to receive romantic gestures from anyone I want,"

" Jesus christ Scarlett,"

I know I may have gone a little far with this but I couldn't just help it. She shouldn't really meddle into all my affairs especially when it comes to my love life, it was as if she was purposefully trying to prevent me from taking someone in.

" I'm just trying to protect you,"

The pain in her voice, I could hear it.

" What are you protecting me from?"

My eyes were wet with tears now.

" A kind of man like your father. I don't want you going about till you get your heart broken, trust me Scarlett, heartbreak is something that's really hard to heal from but if you're so certain of yourself...that you can handle it, then go ahead and do whatever you want, I permit you to, but don't you dare come running to me when things go the other way around,"

She turned away from me trying to avoid me so I couldn't see the tears in her eyes, too late because I already had. I climbed down from the stool I was standing on, taking my phone with me. I stared at her image. My heart was crying for her motherly warm hug, my mouth begging to apologize and tell her I wouldn't disappoint her but instead the words which left my lips rendered me immobile for a while.

" I won't run to you,"

I heard her breath shivering but she didn't say a word to me.

I left the kitchen and entered my room. My little pitiful and painful comfort zone.

I honestly didn't know how or why I had reacted that way. What gut did I have to speak to my mom that way? And why was I even defending Jones? I didn't even know him that much, perhaps it was because he had saved my life but still...that wasn't enough reason.

I took out the card he had handed to me, then on my phone, I type out his number. Few minutes had passed but I was still nervously staring at my screen.

I finally hit the dial button and placed the phone on my ear waiting for him to pick it up.

I felt a liquid dribbling down to my hand with a sharp and quick pain that occured from my ear side.

I pulled the phone away to stare at the spot that the liquid had touched and there I found my blood resting on it, as usual.