The following day, Juan awoke to the fire alarm and loud clashing in his kitchen. His feet moved from out of his room to the end of the living room to see Clove holding a pan in one hand and waving the other with a perplexed look. Like a fool, Juan agreed to give Clove his spare room. He had no choice since Clove practically forced the decision on him.
"Jesus, are you trying to kill us?!" Juan exclaimed, opening the sliding door that went out to the balcony. Clove placed the pan into the sink and waved at the fire alarm with a kitchen towel. Once the commotion silenced, the woman sighed with relief, perching her hands onto her hips.
Looking over his shoulder, Juan noticed Clove wearing his hoodie again and one of his aprons. It appeared she had gotten into a fight with the flour and eggs. White powder covered the red fabric and on her cheeks. Her curly hair sat in a ponytail, and her nails had been painted red. Since meeting Knox, she occurred to be healthier — no longer hollow. This must have been Clove before all of this. Happier and full of life.
"Good morning, little duck," Clove spoke through coughs and awkward grins. Only a night had gone by since Clove moved in, and within that time—she had broken a chair, spilled a beer on the living room carpet, and clogged Juan's bathtub by washing her hair. He wasn't sure if he wanted to complain or if he minded this. Now Juan wasn't alone and could speak to someone about anything and everything, but he wanted to admit that living with her was dangerous.
"I made breakfast," Clove clapped her hands together and practically jumped on her toes towards Juan. She then took him by hand and ushered him toward the dining table. On that table sat burnt pancakes, decently cooked eggs, and toast. She had set up two plates for them and poured orange juice into two long glasses.
"Oh, wow," Juan smiled, pulling out his chair. The last time anyone cooked for Juan felt like ages ago. His sister could cook like no one he'd ever known, and he will always stand by this. Clove didn't have the knack for it; he could tell by the brutal awakening and close-to-dark pancakes. Juan saw no reason to complain, though; this meant a lot to him and Clove.
After the events, everyone went through a roller coaster of emotions. If anyone deserved normalcy, it belonged to her.
Clove sat down next to Juan, examining his bare torso. It was clear he didn't have time to shrug a shirt on, and she couldn't help but think highly of his toned arms. The only thing he wore was gray pajama pants. Impressed and delighted by the scene next to her, Clove wiggled her brows while stabbing her fork into a pancake.
The pair sat silently, enjoying their terrible breakfast, until someone knocked on the front door. Clove jumped to her feet, slamming Juan back in his chair. The Puerto Rican is shocked by her strength as he watches her hurry toward the door. With a wide grin, Clove opened the door, only to frown deeply at the sight of Jax. Jax Teller had his hands in the pockets of his baggy pants, blonde hair slicked back just like always, and his blue eyes searched her up and down.
"What are you wearing?" Jax cocked one brow with amusement.
Looking down at the apron she lacked to take off, she quickly moved her hands behind her and undid the lace. Pulling the apron from her body, she throws it at him and walks away. Jax held the dirty fabric in hand, annoyed.
"Good morning to you, too," Jax mumbled, walking in and closing the door behind him.
At the table, Juan shoved some eggs in his mouth before peering up at Jax. Surprised to see his sponsor, Juan nearly choked, scrambling to his feet.
"Sit down, idiot. I'm not here for you. I'm here for this one."
Clove rolled her eyes at Jax. She knew precisely why he made his way here. Gemma offered Clove a position at the shop. Answer calls, make appointments, and order vehicle parts that need specific items. It wasn't ideal, she hated the idea of talking to people, but it was the best choice to give her income and not be a part of the club. Chibs offered her kutte a new patch, but Clove wanted nothing to do with club business. The past events were too traumatic for her to accept any positions.
YOU ARE READING
Here I Stand √ Juice Ortiz.
Fanfiction" and the best stories are about the villains who believe they aren't evil. " Juan Carlos Ortiz always felt something odd about his life. Nothing made much sense. Not even his thoughts were bearable to process. His whole life, Juan Carlos ran away f...
