Protecting Jennifer [COMPLETED]

Chapter 3

The next day came sooner than I wanted it to. I was up by 7:30am and dressed ready by 8. I needed to go shopping so I didn't feel as if I was taking advantage of the food already in the cupboard. Hoping that Lance wasn't awake, I rushed out of my room and into the kitchen, opening the cupboard where I saw Daniel get the plates. I grabbed a bowl and poured a tiny bowl of cereal in before covering it with milk and pushing it down my throat with the fear of being caught out.

Thankfully, with it being a Sunday, the boys weren't up. I knew Daniel loved his lie ins and I doubted Lance would pass one up either. As I took another bite, I thought about what happened last night. It had been so embarrassing struggling with Lance in the bathroom. I'd gone into a mode of panic where his touch frightened me and now I felt ashamed at reacting that way. If he didn't think I was a freak before then he definitely thought I was now.

I hadn't been able to control myself. The promise I'd made myself about not freaking out was most definitely broken now. My eyes had gone blurry at the contact he'd made and I had been pushed back to a few years previously just by the stroke of his fingertips against my arm. His commanding tone had just made it worse and now I was scared to even see him in the fear of what he would say to me.

As soon as I finished off the bowl I cleaned it and put it away, wiping the table cloth for anything I may have dropped. My fingers were just scrubbing themselves under a towel when I heard the door unlock. I didn't even have time to hide before a wet faced Lance pushed himself through the door, his hair sticking to his face as he panted deep breaths. He was dressed in jogging bottoms and a vest top so it wasn't hard to guess what he had been doing this morning.

His eyes raised to meet mine and I immediately turned away, dropping the towel onto the side. My heart was hammering in my chest as I heard him approach and I wondered whether it was possible to rush past him to my room without bumping into him. If there was any chance whatsoever then I was going to take it; if there was any chance to avoid talking to him then I was grasping it with both hands.

There was a sound of metal hitting marble and I turned to see him placing a key onto the counter top. It unfortunately looked as if I didn't have the chance I desperately craved. His eyes scanned me before he wiped his forehead and stood taller. 

I cowered at his height. He was easily over six foot, especially as I was pushing 5 ft 10 and he was still a head above me. It just made him look scarier. I was used to the feeling of intimidation and fear so when they joined me at the front of my brain I didn't bother to question why. Lance was too similar to someone I knew to not be weary of him and the tingles running down my spine at the attention he was giving me were clear warning signs of this similarity.

He ignored my reaction to his presence and pushed the key towards me along the marble counter top; I was glad that he hadn't tried to physically hand it to me. "I got a key made for you. The code to get in is 1490."

"Thank you." I whispered and grabbed the key softly with my fingers as if the key itself was threatening to sting me.

He nodded and turned away, disappearing down the hall where I heard a click of his door being opened and closed again. I let out the breath I was holding in relief of being alone again. I knew he was still annoyed at me for moving in with him without permission but it was still sweet of him to get a key cut for me. I hadn't even thought about having my own key; shopping would have been difficult if I hadn't been able to get in. Despite him not wanting me here, he'd made the move into his apartment more permanent. Now I could come and go as I pleased without having to wait for someone to let me in. When had he decided to accept my arrival and get me a key?

This only triggered a reminder to last night when he'd asked Daniel what was wrong with me. What had Daniel said? Did he feel sorry for me? Was he taking pity on me? Despite it making me feel smaller, I was glad that he'd gone out of his way to help me out. Even though every situation where I'd met him had been awful, he'd still done a good deed for me and I was grateful in more ways than he probably realised.