Manipulative Attraction

55. ⚛️ To Those Who Wait

Four months later, and Thorne's life settled. He and Jeannie had moved in together almost immediately while Carmen had taken over the lease for Jeannie's apartment. Ms. Cheng, after a little negotiation and money under the table, had allowed Fifi to stay.

Getting released from the Source had left Thorne without an income. He didn't have to worry. The Dean had approached him, asking if he would stay another two years. After that, they could talk tenure. Thorne readily agreed.

But not everything was hearts and roses. His fiancée still mourned the loss of her father and grieved the betrayal of her mother. Thorne, from time to time, also had episodes of darkness. Whenever he thought of Demetri still living and breathing good air, he would close himself off and drift away. Only Jeannie could bring him back into the light again.

She would lead him to their bed. There, she would undress him and herself before spooning under the covers. With his arm folded around her, she would talk about her day. She would take about their future. She would talk about the baby they were bringing into the world.

Sometimes they would drift off to sleep, sometimes they would make love, but always, Thorne would come back.

"Jeannie Jones," Dean Freeman called into the mic. Jeannie stood and climbed the stairs. She took longer than the other students since she was almost six months pregnant with her first child.

"Way to go, Jeannie!" Carmen's voice carried above the clapping, but it was Thorne's whistling, which filled her heart. Dean Freeman shook her hand. "Congratulations, Mrs. Gable."

Jeannie smiled. "Thank you, Dean."

She left the stage, tipping her head for Thorne to see the heart with the "T" in the middle. His subsequent shout of "Oh, yeah!" carried through the clapping and other cheers of the crowd.

Jeannie laughed, her heart lighter than it had ever been. She...no they had done it. Working through their fears and uncertainties, she and Thorne had only gotten stronger. Now with her master's under her belt and a family in the making, she was ready to take on the world.

The party they held to celebrate Jeannie's degree was a simple affair with just a few close friends. Two months ago, they had moved into a house closer to campus—a ranch style home with a weathered fence and an overgrown front garden. Thorne left it mostly wild, he liked the wildflowers out in front.

The backyard, however was meticulously landscaped. The water feature, a slate-gray wall with water trickling down, was the focal point. Solar lights lit up the feature at night, and often, like on this day, Thorne wore a chef's hat, tilted to the side. His large apron that read Kiss the Cook, protected his jeans and T-shirt while he manned the outdoor kitchen barbecue.

Dalton and Quentin came bounding into the backyard followed by Drake Druthers.

Thorne bristled at the sight of the smaller man. They hadn't seen him since that night at The Source almost nine months ago.

Jeannie stayed him from confronting Drake with her hand on his arm. Thorne vowed to keep silent, but his green eyes narrowed into slits.

"Jeannie," Drake said. "I hope you don't mind me showing up here uninvited, but I wanted to give you this." He handed her a small silver jewelry box with a pink ribbon wrapped around it.

Jeannie threw a perplexed look at Thorne who shrugged his shoulders. "Um... thank you, Drake. Won't you stay for some food?"

Drake rubbed his hands together, sniffing the barbecue-scented air. "Well, since you offered, I wouldn't mind taking a plate or two home."