Beautiful But Deadly

THIRTY-SIX

Genesis's POV

"Are you going to tell me exactly where we're going?" Jake said from the passenger seat beside me. He looked far too relaxed considering all that had gone down in the past twenty-four hours but I was assuming that was from the bruising kiss Axel had given him before he left to take care of something for me. The pair we disgustingly cute together and I chose to ignore the sprig of envy that sprouted inside me whenever I saw them together.

I was happy for the couple though . Axel deserved happiness even if it was with an idiot like Jake. But he made Axel smile and that's all I wanted for him.

Even Thorn couldn't deny their cuteness as even after we broke the news to him about his mother he still managed to smile at me like this new development was nothing but a minor inconvenience. Still Thorn stayed behind with Mason to make sure Hunter didn't get into any trouble and do some research for me. 

"Nope," I replied slowing down at a stoplight. Jake muttered something else that I chose to ignore in favor of checking my phone quickly. There was a quick message from Axel that had me rolling my eyes.

"Ax?" Jake asked, shifting his body so that he leaned more against the door.

I hummed. "How did you know?"

"Your face." I quirked a brow at him as I put the car back into gear and flew down the road again. "I know you may not believe me but I am quite an observant person even if I don't have as many brain cells as everyone else but I am good with people. Therefore I know things. Like whenever Axel texts you, your eyes brighten and your posture relaxes, or when Thorn texts you, your lips twitch upwards in a way that tells me Thorn's being funny but you won't give him the satisfaction of letting him know that even though your miles apart."

Taking a quick left, Jake's body slammed into the side door, letting out a rather violent curse. A small sound of satisfaction left me.

Despite my rather violent outburst, I knew that Jake was right to an extent and no just about my reactions to the people in my life but about his emotional intellect too. Jake may have a low IQ but his EQ was off the charts to the point that he saw things in people that others didn't, that I didn't and I had made a living out of reading people and then exploiting their weaknesses after. Oh, murder as well but its the build-up to that, that matters most.

Emotional intelligence is realizing that your car has two headlights instead of just the one. Similarly Jake can see with clearer vision because he let himself realize it wasn't perfect before. He learned how to take a step back and see others through the lens of their needs and emotions rather than his own, and be generous with his perspective. During every conversation or interaction Jake understood that we grow, we mature, we become capable of better choices for ourselves and others, letting him understand people that little bit better. It was his gift of intuition and his loving heart. It was his sense that informs us without the need of a word. It was his key to the inner peace that beholds us all and begins to radiate outwards within us that Jake can read us better than any book.

So no Jake could have been the dumbest person in the world but he was still a thousand times smarter than anyone gave him credit for.

When we were back on a straight road Jake slapped my shoulder lightly, dragging me back to the present as an anchor might a ship. "You can slam me into as many doors as you like but nothing will stop us from talking about this. I've been waiting to get you alone to discuss this anyway."

"Discuss what exactly?"

Even without looking at him, I knew he was smirking. "You and Thorn."

I kept my eyes on the road waiting for another turn so I could hurt him again. "There is no me and Thorn."

Jake snorted, "That's like saying Axel and I aren't a thing."