Loving You

A Miracle

JACE'S POV

It's been nearly three weeks that I met Jess. We've been hanging out a lot under the excuse of Penny wanting to meet her role model, of course. I mean, that's what I've been telling her.

I just really miss her company and after a whole day of work, all I want to do is relax and hear her soothing voice through the phone.

"You're whipped bro!", Reece laughed as he turned around in my seat while I sat on the desk going through the balance sheets for the past month which is actually Reece's job but this is what you get when you get too comfortable with your assistant.

"I'm not, okay?", I said as I ran through the sheets. I considered my answer for a while before sighing, "Okay, maybe a little". "Mmhmm", Reece laughed. "Does Joyce know?", he asked. I turned to respond to him in my usual sarcastic way when there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?", I said and the door opened. "Sir, the rep of Mr Elordi is here", my secretary said. "Alright, take him to the meeting room", I said as I got down from my desk. "This should be interesting", Reece smiled as we both exited the office.

"Wait, what?", she laughed trying to catch her breath. I tried to control my laughter as I narrated the story, "He's like Mr Elordi wants the glass to be decorated with like diamond stones. I'm like bruv! First and foremost, I deal with wood. It's a wood company and like sure, sometimes we deal with glass but it's not our major. And then, you talking diamonds?!". "Please stop talking", Jess cried as she tried to restrain her laughter. She looked around us and I just started noticing the number of people that were already looking at us. "You're ruining their dates", she whispered as she smiled brightly. I smirked, "well I'm making ours".

She made a face, "This is not a date". "So what is it?", I asked as I fondled with glass of wine. "It's a lovely dinner between two friends", she smiled amicably. Oh God, that smile. "Friends?", I clarified. "Yeah", she smiled before she took a sip of her wine.

"You want to be just friends?", I asked starting to feel disappointed. She chuckled, "It's not like we have an option, Jace". "But this is me trying to give us an option, Jess", I said in an urgent tone. She looked around us before saying, "You don't seriously want us to go out together". "Why not?", I asked in an oblivious tone. "Because you have a kid, Coleman!", she shrieked. The two tables on either side of us turned to look at us and I smiled and waved them off.

"Jess, look Penny is my kid, yes but that doesn't mean that I don't love you", I tried to reason with her but she looked at me sternly, "Penny has a mother. I'm not going to replace her". "Penny's mother and I aren't married! We're not even together! We've both moved on", I shrugged. "Is she going out with another man?", she asked with her brows raised. "I don't know that", I shrugged. "Have you told her about me?", she asked immediately after. I stayed silent for a while before answering, "No, but..." but before I could finish, she sighed and rubbed her temple, "I can't talk about this right now. Maybe later. I had a long day and I was just hoping to relax my mind over dinner". "Jess", I started to say as she got up and took her purse. Her only response was, "I'll call you".

I sighed as I leaned into my seat, watching her walk away.

Way to blow it, Jace Coleman.

"I'll be in LA tomorrow", Jeff said to me. "Really? Penny would be excited", I said as I poured myself a glass of water. "I miss her too",  He laughed. "Is it a company thing or?", I asked as I walked to my workroom upstairs. "Nah I'm coming on my own. Bruce says I need a break plus the I've upgraded the  iStations to the latest ones so I don't have to work for about another two weeks", he replied.

Last year, Jeff got a ground breaking deal with Apple. He pitched his idea on the iStation and they loved it. Jeff has always been the one with the ps4 and ps5 while I would be playing actual ball outside. We're twins but we're very very different.

Example, he has his hair down to his shoulders while I give mine a trim every maybe 3 days so it's never past the nape of my neck. He's always been interested in playing video games while I was interested playing actual football. He's the more quiet and introverted one while I'm more of the outgoing one. And lastly, he's the one that would wear a bright red trench coat dragging a bright red box, I would never do that.

"Uncle Jeff!", Penny squealed and ran forward to hug Jeffery while I kept eyeing the red box. "Penny!", he fake a squeal and hugged her back, "Here", he said handing her a box that I'm guessing lies the latest iStation. That's what he did the last time and just like the last time, Penny squealed, "Yes! My friends are going to go crazy!". I approached them and pointed at him and the box, "Why?". He adjusted his cap, "That way, you won't miss me". "Yeah? Well now, nobody can miss us cause you look like a freaking stop and look sign", I said gesturing to all the people staring at us in the airport. "Give your brother a hug and stop comparing", He smiled as he hugged me. I chuckled and hugged him back.

"Uncle Jeff! Uncle Jeff! Guess what!", Penny said as she tugged at his sleeve. "What?", Jeff asked in an amused tone.

Jeff has always had a major bond with Penny because he was the less busy one. He finished his course at MIT right about the time Penny turned 3 so he and mum basically raised her. He spoilt her with a lot of stuff which mum would later take away after he left. I was busy learning at the wood work company. Jeff and Joyce never saw eye to eye but Jeff was always very polite and never came off as rude but any smart person would know that he didn't like her. In fact, he didn't fancy women in general. We had only a few girl friends when we were in high school; Samantha Andrews, Rue Evans, Jess and Bri who Jeff later had a little fling with for about a year before college. They clicked but they never went too deep and no one knew why till now. Eventually, they stopped talking and they both moved on and that's the last time I had heard of Jeff relating with the opposite sex.

"I met Jess! Daddy took me to go see her at her book signing and we've been going to see her a lot!", Penny spoke fast and she only does that when she's excited. Jeff looked at me, startled he asked, "Really?". "That's a conversation we'll have over dinner", I said as I opened the door for Penny to get in.

"So how are you?", he asked and I laughed, "I know you want to know about Jess so cut to the chase". He rolled his eyes, "Fine, how is she?". "Beautiful than ever, man", I sighed as I cut a slice out of my steak. Penny had gone back with Joyce so it was just Jeff and I having dinner. "She's taller now and she's cut her hair short. She's an author. Penny read one of her books", I continued. Jeff smiled, "That's great but I don't think Penny should be reading those kind of...". "Penny's stubborn. No one's been able to convince her. Not even Jess", I shrugged. "She's always been like that", Jeff laughed.

"How's Mira?", he asked. "Still very busy", I replied, "I told her you were coming so she promised that she'd come see you before the week ends". "Okay then", he responded, then he asked, "So what about the others? I know that Blake's a footballer because you won't shut up about it, I know Rue's a CEO to like one of the bigger real estate company, Tyler's a surgeon and Jack starred in The Eye. Who's left?". "Jess says she met Blake and then found out that Sam and Tyler got married", I smiled. "Really? That's great. Rue?", he questioned. "She's also met Rue and apparently she's still friends with Bri who's now a Victoria Secret model", I wiggles my brows. "Wow, everyone's moved on eh?", he said turning his wine in his glass.

"Yeah, well that's life. Jess isn't even talking to me right now", I shrugged. Jeff's brows perked up, "Why?". I sighed and rested on my seat, "I told her I loved her and she said she's not ready to have anything with me because of Penny". I waited for Jeff's reaction but he just started laughing. "What's so funny?", I asked slightly hurt. He wiped his tears, "Looks like Jess hasn't changed in the slightest".

"Way to be a supportive brother", I grumbled as I took another sip of wine.

He laughed and held my shoulder, "Dude, you're going to need a miracle".

I rolled my eyes and relaxed on my seat while Jeff kept laughing. "Shut up", I muttered as I tossed a macaroni at his face.

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