Sorry for the long wait. I don't want to lie to you guys and say I will post the next chapter soon because I don't know if I will.
This chapter is a little shitty if I might say, pardon my english. It was rushed and not really well thought out.
Eh, well enjoy!
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Chapter 18
Jenna’s POV
Ethan pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head. That’s all he did when he caught wind of the news. He didn’t speak, he didn’t even cry with me. He just hugged me. And I was grateful for it because I was afraid if I spoke, I’d choke up with tears.
“Elena’s funeral will be in a couple of days.” I heard Uncle Leo tell Ethan.
I stayed in Ethan’s arms, taking his comfort as I turned to look at Uncle Leo. “When is it?”
“On Sunday.”
That was in a couple of days. It was only Friday.
“It’s just a small service for us.” Uncle Leo continued, mostly to me. “Only the people closest the family are coming.”
I nodded in understanding. “Mom wouldn’t want it any different.”
He gave me a soft smile. “I’m glad.”
Ethan started to pull away a bit, but I gripped ahold of his sleeves. He let out a laugh. “You always love my hugs.”
“Because they have magical powers.” I mumbled into his chest.
“Oh really?”
I nodded. “They turn warm when I want them to. They feel like home. But when they don’t hug me tight enough, they are aware I will cut them off if they don’t start.”
Ethan chuckled, pulling me closer to him. “Yes, ma’am!”
When I got back from the donut shop, I decided I needed to go back to school soon and planned to go back the day after I get closure from the funeral. It’s already been a couple of weeks after my mom’s death. If I stayed out any longer, I’d probably flunk and I know my parents wouldn’t want that. They’d want the best for me. There was only a good month left of school left.
When I woke up after a short nap, Uncle Leo was there taking a seat on my bed.
“Thought you’d never wake up, Jenny bear.” He said and kissed my forehead. “Slept well?”
I nodded, confused by his good mood. “Better than usual. Why are you so happy?”
“Guess who got a job?”
“What?” My eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“Yep, well I hope. I applied and they called me to come for an interview next week. It’s at some big law firm as an assistant, though. Nothing big.”
“Nothing big?” I asked incredulously. “That’s huge. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” He smiled at me. “After everything that happened, we’re going to need some income coming in.”
“You’re staying here?” I wondered as I sat up on my bed. I pulled my knees up to my chest and frowned at him. “I thought you’d be the first one to duck and leave.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you think I’d do that to you?”
I shook my head. “I guess not.”
He let out a sigh and leaned down so we were eye to eye. “I want to stay here if that’s okay with you? I know that I can’t compete with your dad, I mean I never had kids myself. I guess I’d kind of be like a permanent babysitter for you and—“
I nearly knocked him to the ground in a tight hug. Luckily, he caught me before we fell. “Thank you, Leo.” I whispered, tears forming around my eyes. Words couldn’t express how much I appreciated him staying. He’s literally the only family I have left. And I didn’t plan on letting him go anytime soon.
He chuckled. “No problem, Jenny bear.”
Daniel’s POV
I decided I wasn’t going to stop.
I apparently had strong feelings for Jenna and I wasn’t going to stand by and let her stay mad with me. I backed off for a couple of days, but today, I planned to see her one way or the other. But lately my hope was wearing thin.
I kissed the top of Phoebe’s head and pulled her into a hug. “I’m heading to work. I’ll bring back some donuts for you afterwards.”
“Promise?” She held out her pinky towards me.
I squeezed her pinky with mine. “I not only promise, I swear.”
She smiled. “Are you going to see Jen Jen there again? Is she coming over?”
I shook my head. “No, but I’m sure she’ll come visit you again one day. You liked her, didn’t you?”
“Yeah!” She started to jump on the bed in excitement as she ranted out happily, “She told me about aliens and how to see if someone is one and she likes Pablo like I do!”
I chuckled as she followed me towards the door. Just as I opened it, Iris was standing right outside the door. She didn’t even spare me a glance as she moved around me to pull Phoebe into her arms.
“Iris!” Phoebe squealed, wrapping her arms around her neck.
“Hi, honey.” She smiled at her. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Not yet. I wanted to say bye to Danny first.” She beamed and looked up at me. “Bye Danny!”
“Bye, Pheebs.” I grinned weakly, not too sure I should say Iris’s name seeing that she was still angry with me. “I’ll see you guys later.”
I had to find a way to make it up to Iris also. Why is it that I always end up upsetting all of the women in my life?
“I haven’t seen you in a while.” Ethan grinned, grabbing me a uniform from the back. He handed me a black shirt and hat with an apron. “Not since the spaghetti fight you and Jenna had.”
I rubbed the back of my head, a little embarrassed as I took the uniform from him. I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was when I was bold enough to kiss Jenna with everything I had for only a couple of sweet moments, before telling her it was nothing. No wonder she hates me. “Yeah. Sorry about ruining your date with Lei.”
“You didn’t ruin it at all. It actually made it a little better.” He assured me. “You can go ahead and change in the bathroom. Don’t forget to wash your hands once you’re finished. Then put your belongings in one of the lockers in the breakroom.”
“Got it.” I paused before I went to the bathroom. “And thanks for the job, Ethan. I really needed it.”
“No problem.”
After I dressed, washed my hands, and put my shirt in one of the lockers, I came back out to see Lei walk into the shop. My heart picked up, expecting Jenna to come in after her, but she didn’t.
Lei walked over to Ethan and threw a smile at him.
“Let me guess. Donuts?” Ethan teased.
Lei let out a dramatic gasp. “What kind of girl do you take me for?”
“The one who comes and swindles donuts from me.” He grinned. “You’ve been doing it for the last three years.”
She pouted, walking around the counter towards Ethan. Her arms snaked around his neck as she gave him a small peck on the lips. “Well, can’t I come here and say good morning to my boyfriend?”
Boyfriend? Now, I see why Ethan wasn’t too upset about the spaghetti fight. He still got the girl he wanted in the end.
“Of course you can.”
She was about to lean over and kiss him again until her eyes caught mine. “Daniel, you have some nerve coming into my turf.”
I gave her a fake smile. “It’s always a pleasure to see you too, Lei.”
Ethan looked between the both of us. “Is there something I’m missing here?”
“Just that he broke Jenna’s heart.” Lei told him. “After everything that’s happened to her.”
After everything that’s happened to her? What is she talking about? I looked at Ethan to see him glaring at me. That just made me angry at Lei for causing it.
“I didn’t break her heart. She took mine!” I shot back at her, surprised that I’d admitted that to her so easily. Her eyes widened and just before she could speak, I did.
“You know what?” I took off my hat and started to take off my apron. “Maybe this job isn’t the best for me. I’ll just find another—”
“You really like her, don’t you?” Lei asked me.
I tried hard not to glare at her. But I didn’t respond nonetheless.
“You do! I knew it and she didn’t believe me!”
“Well, it’s not going to do me so much good liking a girl that hates me. She told me herself the day I dropped by.” I pointed out.
She frowned. “She was in a bad place then. She probably wasn’t thinking when she said that to you. I’ll talk to her.”
“Before you talk to her, I need to talk to you Daniel. In the breakroom.” Ethan said sternly.
Lei gave me a shrug before I went and followed Ethan. He shut the door behind him, turning to face me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Do you really like Jenna?”
I didn’t know how to answer that. Well, I did know how to answer it but I hoped he wouldn’t condemn it. He’s like a protective older brother for Jenna. “I more than like her. I can barely get her out of my head as it is.”
He seemed surprised. “You love her?”
“Probably, probably not. I haven’t spoken to her too much in a couple of weeks.” I told him. “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”
Ethan furrowed his brows. “Don’t you know what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
Just then, Lei came through the door with a guilty half-smile. “Okay, that would be kind of my fault.”
“No one told him?” Ethan asked her.
“I didn’t want to tell him with her approval. That would’ve been rude.” Lei argued.
I interrupted them. “What did no one tell me?”
Lei looked at me with a frown. “Jenna’s mom passed away two weeks ago. The night of Kane’s last party.”
I froze. Her mom passed away? Now everything made sense. Why she was avoiding me and why she lashed out at me the other day. She was grieving for her mother. And on the day her mother died, I screamed at her and attacked her ex like a maniac. No wonder she told me she hated me. She probably really does.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was running outside and straight into my car.
Jenna’s POV
I stared at the breakfast Uncle Leo had prepared for me and set on the table beside my bed. It smelt good, but I honestly wasn’t in the mood for any food. I was rarely ever in the mood for any food lately.
I suddenly heard the front door open and Uncle Leo’s voice drifting throughout the house. It was probably Lei coming back to visit. She’d insisted she was going to get me some donuts when I told her I wasn’t hungry. She was so persistent.
I then heard the door to my bedroom open and waited to hear Lei’s voice, urging me to wake up. But it never came. Instead, I felt the bed dip behind me and a nice, warm body slip up behind me. I knew who it was then when I caught a whiff of his musky scent. I turned around to face him, hoping to see him smiling, but he wasn’t. His beautiful face was curled up into a frown. My hand itched to rub it away.
“Jenna—“
“Please don’t.” I whispered to him, reaching out and wrapped my arms around him. I rested my head against his chest, mumbling, “For now, just hold me.”
He was tense for a couple of seconds as if he was thinking about how he was going to respond. But soon enough, he gave in, enveloping me in his arms. His lips found their way to the top of my head as I slowly fell asleep.
It was the best sleep I’ve had in the last couple of weeks.