Jill's POV
Pros: Danny's wife Rachel is really cool and I really admire her as a mother. She's really sweet with Gracie and kind with me as well. Besides, without my brother around, I was free to do almost whatever I wanted. Like watch TV all day, sneak out and go to the beach to have lots of ice cream and Gracie wasn't as annoying as I thought she'd be.
Cons: I really miss my Stevie, even when I'm incredibly mad at him. I wanted to spend some quality time with him, not to get stuck in Danny's home all day because of his work. I mean, we were starting to bond again, to know each other and then all of the sudden... puff, that's gone. And bingo, I'm alone again. It seems that's my only destiny.
I guess it's better this way though. I wouldn't like to ruin Steven's life like I did with mom's. I know he promised that he'd never stop loving me, no matter what I did but I'm sure that when he gets a bit of a taste of the true me it's not gonna be nice. I was watching TV when Rachel called me and Gracie to lunch. Ugh, great. Now I'm gonna have to eat those disgusting veggies. I sat down at the table looking at my plate, doing my best effort not to puke in the process. Fortunately, Danny's wife had mercy of me and spreaded grated cheese over my meal and heated it. At least now it had some sort of good taste. I tried one of the broccoli slides, and after drinking like two glasses of water I was able to gulp it. Why? Why Steve was making me eat that shit? I better not said a thing and just eat, because Rachel looked more like a telltale. And if he finds out that I didn't eat it again, he's gonna kill me. Or spank me, and that's quite worse! I feel so helpless and embarrassed when he does that. Besides I've never seen Steve so upset. I certainly don't remember my spankings as a kid very much, but I can assure you they weren't like that one. I saw him so mad, so hurt for what I had said to him. I can be such a bitch to him sometimes.
-Hey Jill, do you want a piece of pie for dessert?, Rachel suddenly asked me nicely, bringing me back to reality. I hate when people do that, I wanna live in my fairytale world, not in this crappy one.
-Ummm no thanks Mrs. Williams. I'll pass, thank you, I said as politely as I could. I needed to earn allies, not enemies.
-You sure sweetie? Is there anything else I can offer you? Maybe some fruit or...?, she said starting to wash the dishes.
I hadn't realized until then my plate was empty. Hmmm curious thing. Apparently I don't feel the taste of food when I'm in my wonderland. I gotta use that ability in a near future, because I'm pretty sure Steve's gonna make me eat those disgusting green things all summer long. Ewww.
-I'm sure. Thank you anyway Mrs. Williams. Can I go watch some TV?, I said hoping she doesn't make me help her with the dishes or clean the kitchen. Those kind of chores are repulsive to me. Like making the bed. What a waste of precious time I could use doing my manicure!
-Yes of course. But go to my room, because Gracie's watching her show in the living room, she said giving me a warm and huge smile.
I nodded and ran to her room. I laid down on the huge sized bed and turned the TV on. I started zapping unable to find anything good to watch anyway. I wished Steve would have taken the TV off instead of my laptop or my phone... I needed them so badly! I needed to see if someone had texted me or something.
Ok Jillian, time to elaborate a good plan. I knew for sure that Steve kept those items in his closet. It was the first place I looked yesterday night. After all, it was his favorite hiding spot to put my stuff when I was a kid. He hasn't changed a thing since then and I guess me neither. I wasn't far from Steve's home, but I really didn't know how to get there straight. I could give it a try. Steve's at work anyway, so as long Rachel doesn't notice my absence I'm perfectly safe. I left the TV on, and opened the window of the room. Lucky me, Rachel and Danny's room is in the ground floor, otherwise I'd be forced to make a ladder with the sheets or something. I sneaked out through the window and started running towards home. I needed to be back asap or my ass would be in for it. Just imagine Steve's face if he gets a call from Rachel saying that I'm gone. Yep, kiss my freedom goodbye until the end of the summer. I couldn't wait for my grounding to be over. I wanted to know the island, and with Steve at work and me being grounded, I didn't stand a chance.Ok there I was, in the middle of a suicide mission. Finally I got to Steve's house. Lucky me, I have a very good memory, so it was easy for me to reconstruct the way we did earlier on Steve's car. I looked for the hidden key my brother always leaves up on the frame of the door. A classic, I know. I walked into the house in complete silence, just in case. Nope, nobody's home yet. I ran into Steve's bedroom and grabbed my phone from his closet. Later I'll have to come back and put this back before my brother notices. I glanced at the screen: over 500 new messages. Great, I lost my entire social life for longer than a day. Absolutely awful! But now at least I'd be able to make human contact... sort of.
I walked back to Danny's place really calmed. I was pretty sure Rachel was watching that stupid kids show with Gracie and didn't even check the room where I was supposed to be. I got into the room and shut the window carefully. Now time to see what my friends have been doing lately. Nothing interesting, that's for sure. Most of it was just facebook/twitter crap. Then I saw several missing calls and a text that called my attention. "Hey babe. got a problem n need 2 talk 2u asap. Call me xo".
Why would Brian call and text me? What was his problem? I decided to give him a quick call to find out. I know I promised to myself not to speak to him ever again, but he needed me and I was a bit worried for him to tell you the truth. He doesn't call me just to say hello.
-Hello beautiful. How's everything going?, he said with a happiness that surprised me. He wasn't that kind of guy, more like an emo guy. He doesn't have an easy life after all.
-Hi Brian. Everything's good. What happened to you?, I said trying to get straight to the point. I didn't want Steve to check my phone bills too and honestly I didn't want to talk to him right now. I know how these conversations end up, and I wasn't looking forward to that.
-Sorry about those texts I sent you and if I woke you up last night. You know babe, I was a little bit...
-Drunk. I know, I said unfortunately knowingly, Don't worry. My brother had my phone so I didn't see the texts until now. Did you get into a fight or something last night?, I asked a little bit worried.I knew him drunk, maybe a little too much for my own good. He's not exactly violent, but if someone provokes him he's stupid enough to throw a couple of punches.
-Yeah, and the police let me use my own phone to call someone... I guess I was so drunk that I called you. You know how I am, he said with a giggle. Umm, was this a laughing matter? I didn't think so. I wanted to punch his face so bad! I knew I shouldn't have called him. Time to end up this useless conversation.
-Well if that's all what you need, I better hung up before someone sees me. I'm not supposed to use my phone, much less to call you, I said almost pressing the red button. Unfortunately I didn't have the strength to do it. Ugh, I'm so weak when it comes to him. I dont know why.
-I know your brother will forgive you for spending some time with your lonely ex, he said playing it cool, After all you know I miss you a lot and...
-Brian, we broke up for a reason, ok? You're too old for me, and you need to be with girls of your own age.., I tried to explain him, as I usually do. Lucky me, I'm in Hawaii. Otherwise I know he'd come to my place to talk this personally. Now I have the chance of hanging up the phone at least.
-I don't like them. They're all whores looking for sex, you know it Jill. I love you not them, he said with a frustrated sigh. Here we go again. It was impossible to have a nice conversation with him, because we cut off each other all the time and never get to the point of what we want to say. It's not that I don't love him, because trust me I do. I really do. But this relationship... it's just insane, even more now that I'm so far away from him.
-I know, but we know this is the best for both of us. I'm gonna hang up now, ok? I gotta go, I said with a few tears in my eyes and a huge knot in my throat. I hate ignoring him, knowing that he needed me the most right now.
-Ok. Have a nice day Jill. I love you, he said before I hanged up without saying anything else.
This was a so unfair situation. I thought he'd forget about me faster. Apparently not, because he kept on calling me and trying us to get back together. It's not that I don't want to, but first of all I'm in Hawaii, God knows for how long. And second of all, we agreed to stop seeing each other, because we knew this would end up badly. He was practically a man, and I was barely a teenager. We needed to date people our own age, and I still think it was a wise decision. But God I miss him so much! He's super sweet and protective with me. And don't get him wrong. Yes he does get drunk quite often due to his family issues. But the only bad thing he does is to call me and cry on the phone, and sometimes gets involved into fights in bars and clubs. He has never hurt me or threatened me. Steve would never allow it anyway and I was afraid it could turn in something really bad if he sees him. My brother doesn't has the best temper, to be honest with you. I better put this back, because I don't know when Steve's coming back from work.
Steve's POV
It was almost dinner time when I parked in front of Danny's place. I saw Rachel standing with Jill on the porch of the house. She waved my friend's wife goodbye and ran towards the car. When she got in, she greeted me with a kiss on my cheek. I was expecting her to be mad and grumpy, you know, for leaving her and going to work. But luckily she wasn't. My mind was still at work to tell you the truth, since we found these people bodies and we were trying as fast as we could to catch this or these killers. I didn't like to picture Jillian walking alone through the streets of Hawaii with these type of criminals around. Honestly I was having a hard time spending so much time away from her. I knew Jill needed me the most right now, with all mom's new boyfriend crap. I don't want her to feel lonely but unfortunately these are the facts. I talked with my squad and we decided that I was going to get free nights to spend with Jill as long as nothing urgent comes up. It was good to have Chin and Kono. They were great partners, and they always cover us if we need something. Like when Danny needs to spend some time with his own daughter, or now myself trying to raise my little sister.
-So how was your day Jill?, I said trying to start a healthy conversation. I really wanted to know about her day at Danny's place. If she was comfortable there, it was better for all of us. It'd be a win/win situation.
-It was good bro, and yours? Did you catch those guys?, she said looking the horizon through the car window. She let out a deep sigh, so I started wondering what was with her and her strange pacific attitude.
-No, not yet unfortunately... are you ok Jill? Did something happened?, I asked trying to glance at her as soon as I could while driving home. Last thing I wanted to do was to cause an accident.
-Yeah, everything's fine Steve. Don't worry about it, she said giving me a smile.
It wasn't a fake one, but I still could see some concern in her eyes. Something was bothering her, and I needed to find out what it was. Ugh I couldn't solve so many things at the same time! Who the hell killed these guys and why, where are they hidden, what's going on with my sister... I haven't even given my own girlfriend a call. This was going to be a very hard thing.
-Seriously Steve, don't give me that look. I'm fine, Jill said with a wide smile and stroking softly my arm. I relaxed a little bit, but I wasn't going to let this matter go so easy. She was covering up something, I could perfectly tell.
-Ok, if you say so sis. I just want to make sure you feel free to tell me anything, ok?, I said returning the smile.
I parked inside the garage and looked at her. She avoided my eyes again. I stayed there, staring at her. I knew she wanted to say something to me, but I was able to see she couldn't find the right words. I guess she chose not to say anything and just slid her hands into her pockets, extracting something out of them.-I'm sorry, she said handing me her phone. Oh great, just what I needed in that barely moment. So this was what she was hiding from me.
-Where did you get this Jillian?, I said frowning at her. She shrugged and looked away, Look at me when I'm talking to you young lady, I barked and she finally met my eyes. She knew better than pissing me off right in that moment.
-I got it from your closet Stevie. I needed to check out some messages and then I'd turn it off. I swear to God, she said pleading for mercy.
I was actually very surprised by her honesty, but that didn't change anything. She needed to be punished but I really wasn't in the mood to do it. I was tired, hungry and worried about work. Nothing good could come out of that, so I better think in something else.
-Well say something Steve, please..., she said looking at me with sad eyes.
-Why Jill? You knew you were grounded, and I specifically told you not to use your phone, I said leaning my head back against the car seat in frustration.
-It was an emergency...!, she tried to excuse herself. Maybe that's was what got her so concerned. There I had a chance to find out what was going on with her.
-Which kind of emergency precisely?, I asked staring at her reaction. That moment was crucial. If she started to fidgeting with her rings and looked down, she was hiding something big from me. But instead of that, she looked at me with much determination and said.
-I just wanted to talk with mom, but she didn't answer me. I guess she's too busy right now, she said with a few tears falling from her green eyes. Ok maybe I should go easy on her on this one. After all, mom is a monster with her, and most of the time she's just hurting her feelings. Luckily she's here with me now, and away from her. But something was clear: she had no right to disobey me and take her phone on my back.
-You should have asked me first and it's totally unacceptable that you looked into my stuff, violating a very clear rule. Wasn't clear enough to you Jill?, I said thumbing away a few tears from her pink cheek. I couldn't stand seeing her that sad, especially because of my mother. It just makes the blood of my veins boil.
-Yes it was. I'm so sorry Steve. I just needed to talk to her. It's not gonna happen again. I swear, she said looking down, fidgeting with her nails. Alright I'm gonna leave this here, just for this time. After all, I could find another way to punish her. Something that makes her think about what she did.
-Ok, this is what we're gonna do. I don't have other choice, I'm sorry, but you're going to your room without dinner. And tomorrow morning you're gonna help Rachel with the chores, am I clear?, I said trying to sound very sternly. I know I should have spanked her, pretty much hard for what she did, but she was acting very respectfully and seriously I wasn't in the mood for this. She seemed very sorry about it. After all she only called mom. I can't really blame her for that.
-Yes sir. I'm sorry brother, she said looking at me. I smiled and she smiled me back. I kissed her forehead before she go inside and disappear into her room. I looked at her phone, hesitating about what to do next. Did she really call mom?. The idea of er lying to me right to my face was killing me. She'll never know, after all. I shook my head. Nothing good could come up from me violating her privacy like that.