Mia's pov:
I look at the ruckus inside my house and feel so terrified and scared. If I tell my parents about it they'll force me to move back with them and I don't want to burden Annie with all this. Jacob asked me to live with him for tonight until the cops looks into all of this and until Jacob doesn't make this place safe for me to live (his words).
"Are you ready?" He gets me out of my thoughts and asks me.
I pack two extra set of clothes and a nightwear for tonight. I nod at him and he takes my handbag from me and goes out. I look at my apartment one last time and leave.
We sit inside his car and he starts driving in silence.
"You do have an extra room right? I don't want you to get any wrong ideas." I tell him jokingly and he just nods.
He's feeling guilty because he thinks he's responsible for everything. Someone who wanted to know about the contract and the will did all this. But it's not his fault.
"Jacob, stop being so grumpy and talk to me." He still isn't looking at me and driving.
"It's all my fault that you had to go through this and this is the exact reason why...." he doesn't continue and gets silent again.
"It's not your fault its mine... I mean you told me to fix my balcony window so many times but I didn't listen to you and here are the consequences to it."
He now looks at me angrily, "Oh yes I did. Why don't you listen to me ever? You know its my responsibility from now on to keep you safe and to protect you because you don't do it for yourself." It's safe to say that Jacob is back to normal. All the way to his home he keeps scolding me and I don't feel bad because it shows how much he cares for me and wants me safe.
When he parks his car in the parking lot, I gently take his hand and plant a kiss and he looks at me shyly with a smile.
"Was it a good way to calm you down?" I ask him.
"It was an awesome way to calm me down." He removes his seat belt and kisses me on my cheek.
He gets out of his car and opens the door for me like a gentleman. He takes my handbag from the backseat and locks his car. We walk towards the lobby hand in hand.
The lobby door automatically opens with our arrival and we enter inside. Jacob nods at the receptionist and we go towards the lift and wait for it to come. The lift arrives and we get inside the empty lift and Jacob presses the button for the 25th floor.
There's suddenly some tension inside the lift... or should I say sexual tension in between us. Its just the two of us here.... I wonder if he feels it too. He suddenly drops my bag, pins me to the side and is about to kiss me when the lift comes on hold on the 15th floor. He gets away from me and we see two middle aged women entering inside the lift and eyeing us with judgmental looks.
They stand in the front and their backs are facing us, they press the button for the 30th floor. They are in their gym clothes and are carrying a gym bag. It is so embarrassing that they caught us like that.
Jacob holds my hand tightly and squeezes it to indirectly tell me not to think about these people. His floor comes and he says excuse me to them rudely and takes me out of that embarrassing elevator.
"What's wrong with those middle aged ladies. They stared at us as if they have never done things like that and their kids must have come out of nowhere. Such hypocrites." He mumbles irritatingly while putting the security code to open his door.
I forget about everything when I get inside his penthouse apartment. Its a two story apartment which has a panoramic view of Seattle and it looks beautiful. The house is clean and upto date with all the furniture in white.... it looks really lavish. There's an open kitchen to the right with an open bar table with two stools and stairs going upstairs to the left. The living room and its furniture is classy and beautiful. There's a dining table for six and also a fire place.... makes me think of his romantic adventures with all his ex girlfriends. What am I even thinking?
I go towards the window and stare at the beautiful evening Seattle. I love city views for no apparent reason... they just make me really happy. He comes and stands behind me and holds me from the waist giving me a back hug like I did to him that day.
"It's so beautiful." I whisper and hold his hands on my waist.
"Yeah it is." He stares at me and says that.
I chuckle lightly, "Don't try to be all romantic on me. We are still sleeping in separate rooms." I tell him and get out of his hold.
He groans but after a second smiles. "We can do however you like. Make yourself comfortable at home. The room is upstairs and is kept ready for you. I have a meeting to attend which by the way I am really late for... so I'll take a leave and see you at night." He comes to me kisses me on the forehead and leaves. He's just so understanding and nice about this.
Does he have like domestic help for this apartment? Of course he does... seeing his busy schedule I don't think he'll be cleaning his place and keep it so maintained and amazing regularly.
I take my bag and go upstairs to freshen up but I see like three doors and get confused. Which one am I supposed to take? Wouldn't it be too rude of me to open all of these? But nobody is here and I don't want to bother him when he just left for his important work.
So I open the first door and enter inside a room which has the same view as the living room. The room has grey walls unlike the white walls from living room... it looks like Jacob's room. There's a king sized bed with two bed side tables.
There's also a LED television in front of the bed and a sofa set near the balcony. It's not at all like a typical guy room but so clean and nice. He's not a typical guy at all...I look around the room but also realize that I am invading someone's privacy. I am about to leave when my eyes catch something from his study table.
There's a picture board on his study table... I go and take a nearer look and see pictures of young and teenage Jacob playing soccer, standing in front of the Eiffel tower and riding the grandola boat at Venice, Italy. He has traveled the world whereas I haven't even left US.
There's also a picture from his prom with... that victoria's secret model. They know each other since high school.... he hasn't mentioned her once. Is she really not someone important to him? They look so nice together even as teenagers.
He was handsome back then too.... girls must have been crazy behind him. I touch his picture with his dog.... I have this photo in my phone too... he looks adorable and of his age. There are 2-3 more pictures of him with that girl. One from the beach happily looking at each other instead of the camera and one from their graduation where Jacob is kissing her on the cheek.
He still has all these pictures sticked here.... does he still have feelings for her? Is he playing with me? It hurts a little to see all this here. I take my bag from the floor and leave the room in a rush. A tear drops from my eye remembering all those pictures and seeing him with someone else like that.
Why am I getting so affected? Why do I keep forgetting that there are only few more months of this. We are different in every aspect but despite all this... why do I feel so right and safe when I am with him. I wouldn't have agreed to stay with any other guy like this but staying here with him tonight... why did I agree so easily to stay by his side? Why do I always fall for the wrong guy? Why?
I wipe my face and open the next door which turns out to be a library and the study where he spends most of his time. There's a wooden table and chair in the middle and the whole room is of light brownish color just like the table. There's also a guitar kept on the side.... he plays? What can't he do?
I close that door and open the last door which looks like a guest room. I enter inside the room. This room has light blue walls and white furniture... there's also a television and a sofa set near the panoramic view window just like his room.
I stand near the window and think about everything through. This all started as a contract but I have come to Genuinely like this guy and care for him more then anything and I have fallen in love with him... he does care for me too but those pictures.... I didn't tell him anything till now about Aiden then why do I expect him to tell me about his past? Why would he tell his six month temporary girlfriend about all this?
I get myself together... wash my face and freshen up. I go downstairs to just look around a bit more when my stomach makes a grumbling noise... someone's hungry. I go into the kitchen and open the fridge only to see it empty except for some water and juice bottles, weird! I think as a way to say thankyou I should cook something for him. I saw a grocery store just two minutes from here while coming. I see the house card key he kept for me on the kitchen bar. I take those and leave.
An hour later I am back home with necessary things to make. Its almost evening and the city lights have started to appear. I can never get tired of this beautiful view. I should start making and keep it ready before he arrives. Its so boring in here.... I decide to play some music on my phone when my eyes land on the bose speakers kept on the dining table. I connect my phone with it and start cooking with some music.
Two hours later the bolongese spaghetti pasta is almost ready and the pizza is inside the oven almost cooked. This kitchen is heaven for chefs... all the equipments are just perfect and it was so easy for me to cook. I drink some water when I suddenly hear my favorite song playing... this song was my favorite as a teenager. Taylor swift's 'you belong with me'. I start to sing along and dance with the lyrics.
"You're on the phone with your girlfriend
She's upset
She's going off about something that you said
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do
I'm in my room
It's a typical Tuesday night
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like
And she'll never know your story like I do'.
You belong with meeeee." I jump along the song and sing like a crazy person. When I turn around I see Jacob staring at me with an amused look. I get so surprised that I am about to fall when he catches me on time.
"I can see you sing and dance like this all my life." I am in his arms and both of us are staring at each other intently. His eyes land on my lips and he's about to bridge the gap between us when I look away and get out of his hold and turn the music off.
"You are home.... right on time. The food is almost ready." I avoid eye contact with him and go to the kitchen to check on the pasta. Why am I doing this? Why can't those pictures leave my mind?
He comes inside the kitchen and open the fridge to drink some water. He removes his suit jacket and the tie and is now only in his white shirt and pants which kind of looks really hot on him and of his age. I smile at him but the smile doesn't reach my eyes and he kind of noticed that too and he stares at me while drinking some water.
"What's wrong?" He asks me after putting down the bottle.
"And did you go out to take all these ingredients? You didn't have to... we could have just ordered something. You should have called me." He tells me... his phone rings he stares at the phone and then stares at me for a second but decides to take the call and goes near the balcony to talk.
Now he's angry with me because I tried to do something nice for him? Hilarious.
I turn the stove off and see the pasta perfectly cooked and try to take out the pizza from the oven in my anger when I realize I forgot to wear the kitchen gloves and keep the plate back fast and cry out in pain. Jacob comes to me and sees my red...a bit burnt hands. He hurriedly drags me to the sink and keeps my hand below the cold water. I cry out a little more in pain but it feels better after sometime. He turns the sink off and run upstairs without saying a word. I turn the oven off and sit on the kitchen stool and the water works are back on my face. Since when have I become so sensitive? Stop crying Mia and become stronger.
He comes back with a tube in his hand... its a cream to apply on burnt skin. He applies it gently and with care which immediately melts my heart and I forget all those thoughts about those pictures.
"Making me worried and out of my mind worried for the second time today." He whispers more to himself than me.
"What was the need for all this cooking?" He closes the tube and lightly blows on my hand.
"To say thankyou for taking care of me." He stares at me and caresses my cheek and wipes my tears away.
"I feel like you have something on your mind that you're hiding." How does he... am I being too obvious? I don't answer and stand up to go to the kitchen to remove the plates for us but he doesn't let me.
He takes out two plates... serves us the pasta and the pizza and we sit opposite to each other on the dining table. "Come on now... I don't cook for everyone its only for limited people so consider yourself lucky that you get to eat something which I cooked." I try to lighten up the mood and he smiles a little which makes me relived.
He takes a bite of the pasta and his face immediately lightens up. "It's delicious.... you're one hell of a cook." My mood shifts to a happier one hearing his compliment but before I could take a bite... he comes and sits besides me and feeds me pasta without even asking me. "Don't use your hands for today... they are a bit burned, let it recover."
I feel like complementing myself too... the pasta is delicious. "How did you learn to cook so well? You should cook for my restaurant and leave your teaching job." Jacob is taking this too far... I want to laugh I mean... its not so great to be served in a restaurant.
"You're taking it too far now." I tell him and chuckle.
"I am serious both of these are delicious... after a really long time I am eating some delicious home made food." I feel sympathized for him but hide it right away since he hates that.
"Which reminds me why was your fridge empty?"
"I am never home, half of the nights I am at the hotel working so I prefer eating there." He tries to feed me more than I usually eat but I stop him.
"You eat really less you know that?" He asks me while eating some more and almost finishing whatever I made. I get happy to see him eat like this.
He clear out our dishes in the dishwasher and cleans out the kitchen like a pro... I now wonder he might not have any domestic help. "Do you have people who work for you? Like a domestic help."
"Yes, Ms. Julia... she's a middle aged woman who is great at her job for making this place look so amazing. She doesn't come on the weekends though."
"I actually didn't know which room was mine so I ended up going inside all the room upstairs. They are really well maintained but I am sorry for invading your privacy ... I didn't want to call and disturb you." I tell him with embarrassment.
"It's fine Mia.. but will you now talk to me about why have you been so off mood since I came home?"
"No Jacob... nothing like that."
He comes to me and kisses me on the forehead, "thankyou for the delicious food."
"You should go freshen up and get changed. I'll do the same."
"I'll actually be in my study if you need anything... come in there." I nod and go upstairs avoiding the topic yet again.
I take a shower and change into my pajamas. I forgot to ask him about the cops... so I go towards his room which is open and get inside only to see him in a towel. My jaw drops.... he's breathtaking... he works out quite alot. He suddenly realizes I am in the room and smirks at my reaction. I run back outside and go back to my room.
After sometime he comes and knocks on my door and I open the door and he enters inside still smirking. "Earlier you came to my room when..." before he could say anything I cut him off.
"What did the cops say?" His expression changes to a serious one.
"They are looking into it. All the mess will be cleared in a day or two so don't worry." I nod.
He's now in his tracks and tshirt looking as young as ever. He takes a step towards me and finally kisses me. But I stop him, "Let's not do something we might regret later on." I tell him.
"I'll definitely not be the one regretting." With that he leaves and I feel bad for pushing him away but it's necessary for me to do that and not let myself hurt yet again in a relationship.
I am combing my hair when I suddenly start hiccuping alot. There's no water in my room so I run downstairs and open the fridge and drink the first thing that comes in my hand. It's some sparkled water I think... but when I gulp down the whole thing it tastes a bit bitter but after drinking it I feel so good and relieved. So I drink another one and one more after that.
Jacob's pov:
I am trying to work in my study but I just can't... Mia's weird behavior is coming back in my mind again and again. What is going on with her? She was fine when I left her then why is she being like this now? I realize I forgot some files in my room so I get up to get them. I turn on the lights in my room and go to my study table when my eyes catch the picture board. I totally forgot about this... Amy had put some of our pictures here. Why haven't I removed them yet? That's because I hardly come here. I suddenly realize....
"I actually didn't know which room was mine so I ended up going inside all the room upstairs. They are really well maintained." I remember her exact words... could these pictures be the reason of her odd behavior?
I go and knock on her door but get no response from inside. Did she sleep already? I open and peak inside but she isn't in there. The bathroom door is open as well which means she isn't in there too. Where did she go? I go downstairs and see her sitting on the floor near the sofa.
"Mia... are you.." before I could say anything I see her drinking her fourth bottle of the beer.
"You should have called me... we would have gotten drunk together." I tell her jokingly.
"Oh its Jacob Miller in the house... oh wait obviously you'll be here because its your house." Oh my god Mia Anderson is drunk and really entertaining.
I take the bottle away from her and she pouts in irritation. Oh how I wanna kiss her right now... why is she so adorable. I sit besides her on the floor and she keeps her head on my shoulder and I hold her tightly. "I am so tempted to kiss you right now but you're drunk."
"You better not or else I'll punch you." Real Mia is still in there, I am relived.
"Why am I here? With you? How did everything come to this?"
She looks up at me and continues, "How did our relationship became this from a business and most importantly how did I start liking you Jacob Miller? I even like doing this with you so much." Her lips are on mine and she's kissing me slowly and lovingly.... I am too shocked to kiss her back. Till now she insist on calling this a business relationship but she was hiding her feelings all along. She tries to kiss me one more time but I stop her.
"You are drunk so let's not." She laughs a little and I laugh too looking at her. Suddenly she falls unconscious in my arms. Someone's a light drinker.. I carry her in my arms and upstairs to my room. I put her down on my bed and cover her with the duets. I kiss her on the forehead, "I would never regret anything with you ever Mia."
I get my laptop in the room and sit besides her and work. When I finish work it's almost 1 in the night. I keep my laptop aside and turn off the lights to sleep. I just stare at her sleeping figure, her back is facing me... Mia if you have questions about Amy, why aren't you saying anything? Why to hide your feelings? Ofcoure she's thinking of how this is going to end soon and is saving herself from the consequences but her confession.... she likes me.... she likes kissing me. One hell of a confession night.. all my doubts about Mia not having any feelings are gone. She's suffering and feeling as much as I am.
She turns around in her sleep and keep her hand on my stomach. I move closer too and she perfectly fits inside my arms. I hug her and we cuddle like that.. I hope this doesn't count as taking advantage of her. With her in my arms I close my eyes and fall asleep... imagining a happy future with Mia... where she is cooking for me and staying by my side every single day.
Mia's pov:
I open my eyes and the first thing I see is Jacob's face which is really really close to mine. I look at our positions and I am practically half sleeping on him.. wait how did I... what did I.... I remember everything I said and did. Oh god! Why did I drink those so much.. alcohol is my number one enemy.
"I like you and I like to do this... KISS" I am so stupid.
I am about to get up to walk out when Jacob pulls me back. My breathing stops when he stares at me intently. "Jacob..." he puts his forehead on mine and we stay like that for sometime.
"I just needed a minute more to hold you like this." I smile and I do have to agree this minute felt like heaven to me too.
He finally lets me go and sits right up on the bed and I do the same. "I am sorry about last night... I must have been a huge problem. My drunk self is definitely not a treat to watch."
"It was for.... me. It was really entertaining to see you like that." Do I say something about the confession I made?
The next thing I do is... even I don't know why I did that, "I don't remember anything from last night. Did I do something too embarrassing?" I lie... Why am I lying? He has been forthcoming about his feelings but I am being a coward.
"No nothing much just drank and fell unconscious." He lies just like I do and it's pretty clear that both of us aren't going to acknowledge the part about our feelings because the time bomb is ticking and it would all be over soon.
"So I am going to freshen up and get ready so you could drop me back home." I tell him and get up to go to the guest room when he stops me.
"About that.... you need to stay here for another day. I am making some changes in your apartment which might take a day more." He tells me while nervously scratching his head.
I take a deep breath trying to keep myself calm, "What was the need? My apartment was okay how it was Jacob."
"Fulfilling my duties of protecting you." He comes to me and caresses my cheek. I don't let him and take a step back and leave annoyingly.
I get inside the guest room, lock the door and just sit on the bed. He's rich I get it but.... what's the need of doing all this for me.
I take a shower and get ready in a simple yellow turtleneck top and jeans. I dry my hair with the hair dryer and remember everything since yesterday. His pictures with his ex girlfriend .. "I'll definitely won't be the one regretting it." ... "I like you."
We both said let's not fall for each other but are both of us failing at that?
I go outside and see his bedroom door open, I see him trying to tie his tie. He sees me at the door, "Ms. Julia usually keeps it ready for me... I don't usually have to tie it."
I go to him and he stands facing me. I start to tie his tie and he stares at me intently. "I hate when someone spends money on me." I tell him but not looking at him in the eye.
"That became pretty clear to me since the day one, when you didn't ask anything for yourself but for everyone else... to make other people's life better but... I am not doing this for you but for myself. Its not a lot.. its just a very little gesture. Please don't be mad at me and accept it." I nod but do not say anything further.
"Done." I tie it perfectly for him.
"Not bad." He looks in the mirror.
"I used to tie it for my dad." He smiles at me.
I take a step back but he holds me from my waist and brings me closer. "I have to go for a few hours. I have ordered some breakfast for you. Will you be okay?"
"I think I'll go and stay with Annie for tonight. I don't want to burden you anymore."
His hold on my waist tightens, "Just for tonight please stay here... tomorrow your apartment would be ready, I promise just please stay here."
I hug him tightly for no apparent reason... I just felt like hugging this broken but amazing person. "Just one more day okay?" He smells so good... of body wash and some expensive perfume.
"It was easier to convince this time." He whispers in my ears and I chuckle.
He leaves me and continues to get ready by wearing his suit jacket and I just admire this handsome man from a far.
My eyes go to his study table and reminds me of that picture board again. His gaze follows mine and he too sees the study table and then looks at me again with a guilty expression. "Mia... actually.." I cut him off in the middle.
"I am hungry... let's go have breakfast before you leave? I hope you have time for that." I leave his room and go downstairs and he follows behind me.
On the kitchen bar table there are bread toasts, omelettes, some juices and some coffee are kept ready. Both of us sit there and he serves everything for me in my plate like a gentleman.
"Which company makes their employee work on a sunday?"
"Did you forget I am the boss?" He asks me cheekily.
I just roll my eyes at him.
I am about to eat my bread toast when he makes me put it down and takes my hand to check it. "Is it okay now?" He asks me with concern... oh I want to hug him so bad for showing so much concern but I turn the conversation light.
"You overreacted... it was fineee." I tell him and start eating. He smiles in embarrassment and starts eating as well.
"Can I borrow your laptop? I need to do some preparation for my class tomorrow."
He answers while munching on his toast, "Sure its in my study and use whatever you like here." I smile at his generosity.
He finishes his food fast and leaves but comesback and kisses me on the forehead. "I'll be back before you know it." I smile and wave at him.
Even after he's gone I smile to myself.