Sorry for the long wait for a new chapter, loves!
RECAP:
Ella and Seth broke up. Seth cheated on Ella 2 years ago in New York and kept it from her. This wasn't the real reason for them breaking up. But, it came out during the break up. 2 months later, Ella finally allowed herself to kiss Jay. In the last chapter, Seth begged Ella to be at least friends again and Jay drove her to school on a Harley.
Heads up, the setting is in Bay Village, Ohio (a rich district near the big city of Cleveland).
ENJOYYYY!
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The weekend's arrival makes every step I take down the stairs look like I'm going to Disneyworld. I'm more than excited to be away from school where I can't feel trapped or run into Seth. The weekend also meant properly seeing Jay, who I was always craving to be around.
As I enter the kitchen, I go to my secret drawer where I hide Poptarts from my mother, hearing my stomache grumble. She didn't want anything processed in the house. She said it wasn't good for a dancer and that I would thank her when I was older for my body.
I definetly wasn't going to.
It's the clearing of a throat that startles me as I turn away from the cabinet.
It's the chief herself. Mom, sitting at the table near the backyard door with a coffee mug in front of her and glaring eyes.
They shift from me to the Poptart in my hand and I see an even bigger frown evolve on her face. Quickly, I drop the Poptart on the table and open my mouth to say something before she can.
"Mom, I didn't know you were still home," I tell her baffeld.
"My meeting got canceled. Perfect timing actually because we need to talk immediately," she remarks, tapping the mug with her finger tips.
"What is it-?" I start, but get quickly interupted by her sharp voice.
"Council woman Lea Sawyer claims she saw you riding on a motorcycle the other day". I feel my stomach drop as I hear the words come out of her mouth. "I told her she must've gotten the wrong girl because our Elle would never hop on a motorcycle and embarrass us like that," she finishes, pursing her lips.
She glares at me, waiting for an answer but I'm frozen to say anything to her. When it came to her talking about reputation, I couldn't seem to fight for myself.
"You know that your father and I are very well known in Bay Village. I cover most of the cases here and your father most of the surgeries".
"I know that," I tell her.
"Then, why on God's Earth would you get on a motorcycle with that boy?" she exclaims, wailing her arms in the air.
It's the way she says boy that strikes a nerve in me.
"Jay," I spit out, balling my fists. I have this forceful instinct to protect him at all costs.
"What?"
"That boy has a name and it's Jay," I reply.
"I don't care. You are not to see him again," she warns getting up with one of her hands on the table.
"You don't even have a good reason," I snap.
"You're supposed to be with Seth. Seth never made you do these kinds of things. You and Seth had a future. That's a good boy. But, here you are hopping over to the next guy, some deliquent on a motorcycle. He's changed you for the worse,"
"No," I laugh darkly, shaking my head. "He didn't make me do anything. You don't even know the guy. I would understand if you were mad that I got on a motorcycle due to my safety. But, all you actually care about is your reputation!".
"You're not going to Julliard," she suddenly says while ignoring all of my points.
"Wh-What?" I feel myself stutter, taken aback by the statement.
"Or anywhere for that matter. Your father and I will cut you off if you don't stop this atrocious behavior," she screams. I feel the tears well up in my eyes but I blink fast to push them back. She seems satisfied by my shock and doesn't hesitate to go on. "I would think about my actions if I were you," she sneers.
Then, it hits me.
She would never have the courage to cut me off or cause a big scene. You know why? Because of the most important thing to her. Reputation. She wouldn't want anyone finding out.
"No, no. Mom, you're right," I start, nodding my head with a smirk. "You should cut me off. Please do. I'll be fine. But, will you? Will you be fine when everyone finds out? This isn't a big town. People talk. I think your reputation will be more tarnished by that than me going on a stupid motorcycle or me having a new relationship," I snap back at her.
Her mouth traps shut and I see the bulged eyes pop out again. The vein on her neck is seconds away from bursting.
"Just test me and see what happens," she threatens before her phone rings and she storms out of the kitchen.
Normally, I would be crushed by her behavior and her constant need of other people's approval before even putting her daughter first. Today, however, I wasn't. She was never going to change and be the mother I needed her to be.
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Vinny answers the door once I get to their house. He gives me a quick and distracted hey as he walks to the dining table to pick something up.
I feel goosebumps run up my spine as I notice the gun in his hand. He has it aimed towards the ceiling while he uses the other hand to push up his button up and shove the gun in the waistband of his pants.
"What's the gun for?" I stutter.
Vinny turns around after he has it properly adjusted and I realized he's forgotten that I was there. He seems so lost in his thoughts. He gives me a sympathetic smile.
"I have a meeting," he shrugs as if it were normal that he would have to bring a gun. "Always gotta be prepared. Stay safe, you know"
"Doesn't sound safe if you have to bring a gun," I snort, crossing my arms.
"Well, you're right. It's not safe. But it's protocol," he answers.
"Do you use it a lot?" I hear myself asking and I immediately regret it. Vinny purses his lips with a troubled expression. "I'm sorry that was too much to ask," I say quickly.
"I've had to use it, yeah. I really hope they don't give me a reason to today," he replies.
A short silence falls between us before he grabs a duffle bag in the corner of the room. "Jays in the back yard. I'll be back later so enjoy the place to yourselves," he says. I catch his wink at the end which makes me flush deeply as he leaves the house.
My gaze goes towards the backyard door and I feel my stomach flip as I think about the boy behind the door. I make my steps towards the direction and open the door to see Jay hovered on the porch steps.
The crisp winter breeze hits my face as well as a sharp oaky smell. I whip my head to the little white burning paper in between of his fingers. I sit myself next to him with a disapproving scold on my face as he turns to me, surprised.
"Hey, didn't know you were coming today," he says, getting up to distance himself from me. He smokes the cigarette, blowing the air away from me.
"Why did you get up?" I ask him, furrowing my brows.
"Secondhand smoke," he replies, pushing his hair back. "You don't need that,"
I notice that he's troubled by something. The way his pupils are clouded and the hidden frown behind his puckered lips show that something's bothering him.
I push myself off the stairs and go towards him while the frozen grass makes a crunching sound.
"Maybe," I start and go to reach his hand in which the cigarette is in. I take it from him and drop it to the ground, stomping on it. "You should think more about it ruining your body's and not mine," I finish.
Jay's not angry that I ruined his smoke. Instead, he answers, "Who care's about my body?"
There's amusement traced in his voice but also something dark that I haven't heard in a while.
"I do," I whisper, cupping his face so he looks at me. I see his facial reaction switch to vulnerability as I do so. "What's wrong?"
"Francesco's up my ass," he admits. "I need to go back to New York for a job," he says with a frown.
"Why? You're doing enough here," I tell him, dropping my hands to the side. I feel anger towards Jay's father. Jay was already doing fights and observing the drug business in Ohio.
"That was the deal, Ella," he sighs, pushing back his hair. "I have to do my part. For him, that also means helping out in New York. I have to be on his side," he explains.
There was no out. Even though, I was secretly hoping he would have a normal life one day. He wouldn't. He was born into it. And he would only get more threatened if he tried to get out again.
"Okay," I nod slowly. "When are we going?" I ask him.
His eyes dart back to mine with a deeper frown on his face. "We?"
"Yeah?"
"No," he shakes his head, placing his hands on my hips. "You're staying here," he tones.
"I don't wanna stay here," I shrug. "I don't want you to be alone there. I don't wanna be alone here," I admit, biting my lip.
"You can't be mixed up in this. You're safer here," Jay says, pulling me closer to him. "And you got school," he adds.
"You do too!" I protest, playfully shoving him.
"That doesn't matter. You're going to college. I'm not. You can't miss any more school," he says, seriously.
"Don't say that. You could still go to college," I tell him.
He shakes his head with a sad smile on his face. "No, you don't get it," he says. "It's not in my cards,"
"We'll make it be in your cards," I tell him, giving him the brightest and hopeful smile I can, even though I know it's almost impossible to change in his situation. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself into him, embracing him with the most love I can give him.
His body relaxes into mine and he exhales as if he's letting out every toxic thought out of him. "I leave tomorrow morning. I'll be back by Thursday," he promises.
I suck in a breath and feel uneasy knowing that he'll be away from me doing some type of dangerous thing for almost a week.
"Vinny will be here. So, if you need something, you can go to him, " he says, pulling away from our embrace. I feel his hand brush mine and he inhales quickly. "Ella, why didn't you tell me you were cold?" he asks me with a worry line on his forehead.
I look down and feel my hands. I didn't even realize how cold I was. I was fixated on being with him. It was the only thing that was important to me.
"Didn't notice," I shrug.
"Come on. Let's go inside," he says softly, pulling my hand towards the house. His hand is perfectly molded into mine and I can't help but stare at the beautiful human being leading me inside.
"Hot cocoa?" he murmurs once we get to the kitchen with a soft smile on his face.
"I'll go with ice tea or juice if you have any," I tell him. He raises an eyebrow. "I'm more of a cold beverage person," I admit, blushing.
"Even in the winter?" he asks curiously while pouring me ice tea.
"Yeah," I shrug, looking at his twinkling eyes.
"I love learning these little things about you," he says suddenly.
My heart does backflips hearing this and I can't contain the flush already deepened into my cheeks.
"Tell me something little about you," I whisper.
Jay hesitates trying to think of something to say. I can imagine it being hard for him to find something "little" in his complicated world.
But, finally he replies, "I only drink sparkling water. I can't drink regular water"
I almost spit out my ice tea. "Really? Why?"
I scrunch my nose thinking about the one time I tried it at a gala with my parents. It was awful.
"It's a European thing, I guess. Don't like the taste of still water," he grins.
"See," I point out to him. "You're the weirdo not me"
"Says the girl who doesn't like hot cocoa," he teases with his muscles flexing on the kitchen granite while he leans towards me.
He looks so goddamn sexy. I zone off for the shortest moment and try to prop myself back up . In doing so, my arm knocks the the ice tea right into my lap.
The whole damn thing splashes over me and the glass shatters on the floor. My mouth forms into the O shape as I look at Jay who's already acting by getting paper towels.
"Easy there," he chuckles. "You good?" he asks while coming over to me.
"I'm sorry," I smile weakly, feeling like a toddler at the dinner table who couldn't keep it together.
"No, don't worry about it," he says while looking at my lap and the paper towels in his hand. "Uh, here I think you should do that," he finishes, referring to me drying of the small puddles with the towels.
I pat down the ice tea away as much as I can while Jay kneels down to pick up some of the shattered glass. I realize I'm way too sticky to stay like this.
"Can I take a shower?" I ask him while he comes back up from the ground.
"Of course," he chuckles. "You don't have to ask for anything. My house is your house," he tells me.
"Okay, thanks," I blush, ready to get down the chair.
Jay stops me from getting up and suddenly scoops me up from the high chair. I'm in his safe arms while he cautiously moves away from the rest of the glass on the floor.
Geez, you're such a clutz, Ella.
"What are you doing? I'm just making your shirt all sticky now too," I laugh while my arms sling around his neck.
He carries me bridal position up the stairs and I can't help but imagine him throwing me on the bed and us getting down to business like in the movies.
"Doesn't matter," he shakes his head. "Don't want you stepping on glass shards. And I'm scared you wouldn't make it up the stairs on your own after checking me out so hard," he smirks.
He leads us into his room and places me down in his master bathroom.
"I wasn't checking you out," I protest, crossing my arms in front of him.
His chocolate brown eyes shine with amusement as he looks the five foot girl in front of him. "Whatever you say," he teases. "Towels are in the closet," he points. "Have a nice shower," he winks, while going towards the door.
"I wasn't checking you out," I yell as he exits. He just chuckles out the door while I look at myself in the mirror. I'm a red hot sticky mess.
I shut the door and quickly strip out my clothes to hop into his extremely modern shower with 20 different settings. I take the longest shower of my life and wash away all the ice tea that got me into this mess.
Once I'm out of the shower, I dry off and realize I didn't ask Jay for a fresh pair of clothes.
"Jay," I yell while opening the door.
I'm startled when I see Jay pulling on a fresh new shirt over his head. My eyes go to his exposed skin and his dangerous but also sexy family tattoo.
Once he has it on, he turns over to me with his jaw dropped. You won't see Jay Luchesse in awe a lot. So this is a moment to remember.
His eyes travel hungrily up and down me while I look down to realize I'm standing there in a towel, still dripping.
The blush I had on my face before has yet to disappear.
"Sorry, I uh needed clothes," I stutter.
Now, it looks like he's the one zoning out. A few seconds go by and I still hear no reply. In that short moment, confidence arises in me and I put my hands on my hips. "Look who's checking out who, now," I smirk.
He breaks out into a smile while his eyes still observe me. "I can't even fight you on that," he grins, grabbing a T-shirt and joggers. "Here," he says, bringing it to me.
Our eyes stayed glued together before his trail down to my shoulder where he wipes something away. His touch makes me shiver and want even more.
"Wh-?" I start to say breathless.
"You had a drop on your shoulder," he murmurs looking at me with lust in his eyes.
Suddenly, it disappears and he moves away with a big distance between us. "Here, go get dressed," he clears his throat.
I hide my pout and try to push my hormonal feelings aside. But, for what it was worth, Jay Luchesse was driving me crazy.
Hope you enjoyed loves! The next chapter will go on from Jays point of view 😉😉😏
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