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“Not under my roof.”
Jake’s sudden presence startled me, and I stumbled backward, hitting my back against the car.
“Uh?” My gaze was fixed on his as he took a long stride forward, stretching out his hand for me to hold onto.
“That’s too early. There’s a lot to enjoy,” he winked as he pulled me up to my feet.
“Oh.” I could still feel his palm around my wrist even though his hands were now in his pockets.
His presence erased all my worries. With his towering frame blocking my mom from view, he was all I could see.
“Thank you for the phone,” I said, remembering our confrontation yesterday.
“There’s no need for thanks between us,” he said simply.
Such gentle, simple words to put my mind at ease until…
“Hey, sweetie! I’m so sorry I couldn’t come home yesterday, but I did my best to make it home early today.”
My mom had already dropped her bags as she ran up to him.
Why she gave us those few seconds alone, I wouldn’t know.
But the moment he turned around, she wrapped her limbs around him like an octopus.
I rolled my eyes and turned away, ignoring the various emotions threatening to surface.
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Seeing her suddenly smile and be happy ruined my mo took everything in me not to turn around and spit the ti her face.
But then, my mom doesn’t have any pride.
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Every time I remembered how she’d broken things off with her younger sister and never communicated with her since my dad’s infertility, I couldn’t help but wonder.
But not once did she mention it to him.
And I had no doubt that I was next in line to being cut off.
So I bottled it in. Everything. My hate and jealousy.
“Let’s go, I’m running late,” I said to the driver, but he shook his head at me.
“Why?” I asked.
“Boss…”
“Give me a second. Let’s ride together.”
His words-and the fact that he ignored my mom for a few seconds just to say something to me-rattled my ribcage.
I found myself smiling at nothing as I tuned out their voices until my mom was out of sight.
“Come on, let’s go,” he said as he led us away from the garage.
“Uhn? Am I going to work with you or…?” After all, he said ride together, and that could mean more than one thing.
“Silly, get in. I’ll explain,” he said when we reached a golden car waiting to be driven.
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He opened the door for me and stepped aside while I climbed in before joining me.
And for a moment, it was just us. In this small space.
I was suddenly aware of the exorbitant interiors-anything to distract myself from the fact that the man I tried to seduce was sitting beside me, looking more handsome than ever.
Anything but that.
“You’re not looking at me. Are you still mad about what happened yesterday?” he asked.
Mad? If anything, my mom deserved it for how she treated me this morning.
Before she was my mother, she’d always been a bitch.
“No, I…” I stopped as everything I was about to say flew out the window the moment he placed his hand on my thigh.
There was my uniform skirt between his palm and my bare skin, but I still felt a burning sensation from the spot his fingers wrapped against.
“Go on, don’t be nervous,” he said and squeezed that spot.
Wasn’t it obvious that I wasn’t nervous? Or was he pretending not to know the effect he had on me-squeezing my thigh like
a stress ball?
“I was just surprised that you’d do that for me. Aren’t you very busy?”
“Jemaya, it would be a shame on me if my stepdaughter was getting bullied at school.”
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“Hmm.” I nodded. “But still, you don’t really need to.”
“Do you still feel awkward around me?”
This time, he placed his other hand on my right shoulder and turned me so I could face him.
“No.” I said firmly.
If anything, I just forgot how to breathe around him.
“Okay. Remember that I’m your parent too. And if it’s too soon to accept that—I am your guardian. Okay?”
He lowered his head to meet my gaze, and if we hadn’t had this conversation yesterday, I might have closed my eyes and waited for a kiss.
“Okay. Thank you.”
I found myself blushing.
When he finally took his hands off me, my blood started flowing normally again.
“Good girl,” he said and sat back, adjusting his tie.
After minutes of awkward silence, we reached the estate where my school was located.
“You can tell me anything. Don’t forget that, Jemaya. Before I’ m your guardian, I want to be your friend,” he said, and I nodded.
But nothing seemed to come to mind.
So I looked around a bit, cleared my throat, and said, “Your
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car is cool.”
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“Thanks,” he answered with a small smile as we reached the parking lot.
“Wait, Jemaya,” he said before I got off.
“Uhn?”
I turned, but he wasn’t in the car anymore.
I stared at him, noticing the strange looks he was getting from people around.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered as I stepped out of the car with his help.
“I would do anything for you,” he said. “But what I can’t do is be confident on your behalf.”
I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Look around,” he said, and I did-under his command.
Not because my confidence had suddenly boosted…
I just couldn’t bring myself to disobey him.
And when I did, I prayed the ground would swallow me whole.
“They’re staring.”
I squeezed my skirt in my hands while fidgeting.
“And so what?” he asked as he held my hand in his and massaged it.
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The anxiety that had gripped me melted away.
“Everyone is staring. I feel… small.”
“Not if you raise your head high.”
He was still holding my hand with one while adjusting his tie with the other, sweeping a quick glance around.
But it was so powerful that I felt the stares disappear.
Like he had looked them all in the eye and made them cower.
“Like this,” he said.
That was a demonstration.
I nodded, getting my first lesson from my stepdad-a man whose powerful presence affected those within his age range or twice his age.
And the other students?
They looked scared.
“Now do the same.”
I puffed my chest, patted my tie, and looked around.
For some reason, I felt a few inches taller.
My old confidence was seeping back in under his tutelage.
“You have a fiery spirit,” he said. “So go make some friends and show them what you’ve got.”
Then he pulled me into a hug.
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Wrapped me in his presence.
And when my bully’s face came to mind…
الي
I looked forward to bullying her instead.
“Thank you…”
“Just call me Jake anytime.”
Then he smirked.
“Or Daddy… if you want.”
He gave me a soft kiss on my forehead.
I quickly pushed myself out of his hold, even though I regretted it.
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But it was better to be in control of my feelings than to let my uncontrollable lust take hold of me this morning.
A bell rang.
“I need to go for first period,” I said—even though that had nothing to do with my classes.
“Sure.”
He gave me a knowing smile that beautifully reached his eyes.
“I’ll be rooting for you.”
“Yes, thanks,” I said.
I turned briefly, and the smile was still plastered on his face.
And the genuine happiness and encouragement he gave me
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made me feel lighter on my feet.
“I’ll be rooting for you.”
I had no doubts.
“Bye.”
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I waved and giggled before heading for my class-loaded with confidence.
Bullies?
What bullies?
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