Chapter 7
Excessive warmth, comfort, and safety are the only things that cloud Olivia's mind and body once she started to stir awake from sleep that can only be described as blissful. Her eyelids peeled themselves wide open with some difficulty at first, it was as if they were chained down on her face; but they were, in a sense. Something soothing caught her ear, a steady thumping that made a subconscious smile appear on her face. Peering up, Jairus is already awake and staring at her.
“Hey,” Olivia mumbled, her cheeks burning red with mortification at the memory of their kiss the instant her traitorous eyes wandered to the man's mouth. Jairus didn't answer back, instead, he untangled himself from the brunette before she could feel his raging boner dangling between his legs and it was not only his morning wood either.
Getting out of bed, Jairus completely ignored how uncomfortable his bare feet were patted against the cold floor in the direction of the bathroom to get rid of the pole in his pants. Meanwhile, sighing heavily, Olivia rolled her eyes at the confusing man's back before she snuggled into the comforts of the warm sheets, inhaling Jairus's spicy peppermint odor from his pillow, the scent making her drift off to sleep for a minute or so later.
Stripping out of his clothes, Jairius stared down at his angry erection in malice as it sprung alive from the confines of his boxer brief. He didn't want to jack off with the woman who caused it in the first place being just an earshot away from him, he had already fucked up by kissing her when avoiding all Cohen is the objective. Grumbling as he turned on the shower faucet Jairus set the temperature cold as the tantalizing memory of the kiss he shared with Olivia comes rushing back into his head. No matter, standing under the flowing cold water did the trick of cooling down his overheated body. Quickly going through the usual morning routine, he wraps his lower half in a towel afterward.
Sauntering his way around the room, Jairus was dressed in no time in simple faded jeans and a sweater to keep himself warm. Sitting on the edge of the bed, gently as possible, he starts shaking Olivia awake. “Olivia,” he kept saying but the sleeping beauty only moved a bit to bury herself further in the sheets. “Stubborn are we?” Jairus grumbled right before he yanked the covers off making Olivia shriek in fright.
Being startled wide awake is not the Christmas gift Olivia wanted, but it was better than getting shitfaced — a tradition Molly had started for them both a year after Chance's death. This year, however, instead of waking up with a massive hangover, Olivia's chest felt heavy as if her lungs were failing at the sudden pressure she felt.
“Shhh, I got you,” Jairus says wrapping his arms around a shaking Olivia who began to wail in sorrow. Thomas, you piece of shit. He thought as his enemy's daughter took comfort in him, the one whose reputation was nearly destroyed. “Look at me, let's get you cleaned and something to warm your insides up. I've got a Christmas tradition of my own that I want to share with you,” Jairus confessed his urgency in calming the woman down.
“Why would you do that?” Olivia asked, confused at Jairus' declaration of sharing something so private with her. Sure, he held and kissed her, but the man still hated her family.
“Don't let him control her, I'm sorry Commander,” the voice echoed in Jairus' head. Back then he didn't know or understand the dying man's wish, but he does now. “You'll see once we get there,” Jairus responded to Olivia, patiently waiting while he battled internally at his spur-of-the-moment judgment.
Olivia still didn’t comprehend Jairus's motives, but oddly she trusted him with her life. “Okay,” she replied crawling out of bed to get herself ready for whatever the man had planned for the both of them. Despite the feeling of sadness and longing, Olivia managed to shower and get dressed in no time. Sleeping over wasn't in the plan, but it happened anyway and with kindness, Jessica had left a pair of high-waist jeans, an oversized black sweater, along with a pair of new underwear and a bra that still had the price tag on them.
Untangling her messy hair with her finger as much as possible, catching it up into a sloppy bun, Olivia sighed at the tired woman that stared back at her in the mirror. “Crap!” She suddenly shrieked practically rushing out of the room, forgetting she didn't tell Molly where she'd be for her friend not to fret.
Reaching the foot of the stairs, Olivia paused at Jairus' outburst. “I didn't have sex with Olivia, she's barely a grown woman for christ's sake!” She heard him yell. “All I did was comfort her, nothing's wrong with that, don't make it into something else, Jessica.” He further continued.
“Oh, please! If you feel nothing for her, why are you getting so defensive and angry?” Jessica's voice chimes in.
“Dammit!” Olivia purposely yelled out loud to avoid any awkwardness that may follow due to her eavesdropping.
“Oh, morning Olivia, Merry Christmas!” Jessica cheerfully exclaimed, their previous conversation coming to an abrupt end. “I see what I left out for you suits perfectly,” she says gesturing to the clothes.
“Yes, thank you so much, sorry about last night.” Olivia apologizes taking a seat beside Jairus, who immediately turned his back to her.
“It's a pleasure having you over, my sons both fancy you,” Jackson tells the slender brunette, who in return smiles at him. “Here, eat up,” he says offering Olivia some breakfast of fried ham, with some form of sauce with toast, pancakes, and a massive cup of hot chocolate tea.
“Shit, my phone!” Olivia says face-palming herself that she forgets the real reason she left the room in the first place after going through half of what's on the plate and practically draining the cup. “Have you seen my purse?” She asked no one in particular.
“Where's the last place you had it?” Jessica is the first to ask, easing off her own stool to help with the search. But for the life of Olivia, she couldn't recall. “Here, use mine instead,” Jessica says offering her mobile.
“Thanks,” Olivia answered gratefully. Quickly typing a message stating that she was alright and where she was, it only took a second for the phone to ring like crazy with a very pissed off Molly on the other end yelling how inconsiderate of a friend Olivia is for making her and Richard worried sick. “You know what, screw the both of you!” Olivia yelled into the mobile disconnecting the call while slamming down the device in anger.
Molly has never yelled at Olivia, visa versa. “I'm ready,” Olivia turned and said to Jairus who had already been staring at her. Nodding as his only response, Olivia trailed behind the man as they both shrugged on their coats and walked outside.
Standing in the driveway absent-mindedly, Olivia watched as every puff of smoke disappeared into the morning light with each breath she took. “Here, put this on,” Jairius's raspy voice ordered from behind, his warm breath just barely brushing her sensitive ears. Glancing at what she was required to put on, the object in her hand was none other than a helmet.
Mortified, Olivia shoved the helmet back at Jarius. “I've never in my life ridden on a motorcycle!” She squeaked in both embarrassment and fear as Jairus mount his bike with ease.
Glaring at the troublesome woman, Jairus mumbled a quick prayer of restraint to the heavens. “Woman, I rode my bike here, not my car. You either put the helmet on and get your fucking ass on here, or Jessica could call you a cab.” Jairus says, patting the space behind him as if daring Olivia not to accept the first proposal.
“Well, no need to be an ass,” Olivia grumbled as Jairus grunted in acknowledgment. Getting on the helmet was a task if not for the man of the hour himself muttering as he fixed the thing on her head correctly.
Once she was ready, Jairus started up the engine, his bike roared to life like the beast it was, cutting through the quiet vicinity like a maniac, least to Olivia. Regardless, she enjoyed bracing her body against Jairus' solid back as they rode to god knows where.
*+*
Riding at a much slower pace, about a few meters ahead, Olivia could see a vaguely familiar statue positioned proudly in the center as it gazed on at the horizon. What the hell are we doing at ...a cemetery? Olivia thought to herself, but apparently, this wasn’t Jairus' first time as the security guard nodded and called him by name right before the big iron gates opened wide like a hug.
Gliding inside, the countless white, marble headstones seemed almost beautiful with the right amount of sparkle the peeking sunrise gave them. Passing the statue, and turning a corner, Olivia saw it. The one thing she had begged her parents numerous times to see but all the pleading in the world fell on deaf ears.
All these years, all Olivia wanted besides the truth about her brother's death more than anything. The one thing her supposedly enemy is offering right now on Christmas day.
Chance's grave.
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