Last midnight

"Jake! Guess what? The clients were super happy after the meeting and even signed a contract with me. This seriously feels like a dream! Thank you for your help."

I wheezed in excitement. This was a big step towards establishing a successful company.

"Congratulations. I am so glad you made it. Does this mean I have to treat to dinner now?" Jake questioned. I giggled and nodded.

We went to a restaurant, a new one in a remote hillside area. "You seem to know a lot about Hawaii, too much for just a random stay after a business trip,"

"I like to explore as much as I can,"

We went on chatting, ordering loads of food and enjoying our night. We sat near a small fountain in front of the restaurant staring at the cloudy sky. "Looks like it is again going to rain tonight," Jake predicted.

And soon enough it did start to rain. Jake rushed to the car but I stopped him. I remembered the day I got lost in the woods.

"Leave your car, you can come get this in the morning. Just ask one of you drivers. Come on let's run," I grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey but this place is pretty far away." Jake paused. "We'll halt it at the gas station near my home and run the rest of the way to my home. What do you say?"

I spontaneously agreed and we set off. On our way back, the rain turned into a storm. "Are you sure you still wanna walk?" I asked, reluctant all of a sudden.

"Why not?" Jake said parking the car and stepping out. He opened the door for me and I set foot in the storm too. "I don't like your words going to waste. You don't realize how important they are to me."

Then we wandered silently. The storm was loud enough to fade away the city noise, but my internals just felt silent, and calm. As we reached near Jake's apartment, the roads got emptier. My inner child was wide awake now. I suddenly grabbed Jake's hand and ran towards the end of the street. We guffawed in the pitter patter which soon died down to a mild sprinkle.

Reaching Jake's home the first thing we did was drink coffee. I seemed to have a stuffy nose, indicating a flu. "Wow your coffee skills are at its peak," I said blowing my nose.

"Wow you're weak," I slapped his arm as we giggled. We turned on a movie and at eleven, I decided to go home.

"It's really late now. No use going home, remember we still have to meet in the morning? This will make you drained. Stay here for the night, I make delicious breakfast," Jake tried to convince me. I was really tired, so I gave in. He led me to the room next to his. "Good night," I grinned. Jake answered me back but before leaving he turned back, hesitant. "I-" his voice trailed off. He gazed at my lips, stepping closer. I froze. No!

Suddenly something inside him stopped him and he dashed out, embarrassed. Heat crept in my cheeks, but I was thankful it was over. I couldn't imagine rudely pushing him away. Maybe I was thinking too much.

At night, I had difficulty sleeping due to the temperature drop caused by the non-stop rain. I got up, turned on the side lamp to look for extra blankets inside the closet. I didn't want to wake up Jake, but my body was oscillating in the chill. I flinched as I heard the front door click open. Were there more people in the house or was Jake awake…? Was it thieves? There was only one way to find out. I decided to go out and check for myself. Mafia's are not scared of thieves. I shrugged and opened the door slightly, the aloof handle cold to touch.

Just then I saw a silhouette stepping out the doorway. "Jake?" I whispered, my voice hoarse due to the flu acting up. He didn't seem to hear me. I wanted to follow him but my brain said otherwise. This apartment was on the 5th floor, so I should be able to see where he goes. I liberated the terrace door and stepped in the cold. Wearing slippers could have been a better option. I furtively tried to catch where Jake was going, but all I saw was a black SUV driving away. I rushed inside and heard Jake thudding his feet on the wooden floor. He seemed out of breath as he appeared again; and the air utterly knocked out of him as he saw me standing there with a questionable expression on my face. "What a-are y-you doin-ng here?" Jake managed to say.

I gave him a look. "I- well needed some blankets, it's quite cold here."

For the first time, I felt suspicious of Jake. But I tried not to think about this. He handed me a few blankets, avoiding eye contact. "Where did you go at this hour? Is everything okay?" I tried not to sound demanding.

"One of my colleagues' mother had a heart attack, he asked me for some money urgently. The doctors said she needed to get some surgery. Her treatment has been going on for some time now," Jake explained. His tone and story was quite believable, he never lied to me, so I decided to let it go and not ask any more questions.

The car did symbolize extreme wealth though but I couldn't tell Jake I stepped in the terrace acting like a spy. He opened his room door but I interrupted him. "Jake… I wanted to ask you something, if you don't mind."

"Sure, go ahead."

"I umm… I don't know how to say this but you should understand me, I just need to clear somethings. Are you in any way still in contact with Jay or anything related to him? I mean you can but you are not in the mafia, right?" Jake's expression turned acrid.

"Don't. Mention. That. Evildoer." He pursed his lips, livid. "I am not related to that man. And I'd rather die than do something like him. Please don't mention that again."

Jake's words seemed to hold meaning, so I relaxed a bit. I just hoped whatever happened a couple minutes ago had nothing to do with the mafia world.

My suspicions surfaced again when for the next week when Jake seemed super depressed. But this time I believed something else was up. He seemed… badgered. Was someone putting irrelevant stress on him? Pushing him to limits?

My coffee cup dropped out of my hand as another thought came across my mind. What if Jay found out I was in link with Jake?