Chapter 26: Hurt

Jared's POV

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pain when Ericka mentioned that we didn't love each other. I knew she was right, but I couldn't quite grasp why her words hurt so much.

I gently picked Ericka up and carried her to the bathroom, setting her down in the bathtub. I started cleaning her,Ericka noticed my efforts and with a playful grin, she invited me to join her in the tub.

"Only couples do that, princess," I said.

As I prepared to leave the bathroom, Ericka grabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

"Well, I'm not saying that we need to be a couple for you to join me here," she said, her eyes filled with a puppy-like innocence. She continued, "Besides, I can't properly clean my back on my own."

Her puppy-eyed look melted my heart, and despite my initial hesitation, I found myself agreeing to join her.

We cleaned each other and enjoyed the warmth of the water.

Minutes Later

I leaned against the bathtub with Ericka's back resting on my chest, she hummed a tune and played with the bubbles.

"Where's your family?" Her question caught me off guard.

"I don't have a family. I'm an orphan." I responded honestly.

She turned her head to face me and I can see the empathy in it and said, "Oh, I'm really sorry about that."

"It's not your fault. Shits happen."As I guided Ericka to lean on my chest once more, creating a sense of comfort and security for both of us.

"I'm sorry I didn't know." she said lowly.

"Shh, princess. It's okay." I wanted to avoid dwelling on the subject of my past, so I added, "Let's just not talk about it anymore."

After our bath, Ericka was about to head to her room, but she turned back to me and said, "Can I just sleep here? I'm scared to be alone tonight."

"Only couples do that too, princess." I said.

Ericka, not in the mood for games, shot back, "Stop with the couple crap, and let's just go to sleep, okay?" She rolled her eyes, showing her impatience.

"Watch your attitude, Ms. Brat. If you don't want me to fuck your brains out again even if you're tired."

"I-I'm sorry, just please let me sleep here." She stutter.

"Okay." As I wanted to make sure she felt comfortable and secure.

Ericka's face lit up with happiness, and she quickly jumped onto my bed, getting cozy.

After ensuring Ericka was settled, I lay down beside her, making sure we were both comfortable. We both closed our eyes, ready to drift off into a peaceful slumber beside each other.

________________________________________

Ericka's POV

Waking up to the dim light filtering through the curtains, I slowly opened my eyes, only to find Jared already awake and gazing at me intently. The intensity of his stare caused a flutter in my chest, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

"What's up with that look?" I asked, trying to figure out what was going on in his head.

He suddenly said, "You're mine" and I couldn't help but remind him about our earlier chat. "Didn't you say last night we're not a thing?" I teased.

His answer took me by surprise. "Still, you're mine," he confirmed, and I pressed on, "So, you're saying I'm yours...to fuck?" I asked, waiting for his clarification.

Jared's response left me a bit confused, "It's way more than that." His words made my heart skip a beat, hoping for a deep confession. But then, he said, "I'm getting addicted to your body, Ericka."

"Is that all?" I inquired, feeling a bit disappointed.

Jared then asked, "Why? Were you expecting something else?" His question made my eyes well up with emotion, and I quickly stood up to hide my tears.

"So, I'm right? I'm basically yours to...you know?" I joked to conceal my trembling voice.

Jared replied casually, "Yeah, kinda."

Gathering my emotions, I managed to say, "Umm, my grandma must be worried, so I'll get going now." I then hurried to find my clothes, which I remembered were in the living room. Rushing over, I quickly put them on.

Jared followed me and asked, "Why are you in such a hurry all of a sudden?"

I replied, my voice tinged with sadness and anger, "You don't care." Unaware of my emotions, I added, "I'm going now," and swiftly made my way out the door.

As I walked down the street, tears continued to stream down my face. I curse myself, muttering, "Why the fuck am I crying?" I roughly wiped away the tears, trying to regain control of my emotions.

Time skip

After getting back to grandma's place, I headed to my room and flopped onto the bed. I grabbed a pillow, pressed it against my face, and let out a loud scream to vent some frustration. Hoping that my grandma wouldn't hear a noise.

Desperate to escape my thoughts about Jared, I decided to call Thomas or Anna and suggest we go to a club to drink and have some fun. Unfortunately, my friends wasn't answering their phone, leaving me with the decision to go out alone later in an attempt to distract myself from the situation.

Ugh!!

As evening approached, I decided it was time to get ready for the club.

I picked out a super cool, black shimmery dress that hugged my curves just right.I also bring a purse and also slipped into some tall, black heels that made me feel like a million bucks.

I knew I had to look extra fab today because I wanted to forget about Jared and his constant presence in my thoughts. All day long, he was like a stubborn fly buzzing around my head, and I needed a fresh atmosphere and new people to swat him away.

Heading down the stairs, I caught a glimpse of my grandma, who kindly reminded me to be careful out there. I promised her that I wouldn't drink too much, especially since I was on my own that night.

Time Skip

At the Club

Stepping into the buzzing club, the music was like a warm hug. People were dancing, chatting, and having a great time. Some were taking a quick smoke break, while others were sipping on their drinks.

I chose to stick with a light drink, keeping my grandma's advice in mind. I wanted to enjoy the night without getting too carried away or feeling too tipsy.

Some dude walked up to me while I was sipping my drink.

"Yo, you look kinda lonely. You here by yourself?" he asked.

"Yeah, just trying to have a good time and forget about something." And I invited him to hang with me, thinking it'd be cool to meet new people and forget my worries for a bit.

We started chatting and we exchange names,his name is Franco and he seemed pretty chill. But I couldn't shake this weird feeling that someone was watching me. I scanned the crowd, but the creepy stare was gone, or maybe it was just in my head.

Anyway, I decided to focus on our conversation and enjoy the vibe of the night.