Chapter 16

It was a weekend morning which had started with rain showers. The weather was a bit cold and my hair was a little damped.

After collecting some books from our neighbours across the street, I headed back home. I sat at the dining table with my sister who was playing with her phone and my mom preparing breakfast while humming a tone. She acted like everything was just fine while I looked at her with a heavy gaze. Maybe she was crazy?

Jeez, I just called my own mother mad. 

Parents and their secrets.

 She placed the waffles in front of me with a kind smile while I gave her a glare. She laughed before going back to flipping her egg.

During the afternoon I sat in the sitting room texting Lucy.

Lucy the Romeo relative. 12:50pm

I have a confession. 

Me

What do you mean? I am no priest.

Lucy the Romeo relative. 12:52pm

Ha ha. *rolling eyes* But seriously I do. I have been keeping this inside my heart for many years, well it's just months though.

Me

Stop stalling around with these stories and just tell me.

Lucy the Romeo relative. 12:54pm

Since when do you like gossip? 

Me

I don't. You have a confession, I am ready to listen. 

Lucy the Romeo relative. 12:57pm

It's pretty big. I bet you never even noticed. *giggles*

Me

What if I did? *wiggles eyebrows*

Lucy the romeo relative.12:59 pm

*gasps* you would never know.

Me

I know you steal your mom's jewelry every Sunday to show off in the teenagers church. Don't think I don't notice. He he

Lucy the Romeo relative. 1pm

Well, that is one of my confessions. Hopefully,God doesn't punish me….

1:01pm

Okay, here goes nothing…

Me

With all these stalling, I think I already know. You like Jason, don't you?

Lucy the Romeo relative. 1:02pm

The hell? Who is Jason?

Me

Don't act like you don't know, Jason. Your brother's best friend. 🙄

Lucy the Romeo relative. 1:03

Jason? That arrogant bastard? Why do you have to pair him with me?! He is annoying, and there is no way in hell would I ever like someone of they sort.😠😠, he is cute and all but I do not like him. He is annoying, annoying to the core. Sometimes I just want to punch his cheek and leave a bruise. Even though we don't talk much, he always finds a way to annoy me. DO NOT EVER PAIR HIM WITH ME AGAIN!! 😡😡😠😠👿

Me

Whoa! Calm down! Jeez, I was only joking. Besides, he isn't even that bad, you just haven't seen another side of him.

Lucy the Romeo relative.1:04pm

Why are you defending him? Do you like him? 

Me

What?! No, I don't like him. I am just saying we shouldn't judge the book by it's cover.

Anyways, enough about Jason, what were you trying to say?

Lucy the Romeo relative. 1:06pm

Well...you got the part that I like someone. But not Jason, it's actually Johnny. You know we attended the same Kindergarten, so I had a crush on him back then. And now I think...I think I love him. Rubes, I love him so much and was so happy that he wasn't gay. I thought he was since he never really noticed, but after that girlfriend issue he had, I was glad. Also glad that he broke up with the summer fling. Sigh.

I stared at my screen and the name which Lucy had used to save her number in my phone for a while as I wondered. No wonder, the reactions to whenever Johnny hugged or chatted with me. The reaction of when Johnny was crying over his ex.

I should have known, it was so noticeable. It was in plain sight, but I never really paid any attention to it. Well, now I know.

Me

Why did you not tell him? Also why did you not tell me?

Lucy the Romeo relative. 1:25pm

Sigh, well there was the fear of rejection, that's why I did not tell him. As for you, I guess I thought you liked Johnny, which was stupid of me to think, I am sorry about that. I guess I saw you as competition and wanted to see whose feelings Johnny would notice first. I really do hope you aren't offended, you are still my bestest best friend.

I smacked my hand against my forehead. How could I be upset? Even though Lucy knew Johnny first, he was closer to me than he was to Lucy. So, I get the fact that she saw me as competition. And I have to say, Johnny was handsome. And with his glasses, he looks hot like those hot doctors with glasses, but he wasn't my type.

Me

It's fine. I am not upset. But next time do talk this out with me. Remember what we agreed on, no misunderstanding between us. 

What about Jacob?

Lucy the romeo relative.1:30pm

Okay Dark peach. I love you, I won't try that again.

I was thinking of breaking up with him. I gotta live for myself not for anyone else.

Ding-Dong.

"I will get it!" Amina said from the room before dashing towards the door.

My brows furrowed as I wondered. When was the last time Amina invited someone over? Does she even have friends?

We really need to spend some time. I hardly have the time to chat with her anymore.

I sighed. Running my hands over my face I sat up ready to reply to Lucy's conversation.

Besides, I need to tell her about my outing with Jason yesterday. I am sure she would be shocked. I giggled. 

"Shortcake?"

I blinked. I was just thinking about him and now I can hear his voice in my head. Is this a sign that I miss him?

No, no, it can't be.

A snap of fingers broke me from my inner monologue and I looked up to see him.

Speak of the devil.

Jason actually stood in front of him, his dark hair slightly wet which was probably from the rain, his fresh cologne filled my nose and those dark eyes that looked like an endless pool stared at me with confusion.

His lips slowly lifted up into a smirk.

"Who knew I would see you this soon?" he said, tucking his hands into his pocket.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" Amina asked, looking from both me to Jason with her beautiful big eyes.

"Yeah. We have known each other for a while, even went on a date last night. Mimi, is she your sister?" he asked her and she nodded. "Ahh, I can see the resemblance"

I slowly recovered myself from my dumbfounded state when I heard him call her Mimi.

"It wasn't a date," I murmured.

"Of course it was. You actually enjoyed it, did you not?" he said grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I--"

"Of course she did. She came home really late last night and she was grinning like a kid who was giving a Christmas gift" Amina interrupted.

"No, I--"

"Really? I never expected that. Well, I hope that I was able to fulfill your wish as the way Santa Claus would have"

What?! 

Amina laughed. "Gosh, Jace you are so funny"

Jace? Besides, what he said wasn't funny. I thought to myself.

Jason was about to say something but I wasn't having it. They have interrupted me for too long.

"Enough!" I shouted, making them look at me. I let out my pented up breath and asked. "I am confused. What's with the nicknames? Jace, Mimi? I am so confused. What is he even doing here? Mina he is older than you, if I wasn't home were you planning to bring a stranger into our home? Especially a guy, you are just twelve and he is eighteen" I looked at Jason and continued. "No offense Jason, but you don't expect me to be this calm when the person you are meeting is my twelve year old little sister"

"Little sister? Do you really consider me as one? Stop treating me like a child Ruby. Besides you hardly even talk to me, you don't even know what I am going through. I found relief talking to Jace on an online platform for smiling depressed kids. When was the last time we actually spent time together. You and mom just keep on seeing me as a child and never even have the time to understand me. Besides, do you think lowly of me or maybe of Jason? Of course you do, the only person you have ever cared about is yourself!" She said rushing out of the house banging the door behind her.

I leaned against the couch while staring at nothing in particular. I faced upwards staring at the ceiling. My emotions moving from dumb founded to confuse and finally to sadness.

Funny how I was just thinking about having sister time with her. Then Jason and the platform for smiling depressed kids? How did this all happen and I never noticed?

I have always thought about my family first, always how to provide for them and have money, but I have never thought about what they would be going through internally. I just realised not everything could be cured with the amount of money one has and I have neglected my sister and now she hates me.

"She doesn't hate you"

"Huh?" I looked at Jason who had taken the sofa opposite mine.

He ran his hands through his hair leaning against the sofa. His arms crossed around his chest.

"You must be thinking that she hates you. She doesn't. I applied to be a motivator in a platform and came across your sister. She was actually my first client. She told me about you, but she never mentioned your name. We have known each other for about a year now. She told me her elder sister would be at home today and would like for me to meet you. I never expected it to be you. She also told me what happened with your father, even with the therapy it caused a scar on her mind. She doesn't want to be left alone again. With you distancing yourself from her and your mother always thinking about how she is going to get her husband back, Mimi is entering into her shell. She may seem happy to you, smiling but all those are fake. It's not really good for her to be going through this at a young age, don't you think so?"

Who knows Jason knew so much about my family. My eyes blurred as tears filled my eyes, I sniffed not allowing the tears to fall.

"I understand, I thought… I thought everything was fine after the therapy elapsed. She must have told you about our money issue too, right?" He nodded. "Well, I was trying to make more money so at least we would have food on our table. It wasn't easy for me to balance school, work and everything in between. I thought she understood

He nodded. "Then you have to make her understand, shortcake. Talk to her, even in the quest for money don't forget about your family. You know that saying, no man is an island. Don't push everyone away from you, the person or things you might deem irrelevant is actually very relevant"

I nodded then smiled. "You would make a good therapist," I said.

He laughed. "Well I was planning to get a psychiatry degree, maybe do it as a side job"

I nodded. "Anyways, I am going to look for Mina" I stood up.

"No. She would be back, I trust that she won't do anything crazy. Why don't you just do something for her instead?"

I tucked my hand into the pocket of my hoodie and pondered over what Jason said.

"I may not be good at cooking, but I can bake some things. I learned how to bake her favourite pie, would you help me?"

He grinned, showing those sparkly white teeth that made me jealous. He had a left cheek dimple which I had just noticed, making him look even more cute. Just staring at him is making me weak in the knees.

Jason is totally swoon worthy and from what I have noticed, he might have be annoying and narcissistic sometimes, he is still kind and calm. Even with his arrogance, I am still attracted to his handsome face.

Ruby, stop thinking about that.

He is annoying, keep that in mind. 

"Trying to make yourself believe that you don't like me?" He raised an eyebrow, still grinning.

Tch! This guy!! Straightening my back I stared at the wall, thinking it looks more interesting. "Will you help me or not?" I asked ignoring his question.

"What's in it for me?"

I felt his fingers bring my cheeks up, making me face him. Our position was a bit intimate, as his arms wrap around my waist bringing me closer to his body. His warm body against my almost cold body.

"I-- I don't understand"

"How about a kiss?" he cocked his eyebrow when he asked.

"W--what? We are just baking!" I tried to get out of his grip bit couldn't. His arm tighter against my waist.

"Why do you hate me Ruby?" 

"I-" I stuttered again. I gulped, feeling the saliva run through my throat. My once dried forehead had beads of sweat from the pressure. There was tension in the air, the once cold room felt hot all of a sudden.

I took a deep breath, then stared into those dark eyes that looked like they could see your soul. I let the words flow out of my mouth.

"I may not like you much, but I don't hate you. You helped my sister, you were nice to me and you haven't treated me badly. Even though you are annoying and extremely narcissistic, you just grow on me and I have gotten use to it...I have gotten use to you being around and popping up out of nowhere"

He smiled. His eyes sparkling with Joy.

"Even when giving me a compliment, you still tend to put me in the zone of annoying" he chuckled, his laughter sounding like sweet honey being poured into a jar. He let go of my waist and I stepped back. Feeling glad that he had finally let me go.

"Time to go bake! Do you think we could do some shortcake...or maybe some pancakes" he wiggled his eyebrows.

I crossed my arms around my chest. Huffing and puffing as I made my way towards the kitchen, ignoring his laughter.

Infuriating bastard!