Chapter 51: Chapter 51

×

"What?" Jessi put on a straight face and stared back at her boss. With her phone in her pocket, she glanced around to check for prying eyes.

Thankfully, they were safe. The hallway remained dim and empty, and the temptation to turn on the audio recorder turned into nothing more than a fleeting impulse.

"Why're you here?"

His jaw clenched. A flush crept up his face as he stood right outside her apartment unit, pouting and looking like he'd had much better days. "Why aren't you answering my texts? And calls?" Jenson took a step closer. His wrinkled pants looked darker than his plain shirt, and his steely gaze wouldn't leave her face.

Where was he before he drove all the way here? His cheeks stayed pinkish. Had he been drinking all evening? So he'd been driving while intoxicated?

Shit.

With her mouth snapped shut, the guy made a face and looked away. "I'm not allowed to check up on you?"

"I'm busy packing." Jessi backed off and turned away from him, her heart beating erratically. Her chest felt tight, like her stomach. She walked away from the front door but left it open for him.

Why was he here? And drunk again?

"I know." The guy puffed a sigh and stepped inside her apartment. "But why didn't you text me back at least?"

"Sorry. I got busy."

"Why'd you leave the cemetery without telling me?" Jenson followed her, stopping by her bedroom door, his deep voice almost echoing against the cold and dark hall.

"I got things to do, and you were obviously busy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me." Jessi stayed in the other side of her room, pretending to be busy with her suitcase. Holding back a more vitriolic response required more effort, but, right now, she'd rather finish packing than waste her night arguing with him.

After everything that Kel said over the phone, Jessi couldn't help but entertain ill thoughts of him and his real intentions.

He shouldn't even be here, acting like he badly wanted an apology. So he got drunk and upset just because she didn't reply to his texts and ignored his calls?  "What? You're mad?" Jenson took off his shoes and entered her bedroom.

"No."

"Then why were you ignoring me? You were upset 'cause she was there with me?"

Did he really have to ask? Of course she was jealous of the woman. Jessi held back a scowl and resumed stuffing the rest of her clothes into her suitcase, leaning over the bed and ignoring the painful thuds in her chest.  Tears filled her eyes before she could even decide what to say.

The heck... Why was she even crying?

But if jealousy was a good enough reason to explain her distant behavior all day, then maybe she wouldn't have to admit what Magnus did.

The man practically threatened her and told her to go back home. To stay away for good. And never again interfere with Jenson's relationship with Charmaine.

When Magnus asked her if she wanted a "permanent life" with Jenson, of course she denied it—because it was what the boss wanted to hear.

"Don't take this personally, Jessiah, but I think you're nowhere near ready for married life. Much less a relationship with someone like Jenson. You're a smart girl. Save yourself the headache. I suggest you try another line of work. It would be better for you, for your family and for your peace of mind," was what Magnus said before he ended their conversation in the limousine with a surreptitious NDA signing.

"Jessiah."

She shook off the memory and resumed folding clothes, the eagerness in Jenson's voice drawing her back to the present.

"Can we talk?" He stood just a few steps behind. A hint of impatience dulled his voice. Obviously he wasn't going to leave anytime soon. "Please?"

"Why?" She kept her back to him, maintaining an indifferent tone and rearranging the clothes in her suitcase.

Jenson ignored her question. A sigh broke off the awkward silence before he took another step closer to her. "What time's your flight?"

"Before midnight."

"I'll drive you there."

"No."

"Why not?" he mumbled. Some annoyance made his voice sound gruff.

"You don't have to drive me to the airport."

"Jess..."

Ugh. Did he really need her to spell out everything? What for? The things Kel said about him and his uncle were exasperating enough. Jessi sighed. Her brain couldn't even focus on anything else. She had no more patience left for another argument tonight.

"But I want to."

"Just go home, Jenson."

×

"Hey. I'm sorry." Jenson stood closer till he was able to touch her hair.

A tingle of surprise shot down her spine. But she kept up a poker face—he didn't need to know that his presence still affected her this much. "Get a cab. Go home." Jessi nearly flinched when he put his arms around her, hugging her from behind.

They stood right next to her bed for a while, with him embracing her as his lips pressed on the back of her head. He felt so warm and firm. Like always.

As much as her common sense wanted her to push him away, she just couldn't. Everything that happened in the last few days still made her feel like he only played with her feelings, but she was to blame, too. It wasn't entirely his fault that she felt hurt and betrayed.

She let herself fall for him. That one was all on her. But he didn't need to know everything. He didn't need to know how she really felt for him. For his own good.

"What do you want from me?" she murmured, suppressing the tears that almost burned her eyes and dimmed her vision. She wiped them off before he could see any of it.

"Nothing. Just for you to be honest."

"Honest?" She turned to push him away.

Only then did his arms finally let her go.

How dare he? After he invaded her privacy, betrayed her trust while basically treating her like a side chick, he was calling her a liar now?

Wow. After everything she had done for him...  "So I'm the one being dishonest and keeping secrets." Jessi kept her back to him and walked away from the bed to shut the closet doors. "Are you serious right now?"

"What? Why're you so upset?"

"Just leave. Go straight home. And I don't want her or anyone to know you were here again."

"Fine. I get it. You don't want me here. But answer me first." He followed her into the bathroom and stood next to her.

She washed her face to hide the stupid tears.

With his arms crossed, Jenson leaned against the sink, his brows and forehead wrinkled by his deep scowl. His arm touched hers while she leaned over the sink.

Suppressing the impulse to walk out on him, she stared at her hands under the warm water to avoid his eyes. "You're drunk again. Call a cab. Go home."

"I'm not." He sighed out loud. "You think I'm only here 'cause I wanna sleep with you?"

What the heck? Did he really expect her to answer that?

"Just go. I got things to do." Jessi turned off the faucet, her feet itching to dash out of the bathroom. Just his stare was enough to make her cry her frustrations out, but he didn't need to see that. She'd hold it all in a little bit longer.  Apathy now. Cry later.

"Alright. Fine." It was all he said before walking out on her. Seconds later, he shut the front door.

Fresh tears wet her cheeks before she could even try to stop it. Jessi took a deep breath,   let out a sigh, then rushed back to her bed.  She flumped her face onto the pillows, muffling her sobs that trebled the pounding of her heart.

The verdict was loud and clear: she should leave and never come back here—like his uncle said. Jenson wasn't the guy for her.

Not in this lifetime.  He should just work on his relationship with his oh-so-perfect fiancée, and stop pretending that this was going somewhere.

It was for the best.

×