The Bad Boy's Reward

Chapter 7: Morning Meetup

June's POV

"I better get to work. Thanks for dinner, June Bug. Tiffany, you're welcome anytime, but leave the boyfriend at home." She laughed, probably assuming Dad was kidding.

"See you in the morning," I hugged him goodbye. "Be safe. Call at 11 and make sure to always check your six."

"Don't die," we said in unison, as it was what I told him every time he went off to work. "Don't plan on it. Don't forget. Nine o'clock, June. I'll be watching."

"Yes, sir." I fake saluted him, making him roll his eyes at me in slight irritation at my antics. When he left, I finished cleaning up our dinner dishes with Tiffany's help.

"I don't know how you did it, but my dad seemed to like you," I told her as I rinsed my plate off.

"I told you I could do it." She grinned arrogantly at me.

"Sorry I doubted you."

"Don't worry. In a couple of weeks' time, I'll have him so wrapped around my finger that he'll allow you to come over for a sleepover." She winked at me as she placed my dish in the dishwasher for me. The idea of a sleepover oddly excited me. It was always a little me's dream to go to a sleepover, but Dad would never let me go the few times I had been invited as a child. Something about me being too young and him not knowing what the people of this town were like behind closed doors.

“I don’t know about all of that.” I chuckled at her.

“We’ll see.”

After we finished cleaning up, Tiff left to meet Rodney outside the gate of my house. I watched as she hopped into the passenger seat, waving goodbye from the door. JJ’s bright red hair was nowhere in sight, showing Rodney had ditched him for a good night with his girlfriend. It wasn’t long after that that I headed up to my room and just conked out. It would seem that social interactions exhausted me more than I thought they would.

My alarm rang at six, prompting me to get up and brush my teeth. Since I didn’t have time to jog on the beach yesterday evening, I decided to do it this morning instead. I started near the surf shop, making my way down to Seaside Bites, the restaurant off the pier a couple of miles down. Jogging along the shore was always my favorite, as I loved the feel of the water on my feet when the waves would roll in. I always jogged barefoot here, feeling my toes sink into the wet sand as I pushed off the ground.

I was deep in thought, enveloped in the sounds of Dare by Gorillaz in my ears as I continued my path. A vibrant shock of red hair caught my attention in the distance as he shook the water off him like a playful dog. Standing tall in the sand, his white surfboard leaned against him while he effortlessly removed his wetsuit, revealing a mesmerizing display of blue and red tattoos. I couldn't help but wonder why he chose only those two colors, but it undeniably enhanced their allure. Determined not to be caught staring, I averted my eyes and focused ahead. Just as I thought I had successfully passed him without being caught, he unexpectedly began jogging alongside me. Curiosity piqued, I removed my earbud and cast a questioning glance in his direction.

“Are you stalking me now, Pollyanna?” he asked, when he realized I could hear him.

“I’m not as optimistic as she. Hell, I'm not optimistic at all.” My words were laced with frustration, as evidenced by the tone I used. I didn't peg him for the literary type, surprised he even knew who Pollyanna was. “Besides, you’re the one running after me,” I pointed out before placing my earbud back in and picking up my pace in hopes he’d leave me alone.

I had no such luck, as he kept pace with me rather easily. Trying to ignore his powerful presence, I pushed myself harder, running more than jogging now. It wasn’t until my chest burned that I finally stopped. My hands leaned over my knees as I fought to catch my breath. Looking up, I could see that JJ was out of breath too, but not nearly as bad as me. How did he have such high stamina?

“Done already, Silent Seraph?” He gave me that stupid smirk that annoyed me more than anything.

“What’s with the nicknames?” I asked, standing straight now.

“Are they bothering you, Miss Pristine?”

“You are bothering me.” I rolled my eyes, walking past him.

“How could I be bothering you? I was just running.” He shrugged, keeping that irritating smirk on his face.

“Then, by all means, keep running. I’m heading home.” I turned, heading back the way I came. Only JJ still followed closely behind. “Why are you following me?” I snapped.

“I’m not. My board is this way. Conceited much?” He laughed as he watched my cheeks burn with my blush. I didn’t have the palest of skin, but my blush was always very noticeable.

“Do you have to walk so close to me?” I deflected, picking up my pace, trying to put some distance between us.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Princess. This is my normal pace.” He shrugged, matching my speed again.

“What gives? Why are you bothering me so much this morning?”

“Tiffany doesn’t need anyone trying to change her. She gets enough of that from her parents. So don’t go getting any ideas. Got it?”

“Who would want to change her? She’s perfect. Now, if that’s all, would you leave me alone?” I drew my brows together in annoyance as I asked.

He just threw his hands up, backing away and finally giving me room. I rolled my eyes, turning my music up and marching off. My mood soured as my perfect jog got ruined. I hated starting my day off in a bad mood, so to cheer myself up, I stopped by Daffodil’s Bakery to get my favorite cherry turnovers for breakfast.

“Good morning, June!” Delilah smiled at me from behind the counter, her shimmering blue eyes crinkled at the corners. She was the picture of beauty even at her age. You would never guess she was 50 as she looked to be more in her 30s, with her pristine complexion and almost wrinkle-free face. However, Delilah smiled too much to not have crow's feet around her eyes at this age. Her light blonde hair shone in the sunlight, causing her to look as if she was glowing with a halo.

“Morning, Lilah. Can I please get four cherry turnovers?” I approached the counter with an equally vibrant smile.

“Sure thing! How’s your dad doing? I know those night shifts can be hard,” she said, making friendly conversation as she placed the turnovers in the white pastry box.

“He’s good, definitely tired.”

“Let him know to stop by before going in, and I’ll make the station a fresh batch of my cookies for the night, alright?”

“Yes, ma’am, I will. I am sure he’ll appreciate it. Your cookies are his favorite,” I nodded, handing her my money.

“Oh, no, honey. You know your money's no good here.” She shook her head, holding her hand up in refusal.

“Thank you, Lilah.” I took the box from her, and when she turned, I placed the money in the tip jar. How could I not pay her for the heavenly treats she made?

When I got home, I found Dad still awake. He had made himself a cup of coffee, sipping on it as he sat at the table. He had that serious expression on his face that made my body run cold. My stomach swirled with anxiety as I approached the table, feeling I was in trouble. His eyes darted to the chair, telling me, in no words, to take a seat. The chair scraped against the hardwood floor as I dragged it out and slowly took my spot.

“I brought cherry turnovers from Lilah. She said to stop by before you go in for your shift and she’ll make you guys a fresh batch of cookies,” I said, trying to break this intense silence.

“Thank you. I will do that.” His expression did not change as he spoke, despite his words of gratitude.

“Want to tell me what’s wrong?” I asked, unable to take this suspense any longer.

“I don’t know, June. You tell me. Is there anything I should know about?” he asked, having that look he gets when he knows something but wants to hear me say it. Did he find out about the Harmonia Institute? Does he know I’m not interested in criminal law?