Jessica Thompson

XI. Window

I don't know if I should feel flattered that such a good looking but cocky guy wants to kiss me or surprise that he's so honest about his emotions. Then, the suspicion arrives. Is this one of his methods he uses to get into girls' beds? Pretend he is vulnerable when, in reality, he's not.

I can see it now.

There's me.

Then, there's Jax.

***

"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever laid my eyes on, Jessica Thompson," Jax said.

I turn my head away from his hand, "No, I cannot believe you, handsome bad boy, Jax Rocco. I've-" a tear drop down, "I've heard about you. Rumors had spread the land regarding your personal affair."

He grabs my hands, "Please, my fair maiden, don't believe what others say about me. I may have the reputation of the bad boy, but inside, I'm a misguided person who desperately needs the embracement of the most beautiful girl in the world."

"And that fair, beautiful maiden is me?"

"Only you, my fair lady."

Steadily, Jax lays a sweet kiss on my lips, and until sunrise, he holds me in bed. Our hot bodies pressed against one another. Everything was sweet, until morning.

Jax pulls up his pants.

I cover myself with the blanket. "Jax? Where are you going?"

Jax glanced at me and smirked, "I'm leaving because I'm done with useless trash like you."

I gasp, "Useless trash? I thought I was the fairest maiden of all lands!"

Jax snickers, "Fairest maiden? Please, you're only a Grinch. You believe an attractive, wealthy bad boy with a reputation will fall for you?" He tugged on his shirt and gave me a cold look. One so cold that I felt like I was in the North Pole. I'm using that as a comparison despite never going there. "Goodbye forever, Grinch who stole Christmas and fell for my dirty pathetic excuse."

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I lost my pride, dignity, and virtue.

After that, three months from now, I found out I'm pregnant. My family disowned me, the community mocks me, and Jax will deny ever sleeping with a filthy woman like me.

I can feel the mockery and judgment around me.

***

"Hey," Jax said. "Are you okay?"

I grab his shirt with both hands, "How dare you use me and not take responsibility! My family disowned me, and I had to raise twins by working sixteen hours a day for you!"

Jax stared at me with widened eyes. I return his stares. Steadily, his eyes moved to the left then to the right, averting my intense glare. "I'm sorry?" His voice pitched.

I push him back, "You better be sorry." Then, it occurred, the outburst of laughter from the guy in front of me. Immediately, I covered his mouth, preventing my family from hearing him. "Are you crazy?" I whispered.

His laughter died into short chortles. He removes my hand, "No, but you are." I felt it. His hand wrapped around my lower waist. "Grinch, you sure have an active imagination." He smiles, "So, how were our twins? Are they cute?"

I made some distance between us. "I will not become a teenage mother."

He grins, "So, what I'm hearing is. You want to carry my baby when you're twenty?"

"You-"

Someone knocks against the door. "Hey, Jess. Todd and I are watching a movie. You in?"

I look at Jax. If I stay in this room any longer, I may explode. I'm sure, after the movie, he'll fall asleep. Then, in the morning, he's gone. "Sure. I'll be out."

"Cool. We'll have a few friends over."

Shit. I wish he told me about that. If I knew there's going to be Brody's friend, I would've stayed here with Panty Dropper. We could've discussed our nonexisting twins together.

I look at Jax, who exhales sharply. He got up and headed towards the closet. I grab him and point at the window. Jax rolls his eyes and heads towards the window. I grabbed the dirty plate and slid it beneath the bed.

I open the door, "Hey. I changed my mind. I don't want to watch a movie."

Brody crosses his arms, "I don't want you to watch the movie either. Mom forced me to ask you."

"Why?" I don't understand why I even question why. I know why. Mom probably asks him because she believes I'm anti-social. The only friend she ever saw was Krista. If only she knew I invited other people when she is conveniently away. "Nevermind. Don't tell me about it. I'm going to sleep."

Before I could close the door, Brody stuck his slipper in between the c***k. "You've been in here since dinner." His eyes narrow, "You're hiding something...or someone." My heart skipped a beat, and without control, I averted my eyes. A big mistake. He pushes the door open, and of course, with my lack of strength, I stumbled back.

I fought the urge to look at the window.

Brody rushed towards the closet. Immediately, he threw the door open. "Nothing except cheap old clothes."

Now, that hurts.

His body twists, and he marches towards the bed. He lifted the blanket and searched the bed. "Nothing except dust and-" his brows crunches, "a plate?"

"I got hungry," I said.

Brody rests it on the nightstand. "That explains the extra weight." Now, that hurts too. I mean, I did gain a few extra pounds, but he didn't have to say it out loud. His eyes roam around the room. There wasn't anywhere else to hide a body. Steady, his lips twist into a cunning smile, "My dear layer of cake sister-" Layer of cake? Is that an insult? He heads towards the window. s**t. "You seem to forget I'm a guy who usually sneaks into girls' bedrooms." I swallow, the sweats dripping down my skin as Brody's head closer to Jax. Steadily, he grasps both handles, and with one quick motion, he threw it open.

No one.

There was no one outside.

Did Jax leave?

Brody searched around, and when nothing or no one appeared, he looked at me. "I don't know what you're hiding and preventing you from hiding what you want to hide. You will go downstairs with everyone instead of staying up here and hiding whatever it is you're hiding."

"What?" I ask.

"Just be down there, or I'm telling mom." He marches out of my bedroom. Brody stops beside the closet and looks inside one more time before he glares at me. Then, he left.

Immediately, I rushed towards the window. "Jax?" I whisper. No one. I inch closer to the edge. "Jax?" No one.

Did he leave?

Well, he already paid, and if he chooses to check out early, it's not my problem.

With a light exhalation, I close the window, lock it, and head downstairs. Before I can move any further, my phone buzzes. "Hello?"

"Brody is having a movie night?" Krista asks.

"Yeah."

"And you didn't invite me?"

"I got my invitation to it less than ten minutes ago."

"Well, I'm about to get my invitation to it in less than five minutes in the future."

I didn't respond. Am I uncomfortable when my best friend is obsessed with my older brother? Yes. Do I have the heart to tell her to stop her obsession? No.

The only thing I can hope is that she meets someone else and gets over Brody one day. Krista can do so much better than my brother.

"I am going to get an invitation. Right?" I can hear the hesitation in her voice.

"Yes. I am extending my late invitation to you. Come soo-" the phone call ends. "Okay, then." I tuck the phone back into my pocket. After a single step down, I jogged back towards my bedroom.

And that was when I made another mistake.

I unlocked the window.