HIS UNMATCHED AFFECTION

Chapter 22

Jake's POV

When the door clicks open I drop my phone on the bed and turn around quickly. God am so bad at this. I know girls can be a handful when it comes to spying. And from the way she is looking at me I can tell she heard everything this one coupled with our earlier unfinished business is lethal. I screwed up. I shouldn't have picked up the call.

"I can explain", I say walking towards her.

She is looking like a zombie right now. Angry or mad whatever.

"Explain what Jake?" She asks getting closer.

I smile. Maybe I might just be off the hook. The angry look on her face melts into one beautiful smile. I hold her shoulders am just about to say something then boom.

"Are you still there handsome, I miss you hello! Okay I get it maybe your parents are around call me when you get time", Anita says and hugs up.

Bad news, am still screwed. I might have forgotten to hang up when she came in. I panicked. Right now I feel like just disappearing. Her eyes are burning with rage. She is waiting for an explanation. I think she is or else she should be halfway across the room.

"Can I now explain?" I ask shyly.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. She kicks me in the balls with her sick leg. I collapse on my bed writhing in pain. When did it heal? Or it just did the moment she needed to give me a low blow.

"Keep the explanation to yourself you dog", she says packing hers stuff.

"Can I at least walk you home?" I ask struggling to get on my feet.

She kicks like a guy honestly no girl has ever kicked me this hard, and precise too it's like she knew right where the balls were.

"No, have a good day Jake I can walk myself home, it's a block away I don't need you", She says marching out.

I know she means the exact opposite. With ladies when they say I don't need you sometimes they actually do and others they really don't. It's hard to tell but I rather try even if she doesn't. I grab a hood and rush after her. When I meet mum at the stairs I freeze. I can't let her see me walking as though I have been circumcised again.

"What have you done?" she asks smiling.

Her gaze turns to my legs that are struggling to hide my disability right now. I think she knows.

"Mum, not now I gotta get to her", I beg.

"Serves you right", she says paving the way for me.

"Sometimes I find it hard to believe am your son", I say rushing downstairs.

"Am your mother! I carried your big head for nine damn months dont you forget that" Mum shouts her usual punch line.

I find her waiting outside. I was lucky to get to her or else it could have been another f**k up. I give her the hood. She puts it on silently and walks away briskly as I struggle to match her pace. I can't even believe she is hurt I mean she is barely using her crutch.

Mrs. Authors POV

I can see Jake and Stacy coming over. From how they are walking, Stacy on fast pace I doubt her leg is healed already and Jake struggling to keep up I can't tell they are fighting. A few minutes ago I saw Eric drive away with some girl and James hasn't been around for quite some time that makes it official, Jake and Stacy are now a thing. We have been waiting for this to happen for a very long time and now it's here. I have always had a soft spot for Jake. I mean what's the not to like? A great physique, he is in good shape being a football player, handsome and famous. Back to his body... Okay now am making this awkward.

"Jake", I say when they get to the door.

"Yes Mrs. Authors can I come in?" he asks politely.

"What did you do?" I ask looking at him.

More than enough people have told me the thing with my eyes. And sometimes I misuse them to get answers mostly from people who are not used to them. Jake has not been a regular visitor, Eric is but they still crush him.

"She found me talking to some girl over the phone and she freaked out, thats all", He says struggling to maintain eye contact.

"And what about your legs, I smile knowing so well what she did to him. That's my girl am so proud. Am the one who taught her that one.

"I'd rather not talk about it", he says sounding embarrassed.

"Okay, go try your best just a warning... It might take longer than you think"

He nods going upstairs. I go back to the kitchen to prepare diner. I know am not supposed to interfere with my daughter's love life but I would champion for Jake to be her boyfriend. I can't just stop thinking about how good they'd look in a wedding. That's all I ever wanted since he struck puberty, for him to marry my daughter although it took a long time for them to realize it am glad they finally did. I can hear him begging upstairs. Their argument gets closer and before I know it he is following her in the kitchen.

"Mum there is an intruder in our kitchen", she says picking an apple from the fruit basket

I can see the worry in Jake's eyes.

"You give him what he wants then, I say walking to the fruit basket. I pick and apple and skilfully throw it to Jake.

"Thats a skillful throw you played..."

"Football? Noo", I interrupt him.

"Mum!" Stacy calls out loud and disappointed.

Of course she doesn't want me to make Jake comfortable. She is forcing me to hate him like she does and am old enough to lie but she is my daughter anyway so I play along our little game. We use it against her father most of the time.

"You should apologize to her Jake", I change my voice making it sound deeper.

"Exactly", Stacy says giving me a high five.

"I have said sorry like a dozen times", Jake complains.

"Not enough", Stacy and I say in unison we do the high five again.

It's annoying Jake and that's our metric of knowing if it's really working. He is lucky, we can hear Leonard's car in the drive way.

Eric's POV

"So you mean to reduce the pressure we have to add more of the liquid and less of the solid", I say as Stacy's dad and I get in the house.

"Yes, it's the only way to balance it... Hey everyone", He says happily.

There are faint "Heys and hi's" Mrs. Authors comes for the evening kiss while I join Stacy and Jake in the kitchen. I met Mr. Authors outside we arrived at almost the same time.

"Eric", Mrs. Authors says her typical way of exchanging pleasantries.

"Yes Mrs. Authors", I say politely.

She throws an apple to me. Being a football player I grab it skillfully she threw it perfectly. I wash it in the kitchen sink. I can smell something burning between this two. Stacy is glaring at Jake who is struggling to look normal.

"What have you done?" I ask my brother smiling.

"Why is everyone asking me the same question?" Jake asks sounding agitated.

We both burst into laughter except for Jake who is really in deep thought. Mr. Authors comes down stairs dressed in a pair of shorts. He is my second favorite Author being somehow a nerd like me. He is a scientist.

"Welcome to the club Jake, it's always a man's fault", He says going for the fridge.

"They ganged up against me", Jake complains.

"They do that to me all the time", He says smiling.

"Tell us how to get out of the web", I suggest.

I can tell the women of the house are withholding laughter. Stacy's little sister Ashley comes in. She is served some cake and tea and she goes back to her room after saying hi to everyone. We are waiting for the formulae against women.

"Well despite being a scientist for the better part of my life I have nothing", He concluded sending all of us into a frenzy of laughter.

"Don't even try to find your way out of it, most of the time just say you are sorry even if it's not your fault", Mrs. Authors adds on.

"in this case I said sorry a dozen times she still doesn't want to talk to me", Jake says.

"Try again tomorrow", Stacy finally speaks leaving us.

We say our goodbyes to the family and leave too. I guess I will also have to try tomorrow. She had pointed out earlier that there was something she really wanted us to talk about. I really hope it's worth this curiosity that is building up. On our way home I get time to ask Jake what he did.

"What did you do?" I ask. He doesn't think about it much.

"I was on call with Anita when she came in from the bathroom I thought she heard everything and dropped the phone on my bed"

"And then you forgot to hung up, I told you so one day you said it can never happen to you", I interrupt him.

"Maybe I should start listening to you more often", He says.

"Yeah, maybe you should", I affirm as we walk in the house, "Wait I thought Anita moved out of town?" I add on.

"They are moving back", He says sadly.

This day couldn't get even better. He is stuck in a conundrum.