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Chapter 27

Last night, I found out that Jake wakes up at 6 AM Monday through Saturday to go to work. Sometimes he skips lunch, because he doesn't have time. And sometimes he runs late to class, so he doesn't eat until he gets home.

And for some reason, that really annoys me.

It's bad enough his job is physically taxing, but to not even make time for food? What could be more important than health? He's going to develop digestive problems if he keeps that up.

So I — a professional who cares about the well-being of fellow humans, a health fanatic, and an advocate of work-life balance — did something stupid.

That's why when he stops by my office before class — as I had asked — I greet him with a grumpy mood.

"Uh...are you ok?" He smiles by the door when I glower from my seat.

I cross my arms and point my chin to close the door. He tries to suppress his excitement, but the corners of his lips pull up and there's a dark glimmer in his eyes.

"That's not why you pervert."

"Oh." His smile falls. "Then what do you want?"

I bend down to grab the... object of my humiliation and set it on the desk.

Jake looks at it then back at me, gaze curious. "What's that?"

"A lunch bag."

He chuckles. "You got me a lunch bag?"

I nod and avert my eyes. He goes to pick it up, then stops. "Oh, it's filled already?" He wraps his fingers around the black zipper and pulls it open.

Heat breaks across my face. "You really shouldn't go all day without eating."

"I told you I don't have time..." he murmurs, grinning like a kid opening a Christmas present. I frown and squirm as he rummages through. "Did you get me... bone broth?"

"Yeah. You skip meals, so your digestion is probably shit. And you work under damaging weather, so your skin will sag and you'll look fifty by the time you're thirty. Bone broth is full of calcium, protein, collagen, and amino acids that help with all that."

"You're telling me, you expect me to sip on cold chicken juice?"

"Do you want the benefits or not?"

He shakes his head, then looks inside the bag again. He sets the items down on the desk one by one. And the more he smiles, the angrier I get.

"Bananas help with blood pressure... peanut butter's full of healthy fats... and the shrimp spring roll was the freshest thing at Whole Foods."

"Aw, and here I thought I'll get to try your cooking." He clicks his tongue, putting everything back in the bag. His movements are careful and gentle, like he's handling a prized possession.

"I don't cook."

He looks at me for a moment, eyes hooded with tenderness. "You're cute, you know that?"

I glare in response, but he smirks and leans down to kiss me. "Thank you, this was really sweet."

"Get out." I blush.

He grabs the lunch bag, gives me a wink, then heads for the door. I bite my lip to hide my smile and try not to stare at his butt in those black jeans. Then my eyes bulge, because Kayden appears when Jake opens the door.

Fuck.

"Uh, hi." He blinks at Jake, eyes slightly wide.

Jake nods politely and walks out, Kayden stares after him before turning away and walking hastily inside. My elbows press on my sides and I stay rooted in my seat, waiting for his reaction.

He gives me a stern look as he sits across from me and puts his forearms on the desk, eyes piercing.

"Mia, you should never close the door when there's a student inside. It can be used against you for sexual harassment."

I nod weakly and look down, not trusting my poker face. He takes it as a cue to continue. "Especially someone like him, he looks like trouble."

"Jake?"

"Jake. Even his name is licentious."

Relief washes over me and I lean back in my seat, smirking a little. "Kayden, are you crushing on my student?"

"Don't be ridiculous." He snorts with a flustered smile. "I'm just observing his aesthetic with pure objective analysis."

"Mhm, that's why you stop by so often."

"No, you idiot." He gives me a deadpan expression. "I need to talk to you about Molly."

"Oh." My humor drops. "Is she okay?"

"She is..." His throat bobs as he swallows, hesitating for a moment. "But she needs you. Well, I need you. Can we talk after work?"

I want to ask for elaboration, but the stress of running late to class wins over, so I just nod.

~

After an hour of suppressing my giggles from Jake's banana munches during lecture, There's' an odd, fuzzy warmth tingling in my stomach, which I assume is the rewarding feeling you get when you support others' digestive functions.

When I walk to the parking lot to my car, Kayden meets me halfway and offers to carpool to a bar to unwind from the work day. Deciding not to subject him to my driving, I agree to go with his car. When I open the passenger door of his tan colored Honda, my phone buzzes with a text from Jake.

"Where are you going?"

Nerves bubble with Kayden next to me, but I keep my phone screen hidden.

"To talk about Molly."

"Ok, where?"

"A bar...what's with the attitude?"

"Bar with Kayden? Why?"

"What the fuck?"

"Which bar."

"Jake. Bye."

"I don't like you going to a bar with another guy."

"Well, that's too bad."

~

"Everything okay?" Kayden asks with a side glance as he drives.

"Yeah, sorry." I sigh, putting my phone away.

"Trouble in paradise?"

I snort. "Apparently I'm not allowed to go to a bar with another man."

"You should tell him I'm not into you." He shrugs.

I laugh. "Thanks, jackass."

"Sorry, I'm only into toxic blondes, apparently. Besides, I could never think of you like that when I know what you mean to Molly. You're family."

I put my hand on my chest. "Kayden, you're going to make me cry."

He rolls his eyes. "I hope I get to meet him one day though."

~

The bar we go to is so perfect, I almost forget about Jake's mood. It's a dim library with black bookshelves and red strips of lights. Leather couches and ebony tables scatter the corners, the crowd is dressed in suits and heels. Kayden orders scotch and I settle for an untouched glass of white wine, for the sole purpose of looking cool. Smooth jazz plays in the background.

"How do you know about this place?" I wonder, soaking in the environment.

He sets down the crystal glass. His glasses flare with a soft glow from the golden lamp shade beside him. "From Natalie. Unfortunately she had pretty good taste."

The mention of her name makes me grip the stem of my wine glass and I go for a grimacing sip. "I'm not surprised. Narcissists feel entitled to have the best of everything."

"Figures why she didn't stick around for too long."

"Kayden, come on. Don't put yourself down."

"Come on, Mia. You saw her Beverly Hills house. Well, her dad's house. But that's where she comes from. What's she going to do with a professor who drives a Honda?"

"I don't know, live? Be happy? Not focus on materialism? But wait, that would require her to be sane and mentally capable."

"I'm just an idiot for not seeing it from the beginning." He shakes his head. "She was just so...powerful, so alluring. And I felt like she knew me. Knew what to say and what to do."

"Narcissists are good with words. It's their lethal weapon."

"I'm scared for Molly." His voice lowers, weighing down with dread. "I'm scared of who she might become if I don't take her out of that house."

"You should be. It's not a safe place for her. She'll be better off with you."

He tilts his head, eyes narrowing. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure." I lean towards him.

He looks down with hesitation. "Apologies in advance if you don't want to talk about it, but... do you relate to Molly? I've always wondered if you see yourself in her, if that's why you're so passionate to help her."

My voice is quiet, and undoubtedly vulnerable. "Yeah, I do. I was in her shoes once. Not in the same exact way. I think my mom has a narcissistic disorder, but also exhibits borderline traits. I grew up with her being sweet to me one moment and screaming a second later."

"I'm sorry... that sounds so brutal for a child to go through."

"It was, I'm not going to lie." I look away, shrugging. "I think it really fucked me up."

"But look at you now. You're so established and strong."

"Yeah." I snort under my breath. "Don't get me wrong, I am better. I used to be so awkward and depressed before. But... I'm still far from being normal."

Concern paints his face, his eyes searching to understand. "Do you know what's holding you back?"

"Probably more therapy..." My voice breaks a little. "Probably also need to cut ties with my mom."

"You're still in contact?"

"Sort of. She's financially dependent on me and I just worry about finding her homeless one day. I have nightmares about it." I swallow the lump in my throat and scrunch my face to fight the images. "Logically, I understand it's not my responsibility. I just... I'm not there yet to deal with the guilt."

"This is your field of profession, so you know better. But the brain has neuroplasticity. It heals and learns new behaviors. I know Nat made me feel like shit when I asked for a divorce, she made me a villain. It took years to realize that she was a master of manipulation."

"Molly will do better than me, though. She has you." I go back to the reason we're here. "A supportive parental figure can mitigate a lot of the damage."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." He leans closer, his eyebrows high. "I'm going back to court to fight for physical custody."

"That's amazing, Kayden." I grin. "I bet Molly is so happy."

"But I can't do it unless you help me."

"Me? I'm not a lawyer." I laugh.

"You're Molly's therapist. You can be a witness to convince the judge that Nat is mentally unable to provide a safe environment."

Fear bubbles in my abdomen, my breathing gets shallow. "I've never been in court before. Why would you trust me with that?"

"Because if anyone can do it, it's you. Because I know you will put your all into it."

"What if I shit my pants?" I frown.

"It's okay, you'll wear a diaper."

I break into a laugh and he does too, but beneath the surface, I'm overwhelmed with conflicted emotions. Happy to be trusted, relieved to see Kayden fighting for Molly, terrified of what Nat might do to me in court, and doubtful for not being able to meet Kayden's expectations.

~

It's hardly 9 PM when Kayden parks by my apartment. He offers to walk me to my door, and I absentmindedly agree. It's dark outside anyway, and there's something safe about his company.

I pull my grey coat tight as the wind rustles the trees, noises of traffic and barking echo in the distance. My heels tap the curbside, and the thought of Jake invades my mind. I bite my lip at the craving.

"So do you approve of Molly's boyfriend?" I ask to distract myself.

"The ginger kid? Yeah, he's nice." Kayden smiles. "But I won't let him know that anytime soon."

"Typical," I snort. "What's with family members being so tough on partners?"

"You have to test the waters. My daughter deserves someone who won't easily chicken out."

"So unfair though. The guy's sister I'm seeing did that to me. I definitely chickened out."

"Are you sure she wasn't the one scared of you?" he smirks, the breeze shaking his silver hair.

"No, why would she?"

"If she's attached to her brother, it might be hard to let him go." He shrugs. "Or there could be some other reason, maybe he's had bad relationships in the past."

"Huh, I should ask." I wonder as we turn around my building.

"I know my mom and sister have been critical of anyone I've dated since Nat."

"God, I would be too. No seriously, if I ever meet your future girlfriend, I will psychoanalyze the shit out of her. Maybe get a background test."

He laughs. "See?"

I giggle and reach to get the keys from my purse, but Kayden's steps halt behind me.

"What happened?" I turn around and see his eyebrows knitted together, lips parted with confusion, gaze behind my shoulder.

My breath hitches when I see Jake seated on the step of my apartment door.

"Jake? What the hell are you doing here?" I whisper.

"You weren't answering your phone," he says, tone cold and bitter.

"Is Jake... the guy you've been seeing?" Kayden asks behind me, making me turn to him as my muscles go rigid.

"No, Kayden, there's an explanation behind this—"

He steps back, eyes still on Jake, voice laced with disgust. "How did I not realize... Mia what the fuck? What the fuck are you doing?"

I shake my head. "Come inside, I'll tell you everything!"

"Is this the guy? All this time we've been talking about your student?"

"Yes, but I didn't know. I swear if you let me—"

"No, I can't." He looks at me, eyes cold. "I can't listen."

He turns around and walks away, leaving me standing there, mouth open.

~~ A/N ~~

Oh shiiiiit. Freaking Jake. Freaking Mia. Freaking Kayden. What do you think is going to happen now?!

Thank you SO MUCH FOR READING <3