Chapter 38

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I turn around and find Cara walking in the living room, wearing Stefan's t-shirt and sweatpants. I clearly told her to take my clothes. Then why the hell did she took his clothes?! And on top of that, the sweatpant looks like it's barely hanging on. The clothes are loose on her. Is Leo perhaps right? Is she here to cause trouble?

No Jess, I try to give myself assurance. She is just here for the night. Tomorrow she will leave and everything will be alright.

But one thing I notice when she gets close. She looks happy. Almost too happy for someone who just went through a fire incident. She keeps hugging herself. Is it because of Stefan's t-shirt? Is she smelling it?

"Hey Jess", she utters in a low tone, morphing her face into a dejected one. "I took Stefan's clothes if you don't mind. Your clothes were loose on me and I was not comfortable in them. You seems on the bigger side than me."

She even runs her gaze on me as if judging me internally and her gaze definitely lingers on my body longer than necessary.

Excuse me?! What is she trying to be? A dainty girl? We literally look the same size!

"And clearly Stefan's clothes is fitting you like a second skin", Leo shoots back sarcastically. "Oh my God. Your excuses are lame just like....."

"Leo!", I throw a glare at his way to shut him up. "It's okay Cara. Wear anything you feel comfortable with."

"Thank you so much Jess", she says sweetly. "I am going to rest now. Good night."

"Good night", Ciara and I say together in a rush eagerly.

"Did she indirectly called you fat?", Ciara inquires and gets a smack from Leo.

"Don't do that", he scolds her.

I look down at my body. Did I gain weight? Do I look different? Are my clothes really tight on her?

"Jess don't", Leo admonishes me gently. "Don't think too much about it. You are perfect. Listen you have come a long way loving yourself. Do you really want to throw all of that because of a bitch named Cara?"

"Of course no", I say firmly. I won't let her words affect me at all. I am beautiful. I am confident. I won't let anyone bring me down this time.

"What is going on?", Ciara asks looking all confuse. I smile at her.

"Actually I was fat....."

"She was not!", Leo glares at me. "She was chubby. A cute chipmunk."

I roll my eyes.

"I was not comfortable in my own skin and sometime I would get bullied about it. So I start loving myself and lost the weight gradually."

"Oh honey", Ciara hugs me tightly. "You are perfect and to be honest with you, I am both in awe and jealous of your body. Your hips are to die for. You, my hot and sexy friend, has an hourglass body and trust me when I say even girl's eyes won't move from you. Cara looked stunned earlier. She thought I didn't saw her but her gaze won't move."

"She looked jealous", Leo adds with a frown. "Listen Jess, I don't like her. So please don't tell me to talk nicely to her. And God! After hearing her talk like that, I hate her."

"Come on", Ciara butts in and that's when I realize she has been drinking. No wonder she seems quiet than usual.

"We are the three musketeers!"

"Hell yes we are!", Leo raises his own glass. "To us"

"Jess burn the clothes when she'll return it", Leo states. "Don't give it back to Stefan."

"She is acting weird for sure", Ciara chimes in. "As far as I know her, she is a nice girl but anyone change in a blink of a eye."

Even for love? For Stefan?

"Anyways I'm leaving Jess", Leo stands up. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Me too", Ciara kisses me on my cheek and takes her leave with Leo.

Once they are gone, I feel like I need some cold air to refresh my mind. I go in the garden and sit down on the cool grass.

"Hey", I hear Stefan's voice as he wraps a blanket around me and takes a seat beside me. "I have been looking for you."

"I'm here", I look at him. He looks tired.

"Are you angry at me?", he probes.

"I'm not angry", I assure him. "I'm glad you are okay. I was so worried when you were not picking up my call."

"I had given Cara my phone to call her parents but she lost it somewhere in her house when the police were taking her statement. I haven't found it yet."

"It's okay", I sigh and lean my head on his arm.

"I'm so sorry for ruining our first date night", he apologizes again and wounds his arm around me. "I tried to come early but there was no one with Cara. She was so shaken up. I couldn't leave her on her own in that state."

"You don't have to apologize for helping someone", I smile at him and place the blanket around him as well. "You did a good job and you did the right thing by staying with her. This whole incident can be traumatising. I'm glad you stayed by her side."

"You are amazing", he says in wonder and places a kisses on my head.

"I know right", I sigh. "I'm too amazing"

Stefan laughs as he pulls me closer. "When I first saw you in your dress earlier, I had to catch my breath. You look so enticingly gorgeous. All I could think was 'Damn I am really a lucky man'."

I lean up and kiss him gently. "And I am lucky too. I have Liam and you."

"I hope you didn't ate", he says. "I ordered pizza for us."

"I am actually really hungry", I claim.

"It's way past dinner time", he conveys remorsefully.

"Stefan", I hug him. "It's okay. Atleast we are still having dinner together and it's still like a date. I know it's not like the fancy type you imagined but out here is still the best. Plus we get to stargaze. Isn't it romantic?"

"It is", he agrees and asks with worry, "Are you tired?"

I shake my head.

"Good", he smiles. "Because I have a plan. But you have to wait a little bit for that, is it okay?"

"Okay", I agree while staring at him dreamily.

"Close your eyes", he instructs.

"Why?"

"Just close them babe"

"Fine", I sigh and close them.

Stefan walks back inside and after a while I can hear him shuffling around. I hear the clinking of glasses and he curses in a low voice. After a few seconds, the bell rings.

"Should I get it?", I ask.

"No. Stay where you are", he warns. "And Jess don't open your eyes. Please"

"But you wouldn't know if I open them when you're gone", I tease him with no intention of actually opening them.

"I'm trusting you on this", his voice fades as he returns back inside.

Smiling, I lay back down on the grass and suddenly the delicious smell of pizza, makes my stomach growls loudly. I'm ravenous. After a few more minutes, I feel Stefan besides me.

"Get up", he takes my hands and pulls me up gently.

"Can I open my eyes now?", I pout.

"Not yet", he chukles.

"Do I have grass on my clothes?", I ask while trying to make my head reach on my dress behind.

"Wait", he holds my hand and offers to help. "Let me see."

He removes the blanket on me and I feel his hand moving on my back to my behind.

"Stefan", I gasp jokingly. "You are touching my butt."

I feel him smiling against my shoulder and my stomach dips when he starts placing kisses on it. He lips moves on my neck and at his point I just wrap my hands around waist while his hands stay on my butt.

"I'm hungry", I say.

"I'm hungry too", his voice sounds deeper than earlier.

"Come on", he pecks my cheek and urges me to follow him. "Open your eyes."

My eyes stays wide open in awe when I see he has prepare a picnic blanket for us. There are strawberries, pizza, chocolate, cupcakes and other food stuffs as well. There's even a candle and on another tray, there's a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.

"This is beautiful", I say happily and gives him a hug. "There's so much food!"

"Take a seat", he grins.

We take our seat and Stefan pours wine for us in the glasses. Without wasting another second, I take a slice of pizza and start eating. It's delicious. I can't wait to try the other food as well.

"This is so good", I say appreciatively as Stefan picks one piece as well.

We spend quite a lot of time talking about random stuff and me being me, I eat the cupcakes while listening dreamily to whatever Stefan is saying. He keeps feeding me everything from the platter. He looks even more handsome after his shower. His hair is still sort of wet from his shower and a few tendrils lay on forehead. He is wearing his grey pants and a black t-shirt. His biceps looks hot in them.

"Are you even listening to me?", Stefan smirks when he catches me checking him out.

"Yes", my face flushes as I take another bite from my cupcake. It's getting hot suddenly.

"You got chocolate on your lips", he states as his eyes drops on my lips. "Here let me."

He lifts his hand then suddenly stopping his hand midair, he moves closer and bending his head, he licks the chocolate off my lips. I catch my breath when my whole body goes still. I feel the entire freaking zoo in my stomach.

"Tastes even better", he admits huskily.

Blushing furiously, I keep on eating while he grins. He moves closer beside me and slings his arm around my shoulder.

"I promise to take you on a real date", he swears all at once. "I know today has been a complete mess. You are beautifully dressed up and I couldn't even take you anywhere."

"Stefan", I place my cupcake down and look at him. "I mean it when I say I don't mind and I can always dress up for another time. Can we lay down please? I ate too much. I feel full."

"Of course", he chuckles and puts his arm around me as we lay down.

"Oh God", I groan and rub my stomach. "I feel like I'm three months pregnant. I have a food bump."

"You do", he smiles while rubbing my stomach. "I love it."

"Are you trying to make me gain weight?"

"No", he claims. "I just want to make you happy and I know food makes you happy."

"Well I am and you are right.", I smile back like an idiot.

We lay quietly for a while, just admiring the sky full of twinkling stars. Something about stargazing just gives me so much peace. It calms me.

"Jess", Stefan utters after a while. "Tell me how your life was before me. I want to know it all."

"Well you already know about my father", I say monotonely. "And you also know that he hates me. I was only eight years old when my mum died. There was fair going on and I was being so persistent to go there. My mother kept saying no because it was quite late in the evening but I wouldn't stopped crying. Father was not home. He was at work."

My throat starts hurting as I continue talking.

"So she called father and told him that I wanted to go at the fair. Eventually she took me and we really had a lot of fun", I smile while a single tear drops and I wipe it away quickly.

"But on our way back", my voice cracks slightly. "She got hit by a car and she died on the spot."

Stefan tightens his grip around as I start crying.

"I'm ruining our date, aren't I?", I cry and try to smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cry."

"Let it all out baby", Stefan says gently. "It's okay to cry. You are not ruining anything."

"Since that day, father never stopped reminding me how it was all my fault", I continue. "He said I killed her. He starts drinking heavily and pretty much ignore my existence. He never gave me any importance in his life at all. He drowned himself in gambling and had sold our house to pay his debts. I was only sixteen when this happened. So I took half of the money and ran away."

I feel Stefan tenses beside me but nevertheless he does not says anything and lets me continue.

"That's when I met Leo", I smile. "He lived a few house away from mine. Even though I was underage, I had managed to rent a place. So I continued high school and once it was over, I paid for college with the stolen money."

"Did your father ever found that you had took the money?"

"I don't know", I drawl. "But after I moved out, he found me and would asked me for money everytime. And if I refused.... well let's say he had his ways to get the money."

"He would hit you", Stefan states angrily.

"Well I deserve it", I admit slowly.

"No you didn't", he presses firmly in a gentle tone and urges to look at me. "Look at me. It was not your fault that the accident happened. None of it was your fault. Your father just needed someone to put his blame on so that he could removed his frustrations and anger towards his own life."

When I still does not say anything, he continues.

"Life happens Jess and unfortunately, it includes accidents. We can't control it sometimes. It just happens, despite we are vigilant. It's not your fault. And this was not an excuse for your father to raise his hands on you. He let you down when you needed him the most."

I ponder over Stefan's words. He is right. Accidents happen and it is a part of life. But why couldn't father understand it? Why did he leave me alone when I needed him the most?

"You are so brave sweetheart", he declares and cups my cheek while his thumb grazes my skin in a soothing way. His eyes are gentle without any hint of any possibilty that he might be lying.

"I find myself admiring you more now", he adds and presses his forehead against mine. "I am proud of you. You have managed to come this far on your own and this takes a lot of courage. You won't be alone anymore baby. I promise you. You have me."

"Promise?", I say.

"Promise", he kisses me.

"Come on", he gets up and extends his hand for me to hold. "Get up."

"Why?", I question but still hold his hand to get up.

"To dance with me", he simply says and removes his mobile. He plays a song from YouTube and places his mobile back on the blanket.

I smile as he draws me closer and wounds his arms around my waist. I wrap my own hands around his neck.

"This is the best date ever", I declare.

"Every moment with you is the best", he smiles happily.

I shriek with laughter when he picks me and starts twirling me around. I feel so happy with him. I hope we stay like this always. The water sprinkler suddenly turns on and it starts pouring everywhere but that doesn't stop Stefan and I. In fact, we dance and laugh around as if we are under the rain. We chase each other without any care in the world.

"Are you okay?", I ask when Stefan starts sneezing all of a sudden.

"Yeah", he sneezes again.

"I'll get a towel for you", I offer and rushes inside the house. My feet slip on the marble as I'm barefoot and wet but I manage to hold myself up with a laugh. Thank God, nobody saw that!

After getting a towel, I bump into Cara who looks slightly uncomfortable. Did Stefan and I made a lot of noise while chasing each other? Crap! It seems like we have disturbed her. She just went through an accident.

"Are you okay?", I demand with concern.

"I am", she says and looks at me from top to bottom. "Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah", I laugh and looks down at my dress. "Actually the water sprinkler went off while Stefan and I were in the garden. I'm okay."

My dress in completely soaked and it sticks to my body like a glove. My stomach is still potruded a little bit from all the food which Stefan made me ate earlier.

"I think this dress is not for your size", Cara bluntly says.

"Really? Why?", I look at her, confuse.

"It looks tight on you", she smiles as she says it. "Your stomach looks big. Stefan didn't tell you?"

Is she trying to shame my beautiful body?

"My food baby", I rub my stomach affectionately and try not to glare at her. "Stefan loves it. He loves feeding me a lot. He even learned baking just for me. Can you believe it? So I don't mind it if my stomach looks big. I love the way I am and he does too."

"Oh, don't get me wrong", she smiles nervously. "I was giving you a friendly advice. Stefan is so sweet for doing all that for you."

"Thank you", I return her smile without missing the cold look in her eyes.

What's up with her anyways? Why is she being so rude? I really hope she will be gone by tomorrow. Maybe Leo is right about her, afterall.

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