Two chapters given. Apart from Linden, guys, there's another person who wouldn't make this work. Who is it?☺️
LINDENJensyn laid curled up in bed when I entered the room. Sweat broke out on her brow and face. The sheets tangled around her legs as she shifted, as if seeking comfort from it. She gripped her stomach and I could hear the hitch in her breath. The furrow between my brows deepened as my gaze swept over her. My voice dropped, quiet, almost tentative. “What’s wrong?”I stood at the edge of the bed now, pulse tightening in my throat. She didn't lift her head, fingers pressed to her stomach. Her voice was thin, strained as she spoke. “I have menstrual cramps,” she murmured.With no idea of what to do, I crossed to her side, crouching so our faces met. My hands hovered, unsure whether I should reach for her or not. Could I smooth the damp hair from her temple? Should I massage her back? I didn't know what to do. Willow tend to herself on her period (probably because she went to a girls only boarding school and I went to a boys only school, there was no time to learn how to care for a wo
THIRD PERSON POV“You did what?”Emily had walked into his office with heels that clicked against the polished marble tires. He sat behind an oak desk this time, arms crossed, the afternoon light casting patterns of the windows bars across the room.She closed the door quietly, breathing in the scent of leather and coffee. She kept her shoulders squared, calm. He didn’t look at her.“I did what I said, I met Jensyn.” Emily let the words land like a challenge she dared him to take.He stiffened, his fists clenched tightly. A slow exhale escaped him. His jaw was tense and a frown creased his forehead. “Emily, are you mad?”“I met her at the Estate Wine Party and she was very accommodating.” Emily lied. She wouldn't be telling him the part Jensyn told her to stop stalking Andrea. Even he didn't know that. For this, he was not the only one who stood to gain something.“She asked about Andrea’s mother. She cared enough to ask.” She paused, meeting his eyes. The lid of his fountain pen tapp
LINDENThe phone rang for the second time before I picked it. Without looking at the caller, I answered. “Who is it?”“It's Maria, sir.”All my senses came alive when I heard that. “What is it?”The maid’s voice cracked through the speakerphone, hushed, anxious. “Andrea has been warm since morning. She wouldn’t eat. She was sent home because she slept through her class hours.”I pressed two fingers to the bridge of my nose. The wine I got from the estate and took this morning still clung to the back of my throat, bitter now.“Is Willow there?”“Yes, sir. She’s with her now.”“Good. Tell her to take Andrea to the hospital. No herbal teas and no paracetamol. Have her text me the moment the doctor checks in. Is that taken?”A faint “Yes, sir,” and the line ended.I stood there in the silence of the suite, my phone was loose in my hand. I went to the window and stood there, thoughts playing in my mind.I should talk to her. I meant Andrea. I haven't spoken to her since she was rescued. W
JENSYN The silk dress clung in all the right places. It was too short for brunch also. It barely reached my knees but that was what ‘someone’ told me to wear. It was peach (perfect for the sun, and not red), backless, and high-high slit. My message last night was the beginning of me being flirtatious. I just hope I don't end up sleeping with Linden again. The last wasn't a mistake. I did it for Andrea and I would do it all over again. Linden’s glance skimmed over me as we walked into the sun-drenched courtyard of the hotel's fancy restaurant. His hand grazed my back when we walked in, then vanished like I’d burned him when we went to our seat. He was definitely seething. He hadn't said anything about the dress, but I couldn't see that he disapproved of it. At the table, Lev was there. He got up and shook hands with Linden. “Jensyn,” Lev greeted, his voice lazy. I took a close look at him. His blazer was open, shirt unbuttoned enough to show a hint of tanned chest. He took my hand
JENSYNLinden was coming home today.I hadn't thought about it much, but there was no dread in my mind. Just a dull pressure somewhere behind my ribs. The fact that he might counter my decision on Andrea's enrollment did nothing to me either; I was ready to argue with him.I wouldn't be intimidated by him anymore (I doubt that I was before). Everyone who mattered came around to welcome him. The front door opened, and voices filled the house. Abbie’s giddy welcome, Lev’s low murmur, and Elizabeth’s warm fussing over how Linden looked with his beard. Chloe squealed something about how he looked better without shaving. Derek didn’t say much, as usual. Willow was not around; she had an appointment with the doctor.Linden didn't know she was pregnant and I wanted to know how he'd react when he learnt about it.I went to Andreas' room to call her, and she bolted upright when she saw me. “Dad’s back?”I smiled, brushing my hair off my shoulder. “You want to go say hi?”She shook her head. “
JENSYNThe pencil rolled off the table and hit the floor with a soft clatter, but Andrea didn't bat an eye at it. She just sat there, arms folded across her chest, her math book open in front of her. She wasn't looking at the pages either; her eyes were on the window.I bent to pick up the pencil and placed it back by her hand. “You’ve been on that same problem for ten minutes,” I murmured, watching her face. She didn’t blink.“I don’t feel like it,” she mumbled after a moment, her voice flat, like someone pressing down a piano key with no intention of playing a song.“That's okay.” I leaned back into my chair when I sat and folded my legs. “We don't have to do math. We can do anything you want to or talk.”Her shoulders twitched like I said a forbidden word.She kept staring out the window, watching a few doves fly across the fence. I wanted to talk to her about deeper things. I wanted to stir her up, open her up and know what she was feeling.“I was thinking we could bake something,”