She caught my eye from the moment I saw her. And it turned out, she was the only one in the group home who warmed up to me, though there were initial attempts to resist me.
“Why do you care? Hm?” Jamie demanded one night as I drove her home. I remained calm, understanding that Jamie wasn’t used to someone looking out for her, which was sad.
“I care because I hate to see people waste their life away,” I said. “Especially young people.” I spared her a glance, meeting her heated gaze. “And you, Jamie, have miles of potential. And I know you know it, as well.” I offered her a soft smile.
She muttered something, shaking her head before staring out the passenger’s window the rest of the drive home. I thought about asking her to sing for me, to lighten the mood. But the silence was enough. Hopefully, she would let my words stay with her, that she was capable of being successful in life.
“Thank you,” she said before getting out the car. I checked to make sure she got inside the house safely and pulled off.
Jamie had a reason to live now. She never thanked me, but her changing ways was the reward. She was making better choices. Making music was her passion, and so she poured into it. Her consistency had propelled her to be in the running for a scholarship in the arts.
However, she would be tested, and not academically.
I felt nauseous as I pulled up the group home, finding Jamie and Leanne sitting on the porch, laughing. It may have looked normal and innocent to anyone else, but it was usually a bad thing for these two be together. Not to say Jamie isn’t responsible for any of her wrongdoing, but Leanne is definitely a negative influence.
A guilty expression crosses Jamie’s face when she sees me. Leanne, as usual, glares daggers at me. Nonetheless, I greeted them with a hello.
“Jamie, can I see you?” I asked, focusing on her.
“Fuck off,” Leanne replied.
Unsurprised, I focused on Jamie, who had bowed her head, sighing a little.
“I said fuck off! Can’t you see Jamie don’t want you around neither? My God, where is the common sense?” Leanne ranted, turning red and rising to her feet.
“Leanne, chill, chill,” Jamie said, standing now as well and pulling her friend back down.
“No, she needs to leave us the hell alone!” Leanne fumed.
“Just give us a minute,” Jamie told her. “A minute and I’ll be right back.”
Leanne now glared at Jamie before sitting down slowly in defeat. Jamie flashed her a smile before meeting my eyes. Her smile faded and she nodded at me. “What’s up?”
We started walking to my car and I leaned against it as Jamie stood before me. I couldn’t help but blush as her eyes pierced mine. She was striking yet gentle at once. I took in her beauty. She was beginning to put more effort into her appearance, though she’d always been attractive.
Arching a brow, she called my name. I blushed as if she knew my thoughts.
“Just checking to see if you’re coming to practice today,” I said.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“You came all the way here just for that?”
“Well, it’s a good thing I did, seeing as…your friend is back.”
Jamie looked nervous for a moment before regaining her confidence. “Yeah, but that doesn’t change anything.”
I smiled at her growth. “Okay.” I was reluctant to leave her here with Leanne.
“Okay….” She repeated and laughed a bit, shifting from side to side. “Is that all?”
“You’re just in a rush to get rid of me, huh?” I joked.
She looked me up and down and smirked. “I’m seeing you in a few hours, don’t be greedy.”
I let out a full laugh and Jamie gave me her beautiful smile and turned back towards the devil—I mean, Leanne.
“Weirdo bitch,” I heard her loudly say. I felt Jamie look at me then but I didn’t make eye contact. I concentrated on getting in my car and leaving.
I bid a farewell to the choir director and my other church mates. Jamie was behind me as I left and proceeded to my car.
“Hello?” She called, catching up to me.
I glanced at her. “Hi.” I didn’t let up on my stroll.
“What’s up your ass?” She asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Such lovely language.”
“No, for real, what’s up? Did I do something? Is it because I was with Leanne earlier?” Her voice was thick with paranoia. She sounded on edge even, which soothed me in this moment. We reached my car, in which Jamie muttered, “finally.”
I folded my arms, leaning against the passenger door as I aimed a sarcastic smile at Jamie. It wasn’t just that she’d spent time with Leanne. It was that she had a hickey. It shouldn’t have consumed me, yet it did. I felt like I was boiling. Boiling in church.
“What did you and Leanne get into today?” I asked.
She started to speak but stopped.
“New beauty mark?” I said, lightly touching the mark on her neck.
Jamie closed her sinfully beautiful eyes and groaned.
“You enjoyed it that much?” I continued.
She quickly opened her eyes and shot me a dry look. Then, she glanced at the ground before leveling her gaze with mine. Her eyes were knowing. “You’re jealous.”
“Don’t lie, Y/N.” She stepped closer, completely cornering me.
I couldn’t argue with her there. But I could deflect. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to get involved with Leanne in that way.”
I had to gather myself as her being so close and staring at me deeply was affecting me. She knew. “As I’ve said a dozen times before, she’s a bad influence. And you now taking things to a romantic level will only…make things worse.” I swallowed, fighting the urge to keep looking at her lips.
She licked them and I made a noise that resembled a moan. She laughed. God, I’d never been more embarrassed.
“So you think,” she replied, sobering me up.
“If you want to be with her, go ‘head,” I pushed her off me and headed to the driver’s seat, but didn’t get far. Jamie pulled me against her.
“I don’t want to be with her,” she said.
That shut me up, but I still had questions. “Then why did you let her give you a hickey?”
I scoffed, pushing her off me again, baffled at the lame cliche excuse. “You don’t have to lie, Jamie.”
“I’m not,” she insisted and I knew then she was being truthful. There was no trace of amusement in her face nor tone. She sighed. “It’s not a funny story. At all.”
I frowned in concern. “What do you mean?”
She sighed again, avoiding eye contact and playing with her hands. She did that out of uncomfortable habit. I gently touched one of her palms, making her eyes find mine. “Let’s sit and talk about it.”
“Leanne was really drunk…that is the only reason why she…got physical with me,” Jamie revealed. Why did it feel like she wasn’t just referring to the hickey?
“Got physical how?” I softly pressed. Of course I preferred for her to spit it out, but her being vulnerable with me right now was commendable. I waited with bated breath for her response.
“Just sucked my neck and…I told her to fuck off and she…she got mad.” Jamie rubbed her nape, seemingly processing the situation. “She didn’t put her hands on me, she just thought I was seeing you. So you both being jealous over each other is comedy.” She laughed some, warming my heart.
But I got serious again.“Is that all that happened?”
Jamie finally looked at me again. “Yeah.”
“So she didn’t hurt you?”
“No, she would never. Not in that way.”
“She would never abuse me.”
“But you said she was yelling at you? Because you protested her advances?”
“Well, that’s emotional abuse, and that is no way to treat a friend or anyone. I’m sorry you went through that, Jamie.”
“I will always love her, but I think I’m done.”
I almost did a double-take because she never spoke this way about Leanne. She never verbalized wanting to end their friendship.
“I’m trying to get my life together and I thought she would want to do the same, but…” she shook her head.
I rubbed her arm, squeezing it lightly. “Leanne is such wasted potential. But that is not your problem. She has to be the one to want to make a change. Until she is, there is nothing you, me, nor anyone can do.” Jamie looked so despondent.
I felt her reach for my hand. “I’m glad you came into my life.” Her words brought a smile to my face. “Thank you, Y/N.”
“Come on, bring it in.” I spread my arms and she leaned over the console, hugging me back. I held her tight, now feeling bad for being cold towards her after the day she’d had.
I had the day off so I slept longer than usual. It was nice to have uninterrupted sleep. Sometimes I would get calls all types of times to bail out one of the delinquents. It was the life I chose, so I never complained. People like Jame Harrison is why I do what I do. She wanted to turn her life around and was doing exactly that. She wasn’t even in the group home anymore. Instead, she now was put up in her own flat as she attended the school she’d earned the scholarship for.
As I was baking, she gave me a call. Of course I took it, putting her on speaker as I worked my way around the kitchen.
“Did you just wake up?” Jamie asked.
I chuckled. “That obvious?”
“Yeah, your voice is all husky.”
I tilted my head thoughtfully and laughed. “I’ll take it.” I imagined her rolling her eyes and smirking.
“So whatcha doing? Are you busy?”
“Not too busy, just baking. You?” My voice trailed off into a laugh as she got intrigued by the baking bit. “I’ve been told I’m a good baker. You should see for yourself.”
“I should. What time will you be done? Bring it to my place.”
I smiled. “Are you inviting me to your new home?”
“I just want the goods.”
“Yeah, well, you can’t have them without having me.” Then I blushed realizing that sounded naughty.
Jamie huffed out a laugh. “You be flirting with me, on the low.”
I groaned. “Let’s pretend I never said that.”
“I like it, though,” she added, a grin in her voice.
I couldn’t do anything but grin as well, “Well, you should flirt back. It’s harmless,” I said after a beat.
She chuckled. “Just get over here.”
I wanted to run to her. As the cookies sat in the oven, I showered and found something decent to wear. Normally when Jamie and I spent time together it was either when I did visits to the home and my sessions or us at the church or arts center. It was always professional. This marked the first time we would be having a casual gathering. I was both nervous and excited, over the moon.
I already knew the address so it was easy getting there. I parked the car and took an optimistic breath as I approached the door. Her vibrant smile greeted me. She wore a crew neck sweater and matching sweats and the cute slippers I had gifted her months back. My heart melted, seeing her wear them for the first time.
“Hi Y/N,” she said, hugging me. This woman gave the best hugs. I squeezed her thin frame in my embrace and she released the most adorable giggle. She gently took the bag of treats from me and told me to come in. I looked around the simple yet pleasant home. “This smells amazing.” She didn’t waste time taking out a brownie-flavored cookie and biting into it. She hummed blissfully.
“Like it?” I asked, feeling good about her response already.
“I see why people call you a good chef,” she replied carefully after chewing. “Or baker.”
“Thanks! So, do how do you like the new place?”
Her face lit up again. “I love it. I can’t believe it’s mine. I have a space all to myself, which makes it easier to concentrate and find peace. I owe it to you.” She smiled, taking my hands.
I squeezed her hands, keeping her gaze. “It’s not all me, Jamie. I couldn’t have helped if you didn’t want me to.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t always make it easy for you…yet you never gave up on me. My own mother did, but not you.”
“If she knew what you were up to now, I am sure she’d be proud.” She mustered a small smile and I kissed her cheek. This time her sigh sounded content, which made me want to kiss her again, but I refrained. Her next words shocked me. “Do it.”
“Do what you wanted to do.”
She laughed. “Look at you you stuttering all of the sudden.” She softly rubbed my cheek. “I guess I’ll do it then.” Her orbs dipped to my lips before slowly closing as she leaned in. Her soft lips moved against mine. I was immobile for about a second until I allowed myself to accept this blissful reality. I kissed her back just as tenderly, while holding her lower back. Her fingers were so gentle against my face even as she deepened the kiss.
I picked her up, which kinda made her still for a second, but she wrapped her legs around me. I smiled against her lips and she moved her face to my neck. Now she seemed like the shy one. I didn’t know if she would be comfortable with me taking her to her room, not that I knew where it was anyway. I moaned as she nipped my neck. I walked us to the couch, placing her down on it. She laid on her back and spread her legs so I would fit in between. Her hands ran down my body before she fisted my top, bringing our lips together again.
