Crawl To Me

28- Tension

JACKLYN'S POV:

Seeing the name on the screen, my hands began to tremble, and I dropped the phone. What is happening? Why is he texting me? What does he want this time? Should I tell anyone? A million questions raced through my mind. I didn’t want to relive that nightmare.

The phone on the ground lit up again with a new message. My fear held me back, but curiosity got the better of me. I picked up the phone.

Don’t ignore me, love.

Panic set in, and I hurriedly blocked the number. I didn’t want even a trace of connection to him.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing. My heart skipped a beat, fearing it was Hendrix. But the screen displayed Ren’s name. I let out a deep breath, feeling relieved, and answered.

"Princess, open the door."

"Hmm," I croaked. My throat was dry, and words felt impossible. I ended the call and went to open the door.

---

REN'S POV:

I called Jordan to cancel all my meetings for the next four days. It was already 9:30 p.m., and I couldn’t shake the overwhelming need to see Jacklyn. I didn’t want to disturb her, but my emotions weren’t in my control. Ever since she told me she wasn’t comfortable meeting me after Kavin’s arrival, I’d been trying not to push her. But why didn’t she want Kavin to know about us?

I was serious about Jacklyn. Even if we didn’t fit perfectly, she was still mine. If she ever cheated on me with another man, that man wouldn’t survive long—and Jacklyn wouldn’t even know I was behind it.

After wrestling with my thoughts, I decided to go see her. Grabbing my phone, I locked the house and headed to hers. This time, I rang the doorbell instead of climbing up to her balcony. When there was no response, I called her.

"Princess, open the door."

"Hmm," she replied, her voice faint. Was she upset with me? I waited as I heard footsteps approach, and then the door opened.

I stepped in, immediately lifting her by the hips and kissing her cheeks. With each kiss, Jacklyn’s soft chuckles grew louder. Her presence alone brightened my mood. When I stopped kissing her, she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder.

She fit perfectly in my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist. In that moment, I noticed how much smaller she seemed compared to me—her weight felt featherlight. Neither of us spoke as she rested on my shoulder, but her rapid heartbeat betrayed her calm demeanor.

Carrying her upstairs, I sat down on the window seat, adjusting her on my lap so I could see her face. She glanced at me for a second before snuggling back into my chest.

"Is this because of me?" I asked gently. She instantly lifted her head, her face tense.

"What?"

"You’re sad and scared—I can see it in your face, doll."

"No, no, it’s not because of you," she stammered.

"Then why?"

"It’s just…" She trailed off, looking down and fidgeting with her fingers.

"Ask me."

Her brows furrowed. "Ask you what?"

"Whatever you want to know. We have a few hours before I leave, and I promise to answer honestly."

"Ren, I don’t want to ruin your mood," she whispered.

I pecked her lips, smiling to reassure her. Leaning back, I rested my head and said, "I can’t stand seeing you like this anymore. The Jacklyn I fell for was charming—and a spoiled brat."

"I’m not a spoiled brat," she pouted.

Her adorable expression was something I wanted to etch in my memory forever.

"Stop pouting, Princess, or I might die from your cuteness."

Her pout deepened, making me laugh.

"Go on—I’m waiting."

She thought for a moment before asking, "What do you do?"

"I’m the CEO of my father’s company, Nathan Groups."

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh, that’s… impressive. I didn’t expect that."

"And what did you expect, Princess?"

"I don’t know. Maybe I’m just dumb."

"Yes, you are," I teased, grinning.

From what I could remember, this was the longest I’d smiled in years.

"What about your parents?"

"My father killed my mother because she cheated on him. After I took over as CEO, he retired and now handles the mafia work."

Her face paled. "Mafia work?"

"Nothing serious for you to worry about," I said, trying to soothe her fears.

She paused for a few minutes before continuing, "How do you know Jeremiah and Kavin?"

"We went to the same college—me, Kavin, and Jeremiah."

"Then why have I never seen you with them?"

I hadn’t thought about that before. "I don’t know, Princess."

"Okay…"

She seemed deep in thought, and I couldn’t resist leaning in to kiss her lips. Her shocked expression turned into a shy blush.

"Daddy, don’t distract me," she whined.

How could someone be this cute?

"Okay, Princess," I said, kissing her again.

"Ren!"

"Alright, alright. Next question, please."

"Hmm… I can’t think of anything right now," she admitted, leaning against my chest.

"When will you return?"

"Maybe Wednesday."

"Hmm."

She shifted, lying on her side with her head resting on my arm, facing the window. I mirrored her position, wrapping an arm around her waist. We both stared out into the peaceful night, but her body felt tense.

"Princess?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"What’s going on?"

"Nothing."

Her hesitation was clear, but I didn’t want to push her. The silence was broken by the sound of her phone ringing. She quickly climbed off me and grabbed it from the bed.

Her body tensed as she read the screen, her fingers moving rapidly before she tossed the phone aside.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"No one. S-spam. Yes, spam."

"Give me your phone," I said firmly.