Bodyguard: Ace Cain

|43| Why?

|Why?|

"I brought food for you! "The least you could do is say thank you," Jake pouted.

He returned to see me the next night, while Ace was negotiating the terms of his contract. He insisted on coming back to sit with me because he had not spoken to me in a week. The gesture was thoughtful, but I had to wonder why he would want to do such a thing. If Noel returned before Ace, things could turn ugly.

Of course, Jake would be quick to take action without hesitation. The best part about being around him was knowing I was safe no matter what. Jake never backs down from a fight. He was prepared to face any opponent, no matter how large or intimidating. That was something I respected about him.

In terms of food, I was relieved not to be eating anything prepared by Noel and his crew. It made me feel better and more willing to eat knowing Tana made it. She has been communicating a lot with Jake recently, which made me wonder how they have gotten so close. We both judged him, but she seemed to be more open-minded than I was at the time.

Naturally, I was not one to hold back, so I asked him directly. "Since when are you and Tana so close?" I wondered, smelling the delicious meal she had prepared for me.

"Since you have been missing," he said honestly. "I pretty much told her everything I knew. She is a great friend to you."

That I could not argue with. "But that does not explain how close you two are," I replied.

His eyes rolled. "Whatever you think is happening, it isn't," he said, dismissing any notion of a romantic relationship. "I understand how to be platonic with a woman. Furthermore, she understands where my heart lies."

Unfortunately, I did, and it made me feel bad. All this time, it felt like he only wanted to get close to me because of the power he would gain. As the weeks passed, it became clear that it was more than just combining our family lines. Jake liked me for who I was, which was more than a girl could ask for. Even with his abrasive personality, if he could learn to be less forceful, he would make an excellent partner.

It was too late to put it to the test. I was already with Ace, and I genuinely loved him. Jake and I have this weird chemistry that no one could have predicted. Maybe in another life, I would have given him a chance before focusing solely on Ace. They were both feeding me conflicting information, but Jake had tried to harm me first. If Ace had told me everything I know now, things would have turned out differently.

Still, it felt good to know Jake liked me for who I am. He was not simply trying to get to my father through our relationship. Jake wanted to get to know me, and for that I am thankful.

That did not make the situation any less complicated, however. "Jake, I completely judged you, and I apologize again," I said. "I hope you understand why we never took things any further."

"Well, I did not make it easy for you," he realized. "But you have to understand something as well."

I looked at him, perplexed. "What's that?"

He sighed inwardly. "Even though my parents are married, they were not the best examples of romance," he explained. "My father just bosses her around so she will do what he wants. Hell, they barely express affection for one another. Most of the time, they appear uninterested."

That was unfortunate to hear. How can people be married but unhappy together? If I am being honest, my parents' marriage was not perfect. My mother did a lot of the work while my father was too busy and concerned about business. However, when he came home, he always showered my mother with affection. From hugging to kissing, and simply adoring her. Their love for each other was unparalleled.