Fleeting Flames - Jenna Ortega x Fem Reader

Part 16

One day, in the middle of the week, you came home earlier than usual, slipping off your shoes by the door as the silence welcomed you. You looked everywhere for Jenna, even under your bed wondering if she was trying to scare you. She was nowhere to be found.

For a moment, you felt relieved that she wasn't there. No chatter filling the space, no teasing, no arguing. Just peace and silence.

You sank onto the couch, exhaling a long breath. Finally, you thought, the space was yours again. No Jenna. No noise. Just calm.

But as the minutes dragged on, that calm shifted. The quiet wasn't the reprieve you'd expected—it was heavy, almost suffocating. You glanced at the clock, then at the empty doorway, your chest tightening with a realization that caught you off guard: you didn't want her to be gone.

Before you could linger on it, the sound of keys jingling at the door broke the silence. You sat up a little too quickly, heart thudding faster than it should have. She stepped in, balancing a few bags of groceries in her arms.

"Oh, you're home," she said, a smile tugging at her lips as she kicked the door shut behind her. She set the bags down on the counter and turned to you, her brow arching. "Were you worried I'd left for good or something?"

You rolled your eyes, leaning back against the couch with feigned nonchalance. "I was so happy you were gone."

Her laughter bubbled up immediately, light and teasing. She walked over, crossing her arms as she studied you with those sharp brown eyes that always saw too much. "You're the worst liar, you know that?"

You felt the faint tug of a smile at the corner of your lips and quickly tried to suppress it. But it was too late. She'd seen it.

"There it is," she said, pointing at your mouth. "That little smile. You missed me."

"Did not," you muttered, but even you didn't believe it.

She just grinned, leaning closer as if to whisper a secret. "You're so predictable."

You groaned, pushing yourself off the couch. Jenna's smirk only deepened as she watched you, clearly enjoying every second of your discomfort.

"I'm done with this," you muttered, running a hand through your hair. "You're insufferable."

"Oh, I'm insufferable?" she shot back, laughing. "You're the one who can't admit they missed me."

You rolled your eyes and turned toward your room. "I'm taking a shower. Maybe when I get out, you'll have found someone else to annoy."

"You wish," she called after you, the grin in her voice unmistakable. "Don't stay in there too long, though. You might start missing me again."

You huffed, slamming the door a little harder than necessary, but as you leaned against it for a moment, you couldn't help the small smile tugging at your lips.

She was right. As much as her teasing got under your skin, you had missed her—and hearing her voice echo through the apartment made you feel a little less alone.

You shook your head, pushing the thought away as you stepped into the bathroom. The water might wash away the tension, but it wouldn't erase the truth. She always had a way of getting to you.

---
The next few days passed with Jenna continuing her usual antics. She'd leave you little notes on the fridge—"Don't forget to smile today" or "Bet I can make you laugh before dinner." You ignored them at first, but one morning, you caught yourself smiling as you read one.

By Friday, she had resorted to her most audacious stunt yet. You walked into your apartment to find her moving the couch across the living room, her small frame pushing against it with surprising determination. The walls, previously bare and lifeless, were now halfway painted in a warm terracotta shade that definitely hadn't been there when you left this morning. A ladder stood nearby, a roller dripping paint balanced precariously on the top step.