Wayward (Wayward #1) ✓ [bxb]

Chapter 14

Just to let you know, there's a bit of triggering content in this chapter so keep an eye out for it. 

SONG - GOD KNOWS I TRIED - LANA DEL REY

"Hmm, repeat that one again." I hummed stretching a little with my head on Jason's chest. We were currently cuddled up in my apartment reading. Well Jason was the one reading out loud because I absolutely adored his voice. Packets of eaten Ethiopian take-out were scattered on my coffee table with a half filled bottle of wine. Jason came to my apartment with several books saying he'd been spring cleaning and found them stacked up in his closet.

At first, the thought of reading made me grimace but combined with his sultry voice and the endearing words, I was on a cloud 9.

Last week when we had dinner with Jay and Patrick, all Jay kept saying was how cute and amazing Jason was. They'd never met anyone I dated before so it seemed to speak volumes about how serious we were. Patrick had a polite smile all through dinner and with one look I knew that he hadn't told Jay about his house in Connecticut. It was only a matter of time. Besides it made me feel closer to my best friend's boyfriend that we were in on something secret for once.

Jay had cooled down on his meth conspiracy anyway. He and Jason got along like brothers. I was almost tempted to remind him about how sure he was that Jason was a serial killer in the beginning. It was nice going on a double date with my best friend and my boyfriend. It wasn't something I'd ever assumed would happen, but I was thankful for it anyway.

It seemed to further prove the hypothesis that somehow Jason and I would do good in this relationship business.

"Connaissez-vous la rose amère . Fait de la saumure et le refus. Que les fleurs sur l'océan. Dans le flux et le reflux de la marée. Comme après la pluie, l'arc-en-ciel." He recited softly, each pronunciation perfect as ever. I wondered how he learned to do so.

"That was hauntingly beautiful." I commented.

He chuckled, making his chest vibrate "You don't even know what it means."

"I'm still sure." I said stubbornly tracing my finger on his clothed chest. "What does it mean anyway?"

"Do you know the bitter rose, made of brine and refusal? That flowers on the ocean, in tidal ebb and flow, as after rain the rainbow." He translated. I hummed "I was right. It is hauntingly beautiful. When did you learn to speak French?"

"When I was younger, I had a neighbor. Mrs. Sabine, lovely woman. She moved here from Belgium and used to give me free chocolates when I'd go to keep her company. The French lessons were part of it too. Every day since I was ten years old, she taught me French until I became a fairly fluent." He explained rubbing my arm.

My handsome, incredibly talented boyfriend. Of course he could speak French too.

"That's awesome." I said. "My grandmother was Dutch and I can only say cake in Dutch. She tried to teach me but I'm hopeless at language."

"Well clearly she loved you a lot if she was willing to overlook that when it came to your inheritance." He said.

I contorted my face in confusion "What?"

"I mean she didn't care since she still gave you money right?" He explained further. I blinked remembering our earlier conversation when I lied about how I paid for my housing. "Oh yeah. She didn't really keep grudges."

"That's good." Jason commented. If he noticed my slight slip-up, he didn't say. I hoped that it wouldn't later come to haunt me. Jason and I had been dating for a fairly reasonable period of time being five months and it seemed clearer at this stage that I might need to tell him certain things about myself. Whenever he asked about several things about me, I put them off as long as I could but it was obvious that his curiosity would inflate until he practically demanded an explanation. Earnestly I hoped that it wouldn't come to that.