"Anne, I've been waiting to say this for awhile and I think it's time," His voice rung in my head like chimes. "I like you."
After Jake's confession, I was lost for words. I honestly had no idea what to tell him. I did have a crush on him when I was younger but I would have never expected him to.
''Hey, sunshine. You're up early," Jake drawled as he effortlessly boosted himself up into my bedroom.
I hummed while getting ready while Jake watched me patiently. "Yes, Captain Obvious. Thank you for noticing,"
"Damn,"
I walked home after the day passed by. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and paused in my tracks.
Your brother is waiting at home. My parents texted me bluntly.
I had a brother? I replied asking for clarification but they were gone again. I approached my house to see a new vehicle in the driveway; there was a glossy black sedan parked slightly crooked.
"Good afternoon, Annette." A well-dressed man opened the front door of my house and greeted me. "I'm your brother, Andrew."
"How do I know you're not just a stranger?" I observed him. He was extremely formal in his manner and style. He towered over me with his muscular shape. His physical features were stunning; he had a sharp jaw to drool over, full eyebrows, and stubble. He was kind of like Jamie Dornan from Fifty Shades. How could I be related to this?
"You'll just have to trust me," Andrew winked at me sexily.
"But why don't I know you?" I kept questioning him.
"I was born elsewhere and I wanted to stay there," He pulled me inside and sat down on the couch.
"Right, okay."
We sat there for awhile in silence. The oven hummed quietly in the background. He was very calm and it made me uncomfortable.
"I'm twenty-four and I'm the CEO of a start-up company. Our parents wanted me to move over here to watch over you." He introduced himself.
"That's cool. I'm sixteen but you probably knew that."
"There's no need to be nervous. Are you hungry? I can cook up something if you'd like," He offered.
"Sure!" I said, far too enthusiastic to watch an attractive man cook for me.
We headed into the kitchen where he listed off dishes and I decided on chicken pasta. He was so graceful in the kitchen and when I tried his cooking, it was heavenly.
"Shit, this is amazing." I moaned in delight and heard him chuckle lightly. "Hey, what company did you start?"
"Do you really want to know?" Andrew looked at me with a raised eyebrow like he had a dirty secret.
"Duh, that's why I asked." I rolled my eyes and he looked at me disapprovingly.
He leant in closer and I felt like everything stopped. I couldn't breathe and felt like he was controlling me. "Are you willing to do research?" He whispered lowly in my ear.
"Why would I have to-"
"When you're ready, you can ask me again." He interrupted me. As he composed himself, he stalked off.
Well, that was odd. I didn't think much of it at the moment. I finished the pasta- it was delightful- and headed to my room. My room was very simple but elegant. My parents only let me choose what bed I wanted when I was eight years old. I wish they still lived with me.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
Can I come over?
I replied instantaneously. Sure.
As I walked downstairs to the door, Jake rang the doorbell politely. I swung the door open to reveal an out of breath athlete. "Hey, what's up?"
"I just finished practice and I definitely don't want to do homework. So what do you have to eat?" In long strides, he went to hunch over the fridge, inspecting its contents.
"Chicken pasta is on the table over there," I sat on one of the bar stools across from him.
"Where did it come from?" He stabbed at it with a fork.
"What do you mean? It's pasta. It's not grown," I looked at him incredulously.
"No, like, who made it? Is it store-bought? Did you make it? I know you can't cook for life," He questioned with his mouth full.
"My brother made it," I traced shapes on my thighs absentmindedly.
After choking and gulping down a glass of water, he stared at me with wide eyes. "What?"
"Who's him?" Andrew looked at me crossly. He had been leaning against the doorway of the kitchen unbeknownst to us.
"Um," I looked between both of them several times in speechlessness. "Andrew, this is Jake. He's a friend." I nervously replied.
"I see," He spat out in utter disdain. "You better be treating her well." He warned Jake and swiftly turned and walked away.
As Jake turned to look at me questionably, I answered, "Yeah, that was him."
"He really doesn't like me, damn." He continued to shovel pasta into his mouth hungrily.
