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Jakepicks up a bowl next to the ice cream tub, but it slips from his grip and shatters on the floor. He curses and bends down to pick up the pieces and curses again. He straightens himself, gripping his hand and I see blood.
I quickly grab his hand and guide him to the bathroomand he lets me.I put his hand under running water to clear the blood. He winces but doesn’t say anything. Reaching for the first aid bag in the drawer, I access the damage first. “It’s not that deep,” I mumble to myself then open the bag.
I clean the wound in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. I want to know how important this woman is to Jake and why Jake never told me he has a daughter. Though, in hisdefense, we did just start dating a week ago.
“I can tell your mind is running a mile a minute.” He lifts my chin so he can stare at me. “What do you want to know?”
Not wanting to overwhelm him with questions, I start with the most important one. “You never told me you had a daughter.”
“Because I don’t.” His voice is tense. “Marilyn isn’t mine, though I love her like she is my own. She is Stephanie’s child withaformer comrade of mine who died.”
“But she is your ex,” I say and immediately regret how stupid my question is.I hide my blushing face by bending my head to focus on cleaning his wound. I press down a littletoohard and he winces.
“Pedro was in the navy like me and died in action. Stephanie was his wife and Marilyn their daughter. When he died, I took up the responsibility of taking care of them because of my loyalty to my friend. Along the way, Stephanie and I fell in love so I asked her to marry me which she accepted. That blissful happiness didn’t last though because a day before our wedding, Stephanie walked out on me with only a note, telling me she wasn’t ready to move on from Pedro.”
“Then why are you still in contact with her and taking care of her daughter,” I say as I place a small bandage on the cleaned wound. “Because I still owe it to Pedro, and I know Stephanie does not make enough to handle all of Marilyn’s health bills. She has severe asthma.”
I humin understanding. “It sure seems like to me she is very interested in you now.”
He chuckles. “You have nothing to worry about.” He cups my chin with his undamaged hand and pulls my face up to look at him. “I only have eyes for you.”
As much as his words make my heart flutter, I can’t shake the bad feeling in my stomach.
* * *
Iresume workthe next day, apprehensive. No matter what Jake says, I know Stephanie still affects him. It was soobvious yesterday. After our talk in the bathroom, we tried to eat dinnertogether, but Jake was so out of it. He was distant. I had to leave when my insecurity started kicking in. Even when he called to check on me, I felt uncomfortable and kept our conversation brief.
I head for Tristan’s office, wanting his advice on the new development. I open the door and stop. Stephanie is sitting opposite him, laughing at something he said.
“Bella,” Tristan says when he sees me. His eyes dart to Stephanie before turning back to me. “Did you need something?”
“You work here?” Stephanie says before I can reply to Tristan. She chuckles. “This is rich. I thought Jake had such unbending rules.”
“I guess he liked me enough to breakhis own rules,” I tell her, narrowing my eyes at her tone. I do not like this woman. She poses a threat to Jake and I, and she seems to know that. She smirks at my words.
She gets up and walks towards me, still standing at the door. “I’m going to Jake now,” she says, and I am forced to step aside.
I slam the door shut at her retreating back and turn to glare at Tristan. I know he didn’t do anything wrong, but I am angry.
“That was intense. What was that?” he exclaims.
“The old met the new,” I say as I sit down in the chair she just vacated. I narrow my eyes at him. “Why didn’t you tell me about her or her child?”
“Because it wasn’t my story to tell,” he says, like it should be obvious and my anger deflates.I know he is right. I should be asking Jake that question or Jessica. She would know everything.
Getting up, I leave Tristan’s office and head for mine. I’m trying hard to restrain myself from barging into Jake’s office.
I am trying to distract myself with work when there is a knock on my door. Without waiting for a reply, Stephanie walks in. She looks around the office. “This is nice, perks of dating the boss.”
I stare at her as she takes the seat in front of me.She gives me a sly smile. “We got off on the wrong foot.” She stretches her hand towards me. “I’m Stephanie, Jake’s ex.”
I take her hand and try at a smile. “I got a little ahead of myself. Sorry about that. I’m Bella.”
“Jake’s current girlfriend,” she completes for me, and I smile at her. “This is nice. Whoever said the ex and the current could never get along.”If you keep calling me his current I doubt we will.But I just offer her another smile.
“I hear you are the head of the new department, event management?” she asks and Inod in affirmation. “Getting a promotion on your first day, that’s nice. Jake is more of a work for itkinda guy. It’s quite surprising the things he let you get away with.”
“I assure you my position was duly earned.”
