"So what little secret are your brothers hiding from your parents?" I ask Jake and Alec in general. They were both doing something on Alec's apple laptop.
"Its not a big deal! Its just that they will be grounded and have their tablets seized if mom and dad find out and they don't want that" Alec explains.
"Oh. So tell me this secret" I state
"Okay, they kind of stole one of our dad's watches from his watch collection and sold it to buy a stupid game and a few other unnecessary things" Alec says going straight to the point
"Luckily, Alec caught them and asked them about it. They told him to keep it a secret" Jake adds up.
"But they earned a lot of money after selling the watch and they still have some of that money on them now" Alec states and I gasp.
"So your dad hasn't noticed that one of his watches is gone?"I ask
" He has like a hundred watches! There is no way he will notice! Besides he sells some and buys new ones so he might think he sold it out"Alec says with a shrug and I just gape at him. They both chuckle at my reaction.
"How rich is your dad? A hundred watches? Well I got to see your watch collection!" I state and they laugh harder.
"We don't know! Sometimes he even forgets his net worth" Alec replies and I'm dumbstruck. He has got everything! From cars to watches! I wonder what else.
"So that is the little secret. And if dad finds out, he is going to be so mad! He doesn't joke with his watches" Alec tells me.
"Why? Your little brothers do not have a watch collection?"
"They don't cause my dad wants them to be a bit older before he gives them one"Alec explains.
"Does he wear designer clothes too?" I squeak. But I know its a stupid question because someone who has a watch collection and a lots of cars would by all means wear designer clothing.
"You should see his closet one day! Its marvelous! It has all the designers you could think of! Every month, he gets new arrivals and latest designs" Alec spills and Jake gapes at him.
"Does he wear Armani?" I ask
"He does"
"What about Balenciaga?"
"That too"
"Oh my God! Calvin Klein?"
"Yep"
"What about Chopard?" I ask
"Of course! He loves that one! He wears it all the time"
"What about Burberry?" Jake asks
"I think so too"
I shriek.
"My mom wears Ella Moss, Juicy Couture and Ralph Lauren" Alec spits and I shriek even louder.
Alec chuckles. Jake is still stunned.
"I also wear Balenciaga, Prada, Chopard and Valentino" Alec says and I gasp.
"I haven't observed. Oh my God!!"
"He has all the designers at his disposal Nikki."
"Have you been visiting his closet?"Jake asks
"Once in a while"Alec replies sheepishly.
" I need to go there one day"Jake tells him
"Don't worry. We will make an appointment" Alec says
"Don't forget me too" I quickly chirp
"Of course not sugar!"
I giggle in response.
"Hey ummm.....do you guys have a secret?" I ask them and they knit their eyebrows in unison.
"I'm guessing my little brothers hired you to ask us of our secret so that they can get back at us! " Alec points out.
"No! I just want to know"
"We don't have one!" Alec states
"Even if we do, we wouldn't tell you" Jake adds up and I shrug.
After talking for a while, it got late and we left the house around six heading towards Jake's apartment. It was cold and it looked like it was going to rain. Winter would be here soon and everywhere would be icy and snowy.
I get down from the car and it looks like it had began to snow.
"Winter is here." Jake tells me as he locks his car and we walk into the building holding hands.
"Do you like Winter?" I ask Jake as we step into the elevator together.
"Of course" Jake says as if obvious
"Why?"
"Because they are so nice and cold. But I don't like them when they are too cold and the second reason is...."
"Is?"
"My surname is Winters obviously! So I must like Winter at all cost"
I chuckle. That was true though.
"What about you? Do you like Winter?" Jake asks me as we step into his apartment.
I see him turn on the heater and I smile grateful.
"Kinda. Mostly because of the snow. But its not good for my condition. The cold actually"
Jake nods understanding.
"That's rather unfortunate but we can still build our own snowman right?"
I chuckle. "You still build snowmen?"
"At times. But I would love it if we built our very own snowman"
"Sounds like a good idea! I'm in"
Jake smiles and touches my nose with his index finger.
Aaron barks and I realise he is here. I even forgot we left him in the room the whole day. He must be starving.
"Looks like Aaron's hungry" Jake says and I chuckle saying "yeah that's what I thought too"
Jake goes to get him his food and I just sit in the couch thinking about my parents and Trina. I'm sure Trina is missing me right now. I miss her too. I wipe a tear that falls on my cheek. So many bad things have happened to me within a short time. My best friend died in a car accident, I got kicked out of school for violating a rule which I didn't even break plus I got thrown out of my own house by my own mother!
Tears run down my cheeks and I quickly wipe them.
"Are you crying?" Jake asks standing there with two mugs.
"No I am not" I lie
"You are! I saw those tears"
I just sniff and watch him lay the two mugs on the table. Then he sits beside me.
"What's wrong?"he asks
" Everything "I say and release fresh tears.
He hugs me and rubs my back to soothe me.
" I'm guessing its Aaron"he tells me.
"He is a part of it" I whisper and cry harder.
"Don't cry! I don't like it when you cry" Jake says wiping the tears on my cheeks and I smile.
"I prepared some green tea latte for the two of us" Jake tells me bringing the mugs over.
I take one. "Thanks" I say with a smile and look at the heart design on top. Jake takes a sip of his and I do too.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" He asks me.
"No. Let's just watch Spiderman"
"Spiderman?" Jake asks with a chuckle
"Yes. I want to watch Spiderman for Aaron"
"He liked Spiderman?"
I nod with a smile and Jake shrugs.
"Okay so we are going to watch all the episodes of Spiderman. Do you like that?" Jake asks me
I nod in agreement and he sits beside me with his apple laptop on his lap.
"Were you also a fan of Spiderman?" I ask him and he chuckles
"No. I loved Avengers though. But Batman was my favourite"
"No wonder you dressed like him on Halloween"
Jake smiles
"Who is your favourite avenger?" He asks me.
"Bat girl"
"Oh really? Is it because I like batman?" He asks and I punch him playfully saying no.
"Why didn't you dress like her on Halloween?"
"I don't know. I think I forgot! Now shut up and let's watch"
Jake chuckles and we watch Spiderman together. I felt like Aaron was here watching it with us. I just wish he was.
ððð
"Nice pj's" Jake taunts as I climb his medium sized bed and I huff.
We were done watching all the episodes of Spiderman and I feel much better.
I get under his comforter to feel much warmer but its still a bit cold.
Jake notices this.
"Do you want my hoodie?" He asks.
"No! I'll just get my jacket"
"Come on! Your clothes are all the way there! Just take my hoodie and stop being so stiffânecked"
I gasp.
"What did you just call me?"
"Oops. I'm sorry" he says nervously.
"Gimme the damn hoodie"
He tosses it to me and I slip it on inhaling Jake's scent of rose petals and wood. I smile secretly.
Jake joins me in the bed.
"Good night" he says and pecks my cheek.
"Night" I said with a yawn and then I was off to dreamland.
°~â¢~â¢Â°
I woke up the next day and Jake was still asleep behind me with his huge arms wrapped around my tiny waist. His lips were drawn into a thin line and his forehead was knitted. I smile whiles looking at his beautiful angelic face.
I just touch his cheek, then his lip ,and then his eyes snap open and I jerk my finger away.
"What are you doing?"
"Errr nothing"
He takes my hand and places it on his cheek.
"Continue" he says and I'm dumbstruck but I do.
"That's the cheek you slapped. You know that?" He asks me and I chuckle.
"I think so."
He sits up taking my hands in his.
My hands were so tiny compared to his. He smiles.
"How was your night?" He asks out of the blue.
"It was good. I liked it"
He smiles."I liked it too"
Then we hear a ding and we both search for our phones.
"Its not my phone" I say
"Its mine. Alec just sent me the audio"
I frown.
"We need to gather more evidence" I tell him.
"Yes I know! I'll be calling Cody and Caden to come over. Aurora too"
"Thanks Jake! For helping me"
He waves it off
"Its okay"
"I'll go and fix us something" I tell him.
"No! Why don't you let me do that? Go take a shower"
"No! I wanna cook"
After bickering for like twenty minutes, Jake finally gave up and I smiled heading towards the kitchen.
I fried some pancakes and sausages. Then I placed them in the porcelain plates I found in a cabinet. I transported them to the dining hall and place them on the table. I poured two glasses of fresh milk for the two of us and set them on the table.
I smile when everything is set. I could still smell Jake's cologne and I realise I'm still in his hoodie. This is the second time I'm wearing his hoodie. And I love the scent emanating from it.
"Mmm. Is that what I think it is?" Jake's voice booms from behind and I grin. He was wearing another hoodie. It was a black one over a pair of jeans and simple sneakers.
"Thanks love" he says kissing my forehead.
"I'll go and take a shower" I tell him and slip away.
I made it into his bathtub and took a long relaxing shower. Then I got dressed in a blue button up shirt, white leggings and a pair of keds. Then I wore Jake's hoodie again. My hair was messy but I didn't care.
I walked back to the dining hall and sat beside Jake who was guzzling his food with gusto.
"I never knew you could cook like this. Its great" he tells me and I smile poking my own pancake.
"I called them. They said they will be here by twelve"
I nod. "Its for the best"
"You are still in my hoodie?" Jake asks amused and I roll my eyes at him.
"I just want to be warm. The winter is here"
Jake chuckles but he doesn't talk after that.
After breakfast, we talked a bit and we are currently waiting for the creepy threesome to arrive. Finally there was a soft knock on the door and Jake got up to answer it.
"Hey Jake!" I hear Cody greet and they step in. They freeze when they set their eyes on me with what seems like nervousness and guilt written all over their faces.
"Come in! Have a seat!" Jake says sweetly ushering them in. Caden glares at me. Aurora and Cody are too stunned to speak.
"Jake! What is she doing here?" Aurora drawls.
Jake smiles.
"Would you take a seat first?"
They nod reluctantly and line themselves in one long couch. I give them a small smile but they do not return it.
"So why are we here? Why did you call us?" Caden says in annoyance.
"I need you three to be honest with me. I have a few questions to ask you" Jake states firmly and Caden snorts.
"Questions?" Cody asks.
"Yes questions and as I said earlier, I want you three to be honest"
They keep quiet and wait for Jake to shoot his question.
"Are you three behind what happened to Nikki? Did you frame her up?"
Aurora chuckles.
"That is the question? Seriously?" She spits
"I'm very disappointed in you! You know very well we aren't capable of doing that" Caden follows.
"How can you think of us that way Jake?" Cody adds up.
Jake knits his eyebrows puzzled and I'm also in the same state.
"Look, if that was the question, its best I go back home" Aurora states and gets up.
"Just sit" Jake tells her sternly and she sits confused by his change in demeanor. Cody and Caden have the same puzzled look.
"The three of you cannot fool me! Explain this!" Jake yells at them and plays the audio Alec sent to him.
They are bewildered when the audio ends and I clear my throat to create more drama.
"So, don't tell me you three didn't know anything or didn't do anything because I know for sure, you aren't saints" Jake tells them and they are stiff in their seats. I glare at them waiting for the first person to talk.
"We admit we did it! Have you forgotten you told us to do it?" Caden says with his voice dripping with clear sarcasm
"What? I did?"
"Kate was the one who brought up the whole plan. I didn't like it but she told us you wanted it to happen! She said you called her and she even sent us an audio of you telling her to execute that plan"
I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion. Jake has a perplexed look on his face as Cody plays the audio. It was Jake's voice. What the? I feel my stomach churn.
"I didn't send that audio to Kate Nikki! I swear"
"In the audio, you were literally forcing us to do it. We are not the kind of people who go around framing others"Aurora spits.
"And now you call us to explain ourselves?" Caden asks annoyed.
"You told Kate in the audio! You gave her strict instructions on how we are going to frame Nicole and her whole gang. Remember?" Cody speaks up.
My heart skips a beat.
"Jake! Did you lie to me again?" I said in a croaky voice afraid of what he will say.
"No! They framed me! I swear I didn't send the audio to Kate, Nikki"
"Just give me your phone" I state and he hands it to me confidently.
I don't know but I cannot trust him. What if he is doing this with Tigress and Kate to ruin me? Maybe he is just trying to be good so that I wouldn't suspect him. He would do anything! That's why he introduced me to his dad as his girlfriend so that it will seem he doesn't have any evil intentions. Why is he so complicated? One time he is sincere, another time he is bad and evil. I've never dealt with anyone like him in my entire life!!!
I check and its true. Jake sent the audio to Kate via WhatsApp.