The city lights twinkled outside Jayden's window as he scrolled through his phone, re-reading his brief text exchange with Louisa.
The possibility of seeing her tomorrow had lifted his spirits, a welcome distraction from the suffocating atmosphere of his home.
Just as he was about to turn off his phone, it buzzed with an incoming call. Cassia's name flashed across the screen. A knot of concern tightened in his chest.
He hadn't spoken to her properly since their awkward encounter after school.
He answered, his tone cautious. "Hey, Cass? Everything okay?"
Her voice on the other end was thick with tears, barely a whisper. "Jayden… oh, Jayden… I need help."
His concern deepened instantly. "Cassia, what's wrong? You're crying. Tell me what's happening."
Her sobs punctuated her fragmented words. "I… I ran away. I just… I couldn't stay there anymore."
"Ran away?" Jayden sat up, his earlier good mood completely evaporated. "Cassia, where are you? Are you safe?"
"I… I don't want to say," she choked out. "Not yet. And please… please don't tell Anya. She'd freak out. I can't… I can't involve her in this."
"Involve her in what, Cassia?" His mind raced, trying to piece together what could have driven her to run.
"It's… it's my family," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Things… things are really bad. I just… I needed to get away. And you're the only one… the only one I could think of to call. I just… I need someone to talk to. Please, Jayden."
The raw desperation in her voice tugged at him. Despite their breakup, a part of him still felt fiercely protective of her. "Okay, Cassia. Okay. Take a deep breath. Tell me… are you safe right now?"
"Yes," she sniffled. "For now. But… I don't know what to do. Please, Jayden. Can you… can you help me?"
He hesitated for only a fraction of a second. His plans with Louisa for tomorrow suddenly felt complicated, overshadowed by Cassia's distress.
"Yes, Cassia," he said firmly. "I'll help you. Just tell me where you are."
Jayden's heart pounded in his chest as he navigated the familiar route towards Tribeca. Cassia's tearful plea echoed in his ears, a stark contrast to the usual confident lilt of her voice.
He pushed thoughts of Louisa and their potential meeting tomorrow to the back of his mind, his focus solely on getting to Cassia.
He pulled up outside a sleek, modern café in a quieter part of Tribeca, a far cry from the bustling spots they usually frequented. He spotted her through the large glass windows, seated at a small table in a dimly lit corner.
The opulent setting, with its designer furniture and hushed atmosphere, seemed to amplify her current state of distress.
He hurried inside, his gaze immediately drawn to her. The vibrant Cassia he knew, the one who always radiated energy and laughter, was almost unrecognizable.
She was slumped in her chair, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Her usually meticulously styled hair was disheveled, and her eyes were red and swollen.
A half-empty cup of coffee sat untouched in front of her.
He approached her cautiously, his voice soft. "Cassia?"
She looked up, her tear-streaked face etched with a raw vulnerability he rarely saw.
A small, choked sob escaped her lips as she saw him. "Jayden," she whispered, her voice hoarse.
He pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down, his concern evident.
"What happened, Cassia? You said it was your family…" He trailed off, unsure how to prompt her.
She took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. "It's… it's my mother," she began, her voice trembling.
"I… I overheard her talking to someone. On the phone. It was… it was about selling some of Dad's things. Things that were important to him. Things she knows meant a lot to me."
Her voice broke again. "She didn't even… she didn't even ask me. She just… decided."
The injustice of it hung in the air. Jayden remembered how much Cassia cherished the memories of her father.
To have her mother disregard those sentiments so callously… he could understand why she was so upset.
"And when I confronted her…" Cassia continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "she… she just dismissed it. Said I was being sentimental. That we needed the money. It was like… like his memory didn't even matter to her."
More tears welled up in her eyes. "I just… I couldn't stay there and listen to it anymore. It felt like she was erasing him."
Jayden reached across the table, gently taking her hand. Her skin was cold. "Oh, Cassia," he said softly, his heart aching for her. "I'm so sorry."
He squeezed her hand reassuringly. "It's okay. You're safe here. Just… tell me what you need."
Cassia's voice trembled as she recounted the second blow. "And then… and then, a few weeks ago… I saw her, Jayden. With someone else. In the house."
Her voice cracked. "I wouldn't even care, not really. If she was happy… but why all the sneaking around? Why not just tell me, 'Cassia, I'm seeing someone'? Why the secrets?"
Jayden squeezed her hand gently. "Maybe… maybe she didn't want to upset you, Cassia. Maybe she thought it would be easier to… handle it quietly."
Cassia shook her head vehemently, tears streaming down her face again. "No! It makes it worse. It makes me feel like everything is a lie. Like I can't trust her. It's so… uncomfortable."
She leaned forward suddenly, burying her face in Jayden's shoulder, her body wracked with sobs. "Oh, Jayden… I missed you so much."
Jayden instinctively wrapped his arms around her, a familiar comfort settling over him despite the circumstances. He stroked her hair gently, murmuring soothing words.
Unbeknownst to them, across the street, partially hidden in the shadows, Christopher Jacobs (CJ) watched the scene unfold. A smirk played on his lips as he discreetly raised his phone and snapped a picture.
After a few moments, Cassia's sobs subsided. Jayden gently pulled back, concern etched on his face. "You okay now, Cass?"
She nodded, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. A small, watery smile touched her lips as Jayden signaled the waiter.
"I remember your favorite," he said, as the waiter approached. "One extra-thick strawberry milkshake, please."
Cassia's smile widened slightly. "You do. You always remembered."
As they waited for her milkshake, Cassia's gaze turned thoughtful. "So… I heard." She hesitated. "Heard you're getting pretty serious with Stephanie Michaelsons."
Jayden frowned. "Heard that from where?"
Cassia waved a dismissive hand. "Rumors travel, Jayden. Especially among our… elite circle."
Jayden looked directly into her eyes. "Then you shouldn't listen to those rumors, Cassia. Because I'm… interested in someone else."
Cassia's eyebrows rose, a flicker of curiosity replacing her sadness. "Oh? Who?"
Jayden hesitated, a picture of Louisa flashing in his mind. "It's… complicated. Not important right now."
He changed the subject, his concern returning to her situation. "What do you want to do now, Cassia? Where do you want to go?"
Tears welled up in Cassia's eyes again, her voice small and desperate.
"I can't go home, Jayden. Please… can I stay at your private villa? Just for a little while? I don't want to go home, King."
She reached for his hand again, her grip tight.
"Cassia… of course you can stay at the villa. You know I wouldn't leave you like this. Just… for a little while, okay? Tonight, you're safe with me. But we need to think about what you're going to do in the long run. Have you thought about talking to anyone else? Someone you trust?"
He kept his voice gentle and reassuring, his hand still covering hers on the table. His concern for her was genuine, overriding any thoughts of his plans with Louisa for the following day.
Cassia's raw vulnerability and her plea for help triggered a deep-seated protective instinct within him.
While a part of him recognized the potential complications of housing his ex-girlfriend, especially with his burgeoning feelings for someone else, her immediate well-being took precedence.
*****
The following evening, after a long shift at The Gilded Spoon, Louisa's phone buzzed with a message from Jayden. A smile touched her lips as she read his reply to her suggestion of a two-hour meet-up.
His message was simple and enthusiastic: "Perfect. See you then, Wren."
Meanwhile, at Jayden's Tribeca villa, the atmosphere was… complicated. He had spent the day trying to be a supportive friend to Cassia, listening to her talk about her family situation and offering what comfort he could.
He had just settled into his room, phone in hand to reply to Louisa with a more specific time, when his bedroom door creaked open.
He looked up, surprised. Cassia stood in the doorway, her hair damp from a recent shower, a white terrycloth robe hanging loosely around her, revealing a hint of skin at her chest.
"Hey," Jayden said, a note of surprise in his voice. "Everything alright?"
Cassia's gaze was direct, almost… sultry. "I need a shirt," she said softly, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she walked towards his expansive walk-in closet.
She browsed through his neatly hung clothes, her fingers trailing over the fabrics before selecting a soft blue button-up t-shirt.
Without saying another word, she turned and walked back towards the door, her eyes meeting Jayden's again, a subtle, almost seductive look in them before she disappeared back into the guest room.
Jayden shook his head slightly, a wave of conflicting emotions washing over him. He understood Cassia was vulnerable and hurting, but there was something about that interaction that felt… intentional.
He stood up and walked to his bedroom door, locking it securely.
He went back to his king-sized bed and lay down, picking up his phone again. The warmth from Louisa's simple message returned, a grounding force amidst the unexpected turn with Cassia.
He typed out a reply, a more specific time for their evening meeting, his thoughts now focused on seeing Louisa again.
....
Jayden's Mercedes glided to a stop outside The Gilded Spoon. He'd picked Louisa up, and now, instead of the casual diner, they were in front of a restaurant that whispered elegance with its soft lighting and discreet valet. Louisa, in her vibrant, flowered sundress, felt a pang of self-consciousness.
"Jayden," she said, her voice a little tight, "if I'd known we were coming somewhere like this, I would have dressed up."
Jayden turned to her, his blue eyes sweeping over her, a genuine warmth in his gaze. "Louisa, you look stunning. Absolutely stunning."
He stared at her intently, his eyes seeming to delve deeper, making her cheeks flush with a shy heat. She looked away, fiddling with the strap of her small purse.
Inside, the waiter led them to a secluded table, clearly reserved.
As they waited for their order, Jayden's easy humor filled the space, his funny anecdotes punctuated by Louisa's genuine laughter.
"Forgive my father's rather dramatic interruptions of our… golden moments," he said, a playful smirk on his lips, and Louisa's blush deepened to a delightful crimson.
Jayden's smile softened; he knew the effect he had on her, a knowledge that was matched by the profound effect she had on him.
When their food arrived, Jayden seemed more intent on watching Louisa than eating himself. "Don't look at me like that, King. Eat," she teased, trying to hide her self-consciousness.
Jayden chuckled, his gaze unwavering.
"Watching you eat makes me feel full already." Louisa choked on her water, a playful glare her only response.
As dessert arrived – a scoop of pistachio ice cream for Louisa – Jayden slid a small, elegant bag across the table. The label, a subtle gold, read "Versace."
Louisa's eyebrows rose. "What's this?"
"A gift," Jayden said simply, urging her with a nod to open it. Slowly, her curiosity piqued, Louisa peered inside, revealing a small, velvet box.
Her eyes met Jayden's, a silent question in their depths. She carefully pulled out the box and lifted the lid. Nestled within the soft lining lay a delicate, shining necklace and a matching bracelet.
They were clearly designer, radiating an understated luxury.
Engraved on each piece, in elegant script, were the intertwined initials "J hearts L".
Louisa gasped softly, her breath catching. Her fingers trembled as she instinctively recoiled, pushing the box back slightly.
"Jayden… I can't. This is… too expensive."
Jayden rolled his eyes playfully. "And who made up that rule that you can't wear expensive things?"
He reached across the table, took the necklace, and gently fastened it around her neck, his fingers brushing lightly against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
He then took the bracelet and clasped it around her wrist, his gaze locking with hers. "I love you, Wren. Please… be patient with me."
Louisa was utterly speechless, her mind reeling from the unexpected declaration.
She looked like a deer caught in headlights.
Jayden smiled, clearly enjoying her innocent shock.
The drive back in his Mercedes was quiet, Louisa still processing everything. Jayden, thoughtful as always, had made sure to get a generous amount of packaged food from the restaurant for her to take back to Ellie and Scarlett.
As he started the engine, he asked softly, "Diner or straight home?"
"Diner, please," Louisa murmured, still feeling slightly dazed.
After navigating the evening traffic, they pulled up outside The Gilded Spoon.
"Thank you for today, Jayden," Louisa stammered, finally finding her voice. "I… I really enjoyed myself."
She reached for the door handle, eager to escape and process the whirlwind of emotions.
But Jayden stopped her, his hand gently covering hers on the door. He reached into the back seat and retrieved the paper bags.
"Here," he said, handing them to her. "A little something for you and your friends."
"Thank you," she said, a genuine smile gracing her lips as she took the bags. "But you really didn't have to."
Jayden held her hands, his gaze intense. "I don't expect you to give me an answer now, Wren. And thank you for spending time with me."
His eyes then dropped to her lips, which she had been nervously wetting since they left the restaurant.
He leaned in, his hand gently cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed softly against her skin as he dipped his head and kissed her. It wasn't a rushed, passionate kiss, but a slow, tender exploration.
His lips were soft against hers, a gentle pressure that sent a shiver down her spine. He tasted faintly of the rich dessert they had shared.
He nibbled on her lower lip, a playful invitation that made her breath hitch. A soft sigh escaped her as she tentatively leaned closer, the scent of his cologne filling her senses.
The world outside the car seemed to fade away, leaving only the gentle pressure of his lips on hers and the warmth of his hand against her cheek.
It was a kiss that spoke of a budding tenderness, a silent promise of more to come.
He finally pulled back, his eyes searching hers, a soft smile lingering on his lips. "Goodnight, Louisa."