Jade's POV
Andrew was already in his car, pressing his phone. He looked expressionless.
"Didn't he just left the house, angrily, earlier?" I wondered how he managed to look that calm after the heated conversation he had with my mom.
"Aren't you going to get in?" He said loudly. He probably thought I didn't hear his first statement as I didn't reply him.
"No!" I blurted out.
"What?" He asked me, looking surprised. I knew he was thinking he didn't hear me well.
"I said no." I repeated loudly, for him to hear.
"I am offering you a ride to school!" He stated as if I didn't understand what he was trying to do.
"I know." I told him, firmly. He looked at me like I had suddenly grown two heads.
"But I don't want to go with you. I have my reasons." I said to him.
He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
"Don't worry about it. I can find my way. Thanks for the offer, anyway." I told him and hurried away.
Few seconds later, I saw his car drove past me, and I tried not to look at it.
"Nobody must know!" I reminded myself as I walked to the bus station.
~
"Oh my God! What?" Juanita yelled after I finished narrating what had happened to me, over the weekend.
We were seated opposite the lecture room and could see what was going on in the room. Students were trooping in, and as they got inside, some would start chatting right away, while some would engage in academic related stuff.
"Your mom's new boyfriend is Raymond Peterson? That wealthy and popular businessman that is always in the business news? Then, it happened that he is Andrew's father? Oh my, that is so messed up!" My friend stated in disbelief.
"Keep it down, girl. Nobody must know." I told her.
"I don't think you can keep that hidden for long." Juanita replied me, looking at a particular direction with a knowing look.
I traced her gaze and looked at the direction she was facing and I gasped.
There walking towards us in all his glory, was Andrew Peterson.
Then I had a closer look at his appearance.
He was wearing a lightweight, pastel blue short sleeved shirt with comfortable beige linen pants. And a pair of aviator sunglasses perched on his pointed nose, shielding his beautiful brown eyes from the bright summer rays. His hair was stylishly messy. And he was sporting stylish loafers on his feet.
I swallowed hard, taking in his jaw-dropping elegance. I didn't know how I had missed that when he walked into the dining room, earlier, at home. Maybe I was too engrossed in the sandwich I was busy stuffing my face with.
"He is so handsome, and he smells good as well!" I observed as he got closer to where I was seated with my friend.
A light spritz of citrusy cologne lingered around him, refreshing in the summer air and clouding my sense of smelling, completely. It was all I could perceive at the moment.
And as a result of that, I didn't realize when he moved past me and walked away, into the class. We would be taking an English class, together.
"I think you are drooling, girl!" I heard Juanita whispered into my left ear and I jolted back to reality.
"Was i?" I mumbled some unintelligible words and released a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"That actually went well. He didn't talk to me. He didn't even do as if he sees me." I said to my friend, heaving a sigh of relief but a part of me felt bad that he had acted like he didn't see me.
"But you don't look too happy about that." Juanita pointed out.
And I hated that she was right but I denied it, instantly.
"Why won't I be happy about it? What good would it do me if everybody in the school knows I am staying in Andrew's house? I am going to be seen as one desperate, gold digging girl who wanted to belong at all costs." I told my friend and she nodded in understanding.
"You are right." She replied me.
"So, what are you going to do about your feelings for him?" Juanita asked me.
"I have no choice but to get rid of the feelings. Nobody, both in the house and at school, must know about my feelings for him." I told her, firmly.
Even though I wasn't sure how to go about it. I knew that was what I must do.
It would rip my heart into pieces but I had no other choice.
"You think you can do that? After years of watching and loving him in secret?" Juanita pointed out.
I blinked my eyes repeatedly, to trap in the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes.
Just the thought of forgetting everything about my feelings for Andrew made my heart feel so sad.
I was lost for words!
I didn't know whether Juanita could read my expression or not, but she kept quiet and just held my hand, offering comfort, even though I didn't say a word.
~
"Hello, y'all!" Our English lecturer stated and the class started.
As I sat in class not really concentrating on what was being taught, I could feel Andrew's occasional glances on me, but I refused to meet his eyes.
"Of course, he is definitely upset about our encounter earlier this morning." I stated inwardly as I looked at him briefly when his eyes were fixed on the lecturer, and I could observe he wasn't in a good mood.
"Can I say I am sorry?" I wondered.
After class, Juanita and I walked out of the room, chatting about our plans for the next class. As we turned a corner, Andrew appeared in front of us, he had a deep frown on his face.
"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, his voice was firm.
Andrew wanted to talk to me, alone? If it were to be like some days ago when we hadn't become step siblings, I would definitely be feeling over the moon.
I had been waiting for the day Andrew would notice me on campus and just look at me with his dreamy brown eyes, but at that moment, I hesitated.
However, Juanita squeezed my hand encouragingly and walked ahead, leaving us alone.
"I guess you can!" I told Andrew who had been waiting, patiently for me to reply him.
"Look, I don't know what's going on with you, but I don't appreciate being ignored," Andrew said, his eyes narrowing. "First, you blow me off this morning, and then you didn't even do as if you know me as I walked past you earlier, to enter the class. What's going on?" He asked me.
"Hun, I just didn't feel riding with you in your car, and also didn't feel like talking to you, okay?" I shrugged, trying to downplay the situation but couldn't look at him as I did that.
Andrew's expression turned skeptical.
"Really? You didn't feel like talking to me? When I was just trying to be nice to you?" He inquired, sounding very surprised.
Of course, he would be surprised. I was certain nobody had ever said that to him. Everybody wanted to talk to, and be associated with Andrew Peterson. And I felt sorry for being the first person to do so. Especially when he was just being nice to me.
Just as it seemed like the confrontation was about to escalate, Andrew's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his expression softened.
"Fine. Well, I have to go," he said, before turning and storming off.
As he disappeared around the corner, I saw him get into his car and drive away.
But what caught my attention was the girl sitting in the passenger seat - a girl I had never seen before, with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She was laughing and chatting with Andrew, completely at ease.
Who was she? And why did Andrew seem so happy to be with her?