Jason stood still as the car rolled up, headlight beams slicing through the darkness that had settled around him like a second skin. He blinked, not quite believing what he was seeing through the glass. She really was here. She was coming to him, just as she said she would.
What a madlad.
He knew the car. It was a black 2020 Audi A4. And it was hers. After all, he had seen it so many times before. This time was the same, except, apparently now he was going to be stepping inside it. Jason did not know how to feel about this.
Veronica Hall stepped out, her dress a sleek shade of black that seemed to dry in the light, framing her silhouette gracefully with curves in all the right places. And those were big curves too.
Even with the slightly tensed face, she looked more youthful and beautiful than ever, and in that moment, her elegance was shining through, both comforting and intimidating.
Jason at that moment, felt something stir inside him. What the hell? Why was she so attractive? He had no idea he was interested in her. However, now that he saw her look like this, look at him the way she looked at him, there was something deep inside him that stirred.
Veronica approached him without a word, her heels tapping lightly on the ground. Without warning, she pulled him into an embrace, her arms strong but tender, holding him like someone she was afraid of losing.
"Bo-" Jason was just about to speak when he suddenly found himself freezing in place. He was uncertain of what to do or say. After all, they had never been that intimate before. He was not used to this kind of warmth in recent times.
She felt so soft in his grasp, and she smelled so good too.
She pulled back and examined him with worried eyes, checking every inch of his body with worried eyes for bruises. While she did that her hands were touching him all over. And Jason smiled wryly. Now he was even more uncertain of what to do than before.
"I'm sorry, Jason," she said softly, her voice thick with concern. "Did I hurt you?"
Jason laughed sheepishly, saying, "I'm fine really. Thank you."
But that didn't stop her from looking at him again all over once again. It would have felt like a motherly instinct to anyone else, or maybe it seemed like that, but to Jason, who had a mother he remembered very vividly, he knew exactly what was going on.
This was not motherly. She cared about him. Genuinely cared to the point where it overshadowed her usually composed demeanour.
He could not help but let a small, almost silly grin escape and when she caught it, Veronica grinned too, her expression lightening now that she knew he was fine. She moved towards the car, and as she did, Jason's eyes followed her, taking in her form.
That tight dress was doing wonders.
After reaching the back of the car she then popped open the trunk. "Put your things in here," she directed him, her voice taking on a business-like tone again. Jason couldn't help but obey her. He set his belongings inside. But his mind wandered to her yet again as she moved.
How had he never noticed just how beautiful she was?
That form… That grace… that strength… For a moment, Jason's thoughts dipped where they really should not. But he brought himself back as soon as he did. This was not a woman he could allow himself to think about like that. But even as he stopped himself, when she turned to him and smiled, he couldn't help but get pulled back.
"I'm glad you're fine," Veronica said as they moved to the car door, but even before Jason replied, a voice cut into their conversation, completely ruining the scene. Jason and Veronica turned to see Thomas Grayson approaching, his expression twisted into a slimy smile that was aimed at Veronica.
How could it be aimed at Jason? After all, he was someone who had never received a smile from this man. Only perpetual scowls were what he got. And all of it was because of his shy daughter who had a fat crush on Jason. So annoying.
Should he mess around with his daughter just to get him back?
"Hello, Ms. Hall," he greeted her, trying to mask his scowl behind a fake politeness. Veronica's only response was a cold, piercing gaze. She didn't even offer him the courtesy of a reply. After all, that was unnecessary. Especially for someone who could throw someone out like that.
Jason watched this with a smirk. Unbidden, a thought came to him: Too bad, man. She likes me more than you. It seems your daughter is the same too. So sad.
Thomas continued though, since apparently he was totally unfazed with her response. Maybe it was not the first time he had been ignored by her. The most annoying thing to Jason was the fact that he started speaking with a self-righteous edge.
"You know, Ms Hall, Jason here has been… unreliable with his rent," he began, apologetically staring at Jason in disappointment before turning back to Veronica. "Late payments, skimping on dates, being an unfriendly neighbour… all of it. It was not the first time I got complaints about him. This time, I finally had to evict him. I hope you understand."
Jason couldn't help but laugh when he heard that bullshit. Stepping forward in front of Veronica, he faced Thomas directly. "Late payments? Or was it that you used the key to my room to let strangers in to steal my money?"
Thomas' face hardened, and his two goons stepped forward, sneering. "Respect your Elders, Jason," one of them sneered. A cruel smile came from the second one as the third one said, "Yeah. Watch your fucking mouth, boy."
Jason was about to reply when the second one spat on the floor and said, "Wait, boys… I guess he never had people around to teach him something like that."
Jason felt something twist painfully in his chest, a mix of shame and anger flaring up. So they were saying that just because he had lost his parents he never had someone who was there to teach him something like respecting his elders?
Respect isn't something that everyone deserves, it's earned. What had this fucker Mr. Grayson done to earn his respect?
Maybe… Maybe he should destroy them after all. Fuck the principles he had come up with. Maybe he should destroy their minds, and make them go crazy.
Just as Jason was thinking that he felt Veronica hold his arm. It seemed she did it out of worry because Jason was being approached by four men, while he was only one man. Jason took a breath, the urge to lash out and destroy these fucks barely contained in his chest.
Not yet. Not in front of her at least.