Chapter 56

Breakfast was a quiet affair. They sat in silence eating the eggs and pancakes Jadon had managed not to turn into black coal.

Tapiwa had to admit she liked it. Something about sitting across from Jadon, not meeting his gaze or speaking but just knowing he was there gave her some form of comfort she had never thought was possible.

The butterflies still flattered around in her stomach at the thought that he'd gone to all the trouble to make her breakfast. She was so taken by his gesture that she hadn't even felt a hint of guilt for abruptly ending her conversation with Nicole so she could focus solely on Jadon and the meal he had made for her.

Another reason might have been the fact that she hadn't wanted to continue the conversation they had been having. Admitting she had made a mistake making the rule wasn't something she wanted to admit out loud. Because that would have meant finally admitting that she wanted to climb Jadon like a jungle gym and do very naughty things. Things that couldn't be done with them seated across from each other and with her damn rule still hovering like a dark cloud over them.

But she'd made the rule, and she saw how hard Jadon intended to stick to it. She suspected it was the reason he had left her alone so abruptly last night. Somehow, his actions and self-control made her want him more.

Still lost in her swirling thoughts, she forked more eggs and brought them to her mouth. Just as she slowly closed her lips around the fork's tines, two things happened. One: she realized Jadon's fork was frozen in midair and his eyes were fixed on her lips. That immediately sent fire through her veins.

But then, the second thing was the sudden knock at the door that made both of them jump as though they had been doing something far more involving than eating eggs and staring longingly at lips.

"Fuck!" Jadon cursed under his breath even as he dropped his fork and stood up so fast that the stool almost toppled over in his haste. "I should probably invest in a vicious dog and train it to stand right in front of my door. I bet that would discourage so many people from visiting so unexpectedly," he grumbled as he walked out of the kitchen.

Tapiwa was still laughing when she heard Jadon open the front door and greet whoever was on the other side with an exasperated, 'What?'. Somehow, that sobered Tapiwa in a heartbeat. She quickly remembered what had happened the last time someone was at Jadon's front door and feared the worst.

Her fingers tightened around the fork in her hand. She listened, barely holding on to her now building anxiety. Staying as quiet as she could, Tapiwa didn't hear raised voices or a physical fight. Instead, the sound of several approaching footsteps reached her ears, and she stiffened, not sure what to expect.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait long to find out what was happening. A minute later, Jadon walked back into the kitchen, looking just as irritated as he had been when he went to answer the door. Except he wasn't alone. Two men walked in after Jadon.

Tapiwa immediately recognized Kaelo, but she had no idea who the second man was. She guessed he had to be a friend of Jadon, too because the man didn't hesitate to pull out a stool and sit down.

Then, with a wide grin on his face, the handsome man held out his hand to Tapiwa. "Hi, you must be Tapiwa. I have heard a lot about you. My name is Ezra."

"Ezra, for goodness's sake, at least wash your hands first," Kaelo cut in.

Oh! Tapiwa's eyes snapped toward Kaelo, narrowed in disapproval at what she thought was a rude comment. But then she realized he was teasing his friend when she caught him winking at her.

She was so shocked by the unexpected act that she forgot Ezra's outstretched hand and stared between the two men before her eyes settled on Jadon, who stood to the side, watching with his arms crossed over his chest.

"UhmI" Tapiwa closed her mouth, not sure what to say.

With all the men seemingly waiting for Tapiwa to say something, an awkward silence fell. However, it only lasted for a handful of seconds before Ezra was talking again. He looked between Tapiwa and Jadon. "Wait, did we interrupt something? You both look tense."

"No," Jadon answered quickly. Too quickly. It had both his friends arching their brows in question. That got Jadon moving. Looking suddenly as though he would rather run a marathon barefoot in the desert than face whatever his friends were thinking, Jadon walked to the island and picked up his mug of coffee.

"Come on," he urged his friends when he had refilled it from the pot. "Let's go into the dining room. You said you were here to discuss the business."

Kaelo's eyes narrowed, but there was humor behind them. "What? We don't even get some coffee?"

"I I can get everyone coffee," Tapiwa helpfully offered, already standing from her seat ready to do just that. But Jadon's voice stopped her.

"No. They can get their own coffee. You You can enjoy the rest of your breakfast and then I don't know. Watch TV or something."

Tapiwa didn't know why, but she felt dismissed like an unwanted child. Her spine stiffened. She looked at the other two men watching her, as though waiting for a reaction. She wasn't going to give them one. Squaring her shoulders, she gave Jadon a tight smile. "Actually, that's fine. I'm just going to get ready. I'll be stepping out."

To say that her answer didn't please the man would have been an understatement. Brows furrowed, Jadon walked back to the island and set his mug down. Ignoring his friend's curious gazes, he asked, "Where are you going?"

Tapiwa blinked, her hackles immediately rising. "Excuse me? Do I need to give you an account of my whereabouts?" she asked angrily.

Jadon's jaw worked. "Have you forgotten that we still have a small matter of your stalker?"

The reminder of the man she had seen last night made Tapiwa shudder, and the fight and rage left her in a single exhale. "Uhm no. I I was just going to go out and look for a job."

"That can wait."

Tapiwa shook her head. "No, it can't. Jadon, I refuse to be a dependent indefinitely. I can't live under your roof forever. I need to find my feet. The sooner the better."

Whatever Jadon was about to say in response to her statement was cut off by Kaelo, but from the look in Jadon's eyes, he wasn't happy.

"She'll be fine, Jadon. Looking for work is a good idea. Staying cooped up in the house all day can't be healthy for anyone."

Tapiwa nodded her thanks to Kaelo and decided to make an exit before Jadon voiced his opinion again. But before she was out of earshot, Tapiwa heard Ezra ask Jadon a question that made her slow her steps.

"Why are you so agitated, man? Are you finally admitting you have feelings for her?"

"I don't have feelings for her," Jadon stated flatly.

Tapiwa's heart sank. Her stomach twisted and the breakfast she had enjoyed just moments before now felt like lumps of coal. No, she reminded herself that it didn't matter and what was important was finding a job.

With that, Tapiwa went to her room to get ready for her job hunt.

Several hours later, Tapiwa realized her day wasn't going to get any better. Feeling low after so many rejections and even two potential employers, unfortunately, recognizing her as the woman in the trending pictures on social media, Tapiwa was ready to call it a day and just get back to Jadon's house, curl into a fetal position and wish the day would just end.

Dejected, she made her way from the center of town, which housed over eighty percent of the city's businesses, to the main bus station. She was almost halfway there when she caught sight of a small ice cream shop. Memories of the night before came rushing back into her mind. She shook them off, but she still went in, figuring she needed a little pick-me-up.

Moments later, she was seated at one of the small tables, a spoonful of lemon ice cream in her mouth. It tasted heavenly, lemon being one of her favorite flavors, but for some reason, she wished she had picked the vanilla and chocolate flavor like the one she'd shared with Jadon last night. Or better yet, she wished she could buy more of the lemon and take home for Jadon to taste. She wanted to know if he'd like it.

But then she remembered his words that morning. Jadon wouldn't be interested in tasting her favorite ice cream. He probably just wanted her gone out of his house, she thought. However, that didn't explain the breakfast he'd made for her. None of it made sense.

However, before Tapiwa could ponder on the matter further, a shadow fell over her. Not having noticed someone had approached her table, she immediately jerked back and then nearly fell out of her seat when she looked up and saw exactly who it was who had followed her into the ice cream shop.