Page 77 of Obsessive Love

I scoff and shove his shoulder as I shake my head.

Chapter Forty-Five

Sophia

Kaleb glowers at Jaylen through the rearview mirror as we stop at a red light, the music in the car blaring Eminem's latest song and Jaylen's horrendous singing ringing in our ears.

I giggle at my cousin's antics, knowing he's purposefully trying to get a rise out of Kaleb and then I decide to join in with the singing, not to annoy Kaleb, just simply because I love the song.

"Oh, for the love of God, don't you start this shit as well," he grunts, side-eyeing me as he changes gears and drives forward, towards the boutique that Jericho's sending us to.

"Stop being such a grump," Jaylen shouts from the back of the car before he pokes his head between our seats, showing off his wild grin.

Kaleb's arm reaches across my body, pushing me firmly against my seat. Then he slams his foot down on the brake, causing Jaylen to fly back into the rear of the car.

A smug smile appears on his face when he hears Jaylen curse and groan.

I turn the volume down and twist in my seat so that I can see them both and shake my head.

"Can you both please try and get along, even if it's just for the next few hours whilst we all have to spend time together?" Jaylen opens his mouth, ready to argue with me, but I hold up my finger, silencing him. "You both need to stop acting like children. Put your differences aside and play nice, okay?"

I wait for both of them to nod in agreement and then twist back around, sitting in my seat and smiling in triumph as the remainder of the journey consists only of music quietly filtering through the speakers and the sounds of other cars as we pass them by.

When we pull up outside the boutique, Jaylen leans forward again, looking out the window in awe.

"This place looks bougie."

"You say that like your family isn't rich," Kaleb mutters, putting the car into park and getting out of the car.

"I don't understand how or why you like him. He seems to have a gigantic stick up his arse," Jaylen comments as we watch Kaleb walk around the front of the car towards my side.

"He's not like that with me," I state, shrugging.

Kaleb opens my door for me, waiting for me to step out before he places his hand against my back and guides me towards the shop, not bothering to wait for Jaylen.

"We're in public," I say, stepping to the side so his hand falls away from my back.

He turns to me with narrowed eyes.

"So? If anyone has an issue with me being a gentleman and escorting you into a building, I'll happily gut them in the middle of the street," he retorts, smirking at my shocked face.

"Seriously, Soph, you must be deranged to like a man who says things like that," Jaylen says, coming up behind us.

Kaleb glares at him and I roll my eyes at their theatrics, walking ahead of them and entering the boutique.

The shop assistant rushes over to me, quickly introducing himself and whisking me away towards the dressing room, telling me they've already picked out multiple dresses for me to try based on what Jericho told them he'd like me to wear.

I turn my nose up at the thought of what Jericho has in mind for me to wear, but when I enter the dressing room, closing the cream curtain behind me, my eyes fall on an array of dresses, each varying in colour and length.

My eyes scan each dress and I hum as I examine them, surprised that Jericho actually seems to have given the boutique good advice on what dresses to pick out for me.

"You're telling me that I don't need to be here, but I think you're struggling to understand that I'm Sophia's primary bodyguard, therefore, if anyone should leave, it's you."

I huff as Jaylen's voice carries through the curtain from where they're seated outside on a plush leather sofa.

"Maybe you should ask yourself why she was appointed a secondary bodyguard," Kaleb spits back.

"I've been her bodyguard for years and I've managed to keep her perfectly safe, so don't insinuate that it has anything to do with my abilities."

---