Page 45 of Her Fearless Ronin

I blinked, shocked by what she’d just said. An advance payment for three years of care? I certainly hadn’t made any such arrangement. Suddenly, realization dawned on me, bringing a mixture of shock and hurt. Jiro. He must have been the one to make this payment to ensure that my mother was taken care of for years to come. But instead of feeling gratitude, a pang of hurt twisted within me. I stood there feeling like a charity case, and it stung.

I managed to gather my thoughts, my voice steady, but my heart conflicted. “I’ll give you a date before the end of the week,” I finally said, my mind racing as I tried to process everything.

“Thank you, Hope.”

As I left the admin office, emotions churned within me like a stormy sea. Gratitude for Jiro’s gesture tangled with asense of shame, as if my circumstances had led him to make such grand decisions.

My initial plan of hosting bingo became a distant thought, overshadowed by this news. I hurried to the reception to explain that I had an emergency and wouldn’t be able to lead the session today.

Outside the center, fresh air did little to quell the whirlwind of feelings inside me. Pulling out my phone, my fingers trembled as I dialed Jiro’s number.

“I was not moping,” he said on the other end, his tone bristling with frustration.

I was well beyond being even a little interested in his stupid banter with Oda. “Did you pay for three years of care for my mother?” The line fell silent, the pause only fueling my anger. “Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?”

“What?” His response held an edge, a coldness that made my steps falter.

“To know that everything between us, every gesture you make, comes from pity and misplaced guilt,” I blurted out, my frustration overflowing.

“Everything?” he echoed, his voice taking on a chilling tone that caught me off guard. “Is that truly what you believe?”

Looking heavenward, I tried to find the right words. “It certainly feels that way.”

“I see,” he finally said, his voice softer but somehow scarier. “I’m not sure if there’s anything I can say over the phone to change your perception. Goodbye, Hope.”

The line went dead, leaving me standing there, emotions roiling within me. The situation between us just got evenworse, and this time, I might be the one to blame.

With time to spare before meeting Oda, I decided to rein in my nerves. I refused to be that person who spends a coffee date with a friend whining about her… well, what was Jiro to me anyway? I couldn’t help but snort at my own confusion. Jiro wasn’t anything to me. Not really.

As I walked along the pier, I allowed the soothing scent of the sea and the gentle rhythm of the waves to work their magic on my tumultuous emotions. The whole situation with my mother’s care was now much clearer. It was undoubtedly the best choice for both of us. But as I gazed out at the expansive sea, my mind began to wander into uncharted territories. What would not having to bear the full weight of my mother’s care mean for my future? Could I finally go back to school, resurrecting the dreams I’d set aside when life had taken a difficult turn? The possibilities seemed both exhilarating and daunting. Could I start my life back where I had left it before the avalanche of responsibilities had come crashing down? The idea filled me with excitement, a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long while.

Lost in my thoughts of newfound potential, I continued my leisurely stroll along the pier. I imagined what it would be like to have a fresh start, to be able to take the reins of my life once more.

Eventually, I arrived at the café. Pushing open the door, I was fully expecting to see Oda sitting there with his usual cheerful smile. But as I walked in, my heart leaped into my throat. It wasn’t Oda sitting there. It was Jiro. His expression was etched with fury, his dark eyes practically smoldering with anger.

Fuck, this one was going to hurt.

Chapter 14

Jiro

Fuck, she’s beautiful.That was my first thought when she stepped into the café. Her hair caught the light in a way that made it look like a cascade of golden lilac, and her blue eyes held depths of emotion that I knew I had no right to read.

Ileaned back, my irritation growing. But even in the midst of my annoyance, I couldn’t deny the magnetic pull she had on me. She turned her gaze toward me, and I watched as her smile, so warm and genuine, faded, replaced with uncertainty and apprehension.

How could she think that everything I did was driven by pity? There was no pity in the way I looked at Hope, in the way I wanted her, in the way I saw a fierce warrior spirit beneath her delicate exterior. She was as far from a damsel in distress as one could be.

It certainly wasn’t pity that drove me to kneel in front of her, to explore her body with a hunger that bordered on desperation. Pity was nowhere in the equation when I found myself lost in the pleasures she ignited within me.

She swallowed, her posture shifting as she approached me. There she was, my beautiful warrior, caught in the cross fire of our tangled emotions.

“Where’s Oda?” Her voice was like a sharp needle piercing the air between us, breaking through the charged silence.

“Otherwise occupied,” I replied curtly, my gaze fixed on her. The truth was far from that simple, though.

Locked in the bathroom of my hotel room, to be precise. It was his fault, really. After their call, I had explicitly told him not to show up for his coffee date with Hope. But the fool had defied me, asserting his independence. He had a streak of stubbornness that was infuriating, and now he would deal with the consequences.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

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