Page 17 of Jaeda

“Jaeda.”

“Uncuff him now!” I demanded. “And you all can wait outside until I’m done. I’m never gonna get anywhere with all of you here.”

Deuce shook his head as he uncuffed him. Quaid flexed his wrist as he glared at Smoke, looking ready to pounce on him.

“You hit my brother and I will most definitely shoot you,” I warned.

Smoke laughed. “If he knows like I know, he won’t jump stupid.”

“Everybody, out!” I demanded.

They all muttered under their breaths as they headed for the door. Mia stopped next to me and leaned in, whispering in my year.

“Minus this bullshit, that man is fine as hell, sis.”

“Bye, Mia.”

She giggled as she filed out behind my brothers and father. I took a deep breath and backed away to the chair I’d previously occupied. Taking a seat, I crossed my legs and motioned for Quaid to take a seat too. Grabbing the chair placed for him, he moved it closer to me.

“That’s far enough,” I said, holding up a hand. “Sit down.”

He complied and took a seat across from me.

“Explain yourself,” I said, crossing my arms. “Why were you going through my computer? What were you looking for?”

“I wasn’t looking for anything, per se. I just . . . I wanted to help.”

“I didn’t need your help. While I appreciate your contribution to protecting my brother, it was Titan who asked for your help, not me. Hell, we didn’t even ask him. Ms. Maddie did.”

“I’m aware.”

“So you know Maddie too?”

“I do. Titan’s mom and her are good friends. I’ve met her several times over the years.”

“How long has this been going on?”

He hung his head. “A couple months. Can I be honest?”

“That would be your best bet.”

He signed heavily. “This was probably an extreme way to get your attention, . . . definitely not the smartest. But I’ve been interested in you for a while, Jaeda. I first came across your profile on Sweet Meets about a year ago . . .”

My ears perked up. That was the dating app I’d been on. I squinted as I looked at him. That’s when it hit me that Ihadseen him on there. I’d checked his profile several times, but I was convinced he was too good to be true by all the things we had in common.

“I remember you,” I admitted. “If you wanted to get my attention, why not send me a message? Why hack my computer and look through my shit?”

He gave a nervous chuckle, giving me a glimpse of his smile . . . He had a beautiful smile.

“You make me nervous, if that wasn’t obvious in the toy store.”

“Why?”

“I think you’re beautiful, Jaeda. Reading over your profile, I instantly wanted to know everything there is to know about you. I’ve never met a woman so much like me. From the love of Legos to anime to cosplay, . . . you seemed perfect for me. Maybe a little too perfect. Titan has offered to introduce us several times, but I was too chicken, which is crazy because I’ve worked too hard to build my confidence over the years.”

He stood and came over, taking the seat next to me. Nervously, I turned to face him. Him being this close to me was makingmenervous. I avoided his piercing gaze, feeling almost like a child about to be reprimanded.

“Can you look at me?” he asked, gently taking my hand.

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