Page 114 of Vengeance & Sin

Every day she finds herself just a little more, and with each new piece of herself that she slots into place, she only becomes harder to resist.

Zander was doomed from the beginning, and Spencer can pretend to hate her all he wants, but we both know he can’t deny the pull he had to her that first night. Hell, even Kratos, the man who’s well known for turning even the most beautiful women away, seems to have fallen under her spell.

We're all so screwed.

The biggest issue with that is that she needs none of it. She has so much going on already that we don’t need to add to it. The only thing she needs from us is protection –she doesn’t even really need that, but orders are orders– and help to take the ring down. Anything else will be a distraction.

With that thought, I pull my shit together and focus on what we need to do to help her.

Like the shopping trip, basic life skills are something she should already have. The fact that she doesn’t pisses me off for so many different reasons. I might not be able to fix her past, but this I can do.

When we get to the market, her smile doesn’t fade as we walk the aisles. I help her to understand the nutrition labels so she knows what she needs daily. Explain the benefits of protein and the best places to get it in meals and snacks. We buy a lot of fruits and vegetables after she lets me know she’s never really tried many. I can always blend them in smoothies if she doesn’t like them.

I make sure to answer all of her questions because I knew she would have a lot going into this. Most people have a lot of questions about nutrition even when they have been cooking and shopping all their lives. I can only imagine how confusing it must be to learn it all at once without prior knowledge.

To my surprise, she catches on quickly, and before the end of the trip, she was making choices on her own using what I’d just taught her. I watch her check the labels and can’t help but feel pride over the fact that I got to show her this.

Now I know why Zander was gloating about being the one to show her music.

We pass the bakery on the way to check out, and I see her eyeing the cupcakes. The last time we were here, I got her one. I overheard her telling Zander later that night that it was one of the best things she had ever had.

Without asking, I grab the one I just saw her eyeing and set it in our cart.

“I thought we wanted to stay away from sugars?” She asks, confusion clear in her voice.

I nod. “For the most part, you do, but everything is okay in moderation.” I can see that did nothing to help her confusion, so I think for a minute to try and find a way to explain it so she can understand as we continue toward the checkout.

“Just because you don’t want to eat it all day long doesn’t mean you can’t ever have it. It’s good to let yourself have things you want while also getting the things you need. So while I wouldn’t suggest you have a cupcake every day, eating one once in a while won’t hurt.” I attempt to help her understand as I load things up on the checkout belt. “Does that make sense?” I ask when she doesn’t reply, and she nods.

She helps load the groceries into the car and puts the cart away. When she slides into the car, her face is scrunched up in confusion, and she’s looking in the mirror behind us.

I turn to see what she’s looking at, and the only thing I see is a younger guy collecting carts.

“What’s wrong?” I ask her when I can’t figure out what has her making that face.

“That guy,” she points at the guy I just saw collecting carts in the mirror, “whistled at me, and I don’t know, it was just weird.” She says with a shrug.

I can’t help but huff a laugh at her. It’s so easy to forget how naive she can be.

“He was hitting on you, Jade.” I tell her as we pull out of the lot and head back to the house.

“What?!” Jade squeals looking over at me like I’m the crazy one as her cheeks tint with a light blush.

“No. Why would he do that?” She asks, and for a second, I think she’s fishing for compliments as most girls would, but when I look over at her, I can see that she’s asking seriously.

I shake my head at her. “Maybe for the same reason Zander does, Trent, or hell, even Kratos.” I tell her and get the pleasure of watching her cheeks take on an even deeper shade of red before she quickly averts her eyes to look down at her lap.

“Oh.” She says in a low voice. So she wasn’t aware they were flirting with her either, huh?

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Jade flustered before. Of course, she blushes a lot and shows more emotions now, but flustered is a new one, and while I would never admit it out loud, it’s adorable.

I decide to take pity on her and click on my playlist, letting the music take the place of our conversation.

The first song isPopular Monsterby Falling in Reverse, and I almost skip it for something not so heavy. However, I decide against it at the last second. I like heavy music, but I really enjoy music I can relate to, something that makes me feel.

Jade might not know it, but I relate to this song, and sharing it with her almost feels like showing her a piece of myself, even if I don’t let her know that.

When the beat drops, I glance over to her just to see how she likes it so far, and I’m surprised to see her smiling. Most people don’t care for my music, but she seems to enjoy it just as much as when she picked the song.

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