Chapter 17

UNEDITED 🤞


Jacob came home late that evening. Everyone was asleep when he enters his dark home. Although no one was around to greet him, he felt such a relief to be arriving there at the end of his day. The home his wife and kids were in. He didn't realize that he has been longing for that.

Before he changed his clothes or tries to be put some food in his stomach he goes upstairs to Clair's room and opens the door. He wanted nothing but to stare at her.

He folds his arms, leans between the doorway, and rests his eyes on her peaceful features. She was so beautiful. He could watch her all night.
She laid on her side with clamped hands under her cheek. She was what he used to call a tight sleeper. She would fold herself up and wouldn't move for the whole night.
He felt an immense feeling of love mixed with regret as he studied her.
At the beginning of their relationship, when they would lay in bed together, she used to snuggle into him. One of the best feelings in the world. He yearned for it.

Everything was perfect then. It was amazing and exciting. He never thought he would fall in love, but then she came along, and at first it was a game.

FLASHBACK

10 pm on a Friday night. Party time for almost every single student actively attending college. Jacob was no different. He was drinking and hanging out with friends at this frat house. To be honest, he was there for girls, not the liquor, or his friends.
He was a player and wore the title with pride.

In his defense, he was always upfront with all the girls he was with about what he wanted, and it was going to be no different that night. Even when he noticed out the corner of his eyes his friend Megan. Probably the only friend that was a female. Megan wasn't what caught his eye really, it was who she brought with her.

This girl was an oddball at this kind of party. While other girls were wearing hot colors, short skirts, and no bras, she wore a long flowered dress. The only thing sexy about it were the slits on her sleeves that made her shoulders visible. Her hair wasn't short and fried like other girls either, it was long and wavy and didn't seem to have much mind paid to the style. Immediately he pegged her as someone who was different. A challenge flag suddenly waved in his brain. Could he get her in his bed?

He leaves his group of friends and goes to near the staircase where a bunch of girls was sitting around giggling. She was sitting on the bottom step seeming very aware that she didn't fit in.

"Jacob." He extends his hand out towards her.

Megan who was a few steps higher interrupts. "Jacob, Clarissa, Clarissa, Jacob." She introduces them.

"Clair." He instantly gives her a nickname.

This party was not her element. Anyone with eyes could see she was uncomfortable. She smiles at him, barely. She didn't reach her hand back, she awkwardly stands up and excuses herself for the bathroom. Talk about a low blow to a man's ego.

"Is she your new roommate? He turns to Megan.

She glances up at him strangely. "Isn't she not your type?"

"What is my type?" He asks.

"Girl." One of the other giggling girls, giggles out a reply.

"She's not that type of girl okay. She won't sleep with you." Megan was waving an even bigger challenge flag in front of him.


"Hey, Jacob!" His best friend Watson calls over the music. That was the interruption he needed. He excuses himself as he goes with his friends. It wasn't a surprise that they had a few girls to introduce him to and theses girls were no exception to the others. Beautiful, sexy, and wild. His night was set, or was it? These women didn't seem as attractive as they once did before. They danced around showing him their main assets. They laughed, drank, and fed his ego but, it just wasn't doing it for him today.
He kept thinking about conservative Clarissa.
Normally he wanted girls that were carefree but he found himself liking her reserved attitude. He liked that she didn't wear makeup and liked that she dressed differently. He was all the more curious. He shifts his gaze to where she was sitting. Her unsure expression and fiddling fingers. It was adorable.
Maybe he should leave this one alone. She didn't deserve a player.

After an hour of trying to go back to usual, he was on his way to the restroom when he finds Clair alone at a table with her head down. Her face was to her side so he could see that her eyes were heavy like she was going to fall asleep there.

He forgets his bladder and stoops beside her. "Hey." His hand instinctively clear hair from her face. "How much have you had to drink?

"Hmm." She replies.

"How much have you had to drink?" He repeats.

"Just the one." She holds up a finger and drops it back down."

Okay. He thinks. She wasn't completely gone.

"I don't really drink." *Hiccup*

He chuckles. For a moment there he was worried if she was maybe drugged. "I think I should take you home." He slides his arm around her back and assists her up.

"Where is Megan?" She squints up at him.

When she lands those confused, gorgeous, eyes on him, he felt something. A tingle that made him weak. An entirely new experience. He clears his throat and does his best to ignore the feeling.

He guides her to his car, buckles her up on the passenger side, locks it, and goes back inside to find Megan.

When he finds her, he explains the situation and lets her know that he was taking Clarissa home. He receives the address and was back in the vehicle within minutes.
Clarissa was still in the same position leaned back with her eyes closed.

He reaches over and brushes the hair from her eyes. "Feeling okay?"

She nods.

All the while driving, he couldn't believe what he was doing. When did he become a caretaker? When did he want to babysit an intoxicated woman?

They were at her off-campus apartment in minutes. He helps her out, walks her inside her building, and up the stairs to her front door. The second she opens it and was about to step inside and disappear, he knew he had to see her again.

He found out from Megan On Monday her schedule and caught her leaving her last class for the day.

He didn't know what he was doing truthfully. He didn't want a girlfriend, yet he found himself following this girl. She was walking the halls at a decent pace and had her arms wrapped around her textbooks. She was wearing an ankle-length flowered dress again and her long hair swayed side to side with each of her steps.

"Clair..." his voice echos a bit.

She turns around and surprisingly smiles. "Oh hey..."

"You remember me?" He jokes.

"Yeah..." She glances at the ground and curls hair behind her ear. "Thanks for taking me home... and walking me to my door. You were a real gentleman."

"Don't mention it.." he steps closer and slides his hands into his pockets. "I.."

"I really have to go. She cuts him off... I'm sorry." She turns away and rushes off.


He was disappointed but obviously, she wasn't interested. He decided he needed to get a hold of himself and didn't pursue it.

It wasn't until two weeks later at the library did he see her again. He was meeting a friend there when he notices her studying at a table nearby. It hit him like lightning. She was mesmerizing. Just like the night he drove her home, he didn't know what he was doing but he approached her and sat on the chair across.

"Clair." He lets her name rumble in his throat.

She looks up and smiles softly. Oh hi... How are you?"

"Great...Let's cut to the chase. I think you're beautiful."

Her brows shoot up. "Oh."

"And I want to take you out."

She has never dated before. She really thought that if she was asked out, she wouldn't hesitate to say no but, here she was contemplating. He was very handsome, he dressed really nice and smelled really good. He was kinda sweet and caring.

After the example of her parents who would want something that can lead to a miserable marriage? But should she never experience dating because of that? After all, she was in control. It didn't have to be anything more than what she wanted it to be. "Okay." She found herself agreeing.
~~~~~


Their first date was at a movie theater. It was super awkward. Neither knew how to act because neither dated but over the next couple of dates things got easier between them. Jacob stopped hesitating when reaching for her hand but they still hadn't had their first kiss yet.


It was weird for him to love a woman's company so much without being intimately involved.

He had more patience than he thought. He didn't want to pressure her or make any move that could push her in any way.

When he brought her home the eve of their 4th date she said something he wasn't expecting. "Wanna come up?"

To be continued.....

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Hope you're enjoying 😊