Chapter 7: Jealousy
《Jayden Nelson》
The soccer match day...
"Have anyone seen Joji?" Mr Garret asked us before the match start. "Anyone???"
"No, sir," Lee answered him while the others were just shrugged.
I cleared my throat then turned my gaze to my right side where Seth suddenly gave me a glare, a scary glare to be exact, "What?"
"I bet you did something stupid last night, right?" he said annoyingly.
"N-no...I-I didn't," 'Damn...his question makes me worried all of sudden.'
"Oh no..." Mr Garret sounded worried as someone suddenly entered our meeting room. "Joji...what happened to you, boy?"
I swallowed hard as Joji walked pass by me with his face full with bruises.
'I'm totally dead.'
"Who did this to you?" Mr Garret examined his condition with full of worries.
Joji moved his gaze towards me followed by Mr Garret, "Jayden?" Mr Garret asked for me.
"Uh-uh..." ‘Seriously, I'm speechless right now.’ I really have no idea what to say to back up myself.
"What happened to your hand anyway?" ‘Damn, Mr Garret noticed my injury.’
"I...u-uh..." I tried to think any lie that could convince my coach, unfortunately, none of it came into my mind at that moment.
"Did you two have a fight?!" he questioned both of us with all of our teammates were looking at us; waiting for our explanations to be exact.
"Y-yes Mr Garret," I just could not hide it anymore. Maybe it will become worst if I did lie or something. Besides, he started it first by disturbing my wife and even tried to take advantage of her.
'He really pissed me of.'
'There's no one can touch or treat my wife like that. No one, ever!'
"Oh God...this is too much, Jayden..." Mr Garret seemed to be disappointed with me. "Both of you are the best players in this team."
"I'm sorry ,sir," I apologized with my eyes are on the ground.
"I'm sorry, but I have to ban both of you from play in this match. And you guys are disqualified from being the candidates of this team's Captain," Mr Garret strictly said.
'I know this thing will happen. But I don't care...as long as Kaytlyn will be safe from that jerk. I don't care about the Captain position anymore....all I care about right now is, Kaytlyn, my wife. Because I think I start to like her or maybe...love her.'
"The meeting is dismissed," Mr Garret added. "Good luck for the game."
"Yes sir!!!" My other teammates said in unison.
"You really disappointed us, Jayden," Lee said to me as all of us walked out of the room.
I turned to look at my other friends, Simon, Karl, Zac and even Seth. And I indeed disappointed them very much.
'I really messed up this time...'
'But whatever.'
"I'm sorry guys," I apologized to them, then quicken my paces away from them and headed to somewhere, where I could relax my mind for a temporary.
*****
《Kaytlyn Jones》
My eyes wandered around the field, looking for Jayden but I could not see him. It already passed 15 minutes since the game started and I was sure he was not there at all.
'That's really weird.'
'He supposed to play in this game since this match is to determine the next Captain for this team. I know he really wants that position, umm...well, I actually accidentally read his diary while unpacking his stuff few days ago.'
There were two juniors sat in front of me, the second row of the bleachers to be exact. Moreover, their conversation really caught my attention.
Girl 1: "I can't believe that Jayden got banned,"
Girl 2: "I know right. He's the best player in the team. How could his coach banned him?"
Girl 1: "Maybe he did something...you know him right? He's really full with mischiefs..."
Girl 2: "I think so,"
'He got BANNED?!'
'Oh no...I think it was because last night incident. I should go and find him, it was my fault. This thing will never happen if I didn't go to that bar yesterday.'
"Where are you going, Kaytlyn?" Amelia asked me as I was about to scoot away from my seat. "The game just started..."
"U-um...I need to go to the toilet," I replied her with a lie. "I'll be back soon..."
"Be care-...." Amelia could not even finish her words as I climbed down the stairs of the bleachers.
'I'm sorry, Amelia. I need to find my husband so I could help him to explain everything to his coach so he could play again.'
******
I looked for him everywhere but he was nowhere to be found.
'Where are you, Jayden?'
'I'm so worried about you....'
'Wait!'
There was a guy's figure, wearing a jersey who sat by the fountain as I walked pass the university park.
'I'm sure he's Jayden...'
"Why are you sitting here?" I approached him from behind.
"K-Kaytlyn...." He sounded surprised, well....of course he should since I suddenly approached him from behind. "I didn't notice you're here," he turned to me with a weak smile then back to the fountain.
"Are you okay, Jayden?" I asked for his current status while taking a seat beside of him where he was soaking his feet inside of the fountain.
He gives me a weak smile again, "I'm fine...I guess."
"Heyy..." I gently intertwined his hand with mine where he gladly did the same as me. "You can tell me if there's something troubling you..."
'His hand is so warm....'
To be honest, I felt so nervous even my heart pounded so hard, but I tried my best to control my feelings so I could help him.
‘I owed him so much from the start and I guess this is the right time for me to repay him back.’
He slowly rested his head on my shoulder, which surprised me much, "Thank you, Kaytlyn...for being here with me."
My heart even pounded hard as if like it will going to explode anytime soon. Hopefully, he could not hear it, or it will be so embarrassing though.
He sighs heavily, "No matter what the reason is, I'm so glad that I saved you from that jerk, Joji..."
"B-but Jayden..." I tried to speak out.
Unfortunately, he cuts me in, "It's okay, Kaytlyn. Your safety is all matter for me right now. Like I said before, I promise that I will protect you."
I was so in shocked with his words and did not expect the almighty Jayden is actually care for me at all.
"That's what a friend use for..." he added more that caused my heart shattered into pieces in instant.
'H-he...j-just considers me as a friend. I-I...I thought....'
"Kaytlyn?" He snapped me out from my thought.
"Y-yes...oh, sorry," I quickly pulled my hands back from him.
*****
《Jayden Nelson》
At our house...
'I just friend zoned her...'
'What am I thinking? I should just say that I like her...but why the word of 'friend' came out from my mouth. I'm supposed to say 'husband' not that!'
'But...'
'I don't want to get reject too. I just can't handle it, enough with Amelia before. Maybe it was the best thing for friend zoning her.
'Eh...what am I thinking???'
'I already got married with her, so it means she's already mine. I shouldn't be scare to get reject...I'll never let go of her, not ever. Even, I'll try my hardest to get her heart if she ever rejects me.'
'Yea, I'll make her to fall in love with me.'
"Hey boy," Ted wiggled his tail at my feet. "Come here..." I gently rubbed Ted as he jumped onto my laps.
"Do you know what she's doing right now?" I whispered to Ted, but he just ignored me by playing with his toy.
'What should I do now?'
I saw her was heading to the front door with a small luggage so I stopped her, "Where're you going?"
She wore a lavender hoodie, matched with faded blue jeans along with her ponytail hair style. She did not wear her glasses tonight, revealing her glimmering chestnut eyes.
'Man...she's really gorgeous.'
She stops at half way from the door, "I have to return to the dorm. Tomorrow is Monday, remember?"
'N-no...don't leave. I still want to stay with you.'
"I'll get going now," she added more.
"Eh...no!!!" I stopped her by running towards her direction. "Please....stay, Kaytlyn."
Her beautiful eyes looked into mine, full with confusion and questions, "But why?"
"U-uh...it's late now," I created a lie, well, actually it was kind of the truth though. My smart gear showed it was almost 10 pm as I took a look at it. "And it will be dangerous for you to return to the doom at this time. Let's wait till tomorrow morning."
I could saw she was looking at me with a small cringes on her forehead.
‘Hopefully, she will buy that. Or I will miss my chances to watch her sleep again, tonight.’
'Whoa...I really did sound like a pervert!'
"We'll go there early in the morning....Together," I strictly said and my words really made her cringed even more.
"Oookay...." she knitted her eyebrow while looking weirdly at me.
I gulped once and pretended to smile at her.
"Jayden...." she stopped me as I was about to walk away from her.
‘Her very soft hands are holding my right arms!’
That made my heart beaten faster with a sudden warm feeling surrounded me.
"Y-yes..." ‘Oh my...I'm stuttering again!’
‘M-maybe she would like to say something....m-maybe...she wants to confess and say that she falls for me.’
"Please woke up early, okay..." ‘Or not. My expectation about her high though. Of course she will not love me. I'm not a perfect guy for her.’
Her words did make me feel down so much.
"O-oh...okay, I will," I faked a smile for her. But I could not promise that, actually," then scratched the back of my head while avoiding her eyes contact.
"Heyy....you must woke up early tomorrow," she crossed her arms while looking at me. "You're the one who wanted to offer me for a ride, remember,"
"Okay...okayy....I was just kidding anyway,"
"Goodnight, Jay..." My eyes widened even tongued tied as she wished me ‘Goodnight’ and even rubbed gently on my messy hair.
She seemed surprised too, as our eyes met with each other then with a blink of eyes, she swiftly ran towards her room as fast as she could.
'Whoa...why did she do that???'
Not for long as she closed the door, I could hear she screamed behind the door and even mumbled something behind of our bedroom door.
"You stupid, Kaytlyn!" She even scolded herself that made me hardly to control my laughter as I eavesdropped her. "He might think badly of you, you know!"
'No, I'm not...because I think you're cute, Kaytlyn.'
*****
《Kaytlyn Jones》
'See...I already knew it. He will not woke up in time. I'm sure he is oversleeping.'
I done prepared myself, ready for the morning class when noticing that blond guy still has not came out from our bedroom even though I already woke him up before went for cooking breakfast.
The door suddenly opened while I was eavesdropping behind it which made me almost fall upfront. But, I was lucky though as he caught me and pulled me into a hug.
"Are you okay?" he asked me in a worry tone.
"I...I, I'm okay..." I quickly broke the hug and even avoided his eyes contact.
"What are you doing, anyway?" he asked me again.
"N-nothing..."
"Are you sure?" he crossed his arms while staring at me with a smirk.
"Let's get going," I quickly changed the topic. "Or we might be late,"
He chuckles, "Okay...okay..." then made his way to the front door with his backpack slung on his right shoulder.
*
"Jayden...." There were several girls surrounded Jayden at the table in front of me in the cafeteria. Some of them even tried to flirt with him and YES...I was kind of jealous with them.
‘I m dying to tell him that I love him but, I'm scared that he might not feel the same way.’
‘Yes…we are married with each other, but….it was all because of our family’s request.’
"What are you looking at, Kaytlyn?" Amelia snapped me out from my thought.
"O-oh...sorry, it's nothing actually," I quickly moved my gaze to Amelia's emerald eyes.
"I smell something fishy here," Amelia cynically smiled at me.
"What?" I pretended not to understand what she just meant by that.
"I know you are looking at him, right?"
'Oh no...'
"W-who?" I pretended not to understand her and even tried to avoid her eyes contact.
"Stop pretending, silly girl," of course, she did not buy at all. "I know you too well, Kaytlyn."
"W-what do you mean by that?" 'God, I really can not lie at all.'
"Oh...my....God, you're actually love him," her eyes widened and even her voice increased a bit. "And please don't deny it, Kaytlyn."
'I'm busted.'
"Since when?" She asked, sounded like she was squealing too. "Why didn't you tell me? And I bet you didn't tell him too, right?"
"Stop asking, Amelia," I replied her. "You make me feel embarrassed. And most of all, why did you think of that?"
She chuckles, "Well, your face told me everything."
"What?" I knitted my eyebrow. "Am not."
"So you did love him, huh,"
I sigh, " I really can't hide anything from you right?"
She nods several time with a cynic smile curves on her lips, "So tell me then..."
"Tell you what?" 'Of course I need to tell Ivy too.'
"Our little Kaytlyn has someone she crush into...." Amelia squealed while replying to Ivy.
"Oh...that's good," Ivy's eyes sparkled as she looked at me. "Who??"
"Girls..." I stopped them before they announce something unexpected in this wide cafeteria. "I'll tell you two when we got back to our dorm, okay?"
"Oookay," both of them replied along with a sigh.
*
"Since when that you started to like him?" Ivy squealed while she asking me with that question, again.
"Um...I'm not sure about that too," I replied. Both of them were sitting right in front of me on my bed in our dorm.
"That's good that you finally have crush on someone...but I just can't believe that lucky guy is that dumb head," Amelia seemed a little bit disappointed and maybe she will be more disappointed if she knew that I already married to him.
"But it's a lot better than that stupid Joji," Ivy interrupted.
"Who's Joji?" Amelia asked the blond one.
"The guy that Jayden got into fight with...he's totally a jerk," Ivy explained to Amelia.
"Oh, that brown hair guy," Amelia seemed like she caught what Ivy tried to say.
"But still, you know Jayden, right, Kaytlyn. He's a dork and loves to hang out with girls. We really don't want you to get hurt," Ivy added more.
"How come I don't know about that? As far as I remember, Jayden...."
Ivy cuts her in, "Maybe he's not anymore. That's why he changed to be like that,"
'I really don't get what they are talking about right now.'
"Kaytlyn, I know Jayden....he's stupid, clumsy and full of mischiefs, but he's a kind guy though. He'll never let down his friends...just try confess to him, maybe he likes you too. Who knows, right?”
I took a deep breath as heard her words and still, I don’t have any confidence to confess to my own husband.
“Be strong okay, Kaytlyn,” Ivy patted my shoulders. “Who knows you can change him to be a lot better person, right?”
Amelia nodded several times as she agreed with Ivy.
‘I’m still not sure though.’
“I better get going now, or I’m gonna be late for my part time job,” I quickly scooted away from my bed and prepared myself to go for my part time job at the nearby café.
“Oh, okay, see you later,” Amelia replied then followed Ivy to downstairs.
*****
《Jayden Nelson》
“Where is she going?” I murmured to myself as saw Kaytlyn’s figure walked towards the front door of the building.
‘Is that, café’s uniform? She works there, but why?’
I followed her without she noticed about it. Besides, I want to make sure she will not bump into that bastard, Joji and might be end up being disturb by him or maybe by the other guys too.
‘The truth is…I just can’t stand the other guys talk to her!’
“You’re late, Kaytlyn,” a black hair guy around 30’s scolded Kaytlyn as she entered the café. Luckily, there was no customer there yet.
‘What a very rude manager.’
I pulled up my hoodie a bit to cover my face and took a sit at a small table at the corner of the room.
“I’m sorry, My Frederick,” she apologized then quickly set up the cash register.
My eyes did not miss my wife at all. I just watched her every steps and sometime my eyes caught that rude manager was staring at my wife from behind too. The way he was looking at her, God, it seemed so weird that made me worried about Kaytlyn so much.
I took out my smartphone from my jeans pocket and slid the screen to unlock my phone.
‘Help me to check on this guy. Please, thanks….u r the best, Simon.’
I sent the text along with a picture to my friend so I could get details about that manager.
‘I know there is something fishy about that manager. And I’m so worried about Kaytlyn. What if he did something to harm her…’
Simon replied me back within 5 minutes and the result really made me pissed off him. He was the biggest player and always took advantage to the female workers at his café.
‘Damn!’
‘Kaytlyn must has no idea about him…I should do something.’
‘Besides, he was not the owner of the café for God sake. Why did he act like one? Luckily, the owner is someone that my dad knows. Maybe I can ask for my dad’s secretary to help me with this.’