Chapter 3

Rachel brooded silently during the drive to her cousin's friends house. She was not against sitting at home and drinking her day away but Melinda, the devil she was decided to make her life a living hell and making her go with them and it didn't help that Michael, her youngest child kept giving her the puppy eyes and also insisted on riding with her. The young boy was talking her ears off about his best friend and all the things they do together and she tried to keep up with his energy.

Contrary to the name she goes by, the Boogeyman and the fact that she didn't like children, she had a soft spot for the little boy. Now one would attribute it to the fact that Micheal was adopted and they relate to each other when it comes to the feeling of not belonging but she begged to differ. She just loved the boy, period.

She packed her car behind her cousin and her husband's car and stayed in the car for a few minutes, observing the environment and by some default settings, Michael sat still with her.

"Let's go buddy", she sighed when she realized that glaring at the beautiful little home before her was not going to get her out of socializing with the occupants. Micheal jumped down and was running around the car when she quickly took a big gulp of the whiskey she kept in her cup holder. She never hid it from the boy or any other person but she made sure never to let the child or any other child at that witness her throw a full bottle of rum into her system, that was not a good thing to do and she knew from experience.

"Honey please get me the whiskey", her father demanded of her six years old self while bent over some papers and his eyeglasses perched over his nose. She scrunched her nose as she grabbed the bottle from the kitchen island and took a quick sniff from the bottle. She was starting to enjoy the smell of the alcohols her father always took and how he would gulp it down always fascinated her to no ends.

"I'll take a sip tomorrow", she mumbled under her breath and gave the bottle to her father who didn't pay her much mind and continued his paperwork.

A sharp pain snapped her out of her daze and she looked around to bless her cousin with a glare but the older woman could only grin cheekily as her husband, Jack chuckled under his breath. She ignored them and turned to look at the old couple before her, well not older than her cousin and her husband but she could call them an old couple. She cleared her throat to ease the tension when she realized that the woman was waiting for her to say something but she didn't know what do, she looked at her cousin who had a killer glare directed at her.

"Hello Mr and Mrs...", She started stiffly but paused when she realized she didn't even get their names so she settled with lifting her perfectly plucked eyebrows at them.

"Please call me Gracie. This is my husband Ben", Gracie beamed at her, not taking her rudeness to account. The blonde only nodded stiffly and shut her mouth, a clear indication that she was done talking to them. They waved them in and she strayed away from her cousin who she knew will scold her for being rude and she didn't feel like listening.

"Jasmine don't get yourself dirty before dinner!"

Her back straightened at the sound of the voice that had haunted her for the past two years. It had to be it, she knew only one person whose voice had this effect on her and she looked forward to seeing the black haired beauty, mentally slapping herself for the building anticipation.

"There you are", Nova came out of the hall and crouched to Jasmine's height to fix something on her clothe before pressing a quick kiss to the side of Micheal's head.

The blonde followed every movement and could feel her eyes widen when the black haired woman turned to greet the guests and with wide eyes too. Time stopped and all the blonde could feel was her rapid heartbeat and and the glare from the black haired woman who had narrowed her eyes to slits but their stare down was interrupted by Melinda who took Nova into her arms and gave her a good squeeze.

"My little princess", she cooed at Nova who wanted to be anywhere else but there if her red cheeks were anything to go by.

"Rachel come over here", she dragged the blonde with so much joy in her eyes you can't put it off if you tried.

"Honey this is my cousin, Rachel", she gestured at Rachel before turning to continue her introduction.

"Meet my little munchkin, well not little anymore but you get my point....", She giggled like a high school girl and Nova wished to just faint and be put out of her misery and it didn't help that the blonde had smirked at the affectionate way her mother's best friend was treating her.

"Yes", the blonde not so subtly checked her out while giving that one single response that ignited the fire that was already building in Nova's whole being.

The older woman cheerily left them alone to go and mess with Gracie and the two awkwardly stood there. A lot of thoughts ran through Nova's head, most of the thoughts being how close the blonde the woman was standing close to her and how her cologne messed with her senses. She used the opportunity to check her out and gulped visibly at the sight of the pure goddess before her, clad in black skinny jeans with silky Armani shirt tucked loosely into the jeans to show off a huge belt head. That sight was enough to send her mind to the gullies and the fact that the blonde's well built body was not hidden from her sight didn't help at all so in her dazed state she roamed her eyes around her body until they landed on Rachel's face and the smug smirk there was enough to annoy her.

"See something you you like?", Rachel mused and stared down at her.

"You wish", Nova huffed and stormed out, leaving a chuckling Rachel behind who followed her, staring at her butt and getting naughty images in her head. It was then that the blonde realized that she had a shit eating grin on her face and that was not just a plaster, she felt rather playful and the furious woman was the fuel she needed.

Dinner went by with hearty jokes thrown here and there but between the two younger women, the tension crackled violently, threatening to electrocute any intruder so the adults stayed out of it as it was the best thing to do.

Yes, the rather mischievous parents decided to drag their meeting until Sunday lunch extended to dinner, making the younger women, most especially Nova who didn't have any control over her emotions around Rachel, very mad to the brink of pulling her hair.

"Nova honey, see us out will you?", Jack who had a sleeping Micheal on his shoulder mused at Nova with a glint in his eyes and she narrowed her eyes at him. Her parents and Melinda were quick enough to agree that she must follow them and Jack worsened the situation by dumping Micheal into her arms and she not so subtly elbowed him in the ribs while stomping out of the house.

"Such children", she huffed and adjusted the sleeping child while she marched for their cars.

"Uncle Jack you know I need your keys for the car", she shouted and the man cackled and she turned to glare at them only to see a furious blonde marching out of the house, looking very intimidating but one thing baffled Nova, she was turned on by the sight of the angry blonde.

"Oh.... That.... He came with Rachel so you might as well lay him in her car", Melinda chirped happily and Nova groaned and marched towards the blonde's car muttering and swearing.

"Grumpy pants chill out, a sleeping child is in there", she scolded Rachel when she slammed the door after she safely laid Michael in the back seat.

"What did you call me?", Rachel sneered at her and Nova squared her shoulders, ignoring Rachel's intimidating aura, she had enough for one night.

"Grumpy pants, got a problem with that?", She raised her eyebrows and challenged the woman to say otherwise but the blonde only growled lowly in her throat, stormed around the car and sped off, leaving a rise of dust in her wake.

The night had gone differently from what the women expected. For once in Nova's whole life she felt so drawn to a person and their encounter took her down the memory lane to remember the first time she saw the blonde, two years ago at the hospital and she knew she was trouble.

As for Rachel, she didn't feel like she needed to be strong and guarded, she felt....safe. That's what that feeling was like whenever she was around the dark haired woman and then she understood what she felt two years ago. It was not just curiosity, she wanted to go home at that point. She surely had not fallen for her, given that she had barely spent more than a few hours with her and that was if she even could love anyone but she knew one thing, Nova was trouble, the type of trouble she needed and she was going to make sure she didn't get into the trouble.