Fate, Strings and a Scissors | ✓

Draft 3: And Thus, Jay Wins Her Trust... Probably

Dear Wendy,

Today I played hide and seek with Halona, Dalia and Eva. They said it's childish but since my best friend and his 3 big brothers came, they played. Eva was the most reluctant because she still doesn't like me. But I'll continue to try because she's my sister and I love her no matter what.

New word: reluctant
Meaning: not eager, unwilling, hesitant.
Mom will be happy if I continue to learn new words everyday.

Excerpt: 5 yrs old Jin.

~Jinnx~

Jay and I walked for a while. We were side by side but I was slightly behind him as he led me to wherever we would go to talk stuff out.

Now that we were practically alone, I'd realized what a bad idea it was to leave with only him considering it was evening and it was getting darker by the minute.

What makes him think I won't just run away right now when he's not looking?

I could but... I also didn't want to. I was a little scared of him. Him turning out to be my long lost 'big brother' didn't suddenly make him safe. However, I had questions that needed answers.

I noticed we had somehow arrived at where I was meant to live since I got to America. A private VIP estate that was a part of the scholarship package. But I decided to decline living there.

You decided to or you had to? Intrude spoke up again.

I felt even more uncomfortable at that. And then it hit me. An estate. We were going to his home!

He got to the front door of the second house. I could feel the panic start to eat at me.

Enter a house with a man? Without any other girl? I shook my head. He wouldn't do anything. I was just paranoid. Daddy Jordan had already proved to me that not all men were the same for over 3 years. Besides, we used to be really close.

But wasn't he also your childhood friend? Weren't you literally made for each other? Destined to be?

I was frozen in place. My palms were sweaty. I'm over this. I can do this. Men aren't scary. I was telling myself, but my hand was already shakily going for the tiny pocket knife Jordan had given me as my heartbeat sounded in my ears. I could always just defend-

"Jin?"

Jay's voice jerked me out of my dark thoughts. I looked up from the ground to see him sporting a worried look.

"Won't you come in?" He asked.

When I didn't answer, he furrowed his brows. He shut the door and started coming back towards me and for a second, I saw someone else. It made me stumble backwards wide eyed and tighten my grip on my knife.

He stopped in his tracks looking like I had punched him in the gut with my action. I felt a little guilty for causing him unnecessary confusion, but I couldn't help my fear. We were alone and that itself heightened my paranoia. Plus, our crazy height difference was very demoralizing.

"Why-" Jayden started furrowing his brows, but I cut him off. "Can we go somewhere with open... space? I can't..." I gritted my teeth to stop the tears. I didn't want to cry in front of him. I didn't want to cry at all.

He was silent for a few seconds. "It's okay. We'll go somewhere with open space." His eyes were silently calculating my body language. Then he started walking towards me cautiously while holding eye contact. It took all of my leftover willpower to not turn and run away.

He came really close to me, and I screwed my eye shut in fear of what could happen. My heart was beating way too fast, and my palms were clenched and sweaty with panic as my hold on the knife tightened.