The Professor's Daughter [Part 2 of 2]

8 | Things Aren't Right

Leah's POV

I stand in the bedroom,  getting dressed very quickly. As I pull my shirt down over my boobs, Jennifer comes into the room wrapped up in her towel, wet hair lying over her shoulders. I glance at her and roll my eyes a little.

"That's enough of that. You don't have to like it, but you aren't going to give me this constant attitude, Leah. You sleep here, you eat here, all of your shit is HERE. You live with me now. So please, do not make this hard." She says. calmly. "Fine! If you don't fucking want me here I can go! I hate being such a burden to you and the fact that you won't just say it and kick me out is pissing me off even more!!" I yell, all of my bottled up emotions coming out at once.

Jennifer just looks at me for a moment and widens her eyes. She remains calm no matter what I throw at her... incredible.

"That was childish." Jennifer says and walks past me to get her clothes. I stare at her back as she puts on her bra, panties and jeans. She faces me and sighs, "I am going to do both of us a favor and pretend you didn't say any of that. Leah, I am trying my damnedest to be okay with all of this, but you sure as shit aren't making it easier on me." She says. I let out a sigh and sit down on the bed and put my head in my hands. I start to cry silently and where she can't see me.

"Do not turn into this girl, Leah. Please, don't." Jennifer says. I see her feet in front of me, so I know she came closer. I slowly look up and I know my eyes are red and my cheeks are damp. She shakes her head a little and squats in front of me, touching my knees. "I love you, Leah." "It doesn't feel that way." I whimper. She closes her eyes and exhales quickly. "Don't say that.." Jennifer grumbles as she comes up, slamming her lips onto mine. She holds my neck and face carefully and kisses me passionately. I take to her kiss, tears and all, and grab her shoulders, clinging to her for dear life.

I kiss her time and time again, intense and hot kisses with little to no tongue. Once our lips finally separate I grab her body and pull her to me, hugging her tightly. She hugs me back lovingly and I feel her hand stroke my back up and down. "I am trying to be okay." She whispers to me. I close my eyes and just keep holding her in my arms.

I have no words to explain how good it felt to kiss those lips again.

After a couple of minutes of collecting myself, Jennifer sits down on the bed beside me and places her hand on my thigh. "Do you want to talk?" She asks me. I do... but what about? "Yeah." "Okay, we can do that. I will spend all day talking to you about whatever you want, but first I need food. That okay?" I nod my head yes and she takes my hand into hers and leads me out of the apartment. Having her hand interlocked with mine right now makes me feel safer and more at-peace than I have at all in the past five days.

-

Once Jennifer and I have eaten and calmed ourselves down, we return home and she immediately flops onto her bed and lets out a deep sigh.

"So, how exactly are you... here?" I ask, curious. I never got the full story. "Well, long story short Danielle put her ass on the line and pulled some strings with some people she knows and convinced the state to sort of... overlook... me." "Just like that?" "Just like that. It probably helps that my mom is who she is...." Jennifer sighs. I nod and crawl onto the bed beside her and carefully touch her hand. I don't want her to pull away from me.

"Are you ever going to forgive me?" I ask quietly. She turns her head and looks at me with kind eyes, "Leah, yes." "I was scared." I admit. She nods her head and grabs my hand, putting it to her soft lips. "I was scared too, but look.... I'm here, you're here... we're good." She says. I still feel her not fully being... here.

Jennifer motions for me to come closer, so I do. I lay next to her and she strokes my hand with her thumb. "What happened with your dad?" She asks me. I swallow and don't reply. "Talk to me, Leah." "We got into it. He got physical. That's it." "What happened?" "Nothing! It was just a slap!" I insist. She pauses for a moment and I hear her sigh, "I thought we said no more lying?" "I'm not." "Leah, I saw the pictures from right after it happened. You were black and blue, bloody, and had a fucking handprint wrapped around your neck. You don't have to be 'okay' after that... You know that, don't you? I'm not expecting you to be okay after your father beat the hell out of you. I also am very angry that you went to him and did what you did, provoking him, after I told you not to. Why would you do that?" "I did it for you, Jennifer. I'd do it again. There is no amount of pain that piece of shit can inflict on me that is worse than the pain of not being with you." I say to her, looking up at her on the last words.

"You're brave as hell, you know that?" She asks, putting my hair behind my ear for me. I shrug a little and she kisses me tenderly. I want for us to be okay so bad. I know she is trying and I respect that she needs her time and whatnot, but I need her. In hopes of "rekindling" something between us, I move closer and touch her body more as I kiss her. I end up straddling her and she is kissing me back very slowly, not at all pushing for more.

"I missed you." I whisper and pull my hand over her collar bone. "I missed you too, Le." She says. I smile a bit and kiss her again. The moment I introduce my tongue she pulls away. "Not now." She says quietly, pressing her forehead against mine. Not now ? Really? It has been days with no sex. If not now, when?

Jennifer reads the look of disappointment on my face. "I have some errands to run. You stay here, unpack your suitcase and actually act like you're moving in with me, please." She says, climbing off the bed. She really wasn't kidding. I lick my lips and lay there, watching her walk away from me. "Okay." "I'll be back soon." She says with a soft grin.

This is off. It doesn't feel right.