I look over to Jack and Jake for support, but the look on their faces doesn't look like one ready to contradict Josh's words.
Seriously guys?!! I will die if I don't get food in the next four seconds four, three, two, one. Okay fine!
Sighing in defeat, "Yes it's true..." I answer.
"What happened?"
"Are you serious about what didn't happen, Taylor?"
"Are you two married now?"
"Are you Taylor John Gate now?"
"Are we going to be rich?"
"'Cause only a fool keep a queen like you for two days without wedding her!"
I'm shocked at the questions they are throwing at me, but then again I cannot be surprised when it has to do with the manipulating, cunning and dubiously crafted three Js.
"You two want me to answer the question, but I'm not going to answer any one of them!"
They all give me a threatening look.
"Until I've eat-en?" I stutter nervously and a creepy smile appears on all their faces which is increasingly scary.
I can't believe I'm being threatened by my kid brothers!!!
"Deal," Josh says with a goofy smile. "Let's shake on it them?" He stretches his hand forward, but when I don't take it he withdraws it and awkwardly walks away.
I'll surely get you all for this, maybe not today, but someday!
Josh return with a box, a little plate and a jug of water and he drops them on the table. "We took cornflakes this morning and toasted bread. That should hold your stomach until you tell us everything that happened with the rich devil called Rory." He winks at me and my face squeezes.
He hands me the toasted bread and while I grab and eat, he does his thing with the cornflakes and when he finishes, he gives it to me and I collect it and eat it along with the bread and when I'm done I see that they are all ready for me to start spilling.
"I have a question, why aren't all you guys in school?"
"Well, we didn't feel like going," Jack answers for all.
I hold up my hand when I see Jakes mouth beginning to open. "First of all, nothing happened between Rory and me." This makes them grumble sadly.
"Secondly, I'm not marrying Rory."
"Seriously?! What did you two do when you were alone? Clap your hands and sing to God?" Jack asks with a teasing tone.
"We kiss, that was the most of what we did."
"What how did it feel?"
"Was there tongue?"
"Is he a good kisser?"
"Did he kiss you with passion?"
"Yes," I answer with a shout.
"He said loves me," I tell them, my smile confusingly getting wider by the seconds.
"Really?" They ask in unison.
I nod vigorously.
"Then why aren't you two married?"
I glare at Jack who has been throwing the marriage questions at me for the past ten minutes.
"Because he can't marry me for reason I can't comprehend."
"Then how did this come about?" Jake waves my new phone in my face and I quickly collect it.
And that was how I told them everything that had happened to Rory except the fact that he bought me a car and how I came in the middle of everything.
"I don't understand, who shot Rory?" Josh asked a little discomfited.
"Luke Powers," I reply.
"Why?"
"Isn't it obvious Jake? Rory bought over his company. Any man would be upset."
We all pause and gaze at Jack who just answered the question with much intelligence in awe he looks sceptical about our gaze but doesn't say anything before Josh does.
"When find you get so smart?"
"I'm not stupid, but you guys won't believe that." He
Jake chuckles, shaking his head before placing his hand on Jack's shoulder. "On a scale of 1 to 10, you're always 11 on stupid."
"Don't be an ass, Jake," I say in disapproval.
"It's the truth." He shrugs.
"You know what I don't listen to suicidal ass who only know how to study and cut." Jack throw back at him.
The room goes silent and my face narrows while Jake's goes pale in fright and Jack covers his mouth, realising what he just said. "That came out didn't it?"
I carefully look over to Jake who is now looking everywhere except at me. "What he said isn't true, is it? You're no longer cutting are you?" His silence makes my heart sink in a bottomless sorrow.
"Why?" I ask, going over to him to take his hand in my mine and I carefully roll up the sleeve to reveal a fresh bandage on his wrists and a somewhat healing cut beside it. I gasp and cover my mouth looking up at him with eyes of sudden and overwhelming fear.
"I'm sorry, sis."
"Tell me why?"
"I might not get the scholarship fund which we have all been hoping for and I've been working so hard, but I also think too much and most test I can barely make an 'A' more or less an 'A+'. There's just so much for you guys to do and it just makes me sad that I may not meet my aim." He explains in between tears.
"Don't ever say that Jake it's not in our place to think about the future don't you remember what the preacher always tell us in Sunday school? Worrying will not get a dollar for anyone, but it will only cause us troubles." I cup his face in my hands. "God will make a way for us, never forget that."
"I won't." He cries and I pull him closer for a hug. "Don't tell Mom please." He murmurs into my ears as he wraps his arms around me.
"I won't, but you have to promise you won't cut again and if the urge arises, you will tell me."
"I promise."
I motion for Jack and Josh to come closer and when they do I pull them in for a hug. "I love you guys, so much, I always think about you, your well being, your happiness."
"We love you too."
We pull back and I wipe my tears. "Anyone else with a deep dark secret uh?" I raise my eyebrow at them.
Jack raises his hand, and Josh rolls his eyes.
"Yes, Jack what is it?"
"I gave and I'm still giving Rory some information about you."
I breathe down slowly. "What information might that be?"
"Mostly everything I know about you, Taylor."
"That's too much!" Josh draws a breath suddenly.
I put up my hand to silence Josh. "What did you get in exchange for your big mouth?"
"$50,000?"
"What?!!!!!!!!" We exclaim in a clamouring voice.
How dare Rory try to buy everything around me? Next time I see him, I'll return his phone if that how he thinks that's how love works with someone like me.
"How could you, Jack?! She's worth more than that!" Is Josh first rebuke and I give him a murderous look, making him shut his mouth.
"Where's the money, Jack?" I ask not so happily.
"Under my bed."
"You're going to return that money Jack and tell Rory we can not be bought," I instruct strictly.
"We cannot be bought, but I can be bought and I'm sick and tired of working my butt off for everything I get. Besides, is Rory going to return the information I gave him back to me?"
Okay, this boy is getting smarter.
"Fine. You can keep the money, but no more will I let you sell information about me." Now I need just need to tell Rory off with his ruthless ways of using money.
"Deal." He grins, "there's nothing more to sell."
"What are you going to do about work?" Jake asks out of the blue and the awareness that I might not have a job to go back to hits me in the heart like a sledgehammer.
"I don't know," I mumble quietly. "I'll start looking for a new job tomorrow I guess."
Jake squeezes my hand in reassurance. "You'll be fine, Taylor."
We don't say anything anymore and while the three Js cook, I walk into my room and fall on my bed with my face buried deep into the pillow.
I need a newspaper so I can check out the new job opening around. I don't need to be lazy, but for some reason, I can't seem to get up from the bed.
The phone in my back pocket begins to ring and I pull it out to see a new number pops up who could it be? I think to myself.
Seriously? Someone made a customised phone for you surely he would remember to save your number.
Rory.
I press on the answer button and place the phone to my ear "Hello." I say with a low voice.
"Hello, love." Comes Rory's huskily deep voice and that seems to smoothen my angry and blue mood. "Everything okay? You sound kind of moody."
"After the stunt, you pulled on me this morning by running away, don't even think I'm going to tell you anything."
I hear him sigh on the other side of the phone and mumble something in a foreign language. "I had to leave hun. People were getting suspicious when I missed two days at work and besides, I needed to press charges against Luke Powers."
"I'm fine, that's what you wanted to know."
"You're upset and I can't blame you. I'll make it up to you. I promise you that, love." He says.
"You never told me you paid my brother for giving you information about me."
"Ah! He told you." The surprise in his voice is unmistakable.
"Yes he did and contrary to you, I know him and everything about him. What the hell were you thinking giving the kid $50,000?!" I exclaim dramatically.
"Why do I feel like you're going to start scolding me?" He asks quietly.
"Because I am." I snap. "The kid has never been with that much money in his entire life did it ever cross your mind that he might use it for the wrong things?"
"No." Is his simple reply.
"Fine. If that's how you're going to be then you can't keep coming near me or my family."
"Don't do that to me, hun, I'll surely die."
I roll my eyes absently at his words, of course, he's not going to die. "Why did you call?" I ask, changing the subject.
"Because I missed you." He says lazily, "I know it's just a few hours, but I already miss you."
I make a doubting snort. "I bet you already have yourself surrounded with prettier girls."
"You know they might be pretty, but you're beautiful and there's a difference in that."
My cheek heats up and I'm grateful he's not present with me here.
"Hmm, I bet you also tell that to a lot of girls, maybe even Paris." I bite my lips and jealousy begins to eat me up.
"I'm talking about you, hun and I don't want you comparing yourself to others."
I bite my lips and stay silent for a while before asking. "And why is that?"
"Because I love you, Taylor, that' makes you enough for me."
Oh, yea that.
I keep quiet for a while again, not knowing the best way to answer him and I think he knows it too because he says.
"I talked to Jason to let you take today off too." He tells me quickly like he doesn't want me to hear what he's saying.
But I did.
"What did you do, Rory? How much did you bribe him with this time?"
"Mr Gate, these documents just came in for you." Comes a feminine and sweet voice from his side of the line.
"Drop them on my desk and I'll have a look at them later, thanks, Katy." He replies in a businesslike voice.
I hear the door close from his side of the line. "I've got to get back to work, love." He says in a rush. "You still have your job and that's all that matters."
"But-" I try to rebel, but he keeps speaking.
"Talk later, hun. Kisses." He says and hangs up before I can utter another word from my mouth.
That ended fast.