Let Me Love You

During the drive to Jake's house, I was expecting us to stop at an apartment complex and not an actual house. It was two stories high, two garage doors and a garden big enough to build another house on. I could see a pool in the distance too.

"Wait, are your parents home? I don't really flow well with adults. Won't they ask questions?"

"No."

"To what?"

"Please shut up and collect these bags. "

Knowing my place, I collected the bags and followed him inside. The interior of the house had almost everything in glass. A very huge contrast to what I was expecting.

"Go to the kitchen and ask for Nancy." He said climbing up the stairs and apparently forgetting I didn't even know where the kitchen was. I walked randomly what thebk my amazing sense of direction because I found it. There was a lady no more than five years older than me in there.

"Uh. Nancy? Jake sent me here."

She gave me the strangest look I had ever seen on a human being before. I had to pinch my cheeks to check if even I was real. "Is there something on my face?"

"Jake? As in Jake Demidov sent you here? Are you sure you're not an intruder?"

"I'm not. We went shopping before coming here. I can show you the receipts if you please."

Surprisingly, she does ask for it and I have to fish them out of my pocket. They actually matched my story like I knew they would. "Why do you seem so surprised to see me." I said taking the receipts back.

"Um because Jake has never brought any one home let alone a girl. I'm astonished to say the least."

"Are you Nancy?"

There was a look on her face I understood seconds later. "I'm not. I'm her granddaughter. Nancy died a few weeks ago."

"Oh my god I'm so sorry."

She dismissed my concern with a shrug. "You didn't kill her so why are you apologizing? It's alright. Come let's go up to his room. I'm sure those bags are heavy."

"They are. My hands are almost shaking."

She laughed a little as she led me out of the large space. The stairs was found with very little difficulty and off we went. "Are you his girlfriend?"

I sputtered. "No, I just ruined his sixteen million jacket and now I'm a slave to him till I graduate."

"The pogo jacket I'm guessing. You're lucky he didn't ask for your soul."

It was my turn to laugh and then it hit me. "I don't even know your name."

"I'm Marlene. You're?"

"Lisa."

"Good. Then I can leave Jake to you then."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Grandma asked I take care of him till someone else does. That's you then."

"Wait, can't he take care of himself?"

"No wonder my eyes have been twitching. You're gossiping about me." Jake was standing in the doorway of the room opposite the one Marlene and I were standing.

"Was showing Lisa around. I'll leave her to you then. You'll have to microwave dinner whenever you and Hazel are hungry."

"Who's Hazel?" Jake spared me a glance but didn't answer the question.

He turned back to Marlene. "Thanks. I'm sorry I suspended your schooling. You don't have to come over anymore."

"Don't have to doesn't mean I can't. Bye then. Lisa, nice meeting you."

Jake and I smiled at her, just mine looked more human than whatever facial contortion he had on.

"So, who's Hazel?"

A little girl ran out of the room. "I'm Hazel."

I squatted to her level and ruffled her hair. I noticed she and Jake had similar features, save the fact she was missing a few teeth. "Aren't you the cutest thing ever."

She smiled at me briefly. "Who are you?" she asked half paying attention to the iPad in her hands.

"She's the new nanny". Jake answered instead. I smacked his leg granted it was the only place I could reach.

"No. I'm your brother's friend. Lisa."

"Hi Lisa -" Jake cut her off maybe to prevent her from saying something rude or embarrassing.

"Go back inside okay. I'll show Lisa something."

"Okay. Bring more candy." She said shutting the door.

"She's cute. How old is she?"

The pleasantness on his face waned a bit. Guess we weren't that close. "I'll leave the bags here then. I've gotta have dinner anyways."

"Not so fast. You have chores. Get a move at it. You'll eat here when you're done."

I never considered myself a hard worker at all so the thought of doing chores irked me. I barely did anything in Mabel's home. He signalled me to follow him and after a few steps, we stopped at a door with a huge J sign on it.

"Well go on in. It won't clean itself."

I opened the door and I swear my eyes watered. "It smells like something died in here. You sleep here."

"No, he sleeps with me." Hazel said resurfacing. Her iPad was replaced with a huge bag of popcorn.

"Why? He should be a big boy and clean his room. Don't let him sleep in there anymore."

"I have nightmares. Jakey stays with me so I won't be afraid."

I glanced at said Jakey. Still the same old bored expression. I walked inside the moist and smelly room making sure to open the windows first. A gush of fresh air came in and I didn't have to hold my breath anymore.

"Why were the windows closed?"

"To hide the smell of the corpse." There was a mischievous grin on his face I hoped was just a joke. The thought of him being in the mafia wasn't completely eliminated from my thoughts. "Well, get cleaning. Come Hazel time for a bath."

The went back to the other room leaving me with a mini city junkyard. There were heaps of dirty clothes in every corner. Some were even covered in vomit or blood. That was the leading cause of the smell. I put the soiled clothes in one pile for burning and another for washing. The other reason for the smell was the rotten box of pizza. It was untouched and I could only assume why it was.

Getting that out, I cleared the floor of the empty wrappers, random papers and equally soiled tissues. Changing the sheets was the hardest thing to do probably. Jake had such a big bed, I couldn't move from one end to the other with ease. After grunting and a little pep talk, the room was finally habitable.

"I see you're done. Dinner's ready." The Demidov children seemed to have the ability to walk silently. I turned round startled but Jake was already out the door. We walked downstairs in silence and even sat - not at the table mind you, but on the floor - and ate in silence. When I was done, I thanked Jake for the meal, told Hazel goodbye, and was out the door.