Balancing Love ☞︎ A Jesse St. James fan fic

Yes, Shark. You Can Do It. You Can Eat Him, I Believe In You.

The next morning I get woken up by a constant dinging. And not the alarm type. Groaning, I turn around to my nightstand and pick up my phone. I turn it on to see dozens of messages from Jesse.

"Brushing my teeth."

"I prefer the mint more than flavor ones."

"I'm getting dressed, now."

"Do you want to do anything today?"

"I was thinking the aquarium?"

"What should I wear if we're going to an aquarium?"

"Blue?"

"Or is that too much..?"

"I'll just think about it after breakfast."

"I was thinking eggs."

"Maybe waffles."

I groan again. Louder this time. This was already getting annoying. Jesse had warned me though. He said before he left to go to his hotel that he was going to work adamantly about building our friendship. He asked me before he left if friends knew everything about each other. I said, yes. Probably. I should've seen this coming...

"What are you doing?!" I text back though I most likely know where this is going.

"Letting you get to know me. My thoughts, what I do. I am building that iron strong friendship." He texts back. I nod to myself, lips pursed as I get up off my bed.

As I get dressed for the day, my phone chimes a couple more times. Only about half-way dressed, I walk to my phone and without looking at what he sent, I type back.

"If this friendship thing is going to work, you cannot over text me. That is just gonna make me withdraw from you. I want to know you, not what you're doing every minute of every day." I try and specify. I toss my phone on my bed and continue getting dressed.

After I finish getting dressed, I grab my phone and head to the kitchen where my dad sat eating eggs and bacon. I smile, seeing a plate for me next to him. I sit down and start stuffing my face, tossing my phone on the counter while I'm eating. My dad lets out a snort but I pay him no mind.

"Hungry there, kid?" He asks. I do a double-take, looking up at him.

"What? Oh, no. I'm going to the aquarium today." I explain before biting into a big piece of my bacon.

"With Miranda?" He asks. My back slowly starts to stiffen. What's he gonna say when he finds out I'm back in contact with Jesse...

"Uh, no..." I say awkwardly. I suddenly feel my dads burning gaze on the side of my face.

"Madelaine..." He trails off.

"It's with Jesse!" I shout, letting my head fall against the counter. His stare was too intense. I couldn't handle it!

"Madelaine..." He trails off again, a tone of disappointment in his voice. I turn in my chair to look him in the eye. Frantic to explain.

"Dad, I swear, we are just friends. I wouldn't do that to myself again. I can't. I can't... let him do that to me again. I'm careful this time. I'm strict. Only friends, I promise." I state, holding my hands out to make a point. I watch his reactions carefully.

He lets out a big loud sigh and deflates a little. His eyes soften as he looks at me deeply. Judging the subject by the look in my eye.

"I trust you," He murmurs, leaning up and giving me a fatherly kiss on my forehead. We smile at each other as he sits back down. My phone starts dinging a couple of times. We break eye contact as I pick it up. It was Jesse telling me the location of the aquarium. "That him?" My dad asks stiffly. I chuckle and nod.