Two Weeks Between Love and Hate

“Jillian, what the hell?!”

A voice called out to Jillian as she rushed into the bathroom. She spun around to find Jason covering his crotch with his hands.She shot him a quizzical look.

“What are you doing?” she asked, eyeing his crotch skeptically.

“What does it look like? I said I was going to take a shower. Why are you in here?” he retorted, glaring at her, the sound of water filling the room.

“Well, go ahead and shower. I won’t stop you. But both of our moms were in the kitchen, waiting to ambush us. So I decided to hide out here.”

He looked very surprised at this. “Oh shit... did they see you?”

She nodded yes.

“Shit, that’s gonna be awkward,” he said, muttering to himself.

“What if we...” Jason began, but he noticed Jillian still staring at his crotch. “Jill, snap out of it!”

“Huh? Oh, sorry, what were you saying?” she said, blinking a few times.

Jason sighed at her dazed expression.

“Why don’t you just hang out in my room while I shower? It’s just as unlikely anyone will come in there as here.” His hands still barely covered his sizable manhood; sure, they’d fooled around a bit last night, but now they were in a brightly lit room, and he felt very exposed.

Jillian chuckled softly. “Nah, I don’t mind waiting here and keeping you company,” she said, not even bothering to ask if he was okay with her staying.

Jason scowled and reached over to grab a towel, wrapping it around his waist to maintain some modesty. Jillian’s expression quickly shifted as she only then realized he wasn’t joking. Frowning, she finally looked up at his face.

“Oh... you’re serious,” she said, surprised by the sudden change in behavior from last night.

“Yeah, I am. I’m not comfortable being naked…” he said, his words trailing off. Seeing the sadness creeping onto her face, he felt compelled to explain.

“It’s not you Jill…sorry,”

Jillian sighed at his words, but nodded, understanding his hesitance. “Be patient, just cause you pried him open once. Doesn’t mean he stays open all the time.” Her thoughts helped her see reason.

“I get it, I do... But, just so we’re clear,” she said, before grabbing the bottom of her hoodie and lifting it up over her chest.

Jason’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he was unexpectedly flashed by Jillian’s nude form. Her slender waist and visible ribs, with small breasts perched atop her chest. The powder pink nipples that remained almost constantly hard stood out. His gaze traveled down to her nearly hairless mound, with light pink lips peeking out of her slightly puffy labia-majora. A hint of red hair peeked out of her mound, like she had shaved a few days prior. Just as quickly as she had revealed herself, she covered up again.

“I don’t mind you seeing me naked,” she said with a sweet smile. “It’s nice to see you at least appreciate it,” she teased, chuckling at his stunned expression and the slightly tented towel.

“I will be a good girl and wait for you,” Jillian said, cooing softly. She stepped closer to rest a hand on Jason’s chest, her fingers softly running through his chest hair.

“You never gave me a good morning kiss though. not sure how patient I can be without one,” she said, giving him a small pout.

He met her gaze and nodded quickly, leaning down. Their lips met, but this time, Jillian kept her eyes open, wanting to see his expression as she pushed her lips against his. A smile played on her lips throughout the kiss as she reached up to the back of his neck, deepening it. Jason didn’t object as they adjusted their position, prolonging the kiss for a few more seconds before parting with a wet smack. Jillian flashed him a toothy grin as she traced along his jawline while pulling her hand away from him.

“Do you enjoy kissing me?” Jillian already knew the answer, but it was always nice to hear it again.

“I do,” Jason said, and unfortunately didn’t know when to stop. “You, at least. I can’t speak to anyone else right now. I don’t really have any desire to kiss anyone else, and since I haven’t—” Jillian cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth.

“A simple yes would have sufficed,” she laughed and gave his cheek a playful pat.

“I’m gonna dash home and grab some clothes. So, I’ll just sneak out your window. Hit me up when you’re free,” she said, a smile still on her face as she turned to leave.

As one last parting gift, she grabbed the front of her hoodie and pulled it up just enough so it revealed a glimpse of her plump, freckled peach of a butt. His eyes instantly glued to the sight, his towel tenting even more as she walked away. The ample curves of her butt bouncing with each swaying step. She was a temptress at best and a succubus at worst, and Jason was all too mesmerized by her to even respond.

Jillian reached the bathroom door and glanced back over her shoulder, catching him staring at her ass just like she wanted.

“See ya in a bit, big guy,” she said with a smirk, pulling her hoodie back down to cover up. Jason snapped out of his daze, blinking up at her.

“Yeah, I’ll uhh text you soon,” he said with a slight verbal stumble.

Still grinning, she opened the door and left the bathroom. She headed back to Jason’s room.

He stood there shaking his head and muttering to himself. “Fuck, why do I become a drooling pervert when she teases me like that? Have I really lost control of my life that badly?” With a sigh, he ran his hands through his hair.

“This is all your fault,” he scowled, blaming his fading erection for the struggle.

By now, sneaking in and out of Jason’s window had become second nature. She checked around to make sure no one was nearby before slowly vaulting over the windowsill, being extra careful not to trip this time. Walking home barefoot wasn’t exactly enjoyable, but her feet were pretty tough from years of wearing flip flops and spending time by the pool without shoes.

As she made her way home, Jillian entered the house to find an unusual silence for it being a weekend. She closed her eyes and took a moment for herself to just breathe, a smile crossing her face, feeling like things were actually going to be okay. All the recent bad experiences seemed to fade away, letting her enjoy the fleeting moment of peace.

Jillian must’ve seemed pretty silly just standing there in the entrance-way, smiling with her eyes shut tight. Giggles from nearby pulled her from the trance. When she opened her eyes, her sister June was laughing softly with a book tucked under her arm. But Jillian wasn’t bothered; if anything, it made her smile even wider. With a vicious grin, she suddenly pounced on June and playfully planted big, sloppy kisses all over her face. June cried out in alarm, desperately trying to push her sister away, dropping her book in the process.

After she separated herself from her sister, she demanded to know why the hell Jillian did that, wiping the spit from her cheeks, making faces of disgust.

“I’m just so grateful to have such a clever and wonderful little sister. I wanted to show my appreciation for setting me straight,” Jillian said, her grin never fading .

June was a bit confused by her sister’s words, piecing together the basics when she didn’t come back home last night. It seemed clear how things had unfolded. Back when Jillian was in highschool, Ginny became increasingly aware of how promiscuous her daughter was. This had ensured all following children were well-informed about human biology and sexual education.

It wasn’t about condoning these actions, but rather equipping them with knowledge of how to navigate such matters safely. The last thing she wanted was for her children to fall to any pressures or be tricked into having sex. June, unlike her sister, had very little interest in romance or intimacy, although she did recall a peculiar dream from the night before that she wanted to discuss later with Jillian. Hastily, she began signing a barrage of questions to her sister.

“What happened? Did you two spend the night together? Does this mean you’re officially dating? Are you wearing anything underneath that?” Though she wasn’t interested in relationships herself. It didn’t mean she wasn’t interested in her sisters.

Jillian laughed as her sister fired off questions, clearing her throat to respond to them one by one.

“Well, first off, we talked a lot. But yeah, we ended up sharing a bed,” she said, not going into the details.

“As for what we are... maybe something more than friends? I mean, he hinted he has feelings for me, and I admitted I do as well. So we sort of agreed on that... though nothing’s official yet,” she explained the uncertainty of their situation.

Were they officially together or just fuck buddies with a side serving of emotions? Normally, she’d be fine with the latter. There had been plenty of those back in the day. But with Jason Merris, though, her former cute chubby classmate that she had bullied mercilessly? He was certainly more handsome than cute now.

Looking back on the days she bullied the boy, she knew it was more of a fucked up crush that was overruled by anger. Things felt very different now, more serious. She shook her head, getting lost in her thoughts for a moment.

“So, you finally admit that you actually like like him? Also, you didn’t answer my other question,” June signed again, catching her sister’s attention once more.

Jillian felt her cheeks flush at the directness of the question. It felt a bit awkward being asked so directly, like she was back in highschool getting one of those letters that had the words. “Do you like me? Yes or no?”

“Well yeah, I guess,” she said, writing ‘maybe’ on that imaginary letter.

Jillian tried to gather her thoughts. “He’s handsome and nice enough without being a pushover all the time. Sure, he can be a little straight-forward, super dense and clueless sometimes, but it’s endearing and kinda cute, I guess? I mean, can’t really blame the guy since he’s basically a Virginnnnnnnnian... those folks from Virginia... total weirdos... and you’re not buying this, are you?” She poorly tried to cover up her slip about Jason being a virgin.

Her follow up probably only put more of a spotlight on it. Just like that, Jillian realized she’d messed up yet again.

“Fuck.”

At least it was only to her little sister, who was shaking her head in response with wide eyes at the revelation.

Jillian sighed and rubbed her face with both hands, clearly irritated at herself.

“Okay, this is a super sensitive topic, so please, please, pleeease, don’t tell anyone? I trust you, June, but I mean it, don’t breathe a word of this to anyone, not even mom. In fact, especially not mom!”

June nodded eagerly, already firing off more questions.

“So, he’s never done it? I wouldn’t have guessed someone like him was one. Wait, does that mean that you guys didn’t... you know...do it last night?” Her hands danced in rapid gestures before Jillian reached out to stop her.

“June, come on, I want you to swear that you won’t talk about it anymore. Let’s drop the topic now please... And no, that didn’t happen last night.” It felt way too awkward discussing this with her little sister, even though June was already old enough to have her own thoughts on the matter.

June raised an eyebrow as her older sister swore her to secrecy. Giving Jillian a nod, she promised to keep quiet on the subject. With how her sister was talking last night before she left, Jillian seemed to be on a mission for Jason’s body. So hearing that the two didn’t have sex was a bit of a surprise. She just hoped it meant the two were taking things slow, well slower, and it meant they really liked each other by doing so.

“I won’t say anything, I promise. I just want you to be happy. So I’m happy if you are,” June signed with a smile as they wrapped each other up in a sisterly embrace.

“I think I will be, if this all works out, I am trying to be optimistic.” Jillian felt her cheeks warm with a blush, thinking about a real relationship that wouldn’t end with her being a glorified prisoner.

“I love you so much Junebug,” she said, squeezing her tight. Jillian was so grateful for her sister’s support and what happened next made the moment even sweeter.

“I love you too.”

Those words were pretty typical in most of this family, except this time they came from June. Jillian jerked back so fast she almost gave them both whiplash, staring at her little sister as if she’d sprouted a second head.

“June, you just...” Jillian’s voice cracked, sounding like a nervous, pubescent boy.

June shied away slightly, looking a bit embarrassed, as if she’d committed some kind of mistake. Jillian then pulled her sister into a tight embrace, ugly crying for the next few minutes in uncontrollable happiness.

After stepping out of the shower, Jason wrapped himself in a towel and walked out into the hallway. He could hear his mom and Ginny chatting loudly. Entering his room, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand, unlocked it, and checked his messages. Unsurprisingly, the top one wasn’t from Jillian, as he expected. The preview from Pests text did not seem good. Opening the messages, his eyes widened in near horror.

“Oh God... it can’t be... How could I have forgotten?” his voice shuddered in horror

Jason opened his calendar app and found the event that made his blood run cold.

“DAY OF RECKONING,” was marked ominously on today’s date.

His eye twitched as he hurriedly texted Jillian. “We need to talk ASAP! Come over as soon as you can please,”

Taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself, he started typing his response to Pest. His concentration was momentarily broken by the slam of the front door. Peering out his still uncovered window, he saw Ginny with Calvin in her arms and his mom trailing behind, rushing down the road as fast as they could without actually running. This left him rather confused, but he had much more pressing matters at hand, so he pushed it from his mind.

Jillian was still sniffing from her cry session and just finished texting her mom about what had just happened, much to June’s embarrassment. She didn’t really want the attention, and her speaking again had put a spotlight on her.

The two sisters talked for a bit once Jillian had regained control of her emotions. Though June still preferred to sign. She explained how it felt like she could talk, but there was this overwhelming anxiety and fear that kept her from speaking, especially loudly. She admitted to having a bit of a panic attack after yelling those numbers the other day. Whispers being the much easier and preferred method of speaking at this point. Of course, Jillian understood her sister’s anxieties, praising her for what she had already accomplished. She knew that once June had broken the seal on her voice; it was only a matter of time before she was talking like normal again.

The thought of being able to chat with her little sister again made her tear up all over again. Not that she had complaints before, but there was just something special about hearing June speak again after so long that made her incredibly happy.

Jillian felt her phone vibrate on the couch beside her where the two sisters sat together. Today was already shaping up to be such an amazing day. She was about to dive into something new and exciting with Jason. The tension with Katia had been lifted, and her little sis was freaking talking again. Nothing could wipe that smile off her face... until she read Jason’s message.

“We need to talk...?” she said, her smile dropping quickly.

Those words never meant anything good. So why were they popping up on her screen now? This wasn’t part of the plan, damn it. Couldn’t she catch a break for just one day?

“What’s wrong?” June said in a whisper. Looking up at June, her smile returned before it faltered a bit.

“Jason just hit me with the, we need to talk text,” Jillian said sadly.

June switched back to signing at this point. “Maybe he just misses you?” she guessed, trying to put a brighter spin on the message.

Jillian couldn’t help but laugh at that; her sister was so innocent and sheltered from the world of ambiguous texts.

“Unfortunately, ninety-nine percent of the time, this means bad news or an impending breakup. I should probably go—,” Jillian was cut off as the mom squad burst into the house, with Calvin quickly being set down to roam free.

Ginny rushed up to June, a bit out of breath. “Sweetie... you spoke... again?” she asked, taking a few big gasps between breaths. June looked over at her mother and Katia, who smiled back at her with a small wave. The extra people weren’t really helping her nerves, but she nodded her head yes. Ginny quickly leaned over and gave her youngest daughter a tight squeeze.

“I am so proud of you, baby!” She said in a quivering voice.

“Thank you?” June managed to squeak out as she was tightly embraced, making her mother squeal in joy at finally getting to hear June speak again. Followed by, of course, the same reaction that Jillian had, where Ginny proceeded to ugly cry for several minutes.

Jillian grinned at the scene before her. The cool breeze coming from the open door reminded her she was still naked under her hoodie.

“Uh, I’m just going to change real quick,” she said, hopping off the couch and making a beeline for her room.

She was relieved that June had diverted the attention away from her. But just as she was about to vanish upstairs, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Oh, Jillian?” Ginny said, sniffing a little as she called to her eldest daughter, and Jillian’s heart sank like a stone into the pit of her stomach.

“Don’t forget to return my lingerie, washed, dried, and neatly folded.”

Ginny flashed a sinister smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Jillian felt muscles she didn’t know she had tense up at the hidden message in her mother’s words. She simply nodded, then hurried up the stairs, leaving Katia and Ginny laughing together softly.

Jillian burst into her room, letting out an annoyed groan at her mom catching her. She swiftly pulled the bunched up lingerie from her hoodie pocket, then ditched her hoodie all together and threw on a black long-sleeve shirt adorned with an old rock band’s logo. The whole limited wardrobe situation was seriously getting on her nerves. With a sigh, she slipped into her last pair of clean yoga pants, a vibrant shade of red this time.

She gave herself a once-over in the tall mirror to make sure everything was in place. Surprisingly, she didn’t even have the usual grimace when she looked at her reflection – a habit that usually came naturally whenever she faced that damned mirror. Yet, even with the ominous text, she felt pretty good about herself for once. Still remembering the desire and admiration in Jason’s gaze when he looked at her.

Jillian finally replied to Jason’s text, asking what was going on and asked why it had to be in person. He messaged back almost immediately. He said he'd much prefer it if they discussed everything in person, mentioning that it was a bit complicated to explain over the phone.

She was thrown off a bit by this; it didn’t seem like the usual drama most normal relationships had. Then again, their relationship was anything but normal. He obviously wanted to show her something to help explain, but it didn’t seem like it was something she did wrong.

“Alright, I’ll be over soon then!” she texted, adding a kissy face emoji to the text before slipping her hoodie back on and heading downstairs.

The trio were still chatting in the living room when Jillian called out to them.

“Going to see, Jason. Be back later! Love you, bye.”

Ginny and Katia exchanged grins, amused that she was already going back to see her man after barely half an hour apart.

Jillian walked in through the front door of the Merris home this time, like a normal person would.

She kicked off her shoes at the entrance and called out, “Jason, I’m back!”

Jason’s voice called out from the study, “In here!”

She followed his voice and found him sitting on the small couch, wearing a tank top and basketball shorts, looking stressed as he stared at his phone. Frowning, she walked over to him.

“Hey Jase, what’s up? I know you missed me, but I didn’t expect you to call me over so soon?” She said, teasing him a little. Her hand moved to his neck and started to rub and run her nails along his skin and through his hair.

Jason let out a heavy sigh. Her fingers felt nice, but it didn’t fix his problem. He rubbed his temples with one hand.

“Just… start from the top, and I’ll answer your questions after,” he said, offering the phone to her. She nodded and took the phone with both hands to read the text chat he had up.

Pest: Get ready, future Mr. Kilpatrick! (Daddy thought it’d be best if you took our name, hehe.), guess who’s outside the office waiting for youuuu! <3

Pest: Don’t worry, I will get Daddy to excuse your absence today, so come down! Please hurry, I have a full day planned for us!

Pest: Jase, I know you can see this. Don’t make me come up there. You wouldn’t ignore me on today of all days. I have your schedule on my phone, so I know you are here.

Pest: Alright, fine, if that is how you want to play it, I’ll just make you walk out with me in front of everyone then. It's good for them all to learn that you are mine anyway. <3

Pest: Jason…

Pest: JASON!!!!!!!!!

Pest: Jason, why is your office locked? LET ME IN!!!

Pest: Fine, I’ll just talk to that creepy guy who’s been following me since I walked in. Greg or something, wasn’t really listening. Maybe I will flirt with him a little to make you jealous. LOLJK he’s gross.

Pest: WHY AREN’T YOU HERE, JASE?! WHERE ARE YOU?! WHAT THE HELL! ARE YOU TRYING TO HIDE FROM ME!

Pest: ANSWER ME OR I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT, WE HAD A DEAL JASON!

Jason: I’m in Colorado visiting my mom. I took a short notice vacation since my PTO was about to expire.

Pest: What!? ON MY BIRTHDAY! How could you Jason! T_T

Pest: It’s okay, I understand, sweetie. <3 This is just another test of our love. I’ll have Daddy charter you a private jet, so you can be home in a few hours and we will still have the evening to enjoy.

Jason: I’m not coming back for at least another week. I am not wasting my PTO.

Pest: So cruel!

Pest: Then I will come to you! I’m not a monster. I wouldn’t tear you away from your mother. Just checked the flight time, and I can be there in a few hours! I can’t wait to meet your family!

Jason: Lina, I’ve been meaning to tell you something. I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner, but I’ve met someone. Our deal is off.

Pest: Hahaha, oh Jason, you can’t fool me like that! Don’t think I didn’t expect something like this. There has been no one in your life that even comes close to a girlfriend. I have been keeping an eye on you. So I’m counting on you to keep your part of the contract, my love.

Jason: I’m serious Lina. I’ve reconnected with a girl from high school, and things are getting serious.

Pest: That’s the worst excuse you could have come up with Jase. Haha!

Pest: I know all about your high school days, Jason. I’ve seen your records. I know everything about you, and I know we’re meant to be together. The only girl that it might be is married. So, stop trying to break your promise before I get really upset!

Jason: I’m not breaking anything, Lina. I’m telling you the truth. If you know me so well, you know I don’t lie.

Pest: I do know you, Jason, better than anyone ever will! That’s why I can’t believe what you are saying right now. It doesn’t matter. I’ll find out soon enough. I’ll be there in less than four hours.

Pest: Love you! Mwah!

Jillian’s face twisted in disgust as she finished reading the texts.

“What the fuck did I just read?”

Confusion and hurt filled her as she read.

A weird mix of emotions swirled inside her when she saw Jason claiming they were dating.

“Is she some kind of stalker you made a promise to marry or something? How could she say all those…” She couldn’t even find the words, handing the phone back before wrapping her arms around herself, nails digging into her arms again. Jason quickly set the phone down before standing up and placing his hands on her shoulders.

“Jill, I swear, I didn’t think she would hang on this long. I never actually felt anything for her. I’ve told her as much. It was this dumb promise from over a year ago that got blown way out of proportion. I didn’t think there was any way it would go this far, but now... things are… ugh such a fucking mess,” his expression was troubled. His hands gripped her shoulders for a moment before going slack, barely hanging on.

“I just wanted to be honest with you... This is a lot to take in and you don’t deserve to deal with this unnecessary drama and trouble. So… I understand if you want to leave. You gave me the option to leave last night, so I wanted to give you the same. I promise I won’t hold it against you… you won’t hear from me again.”

The ache that he only felt with Jill wracked his bones again.

Jillian gazed long and hard at Jason, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. Though she wasn’t fully aware of the situation he was in, it was clear he wasn’t lying. The texts told her he was at least a partial victim in this mess. Whoever this Lina chick was, she had some serious obsession with Jason going on, and the cash and or influence to summon private jets like they were a fucking Uber. It was a very dangerous combo.

The first image she got of Lina was basically a female Luis, making a shiver run down her spine. A fear quickly sunk in, worrying about her family’s safety, mostly. The logical move would be to step aside and let the tornado pass her by without getting caught in the crossfire. At that point, Jillian thought about the last few days. Just how much had she cried and fought with Jason, only to end up basically teetering at the edge of being in a relationship?

“Nah, fuck that.”

Jillian wasn’t about to back down now.

She’d worked and suffered hard for what little she had, and she would not let some rich bitch try to snatch the dessert off her plate. Nope, no fucking way was that happening.

Watching her internally debate with herself, Jason felt like the only right situation was to simply accept that he fucked up and let Jillian go. He would face the Lina situation one way or another.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

“I will text her back and let her know that I'm....” taking her hesitation as her resignation. He still couldn't finish his sentence.

Jillian’s eyes narrowed in a determined stare.

“You need to tell me everything…Now!” she demanded, her words ablaze with a fiery resolve.