Longing For The Beach Billionaire Daddy
Chapter 98

*Shelby*

I dropped my suitcase in the hallway, exhausted from the eventful weekend. I was so ready for a quiet Sunday at home, catching up on some studying with Lin. I casually ran my hand across the back of my head and winced slightly. It was still sore from my fall.

“Lin? I’m back,” I called down the foyer off our front door.

“I’m in the living room,” she called back to me.

I found her cuddled up on our new sofa, a blanket enveloping her, and a textbook spread open on her lap. I fell onto the other side of the couch, closing my eyes as I slowly sank into the material.

“Long weekend?” Lin asked.

I’d begged Aubrey not to tell Lin about what had happened at the art gallery. I didn’t want her worrying the entire time I was gone, and I didn’t want her to know that Blaine was still following me. I’d put her through enough already.

“Yeah, it was. I spent most of the day in bed yesterday, but I’m still exhausted,” I admitted.

“I thought you went to an art gallery with Aubrey,” she said, leaning on her elbow and giving me a quizzical look.

“We did. I forgot to eat yesterday, and I got a little dizzy. I ended up tripping and hitting my head. Michael went overboard making sure I was okay, and wouldn’t let me get out of bed for the rest of the day. Honestly, I’m lucky he even let me come home,” I told Lin the modified version of what really happened.

“Ouch, I’m so sorry, Shelby. Why didn’t you tell me?” Lin asked.

“Michael wouldn’t let me use any screens. He spent the afternoon entertaining me by reading out loud. It was actually pretty sweet how he took care of me,” I said, hoping Lin would move on from the details of how I felt.

“That sounds cute,” Lin said with a smile, and I was relieved that she’d moved on from the subject.

“How’d your date with Jerrick go last night?” I asked with a smile.

“It went really well…” she said, unable to hide her smile.

“Oh yeah? That’s all I get? It doesn’t seem like that long ago you were begging me for every detail of the dates I went on with Michael. Come on, Lin, spill,” I said, teasing.

“Okay, okay. It was amazing. We had the best time together. We talked all night long and spent half the date laughing. When I woke up this morning my abs actually hurt from how much we laughed together,” Lin said, absolutely beaming with happiness.

“I’m so glad to hear it, Lin,” I said, truly happy to see her like that. “When do you see him again?”

“About that…I know we promised we were going to have a lazy night and get caught up on studying together, but can I cancel? Jerrick asked me out again tonight,” she said sheepishly.

“Of course, you can cancel, Lin. Wow, two dates in one weekend. It certainly sounds like things went well between you two,” I said with a small laugh.

“Thank you, Shelb. I’ll make it up to you, I promise,” Lin said, jumping off the couch and wrapping me in a hug.

“You don’t have to make it up to me. Just go have fun,” I said, hugging her back.

“You’re the best friend ever,” she said before disappearing around the corner to get ready for her date.

I rested my head on the back of the couch and closed my eyes, enjoying the solitude. Michael hadn’t left my side, since I woke up after my fall. That relaxing feeling was soon replaced with a sense of anxiety. Images of the figure in the black hoodie filled my mind, forcing me to open my eyes again.

I’d go crazy if I sat there alone with my thoughts, so I decided to go for a run, something I hadn’t done in ages. I thought maybe the adrenaline would help me feel as though I was working on getting rid of my problems instead of just waiting for someone to fix them for me.

I rushed upstairs to change into warm leggings and a matching jacket. I slipped on my worn-out running shoes and jogged out the front door. I made it to the end of the gated community before I looked over my shoulder and noticed a man jogging up behind me. My heart raced faster and I felt my breath catch in my throat before I realized it was my bodyguard.

“God d*mmit, you about gave me a heart attack,” I yelled back at him, anger replacing the fear.

“I’m sorry, miss. I’m just following orders,” the young man said.

He caught up to me and looked slightly abashed. He was still wearing street clothes because I hadn’t warned him about my sudden desire to exercise. I felt guilty about yelling at him. I struck out at him because of the fear my situation was making me constantly feel. It wasn’t his fault, and I knew it.

“I’m sorry; I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I forgot I had a bodyguard for a second and only saw you following me out of the corner of my eye. My mouth reacted before my brain caught up,” I apologized.

“It’s okay, Miss Hatton. I can’t imagine what you must be going through right now,” my bodyguard said empathetically.

I gave him a small nod of acknowledgment before I took off, jogging down the road again, forcing him to follow me at a distance. I ran until my lungs burned, but this time in a good way from hard work instead of anxiety. I felt the sweat dripping down my forehead, before I decided to turn around and head back to the house.

The way back was difficult, and my legs started to feel weak just a few blocks away from home. I pushed myself harder, forcing myself to keep up my pace. I flung the front gate open, and slowed to a walk, lifting my hands over my head as I worked to catch my breath, pacing the front garden.

“You’re fast, Miss Hatton,” my bodyguard said a few minutes later when he finally caught up, looking out of breath. I noticed that he grabbed a stitch in his side as he panted, leaning against the wrought iron fence.

“You did well. Especially since I gave you no warning,” I said, offering an encouraging smile.

He just nodded back to me, still trying to catch his breath. I headed inside and went straight for my ensuite. I turned on the shower before stripping out of my sweaty workout clothes. The water warmed my muscles and cleansed my salty skin. I stood in the shower until the water started getting cold.

I toweled myself off and dressed in my warmest pajamas. My room was dark when I finally finished getting ready for bed, so I closed the curtains, and slipped into bed, promising myself I would wake up early to study before classes started. I hadn’t planned on my run taking the rest of the evening, and I knew we were likely to be surprised with a pop quiz in our first class the next day.

I drifted off to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and it felt like no time at all before the buzzing of my alarm clock woke me from a dreamless sleep. I rubbed my eyes, trying to get myself accustomed to the early morning hour.

It was still pitch black outside, so I had to feel my way to the staircase, not wanting to wake Lin, by turning on the lights. She wasn’t a morning person, and I didn’t want to be responsible for her sour mood the entire day if I woke her up early.

I started the coffee pot, knowing it would be essential to me studying this early. There wasn’t even the slightest chance of staying awake without it. I turned on the light over the kitchen sink and sat at the counter, listening to the bubbling of the coffee pot as my eyes adjusted.

A tall figure appeared at the bottom of the stairs just as I stood to pour myself a cup of hot coffee.

“Jerrick?” I questioned as he tried to sneak down to the front door unnoticed.

He turned around and sheepishly walked back toward the kitchen. His hair was rumpled, standing in odd directions. He had a slightly embarrassed smile on his face.

“Oh hey, Shelby. I didn’t think anyone would be up this early,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m not usually up this early, but I fell asleep before I could do any studying last night. I should ask you what you’re doing here at this time, but I won’t,” I said with a knowing smile.

I pulled two mugs out of the cupboard and poured coffee into each. I slid one across the counter to Jerrick, who took it with a small smirk.

“Thanks for the coffee and for not asking,” he said.

The light was too dim to tell, but I could’ve sworn a blush rose on his cheeks. Jerrick cleared his throat after taking a sip of the coffee. I cupped the mug in my hands and waited for him to continue the conversation. He decided, wisely, to change the topic.

“So, how do you like the internship at my dad’s company? If someone is rude to you, just let me know, and I’ll put them in their place.”

I laughed, “Everyone has been super welcoming. I like it there, it’s just that….well…”

“Come on Shelby, you can tell me. I’m not going to tell my dad or anything. It’s boring as hell isn’t it?”

I laughed again at Jerrick’s comment, “I wouldn’t go that far, but it definitely is a little duller than I expected. Dealing with corporate contracts isn’t exactly the kind of law I pictured myself practicing.”

“I totally understand. That’s why I wanted to try an internship at a different company. At the end of the day, it’s not the kind of law I want to practice either,” Jerrick said.

I took another sip of my coffee, taking in his words.

“What kind of law do you picture yourself practicing?” he asked.

“I guess I want to make a difference in this world. I want to make things better by putting away people that do bad things. I want to make sure people who deserve to be in prison stay there.”

As soon as I said it, a fire burned within me. I was going to be the kind of lawyer who made sure people like Blaine didn’t get away with hurting people.