#is he genuinely upset that jay singled him out as an enemy?

[bloodmoonlvr]

more doodles as i finished up the episode good LORD

[caroline18mars]

A Man On Fire - Chapter 74

“You have got to be kidding me” Steph growled and turned to face her enemy “you know you deserve everything that is happening to you right now” she wagged her finger in front of Harper's face with a vicious grin “and don't worry, he'll cheat on you again and again and again, just like he's done in the past”. Jared blew up at her “are you deaf? I told you to get the fuck out of my house” making her grab her bag and with a sniggering smile of contempt she click-clacked out of the room , swaying her hips extra obvious as if to tell him what exactly it was that was walking out of his life. The door slammed, sending a shiver down her spine, Jared came walking up to her with a gleam in his eyes that had been missing for far too long “you love me? Still? You actually love me?” he licked his lips. Harper batted her eyelashes, he loved how she stood there blushing like a schoolgirl, nothing was fake with this woman, she could try all she liked but in the end she could never hide the truth from him. His hands slowly landed on her hips when he closed the distance and they were toe to toe “I can say the same about you..” she nervously put her hands on his upper arms, “I've always loved you, Harper, then, now, always..I can run to the edge of the world and still there's only one name pounding in my head and that's you, Coco..you're tattooed on my brain, my heart, under my skin”. Coco felt his words tug at her heartstrings, every inch of her skin felt like it was covered in hot lava, and then he lowered his head and closed the last distance between them, his lips covering hers in an electrifying, deep kiss. Time was no longer of the essence, nothing was, the emotion completely overpowered her as her tears started to run down her cheeks, it made him break the kiss “hey..don't cry..” his calloused thumbs wiped the tears from under her eyes. Her watery eyes locked with his compassionate blues “I love you” she whispered, standing on her tiptoes to reconnect again with his hungry mouth, “I love you too..” he breathed, his hands wandering over her body wanting to lift her so he could carry her to his room. “No..not yet” reluctantly she broke the kiss and locked her hand around his wrist to stop him, “ok..” his hand stilled and he refused to break eyecontact with her “you're right, I'm sorry, I got caught up in the heat of the moment”. The ringing of his phone startled them both, looking at the screen Jared raised his eyebrows and handed the phone over to her immediately.

Jared heard her enter the kitchen behind him and instantly stopped with what he was doing, it had been a long call, “what did he say?” he swallowed hard trying to figure out the look on her face, god, don't let it be 'that' call. She didn't say anything, she just sat down and buried her face in her hands with a deep sigh, “Coco?” he walked up to her and caressed her hair, making her lean into his touch “he wants me to come back to NY, he said it's probably my last chance if I ever want to see my father again..”. Jared kissed the top of her head “I see..” and enveloped her in a hug from behind, “I..just..it's just so..why does he keep calling me? I haven't heard from Arno in years and now..” she muttered, her mouth couldn't keep up with the gestures her hands were making in true Italian style. He let go of her and sat down next to her, grabbing her hands as he looked her in the eye “Coco, look at me” she was still too jittery and locked inside her internal struggle to look at him “ will you just look..at..me..” he slowly repeated while squeezing her hands to get her attention. Finally her head lifted and he had what he wanted “what do you want to do?  Forget about your brother or your family, alright? What does Harper Coco want?” he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, “I don't know..part of me wants to jump on the first plane over there, but another part just doesn't want anything to do with them anymore..they fucked up my life so much..my father, he's..all that abuse..it's just”. Abuse..the word was out, it was unthinkable that anyone would ever want to raise his hand to her, “every time I let the film of my youth inside my head roll and I feel his hand hit me, my stomach turns and I think: 'you don't deserve my tears or attention, you only deserve to fuckin' rot in hell” she growled, clearly overpowered by the memories. “I understand..take your time, but whatever the decision, I'm behind you all the way” he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, “thank you” she whispered as she pulled her hand free and snuggled up close to him, she needed to be as close to him as she possibly could right now.

”How is she?” Charles seemed genuinely concerned, “upset as hell, struggling with what her Daddy dearest has put her through all of her life, but apart from that she's ok, I guess” Jared plopped down on his bed, why did he keep calling him? Couldn't he just leave things be?. “I'm glad..” Charles sighed relieved “I know this is probably not the right timing..but I've got to tell you..every single one of her works is gone, completely sold out..I had to put people on a waiting list”. Where was he? She had gotten a bit lost upstairs and she didn't want to open every closed door, this was not her home and respecting someone's privacy was always top of her list, “wait..what?” she heard Jared's melodic voice drift out of a room somewhere a little further down the corridor. That beautiful head of hers popped up in the doorway and his heart instantly started thumping in his chest, how beautiful was she? He so didn't deserve her, “I've gotta go, talk to you later” he didn't wait for Charles response to disconnect the call. “I didn't mean to interrupt your call” she hesitated to walk in but she couldn't keep her eyes off the breathtaking décor inside, so this was his bedroom? It was practically the size of her loft, “you..” he got up off the bed and walked up to her “never interrupt, you're my priority” seizing her lips in a fierce kiss. “Is this your bedroom” she licked her lips savouring the kiss when they came up for air, Jared grinned as he followed her stare “yes it is, I won't give you the grand tour but I can definitely show you how soft the mattress is?” he wiggled his eyebrows suggesting some much needed bodily action.

“I don't know what to do..” she let her indexfinger trail down from his chin to his chest, “one part of me wants to go to New York and the other part wants to curl up into a little ball and hide away, what am I to do?”. Softly she laid her head against his chest, needing to be held, needing guidance, “hiding away is not an option, that's not gonna help you or this whole situation” he slowly caressed her back and thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of her warm breath flowing over his chest. “So you think I should go back to New York, is that what you're saying? Are you trying to get rid of me already?” she sulked, “whoa, hold on a second, can we rewind just a little?!” he grinned and took a step back so he had her full attention. “I'm not doing anything, you're asking me for help, and that's exactly what I'm offering, so why don't I help you make a list of all the pro's and the con's?” he sat her down on the bed and took a deep breath, “nah..I think I already know what I need to do, but that don't mean I have to like it..or even want to do it” she shrugged and bit her lip. “So, you're thinking of..” he needed to hear her say it for some reason, “going back to New York, yeah, even though I already know now that I'll be regretting it for the rest of my life..but then again, I also know that I'll never forgive myself if I stay here and he dies..” she finished his sentence. Take me with you, please, don't leave LA without me, I've only just got you back, I don't want to lose you again “makes sense” was all he could say right now, “oh Jay, I've only just got here and we had so little time together..even thinking of flying back already, makes me want to throw up, I can't do this alone..I know it's a lot to ask and I'll completely understand if you won't or can't but will you..”, he was the one to finish her sentence now “of course I'll come to New York with you, I won't let you do this alone”.

A suitcase, a private plane, take off and airborne, all in just a couple of hours, underneath them America whizzed by at 500 miles an hour, closer to home again, but the furthest removed from what should have always been her real home, physically she was getting closer to her father or family but mentally she was still so terribly detached and that wasn't about to change anytime soon. “I forgot to tell you something..” Jared pulled her out of her daydream, “oh..?” she shuffled in her seat, “Charles..called me right before we left, the exhibition is completely sold out, he even had to put people on a waiting list..seems like you finally had your break” he grabbed her hand and kissed it. “No..what? Really? Oh my..” her big brown eyes drilled into his, her free hand clasped over her mouth “but..how?..ever since..what happened, I didn't even think about my work anymore, because Daddy dearest just had to spoil things” the venom in her voice touched him. “How? That's simple, you're the one who made all that beauty..I was smart enough to buy a few too, thank god” he grinned against her lips, “You? But you didn't have to buy anything, I would have given them to you..which one?”. Her work was all sold out, really? She still couldn't get her head around it, “you mean which ones?” he wiggled his eyebrows “seriously, I bought two..my mother really wanted the one where I look like the new Messiah, so I bought that for her and for myself I bought the other real disturbing one where I seem to be screaming, that one is soooo good”. So she actually meant something to him, just thinking that they weren't even together at the time, and yet he had shown up and had even bought two paintings without her knowing, god she loved him so much, was this the one? Yes Harper, trust yourself for once, he definitely is the ONE!. “Your mother? She wasn't there..oh..right” her penny dropped “digital times..right, I get it”.  He saw the flight attendant move towards them to inform them of the imminent descent so he quickly stole a kiss from her lips “you've finally had your break, kiddo, and you deserve every single minute of it, so how does it feel to be rich?”.

Everything was taken care of as soon as they landed in New York, there was a car waiting for them, she didn't have to lift a single finger, all she had to do was crawl into his arms in the backseat of the car when she got a bit panicky realizing she was on her way to her biggest nemesis and the dire straits he and the rest of her family were in. “Tell me it's gonna be alright?” she whispered, he could actually feel her heart beat through his shirt, “If I knew it was, I would tell you straight away, trust me..but I can't, all I know is that I'm gonna be with you every step of the way”. Harper moaned a little as she sat up “That's a comfort and I'm ever so grateful”, seeing that they had arrived at the hospital, had her heart thumping in her throat all of a sudden. The car pulled to the curb “we're here..you ready?” Jared gave her hand a squeeze but when he wanted to open the door, she stopped him “Wait!” and her voice trembled. “What is it?” he breathed, scared she had changed her mind, “I just..” she took another deep breath “I'm just scared that all this..is gonna have its' effect on our relationship, we've only just got back together and..” she rattled herself in a panic attack. “Harper, babe..” he cupped her face so he could look her in the eye by the dim light inside the car “listen to me, no matter what happens, it's not gonna break us up, I promise..they don't have that kind of power over you and neither should you let them” he whispered. “You're the strongest person I know, so you can do this and I just want you to know that I'm with you every step of the way, ok?” he saw her confidence grow with every heartfelt word and finally she fiercely nodded. “Come on, we should go inside, and remember, it's you and me, alright?”.