Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I even paid for her school trip when Clara couldn’t afford it, pretending it was some scholarship thing. Orion hated it at first. He’d get all quiet and moody.

“I’m supposed to take care of them, not you,” he said one night while we were lying on his bed. Mia was asleep in the next room. He was tracing circles on my arm with his finger.

“You are taking care of them,” I told him. “But it’s okay to let someone help. I love you, Orion. I want your family to be okay.”

He went really still. It was the first time I’d said it out loud.

“You love me?” He asked; his voice was rough.

“Yeah, dummy. "I do," I replied.

He pulled me on top of him and kissed me hard, the kind of kiss that made my whole body feel warm. We made out for a long time, hands wandering more than usual. His fingers slipped under my shirt, brushing my stomach, and I didn’t stop him. I wanted him to touch me. We were both breathing heavily when we finally slowed down.

“I love you too, Jade,” he whispered against my lips. “More than anything.”

Things got more intense after that. We started taking bigger risks. One weekend when my parents were at some business gala, I snuck him into our guest house for a few hours.  We lay on the couch watching movies and eating expensive ice cream. He made fun of how big my house was, but I could tell he was a little overwhelmed. Another time, his mom’s car broke down, and I paid to get it fixed without telling him until it was done. He got mad at first, but then he hugged me so tight I thought my ribs would crack.

“You’re too good for me,” he said quietly.

“No. We’re good for each other," I replied.

But the fear never went away. I started noticing my father’s men watching me more closely sometimes, and Orion got into a couple fights at his school because some guys were talking shit about rich girls. He came to me with a split lip once, and I cleaned it up while trying not to cry.

We were in deep, really deep. Every time we said goodbye, I worried it would be the last time. I didn’t know how much longer we could keep this secret.

The months kept flying by, and before I knew it, Orion and I had been together almost six months. It didn’t feel like a normal high school relationship; this was something way bigger.

We fell into a rhythm. I’d sneak out two or three times a week. Sometimes we’d meet at the old playground after dark and just sit on the swings talking about everything and nothing. Other times I’d go to his apartment, and Mia would usually fall asleep early, and then it was just us.

One night in particular stuck out. I showed up with a bag of takeout; it was real Chinese food, not the cheap stuff, and some new clothes for Mia that I said I found on sale. Clara had hugged me tight when she left for work, calling me an angel. Orion had rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was grateful.

After Mia went to bed, we lay on his bed together; the room was lit only by the streetlight coming through the cracked blinds. My head was on his chest, listening to his heartbeat while his fingers played with my hair. “You know… you don’t have to keep bringing stuff,” he said quietly. “I’m going to figure this out; I’m getting more hours at the shop. One day I’m going to take care of you the way you take care of us.”

I lifted my head to look at him. “I know you will, but I like helping. It makes me feel… normal. Like I’m actually doing something good instead of just being Baxton Holt’s daughter," I said. He stared at me for a long time, his stormy eyes soft in a way only I ever got to see.

“You’re not just his daughter to me,” he said. “You’re Jade, the girl who quotes books in the rain. The girl who laughs at my stupid jokes and the girl who cares about my little sister more than her own family seems to care about her. I see you, Jade, the real you. Not the money and not the last name, just you.”

My throat got tight. No one had ever said anything like that to me. My parents only cared about how I looked to the outside world. My friends at school only wanted to be close to the Holt fortune. But Orion? He saw straight through all of it.

I kissed him, slow and deep, pouring everything I felt into it. His hands slid down my back, pulling me closer until I was straddling his lap. We made out for what felt like hours, our clothes coming off piece by piece.  His hands were rough from working at the shop but so gentle when he touched me. That night we went further than we ever had before. Not all the way, but close. Touching and exploring each other under the covers, whispering and breathing hard, learning what the other liked.

Afterwards, we lay tangled together, sweaty and breathing heavy. He held me like I was something precious.

“I love you,” I whispered against his neck. “This isn’t just some crush, Orion; it’s more. You’re the only person who’s ever really seen me.”

He pulled back a little so he could look me in the eyes as his thumb brushed my cheek.

“I know,” he said, his voice low and serious. “I feel it too; it’s not just love, Jade. It’s like… you’re my person, the one I’m supposed to be with. I promise you, no matter what happens, no matter how hard your dad tries to control your life, I’m going to love you forever. I’m gonna marry you one day. We’ll get out of here; I’ll build something good for us. For you, for Mia, for all of us.”

Tears stung my eyes. I believed him; in that moment, with his arms around me in that tiny run-down apartment, I believed every word.

“You really mean that?” I asked, my voice shaky.

“I swear on everything I have.” He kissed my forehead, then my lips again, softer this time. “Forever, Jade Holt, even if you are a spoiled rich girl sometimes.”

I laughed through the tears and smacked his chest. “Shut up, Trouble.”

We fell asleep like that, wrapped up in each other. For the first time, I let myself dream about a future that didn’t involve my father’s plans. A future where I could be with Orion without hiding. Where I could run Holt Global my way and still have this, this real, messy, beautiful love.

But deep down I knew it was dangerous. Every time I left his place and drove back to that huge empty mansion, the fear got worse. My father had started asking more questions about where I was spending my time.