Chapter 21 21
Jenna's POV:
I forced a smile at them, hoping it looked natural, but then I noticed Caesar’s glare locked on Jerry. I nudged him lightly, trying to get him to relax. He smirked, the corner of his mouth twitching, and said.
“Hey guys, what’s up?”
Samuel leaned back in his chair, his eyes wide.
“Whoa, man. You broke the rule of never coming to this place with a woman, she must really mean a lot to you.”
Caesar didn’t hesitate. “Yes. She does.”
Jackson leaned forward, grinning. “Why don’t you guys join us?”
Caesar shook his head. “I want to spend some time with Jenna.”
At Caesar's words, I caught Jerry’s glaring, then Samuel and Jackson smirking slightly and a pang of guilt hit me. If Caesar continued staying by my side like this, and later, when his memories returned, they might find it hard to approach him again and it could feel like my fault.
Not wanting to feel any more guilt after all of this was over, I nudged Caesar. “Of course we should stay with them. They’re your friends and I want to get to know them more.”
He reluctantly sat down beside me, still giving Jerry a sharp glance as Samuel handed us the menus, and after we chose, he called a waitress over and I thanked him as Caesar and I gave our orders.
While we waited for our food, Samuel leaned back, smirking.
“So… how did you two meet? I’ve been dying to know.”
I took a deep breath and smiled, launching into the story Nathan had meticulously crafted for us, the one I told Caesar’s parents without raising an eyebrow.
"We met at a charity gala.” I said smoothly. “I was volunteering, and Caesar was… well, he was representing his father in the event and saved me from this ridiculous wardrobe malfunction, and, you know, sparks flew.”
The guys exchanged exaggerated looks of awe, and I could hear the teasing lilt in Jackson's voice immediately.
"Sparks, huh? Caesar, our Caesar? The guy who’s had women lined up for months on end?”
“Oh, do you remember that time he met that one girl at the rooftop bar, convinced her she was his destiny or something, and she bought it.” Samuel said, eyes gleaming with mischief. “For a week, she thought he was madly in love with her then he ghosted her.”
“Stop trying to sound like you are any better.” Jackson chimed in leaning forward. “You literally convinced a whole beach of women that you were a famous photographer. Then you spent hours taking photos of them in bikinis, promising to send prints but you never reached out to them again after that day.”
I laughed along with them, although my stomach twisted uncomfortably. I was supposed to be part of this fun, this shared nostalgia, but it felt strange, like I was watching a movie I wasn’t in and then I realized that Jerry wasn’t anything.
His dark eyes were fixed on me, or maybe Caesar, and his silence felt wary but I couldn’t read it, and that made me shift slightly in my seat. Before I could dwell on it, Caesar’s attention turned to me, and the first plates arrived.
“Here.” He said, sliding a dish toward me with careful precision. “Let me get this for you.”
“Thanks.” I murmured, smiling up at him, but the unease didn’t fade. His attention was a balm, yet somehow it highlighted my outsider status all the more.
The stories continued, one after another, each more outrageous than the last. Samuel laughed so hard he nearly knocked over his glass and Jackson leaned across the table, elbows on the surface, eyes sparkling with nostalgia.
"I can’t believe you’ve changed, man. I mean, look at you, sitting here with a woman, feeding her like a gentleman. Who even are you?”
Caesar just smiled, shrugging lightly, his hand brushing mine under the table as if to remind me he was still mine.
“Seriously, Caesar.” Samuel added, shaking his head. “Back then, you could’ve had any woman. Any woman at all. And now?” He gestured vaguely at me. “You’re… well, you’re nice.”
I felt my cheeks burn again, but this time it wasn’t just embarrassment, there was a prickling tension, a weird mix of jealousy and insecurity I couldn’t explain. They were all so familiar with him, so wrapped up in the old stories, and I was here, trying to hold my place in this orbit I barely understood. I tried to join in, laughing, tossing in a playful comment about one of Caesar’s “wild days,” but my voice sounded hollow even to me. And Jerry still hadn’t said a word, yet the weight of his gaze pressed against me.
I suddenly felt trapped in a spotlight I hadn’t asked for. Excusing myself, I murmured.
"I need to use the restroom.”
Caesar leaned in. “I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t do that here.” I whispered, shaking my head. “I’ll be right back.”
As I walked away, I caught Caesar glancing at me over his shoulder, while Jerry just kept his gaze on me.
Forcing myself to ignore him, I hurried to the restroom, asking a staff member for directions. Once inside, I stared at myself in the mirror, questioning why my chest hurt so much, and why my thoughts were spinning.
Afterwards, I washed my hands, trying to shake off the strange feeling, and stepped out only to see Jerry waiting by the wall “This is the ladies’ restroom.” I said, frowning.
“I know.” He replied calmly.
“Then why are you standing here? You’ll be considered a weirdo.”
“Whatever it takes to talk to you.”
I sighed, crossing my arms as I took a step forward.
“What do you want to say?”
“Something’s going on with Caesar, isn’t it?” I stopped and turned, trying to keep my face neutral as he continued. “It’s not just about you being his mate, there’s something else I can’t wrap my head around.”
I forced out a smile. “And what is your point exactly?”
“My point is… something’s definitely happening, and you have something to do with it.”
“Excuse me?” I said, my brows furrowing.
“Yes. You heard me. You did something to Caesar, right?”
“Are you listening to yourself?” I demanded, taking another step.
“Yes.” He said simply.
I turned sharply and continued walking, my heart thumping.
"Are you blackmailing Caesar?” He called after me and I froze for a second, as shivers ran down my spine.