Deceiving Her Ears: Ignoring Your Call-Chapter 14: Cohabitation

Jason Grant threw a punch right into Scott Quinn’s face.

"You fucking Good Samaritan, huh!" Scott spat out bloody saliva, his face twisted: "I’m helping you see Annie Kendall for what she is! The chick’s just some tramp kept by a sugar daddy..."

"Bang!"

Jason slugged him again, then shoved Scott to the ground and kept beating on him.

"You know who she meets every fifth of the month at Zenithar? That’s right, it’s fucking me!"

"Jason! That’s enough!"

"Jason, stop!"

A bunch of people rushed in to break up the fight, and finally managed to pull Jason and Scott apart.

Scott’s face was bruised and swollen, looking totally wrecked, but what truly shocked him was realizing Annie’s sugar daddy was her actual fiancé.

He couldn’t accept it!

Suddenly, something else popped into his head.

"So even if she’s not kept, you don’t care she’s already been fucked? The guy who nailed her is—"

"Where the hell you find this crazy mutt?!"

Scott’s words were cut off.

Someone rounded on the rich kid who brought Scott, "Your buddy got a fucking tumor in his brain or what?!"

The rich kid looked super embarrassed.

"Just shut the fuck up!" He gritted his teeth and dragged Scott away, face like thunder.

With the fight blowing up like this, the whole crew basically split.

Jason turned down the invitation from the girl in the tight leather skirt and got into the car with Annie Kendall.

"Fuck! What a shitshow!"

Jason yanked off his jacket and tossed it onto the passenger seat, rolled down the window, and lit a cigarette.

After a few puffs, he turned to look at Annie sitting still beside him, quiet as a statue.

"What the hell have you gotten up to at school? The old man keeps bragging you’re all sweet and well-behaved." He sneered, pinching Annie’s chin. "Nice act. Turns out you’re pretty wild in private, huh."

Annie slapped his hand away, stone-faced.

"Why’d that lunatic come after you today?"

Annie pressed her lips together, silent.

Jason flicked his cigarette ashes out the window. "He said something about you getting fucked by someone..."

"He chased me for six months, I turned him down."

Jason got it now.

If he couldn’t have her, he had to ruin her.

"I already told you, I mess around but you can mess around too, it’s gotta be fair. Just keep it low-key, don’t let it blow up in public. Otherwise, both our families are gonna look bad."

Annie looked at Jason, not getting how he had the nerve to say that.

"Stop the car."

Jason glanced out, "We’re not at your place yet."

"I’ll grab a cab myself."

He made a dismissive noise, ordered the substitute driver to pull over, actually dropped Annie on the side of the road, then drove off without looking back.

——

The engagement was finalized.

Annie Kendall went back to Seaharbor.

She took Isaac Vaughn off her block list and messaged him, asking if he’d figured things out yet.

She still wasn’t ready to give up.

She sent the message in the morning, but didn’t get a reply until just before going to bed.

Isaac messaged her a link. When she opened it, it was some porn site.

Annie: [ ? ]

Isaac: [If you’re horny, go watch a flick and handle it yourself. Quit bothering me.]

Annie tossed her phone aside, fuming as she fell asleep.

But the next day, she still kept messaging Isaac.

She sent him her class schedule, specially marked weekends and Tuesdays and Thursdays where she had no classes in the morning.

She made sure to highlight her advantages.

[We can hang out at my place. My bed’s super soft.]

Isaac got the message while out with Franklin Finch’s crew.

He almost spat out his drink.

"What’s up with you, Isaac? Your mind’s not here." Franklin Finch threw an arm around him and craned his neck to look at Isaac’s phone. "Who you texting, huh? All hot and bothered?"

"Fuck off." Isaac booted him away, got up and walked out.

"Hey, Isaac! Where you going? You done playing?"

Isaac just left, never looked back.

Annie had just showered when her phone rang.

It was a video call from Isaac.

She answered, and couldn’t wait to ask, "So, have you made up your mind?"

Isaac must’ve been in his bedroom at home, wearing a bathrobe, half lying against the headboard.

The robe was loose, wide open at the front, showing off his chest.

On his screen, Annie was in her cotton pajamas, hair half-dry, her cheeks so pink and delicate she looked like a soft little cake, smelling sweet as milk.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his gaze dark, but his words were full of mockery: "Annie Kendall, what the fuck goes on in that head of yours?"

"Thinking—about you?" Annie replied, eyes pure and innocent.

Figured that must be what he wanted to hear.

"Fuck!"

Isaac cursed, then growled, "Take it off!"

"If I listen, you’ll say yes?"

Isaac squinted, smiled coldly. "You don’t get to bargain with me. Don’t listen, I hang up."

Annie flushed, hesitated, propped her phone up, then reached to unbutton her top.

She wasn’t doing it on purpose, her hands just shook too much to be quick.

Isaac stared right at the phone screen, focused on her.

Annie felt like she was about to combust on the spot.

"Is—is that enough?"

Isaac’s voice was low and rough: "Keep going."

"Wh-what?"

"Aren’t there more? Get moving. Hurry up."

He was so close to the edge.

Annie suddenly got what he meant.

Her face was crimson.

While she was stalling, the doorbell rang unexpectedly.

"Gotta go."

Annie lunged for her phone and hung up right away.

Across the screen.

Left hanging, Isaac nearly bit through his own gums!

"Annie Kendall, you little shit! Well played!"

——

Annie stared frostily at the man showing up at her door with a suitcase.

"You think I wanna be here? Blame the family, told me to move in so we could get to know each other."

Jason said, pushing past her and letting himself in.

Annie closed the door with a chilly face.

Jason tossed his suitcase in the living room, emerged from the guest room, "I’ll just take this one. It’s small, but whatever, I can deal."

"I’m hungry—make something for me. I’m gonna shower first."

He finished and disappeared into the guest room.

Annie stood in the living room, taking a few deep breaths to tamp down her anger.

Seeing Jason’s suitcase, she really wanted to boot both him and the damn thing straight out.

Just then, the doorbell rang again.

Annie opened up, but didn’t even get a clear look before a hot breath pressed her up against the door.

"You’ve got some nerve, ghosting me like that?"

"You..."

Annie looked up, stunned, into Isaac’s dark, burning eyes.

His gorgeous face was flushed, sweat beading down his forehead and neck, and he radiated wild heat.

How was he here?

But there was no time to think, Jason’s voice echoed: "Why’s there no hot water in the guest room? Where’d you go?"

His footsteps grew closer.

Closer and closer.

"My uncle?" Isaac murmured into Annie’s ear, voice wicked. "You guys shacking up together?"

"You’re living together but still wanna hook up with me? At your place? Damn, should we sneak around next door to my uncle’s room? You’ll have to keep it down so nobody overhears..."

The next second.

"Annie Kendall?"

Jason Grant appeared at the entryway.