Page 3 of Saving Little Jenna
"Listen," I said, starting the car. "You're free to live at my place for as long as you need, no questions asked."
When she looked at me with a grateful smile, I couldn't help but admire her beautiful face. She looked so adorable when she smiled. If only she did that more often.
She'd clearly been through a rough couple of days since she looked like she'd been sitting out in the sun for days and her hair was a tangled mess. The exterior didn't matter to me. She seemed genuine, kind, and innocent, all of which were qualities I liked.
As I drove her to my home, we sat in silence. When you met someone for the first time and liked them, there's usually this immense desire to know everything about the person. I had a similar urge to know everything about her, but I wasn't sure if she felt the same way.
"So," I said when we stopped at a red traffic light, causing her to suddenly look down at her hands nervously. "Are you new here?"
She nodded, looking into my eyes for a good few seconds before looking back at her hands.
I wished there was a way to make her realize she didn't need to fear me. Did she have a general fear of men? Did she think they were all bad because maybe she had an abusive ex?
"Have you had a chance to look around the city yet?" I asked, to which she just shook her head. "I know it's hard to trust a stranger, but trust me. I'm one of the good ones."
I wished I could hear more of her sweet voice, but I could wait until she got comfortable around me.
When the signal turned green and I took a left turn, she finally looked up at me with a smile. "Thank you for helping me, Mr. Scully. I knew the world was kinder than the world I was used to living in."
I smiled at her before quickly turning my head back to the road. Every time she smiled, it made me happy knowing that I was the reason for her happiness.
When we reached, she stepped out of the car and gaped at my house in surprise.
"Wow, I've never seen such a big mansion before." She followed me as I walked up to the porch. "Do you live all alone, Mr. Scully?"
I nodded as I opened the door. "I know it's way too big for me."
When we stepped in, she looked around in all directions before walking up to the TV. "I didn't know they made televisions this big."
I chuckled and walked up to her. "They sure do. Do you like watching TV?"
She shook her head. "We didn't have a TV growing up, but I loved watching films on the computer secretly because it was the only way to know about the outside world."
I looked at her in surprise. What did she mean by that? Why wouldn't she know about the outside world?
"I mean…" She began to panic. "I was homeschooled is what I meant. Never mind. Pretend I didn't say anything."
"Well, you must be starving." I walked into the kitchen and she followed me, her stomach rumbling in agreement. "Have a seat. I'll whip something up in no time."
When she took a seat at the table, I reheated the leftover steak. I made a simple capellini dish with garlic and tomato sauce to go with it. I plated it up beautifully in hopes that it'd look better than it tasted.
"Here you go." I fixed her a plate and took a seat at the table. "I've been trying to learn cooking over the past few weeks. You're the first person who gets to taste my cooking."
She smiled at me expectantly and I realized she was asking for permission. When I nodded, she dug in. Halfway through she forgot to use the knife and fork, using her hands instead to take big bites of the steak. Some would find it rude, but I was just glad one less person in the world had to go to bed hungry today.
"Careful now," I said. "We don't want you to choke on your food. It's always good to chew food before you swallow."
When she suddenly remembered she wasn't alone, she put the steak back onto the plate.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Scully." Her cheeks turned red as she picked up the fork off the table. "I didn't mean to be rude."
I instantly regretted telling her to go slow. I didn't wish to come off as controlling. I was a perfectionist but this wasn't the time for it. She must've gone without food for who knows how long.
I was relieved when she began eating at a slower pace this time, but not for long. Soon she was back to what looked like gulping down food seconds after it went into her mouth. When she was done, she let out a sigh of contentment and washed it all down with a tall glass of water.
"I can't thank you enough, Mr. Scully." She stood up and washed her hands. "I should be on my way now. It's kind of you to let me stay here, but I can't be a burden on someone."
When she sat back at the table, I put my hand on hers and she drew a sharp breath in. Was she aroused or just scared?
