Page 4 of Saving Little Jenna
"Please, call me Clark," I said. "Trust me, you won’t be a burden. The truth is, it's been quite lonely here. You’ll be helping me by making this place feel less lonely. So please, stay."
It was hard to admit to anyone you were lonely, let alone a complete stranger. However, Jenna didn't feel like a stranger to me, maybe because of the similar difficulties we had to go through.
She thought for a moment before nodding.
After cleaning up the dishes together, I showed her around the house and she was fascinated by everything, touching everything as if for the first time. She decided to take a shower and when I saw her in the living room soon after, I was taken aback by how stunning she looked. Her long blonde hair complemented her big blue eyes.
When she blushed and looked away, I realized I'd been staring at her for a good few seconds. Just as I wondered how hot she'd look naked underneath those clothes, I shook my head slightly to push away the thought.
She put a hand on her mouth to stifle a yawn, so I decided it was nap time.
"I'll let you have a quick nap before we go shopping." Switching the TV off, I got off the couch and walked over to her. "You'll need new clothes-" I interrupted when she opened her mouth to protest- "I won't take no for an answer, Jenna. You don't have to worry about the money. It's always better spent helping someone."
She wasn't a Little but when I led her upstairs to her new room for a nap, I couldn't help but feel like her Daddy.
"Whoa!" She looked around in all directions when we walked into the bedroom. "This room is big enough for twenty people."
I chuckled as I watched her climb into the bed. "Twenty people? I doubt that."
I covered her with a blanket and resisted the urge to kiss her on the forehead. She just looked so cute as she tried her best to keep her eyes open.
"I’ll see you in a bit." I switched the lights off as she closed her eyes.
Out in the living room, I could hardly wait for her to wake up. I badly needed to see that sweet face of hers again. Her presence had given off a strong vibe of innocence and kindness. She looked like she needed someone to protect her and I wanted to be the lucky one. If my doubts were true, then no matter what danger she was running away from, I promised myself to keep her safe.
As hours passed by, I found it hard not to check up on her, but I didn't want to come off as overprotective. When she finally woke up late in the evening and walked into the living room, I couldn't help but smile ear to ear. Her mere presence was giving me such joy.
"So there's no way I could convince you out of shopping?" She asked as she took a seat on the couch next to me.
"Nope."
"I've never owned more than two pairs of clothes, you know," she said. "So you don't have to do this."
Was this another sign of her having a bad childhood? So she wasn't allowed to go outside and she only owned two pairs of clothes all her life. Looked like her parents were just as bad as mine, or even worse.
"But I want to." I smiled, hoping she’d reciprocate so I'd get to see her smile again. When she did, I was overwhelmed by the happiness I hadn't felt in a long time. I didn't ask much out of life except for such small moments of joy.
It was late in the evening so there wasn't much traffic. When we reached the mall half an hour later and went into the apparel store, I could see she was trying to contain her excitement.
"You don't have to do that." With my hands in my pockets, I walked up to her checking out the price tags. "I knew you wouldn't let me take you to an expensive store. Everything here is reasonably priced. Just take everything you need."
She looked at my hands in my pockets and drew a sharp breath in. My long sleeves were rolled up and my shirt was too tight for my thick arms, but that's just how I liked wearing shirts. She seemed to find my masculinity intimidating and arousing at the same time. Looked like she wasn't used to being around men, since everything I did and said made her blush.
"Thank you, Clark." She looked at me as we stood in line at the cashier. "I'll start looking for a job starting tomorrow. I'll pay you back, not just for this but for all the kindness you've shown me."
I shook my head and talked quietly so the others wouldn't overhear. "It's too soon. I have a good instinct and I can tell that you need to recover from whatever trauma you've gone through. Just know that if you ever want to open up to someone about it, I'm here."
She was stiff for a brief moment, probably memories of her past rushing through her mind all at once. I made a mental note not to bring it up too often.
With a shopping bag in each hand, we headed outside and towards the stairs. When we passed by a toy store, she almost jumped in excitement, swiftly pressing her hand up against the glass and looking at a row of stuffed toys.
"Do you want to go in?" I asked.
"Yes, please!" She said in a high-pitched voice, instantly regretting it and clearing her throat to speak in a normal voice. "I mean, sure. If you insist."
I knew Jenna wasn't a Little, but she'd make a great one, especially with her big inquisitive eyes and an ever-present look of innocence.
When we went inside and walked up to the first aisle, she watched the long row of stuffed toys in awe. She walked over to a stuffed dog and picked it up before giving it a tight hug. Her shoulders relaxed as if she was entering her safe space, one where she didn't have to care about whatever problems she was running away from. The row behind us had all kinds of barbies, which she then proceeded to check out with her mouth half-open.
