Chapter 14
Chapter 14
The thought of Wynn’s racing competition tonight and seeing her looking as cool as ever lifted Jordyn’s spirits . After putting on the outfit , she grabbed her phone for another look .
Almost immediately , she frowned .
Normally , Wynn replied to her texts quickly . But this time , she hadn’t responded at all , not even after Jordyn had finished getting ready
Could Wynn be upset ?
Panic bubbled up in Jordyn as she quickly typed out another message . “ Wynn , are you mad at me ? You know I didn’t want Mom to take me to school but you ! Please don’t be mad at me , okay ? ”
Even after a while , there was no reply .
Celeste came back to check on her. “ Jo , are you done ? It’s time to go down for breakfast . ”
Frustrated , Jordyn snapped , “ I know ! Mom , do you have to always nag ? You’re so annoying ! ” With that , she grabbed her bag and stormed downstairs .
Celeste quietly followed . She did notice , however , that Jordyn’s outfit looked unfamiliar .
Celeste had always been the one to prepare Jordyn’s clothes While she’d always ensured Jordyn liked what she picked , Jordyn’s preferences had shifted drastically since visiting Andostan with Trevor .
Apparently , it was because Jordyn had taken up climbing and skateboarding under Wynn’s influence .
Wynn was not only academically accomplished but also an adventurous , charismatic woman with many hobbies . Jordyn idolized her , to the point of adopting her style and interests .
Celeste was saddened by Jordyn’s growing attachment to Wynn but never voiced her feelings . She even adjusted her choices when buying clothes for Jordyn , tailoring them to her current tastes .
Yet , Jordyn barely touched anything Celeste bought . She only wore outfits Wynn selected for her .
Seeing Jordyn in the camouflage outfit , Celeste could guess exactly where it came from . Nonetheless , she simply acted as though she hadn’t noticed and walked downstairs with her usual composure .
Teagan and the others were still asleep , but Martha was already awake .
“ Cel , Jo , you’re up early . ”
Celeste greeted with a smile , “ Good morning , Grandma . ”
Jordyn mumbled , “ Morning , Nana , ”
Martha noticed her tone lacking enthusiasm and asked , “ Jo , are you upset ? What’s wrong ? ”
Jordyn didn’t respond . She didn’t feel like talking .
Peter , who had heard Celeste knocking on Jordyn’s door earlier , chimed in with a chuckle . “ She’s probably just grumpy from being woken up too early . ”
Martha smiled at Peter’s comment but turned to Celeste . “ Where’s Trevor ? Is he still asleep ? ”
Celeste remained composed . “ He went out last night for something . ”
Chapter 14
+25 BONUS
Martha’s face darkened . She had a good idea of what that “ something ” might be . However , since Jordyn was present , she refrained from criticizing Trevor openly and let it go .
After breakfast , as they were preparing to leave , Jordyn realized she had forgotten something and ran upstairs to fetch it . Celeste stayed downstairs , waiting for her .
Moments later , Jordyn’s phone buzzed on the table . The screen lit up , displaying the contact name “ Wynn ” with a heart emoji .
Celeste froze for a moment .
Though Jordyn was still young , Celeste had always respected her privacy . She’d never once snooped through her phone . But now , Celeste couldn’t help picking up the phone
She quickly scanned their chat history and pieced together why Jordyn had been irritable all morning . Jordyn messaged Wynn each morning to say good morning , and they chatted frequently at length .
Hearing the elevator , Celeste swiftly placed the phone back where it had been .
When Jordyn returned and saw that Wynn had replied , her mood shifted instantly . Wynn’s message reassured her that she would never be mat at Jordyn and that she had only woken up earlier .
Jordyn beamed with happiness after reading the message .
Celeste glanced back subtly . She knew exactly what had brightened Jordyn’s mood but said nothing .
Meanwhile , Jordyn was too engrossed in her joy and didn’t notice Celeste’s glance .
After that , Jordyn sat in the backseat of the car and happily chatted with Wynn on her phone . Occasionally , she would sneak glances at Celeste to see if she was paying attention .
However , Celeste remained focused on driving . Satisfied , Jordyn continued messaging
The distance to the school was considerable . After about half an hour of chatting , Jordyn set her phone aside . As her mood was now entirely lifted , she began talking to Celeste .
“ Mom , are you free this afternoon ? ”
Celeste asked without looking back , “ Why ? ”
Jordyn , avoiding the question , whined playfully , “ Just tell me . ”
“ There’s a lot going on lately . I don’t have time . What is it ? ”
Jordyn grinned . “ Oh , it’s nothing . ”
She thought giddily , “ If Morn is busy , she won’t have time to pick me up after school . That means I can go straight to Wynn after class without worrying about being caught . ”
At school , Celeste accompanied Jordyn to speak with her homeroom teacher , Donna Alper . Donna then led them to Jordyn’s classroom .
Just as they were about to enter , a sweet , childlike voice called out , “ Ms. Rodriguez ! ”
Celeste paused and turned , only to see a tiny figure barreling toward her . Hastily , she crouched to catch the child so that they wouldn’t fall .
When the child looked up , Celeste quickly recognized her .
“ Sylvia ? ”
+25 BONUS
It was indeed Sylvia , the little girl she had saved from a dog attack several days ago .
“ Mm – hmm ! ” Sylvia smiled brightly , looking particularly adorable with her twin braids .
Celeste’s voice softened instinctively . “ Sylvia , do you go to school here too ”
Before she could finish , Jordyn abruptly pushed Sylvia aside
“ Jo ” Celeste exclaimed as she caught Sylvia from falling . Sylvia , are you okay ? ”
Sylvia shook her head and looked at Jordyn confusedly . “ Why … Why did you push me ? ”
Jordyn had initially been confused by Sylvia’s sudden appearance . But when she noticed how close Celeste seemed to be with Sylvia , she became annoyed .
Sylvia was on the verge of tears , and Jordyn’s face twisted with disdain .
“ You’re so weak . You look ugly and disgusting in pink ! ”