"There was a time he just got suspended, again. After sending a guy to the hospital, and his dad came to the school." Paul said. "At that time, he even managed to push me away as well. We didn't talk, his father took him outside and I followed behind, because I was curious, he was smiling. He never smiled, and when he did in that moment his father looked at him with such murderous eyes. I knew he just wanted attention, his fathers attention. That moment, in that moment I made up my mind to protect him. Try to fix him, he was broken."

*****

​​

"Father, I..."

"Shut up. Do you know how busy I am?" Victor spat viciously turning around to his fifteen year old son. "You!"

Jason stepped back his eyes watery and full of fear. Yes, that's what he felt at this moment, but he would not deny his heart, he was happy. His plan had worked, his dad finally spoke to him!

But that feeling was short lived, exactly the next moment his face stung as his neck tilted abruptly to the side. Saliva flying out of his lips, in shock. The side of his face burned, clasping his plam to his cheek he looked wide eyes at his father. Never in his life had he been hit, never! Even after all the things he did in school, he knew his teachers were too scared of his father to do anything.

And before that he never did anything that warranted that bad a punishment. He always followed the rules, he was kind and generous. Just the way he saw his mother. But even she hadn't followed the rules. She cheated on her husband, but that didn't mean she deserved to die.

He was angry, he was bitter, for the first time in his life he threw a tantrum and his mother ended up dead. His father always ignored him and his mother never did. He was happy, even without his dad, he was happy. Now his mother was gone he wanted his dad.

He didn't even glance at him once until the day he accidentally broke an expensive bottle of bourbon. He got yelled at, yes but at least his father looked at him, spoke to him. For that moment he focused on only him.

He was always angry, he felt it was unfair for his mother to die like that. He never acted on it, he would walk away, he would speak less. But after he learnt the secret to his father's attention, he didn't hold back. He let out his emotions, he did everything that wasn't him. Until it slowly became him. But his father never came, so he did even more and more and more.

Until a mad man had the guts to try and bully him. Had the guts to bring his pitiful mother into the conversation. Jason had beat him within an inch of his life, he was livid, he wasn't thinking. He might have gone too far, but at the end it was worth it. He had his father.

But then again... he had never been hit in his life.

"I don't have the time for this. I swear if you weren't my only heir I would kill you right now!" His father spat, glaring at the trouble some teen before him.

And Jason felt something snap within him in that moment. It was a searing pain that came with a mad realisation. He was an orphan, yes he had no mother, but looking at the dark unfeeling eyes that were focused on him, he realized... he was an orphan.

"Mess up again, make me come here again and I swear you will regret it." His father said, turning around and walking off.

Jason fell too his knees, as heavy heartbreaking tears rolled down his cheeks. At first, he was motionless, but soon he began to scream. He was truly alone. All alon-

"Don't make so much noise. If anyone finds out it will ruin your reputation." A familiar voice called out to him from the corner.

Jason fisted his hands getting up, he glared at the unwanted guest. "What the hell do you want?" He asked.

"Can you stop looking at me like you want to pop off my head?" Paul scowled, leaning by the wall. His blazer hanging off his scrawny frame.

"I thought I told you to stay away from me!" He spat.

"Hey, this is public property. I am allowed to come here." He frowned.

"Whatever, I'm out of here." Jason growled walking towards him, as he walked past him Paul spoke.

"You should come over to my place tonight." He said.

Jason turned to glare at him. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"You might think you're father was joking, although I don't think you do. But even if your his only heir, those are not words a father says so lightly to his son." Paul stated.

Jason lips curved up into a wicked grin. "Oh? I didn't realise you had become a father." He spat.

"Whatever you want to do, mock me if you want. But I've known you long enough to know how you really feel."

"Tch... and how is that?" Jason sassed. "What the hell do you know about me!" He grabbed Paul's collar and slammed him into the wall.

"I won't hurt your ego by pointing it out any further. You know how you feel. Think of this as a favour for old times. At least for tonight." Paul said. Pushing off him. Pushing a card into his breast pocket and walking off.

*******

"When he turned eighteen his father suddenly started paying attention to him. And as much as he hated Victor, I saw him become more and more like his father." Paul narrated and Jessie sat quiet, listening.

"I know other people have lived harder lives than losing a parent. But Jason's life wasn't easy, and because of how kind he was. Even after everything he still wanted to please his father so he became who his father wanted him to be." Paul said. "But for you, for the first time he openly rebelled. When he bought you, taking the company from his father, refusing to marry Patricia. All that happened because of you. And you may not notice it but you're changing him. His starting to look like that radiating goodness he once was."

Jessie frowned. "If that's the case why are you so wary of me?"

"Because the last person to bring out that side of him was his-"

"Mother" she said softly and Paul nodded.

"And look what he became when he lost her. You have become someone indispensable to Jason. But I can't trust you with his heart. I don't know why but I just can't."