my prized possession

CHAPTER 11

I sat nervously, tapping my fingers on my lap as I waited in the admin office. This was it—my college interview.

The woman seated across from me was kind, yet professional. She asked me why I wanted to attend their college. I took a deep breath, steadied my voice, and spoke honestly about my passion for technology and why I believed their program was the right fit for me.

She seemed impressed, which helped calm my nerves a bit.

Then she asked, “Do you have any questions for me?”

I hesitated for a second before asking, “Does the college offer scholarships?”

“Yes,” she replied, “we do. It depends on your GPA. If it meets a certain threshold, you’ll be eligible. All the details are available on our website.”

I nodded quickly. “I’ll definitely check it out.”

She smiled warmly. “Also, if you get the chance, you should visit the campus in person. It gives you a better feel for the environment.”

“I will,” I promised, meaning it.

Just as I was about to leave, she added, “Make sure you apply for the scholarship when the time comes—if your GPA meets our cutoff.”

I smiled, grateful. “Thank you. I will.”

I stepped out of the office and let out a deep breath. Annabella was already waiting for me.

She walked up with her usual bright smile. “How did it go?”

I smiled back, relieved. “The interviewer seemed impressed with me. But the tuition...” I hesitated. “That’s my only problem.”

She raised a brow. “Did you ask about scholarships?”

“I did. They offer them, but it depends on your GPA. There’s a cutoff mark.”

Annabella waved her hand like it was no big deal. “Don’t stress. Your grades are already high. I’m sure you’ll meet it—probably even beat it.”

Her confidence in me made my chest feel lighter. “Thank you, Anna. Seriously.”

She smiled and looped her arm through mine. “Of course. What about you—how did your interview go?”

“It went really well,” she said, nodding confidently. “I’m sure I’ll get in.”

After school, I had one more thing to do—visit Mrs. Cooker. With exams fast approaching, I needed to focus, and I also owed her that drink we talked about. It felt like the right time.

As I walked up to their house, I couldn’t help the nervous flutter in my stomach. I didn’t know why—Jackson wasn’t even supposed to be home. Still, just being near the house stirred something in me.

I knocked on the door, and the housekeeper opened it. She seemed surprised. “Jackson’s not home,” she said quickly.

I shook my head. “I’m not here for him. I came to see Mrs. Cooker.”

“Oh, she just stepped out,” she replied. “But she’ll be back in a few minutes. Please, come in.”

I nodded and stepped inside, settling onto one of the living room chairs. The house felt the same—warm, quiet, but full of memories I wasn’t ready to unpack.

“Would you like some juice?” the housekeeper offered.

“No, thank you. Just water is fine.”

She gave me a kind smile and disappeared into the kitchen.

Alone again, I tried to push down the strange tension that settled over me. I told myself I was only here for Mrs. Cooker. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t just her I was thinking about.

As I waited, probably lost in my thoughts, I suddenly felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. Iturned—slowly, cautiously—and there he was, smiling down at me.

Noah.

Just like that, I was caught again. Something about his presence always managed to disarm me.

He gave me a soft smile. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

He sat on the chair beside me, his posture relaxed.

“I came to see Mrs. Cooker,” I replied, trying to sound casual, even though my heart was racing.

“Oh,” he said, a hint of curiosity in his tone. “I thought maybe you were here for Jackson. I heard about the fight. Sorry that happened.”

Without thinking, I asked, “How did you feel about it?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I mentally slapped myself. Seriously, Vanessa?

Noah looked slightly puzzled. “Was it supposed to make me feel a certain way?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, no. Forget I asked.”

He smiled gently. “It’s okay. Maybe whatever was going on between you two wasn’t that deep. Just... cuddle mates, I guess.”

That word—cuddle mates—stabbed a little. I tried to hide my reaction, but I knew he saw it. His expression softened.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry.”

I nodded silently.

Then he asked, “Do you want more from Jackson?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Did I? Or was it someone else I was starting to want more from?

Before I could form a response, Mrs. Cooker walked in, cheerful as ever.

“There you are!” she exclaimed, clearly happy to see me. “Oh, I see you’ve met my nephew.”

She properly introduced us. “Vanessa, this is Noah. He’s my sister’s first son.”

First son. So he was older than Jackson.

She went on, “He lives in Los Angeles but comes around to visit whenever he can.”

As she chatted, Noah politely excused himself—but not without sparing me a glance before walking off. I caught myself blushing. Why am I blushing? He just looked at me. Get a grip, Vanessa.

Mrs. Cooker—Pamela—was a joy to talk to. Warm, easygoing, and real. We talked for a long while. She told me how she met her husband and how they fell in love. It was a beautiful story, even though it had its share of pain.

She opened up about his absence in her life and in Jackson’s. And about Noah—how he became like a son to her after her sister passed. “Jackson’s always looked up to him,” she said. “With his dad not around much, Noah filled that big brother role.”

She smiled fondly. “Since his mom died, I’ve been all he has. I love both those boys deeply.”

I shared a little about my own life too—how tough things had been at home and school, how I’d been bullied. Maybe it was because I was still a virgin, or just different. Making friends was hard before I met Annabella.

She looked at me and said something I’ll never forget.

“Being a virgin is okay. It’s not lame. No one has the right to bully you for it. If you choose to give that part of yourself to someone, let it be someone you trust. Someone you love. Someone you won’t regret—even if things don’t work out.”

I blinked back tears. “Thank you.”

She nodded and smiled. “I’m glad you have Annabella. Everyone needs someone. I had mine too, back when I was being bullied.”

I looked at her, surprised. “You? Bullied?”

She laughed at my reaction. “Yes, me. Anyone can be bullied. It has nothing to do with how you look. Insecure people are everywhere, and sometimes they try to dim your light because they can’t stand it.”

I asked her who her Annabella was.

“My sister,” she said softly. “She was always there for me—even after school. She was my best friend.”

I saw the sadness behind her smile.

“I really miss her. I only have Noah now. The second child... we lost.”

“What happened?” I asked gently.

“Cancer,” she said simply. “It took her. Noah was still young, and his father... he just couldn’t cope. He pulled away. Noah was left lonely. But when I had Jackson, that loneliness faded a little. They've been close ever since.”

After the drinks and conversation, I sat with all I had learned. I made a decision.

I couldn’t fall for Noah. I shouldn’t fall for Noah.

I couldn’t do that to Jackson—even if there was nothing serious between us. Even if my heart raced every time Noah looked at me.

This had to be my mind playing tricks.

Just... hormones. Curiosity. Nothing more.

Right?