Riot In My Heart: Chapter 5
Title: Riot In My Heart
Author: isisizabel
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny; Chuck/Blair
Rating: R/NC-17
Word Count: 1,608
Author's Note: This fic will have multiple NC-17 chapters. If you haven't read my fics before, I friends only lock my NC-17 chapters. To be added as a friend you must first friend me and then comment in my FRIENDS ONLY post.
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Previous Chapters
Riot In My Heart
By: IsisIzabel
Chapter 5
“It’s weird, Jenny. That’s all I’m saying.”
Jenny let out a long breath, sensing Nate’s frustration. Even she could admit she was taken aback by Scott’s sudden appearance at the café. The fact that her father had hired him and Dan seemed to be fast friends with him was even more unsettling.
“Look,” she started slowly, trying to stay calm, “my dad’s right. With the wedding being so close, I’m going to be working like crazy to make sure Lily’s dress and the bridesmaids dresses are done on time. I won’t be in the café much, so I probably won’t even run into Scott.”
“I just don’t like how close he’s gotten to you so quick,” Nate admitted.
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous,” Jenny said, incredulous.
“Not jealous,” he answered carefully. “Cautious. It’s a hell of a lot of coincidences.”
“Maybe you’re right,” she agreed softly, sitting on her bed and folding her legs up. She cradled the phone against her shoulder. She glanced around at the cream colored walls, grateful Lily had given her free reign to redecorate and repaint the room any way she wanted once the wedding was over.
“I just don’t trust this guy.”
“I know.”
“Maybe we should ask Chuck to-”
Jenny laughed out loud. “Nate, come on. He’s a college student, not a hit man.”
Nate sighed, annoyed. “I wish you’d take this a little more seriously.”
She sobered herself and took a deep, cleansing breath. “I just think you’re overreacting a little.” She frowned at the lengthy silence that hung between them. “Are you still there?”
“Yeah,” he answered in a tone that was decidedly cool. “I think you’re not reacting enough, Jenny.”
She rolled her eyes, annoyed herself now. “Nate, I just-”
“I have an early class tomorrow,” he cut in softly. “I should go.”
She flinched as if she’d been struck. He had never dismissed her so easily before. It hurt more than she cared to admit to herself. “Um, yeah. OK.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Sure. I love you.”
“Me too. ‘Night, Jenny.”
He hung up before she could reply. She snapped her phone closed, not sure if she should be pissed or cry. She looked at the clock on her dresser and realized it was after midnight, and she did remember him mentioning that he had English Literature at eight a.m. on Mondays…
But still, the rejection stung.
She got off her bed and reached for her iPOD, sliding her headphones over her ears and cranking on something with a heavy beat. She headed for the rack of dresses she was making for the wedding, knowing she wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight.
***
“You look like crap,” Eric commented when Jenny made her way downstairs for breakfast the next morning.
Rufus and Lily looked up, concern etched into their faces. Lily pulled out the seat beside her for Jenny.
“Are you sick, honey?” Rufus asked, worried.
Jenny shook her head. “I didn’t sleep much last night,” she admitted, pouring herself some orange juice.
“Why not?” Lily asked, smoothing some hair from Jenny’s face.
Jenny attempted a weak smile. “I was working on the dresses. I’m almost done the beading on yours.”
Lily couldn’t help the grin that worked itself onto her lips. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart, but you can’t make yourself sick by staying up all night.”
Jenny snagged a blueberry muffin from the tray and nibbled a bit on the top. “It’s fine. I just got into this … zone. I didn’t want to stop. I’ll take a nap later on.”
“Do you have class later on today?” Rufus asked, taking a bite of oatmeal.
Jenny smiled slightly to herself. Despite having the same schedule for the last three weeks, her dad still hadn’t quite figured out which days she was free and which days she was taking courses at New York’s premier design school.
“No,” she answered, “I’m off today.”
Rufus exchanged a quick look with Lily and leaned forward. “Look, Jen, I hate to ask-”
Jenny didn’t even glance up from the bagel she was buttering. “What time do you need me at the café?”
Rufus expelled a loud breath and chuckled. “That obvious?”
“We hate to keep asking you,” Lily began gently, “but the tailor was able to fit your father in at the last minute, and you know how unhappy I am with the way the cummerbund was fitting.”
Rufus rolled his eyes when his daughter nodded knowingly. “I don’t know why I need to wear-”
He was silenced with identical glares from Lily and Jenny. Eric laughed and tossed his napkin onto the table while pushing away from the table.
Rufus looked slightly desperately up at his soon-to-be stepson. “You can’t leave me outnumbered.”
Eric back away, shaking his head. “I have to meet Jonathan. Just agree with whatever they say and you might make it out alive.”
“He’s right,” Jenny pointed out as Eric left the room.
Rufus sighed and leaned away from the table, slumping in his chair. “Fine. I yield to your fashion prowess.”
Lily rolled her eyes, absently rubbing her neck. “Well now that that’s settled…”
“What time do you need me at the café?” Jenny repeated, finishing the last bite of her bagel. She felt slightly more energized with food in her stomach.
“Say three?” Rufus shrugged. “I have Shelley coming in around seven to count the inventory after closing up, but I can’t leave Scott alone on his first day.”
Jenny’s hand froze as she reached for her orange juice. “Scott will be there?”
“Yep,” Rufus said, smiling, as he stood up. “He starts today at one. I’ll be there with him until you can get there and show him the ropes.”
“He seems like a nice boy,” Lily added.
“Yeah,” Jenny agreed, settling her hands in her lap, somewhat perplexed.
“Everything OK, honey?” Rufus pressed, catching her sudden quietness.
Jenny’s eyes flicked up and met his gaze. She couldn’t exactly tell him she didn’t want to work with Scott. Or, more precisely, that Nate didn’t want her within a five block radius of Scott.
“I’m just tired,” she said with a one shouldered shrug.
Rufus frowned. “You know, I can ask Shelley to come in earlier instead if-”
“No, no,” Jenny replied, dismissing the idea with a wave. “I’ll just go upstairs and get some sleep before I need to be at work.”
“Have I mentioned you’re my favorite daughter?”
She rolled her eyes as he came around the table and kissed the top of her head. “I’m your only daughter.”
“Semantics,” he replied. He looked over her head at Lily. “I’ll pick you up around one-thirty?”
She nodded, stirring her coffee. “I’ll see you then.”
Jenny started to push back from the table as her father left when Lily said quietly, “So why don’t you really want to go to work?”
Jenny’s eyes snapped up and she sank back into her cushioned seat. “Is … what? I’m just tired, like I said.”
Lily smiled slightly. “Jenny, in the last few months you’ve been living here, I’d like to think I’ve gotten to know you pretty well. And while my track record with my own daughter isn’t stellar, I must say you’re easier to read than Serena. Something is bothering you, and I’d like you to tell me about it if you can.”
Jenny hesitated, uneasy. “OK, OK. It’s … Scott.”
Lily didn’t even blink. “Oh? What about him?”
“It’s just … It’s complicated, I guess.” She twisted her fingers in knots in her lap, looking away.
“Hmm,” Lily murmured, she eyes narrowing in thought. “Does this have anything to do with Nate?”
Jenny looked up, eyes wide. “Lily-”
“I saw the look on your face when your father said he hired Scott,” Lily explained. “I also saw the look on Nate’s face. Neither of you seemed happy.”
“It’s not that,” Jenny replied, feeling frustrated. “Scott seems nice enough. Nate just doesn’t …” She sighed and shrugged. “He doesn’t like how Scott keeps always showing up. I mean, it is a little weird, but he seems harmless.”
“Jenny,” Lily started, “I think that you and Nate are both feeling a little out of sorts, and some jealousy on his part is quite normal.”
“It is?”
“Of course. You two have been dating for how long?”
“Nine months,” she answered. Nine months and five days, to be exact.
“And in that time, how long have you been apart?”
Jenny had to think. “I visited my mom a few times in Hudson this summer. And Nate went to Connecticut to visit his family for a few days.”
“Exactly. You two aren’t used to being apart,” Lily explained easily. “This is new territory for both of you. Nate’s a freshman in college and you’re moving on with your designs. You’re both growing up.”
“But why is he jealous? Why doesn’t he get that he’s the only guy I want?” Jenny asked, annoyed all over again by the situation.
“It’s probably hard for him to see another guy interested in you when he’s living farther away,” Lily replied.
“Scott isn’t interested in me,” Jenny refuted, shaking her head. “He’s just … He’s new and looking for a friend.”
Lily gave her a soft look. “Oh, honey, I think Scott is interested. You need to be careful not to lead him on if you don’t feel the same way.”
Jenny folded her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair, suddenly wishing she had never agreed to go in to work for her father.
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