Love Rents A Room
Chapter 44: The One Who Made Her Uncomfortable

Chapter 44: The One Who Made Her Uncomfortable

JD inched closer, his face so near that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. If she wanted, she could count his eyelashes. He had thick and long eyelashes that made her feel jealous.

Joanne’s heart pounded wildly, erratically, and it felt unfamiliar, as if she were standing at the edge of something dangerous. She balled her hands into fists over her abdomen, clutching her shirt.

He truly was dangerous.

"What!" she suddenly shouted, unable to bear the tension any longer.

JD blinked at her, then casually reached over. "My phone."

Joanne gawked as he picked it up from beside her and then, just as easily, flopped back down like nothing had happened.

Her pulse still hammered in her ears as she turned her gaze to the ceiling, trying to steady herself.

What was that?

She hadn’t felt this way in years—not since the naïve rush of teenage infatuation; not since Liam. But wasn’t that how love was always portrayed in movies? The racing heart, the breathlessness, the sheer loss of control?

But why was it JD making her feel this way?

She had spent the entire evening with Jonathan. They had laughed, talked over dinner, even shared a parting hug.

Yet, her heart hadn’t raced. Not once. He made her feel so comfortable with his gentle voice and demeanor.

A creeping sense of dread wrapped around her.

This isn’t right.

Wasn’t this... cheating?

"So, Jo, did you~"

JD barely started his sentence before Joanne shot to her feet.

"I’m going to bed!" she blurted, rushing up the stairs before he could finish his thought.

---

JD watched her rush up the stairs and plopped down, the hard floor hitting the back of his head. Why can’t you control yourself?

Seeing her defenseless lying on the floor, watching her chest rise and fall down and the gentle curve of her lips, he couldn’t help himself. He surely scared her off, that he knew.

---

Only when Joanne reached her room did she stop, slamming the door shut behind her.

Leaning against it, she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed a trembling hand against her chest, trying to quiet her frantic heartbeat.

She had to stop this.

She shouldn’t feel this way about JD. Jonathan was a good man. She shouldn’t do that to him.

-----

The man grabbed a hot dog from the gas station and joined a table where two other truckers were already eating—one older, one younger.

"Johnny," he introduced himself casually.

The name matched the ID he was carrying—John Brown. Close enough.

The older trucker, Pete, worked for Shamrock Logistics and was on his way to drop off a load before heading home. The conversation flowed easily after that, especially when Johnny mentioned he was heading to the same state. Pete talked about driving to put his son through college, the kind of sob story that made people seem more human.

Johnny decided to return the favor.

"I’m driving not just for the money but to find my daughter," he said, letting his voice crack just enough to sell it. "Lost her to her mother fifteen years ago... Haven’t seen her since. I don’t even know where she is anymore." He exhaled, shaking his head. "I miss her."

The lie came easy.

Inside, he was calculating, making sure his plan would work. What if she wasn’t where he last saw her? The country was big—he needed a way to track her down.

"You tried social media?" the younger guy—Bernie—asked. "Or dating apps? Everyone’s on those now."

Johnny raised a brow, intrigued. "Oh?" He chuckled, playing the clueless old-timer. "Didn’t know that."

Bernie started talking about how easy it was to find people these days. Johnny listened, soaking in the details, acting just curious enough to keep the conversation going.

"I don’t know how much this will help," he mused, rubbing his chin. "Her name is Joanne Smith."

Pete let out a short laugh. "Good luck with that, buddy. That’s a common name."

Johnny smirked. "Yeah, I know. Still gotta try."

Bernie, however, stiffened slightly. "Uh... that’s, uh... actually my boss’ name."

Pete shot Bernie a sharp glare, silently telling him to shut up.

"She can’t be the one he’s looking for," Pete muttered.

Bernie nodded awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah... I mean, it’s a really common name."

Johnny smiled, but inside, his mind was already racing.

Shamrock Logistics.

He quickly pulled out his phone and searched the company. No photo of the owner on the website, but there was a mention of a farm.

And the company?

Located in Rockchapel.

The exact place I was heading.

Johnny’s lips curled into a slow, menacing grin.

Luck is on my side.

This time, Joanne Smith wouldn’t escape.

This time...

I’m going to kill you.

Johnny decided to push his luck further.

He searched for Joanne Smith on social media, but the sheer number of results made his head spin. Too many. Too common.

He needed something more direct.

Recalling what Bernie had said, he signed up for one of those dating apps, creating a profile with a stolen picture of some random handsome guy. Someone charming. Someone she’d fall for.

Then, he started scrolling.

And there she was.

Joanne Smith.

The same fiery red hair. The same jade-green eyes.

His fingers twitched as he studied her profile. Time had changed her, but not enough to fool him. She was still the girl he remembered—the girl who had ruined him.

A slow, sick grin spread across his face.

He swiped right.

Wouldn’t it be funny if she swiped right too?

If she did, it would be effortless. He could lure her out, get close to her, play with her—really play with her—before finally ending it all.

He leaned back in his seat, eyes gleaming with twisted amusement.

Be with me, Lady Love...

He wished for it, deep in his wretched heart.

-----

Joanne set her pen down, her focus shifting from the numbers to Veronica’s tense posture.

"The gold bonds should be worth more, right?" she asked, but Veronica didn’t respond. The company was doing well in the past seven weeks since JD joined their office. She had her workload reduced too. She was happy.

But...

Veronica was staring. Not at the screen, not at the papers—at her.

Joanne sighed, closing the ledger. "Are you mad at me?"

Veronica still wouldn’t look at her.

That stung. Veronica was the closest thing she had to a female friend, someone she deeply cared about—even if getting along with her wasn’t always easy.

"I am," Veronica admitted, her voice quiet but firm.

Joanne frowned. "Why?"

Veronica’s eyes darted away, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Joanne knew that eye contact was difficult for her because of her autism, but Veronica always looked her in the eye. That was what hurt the most.

"Is this about Jason?" Joanne guessed. She knew Veronica liked him—their office assistant.

Immediately, Veronica’s face turned red.

"No!" she snapped, but the reaction gave her away.

Joanne leaned back in her chair, studying her friend.

"Right..." she said slowly, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips.