Chapter Fourteen
The next day, Jaden and Rosalie were invited to Jaden's dad's house for dinner. The whole family would gather there tonight to interact with one another.
So, by late afternoon, Betty helped Rosalie get ready for her dinner with Jaden's family. She was nervous. She last saw them ten years ago. What if uncle Meyers didn't approve of her? She knew her dad had spoken to him before but still she was jittery.
As Betty left the room and went home, Jaden came in. He looked at her and knew that she was nervous.
"Calm down Rosie. Dad and everyone else knows everything about us," he said and she nodded.
"I know. But what if they don't like me?" She asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, they'll love you," he comforted. He slipped a pair of beautiful stone encrusted earrings to match with her pale pink one-shouldered silk dress.
Rosalie gasped with delight,"It's too beautiful, Jaden," she said and stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
"It's a gift for giving me the greatest happiness on earth, for becoming mine," he said, holding her face tenderly with his hands.
"Then I give you my life for the greatest gift on earth that you gave me," she whispered.
"What is that greatest gift?" He asked.
"Yourself, my love," she said and they hugged each other tightly .
They reached the mansion by 6:30 in the evening. Jade opened the door excitedly to let them inside. "Hi, I've been waiting so eagerly to meet you, Rosalie," she said.
"Wow, you've grown up so much? Last when I saw you ten years ago, you were so little," said Rosalie, indicating a height till her shoulders.
"I wasn't that short," said Jade, widening her eyes.
"Oh you were. But you've grown very beautiful, I must say," she said and Jade grinned happily.
"Thanks, you haven't changed one bit," she said and Rosalie grinned.
They went inside the luxuriously decorated mansion. Rosalie looked around with wonder,"You'll have renovated the house? Everything's changed from what I remember," she said.
"You remember?" Asked Jaden with surprised eyes.
"Yeah, I knew I would marry you. I dreamed of living here with you, " she said and he rolled his eyes.
"If I wouldn't have abducted you on time, you would have married that old man," he said.
"No, I would have escaped," she said and Jaden made a face at her.
"Hey, you guys have come?" Said Karen, who came rushing out with her baby girl, Valerie in her arms.
"Karen, meet Rosalie. Rosie, this is Jayson's wife, Karen and their daughter, Valerie," Jaden introduced.
"Hi, Karen, your daughter's so cute," she said, going forward and taking the baby in her arms.
"You're also expecting, aren't you?" She asked Rosalie.
"Yeah, I'm just 4 weeks, long way to go," Rosalie said, grinning.
"You sure look like you're carrying twins," Karen said.
"Oh, but how do you know?" She asked curiously.
"Karen and Jayson have twins. You have met Valerie now. You'll soon meet Raydon, her twin brother," said Jaden with a smile.
"Oh, how wonderful! Advise me please. I'm scared of twins. How will I manage?" Said Rosalie as Karen left them to the sofa.
They sat down and Jaden went to search for the men.
The door opened and Juliette came in with a baby boy in her arms. Xavion followed them.
She grinned at everyone. "You have grown up Rosalie," she said.
"So have you Julie. You're only a year older than us," said Rosalie, grinning. "Oh is that you son? What have you named him?" She asked.
"He's Xandros," Juliette answered. Maria, the twin's nanny came to take away baby Valerie.
Juliette put a sleeping Xandros in the stroller, and Maria wheeled him away to the nursery where Raydon was sleeping.
Xavion went in search of Jaden while the women chatted about pregnancy and babies. Jade sat dejectedly in one corner and listened to everything. She had nothing to contribute to. She felt the hollowness that she had been feeling for the last few years of her life. She just submerged herself in her studies to forget the pain.
Rosalie noticed her but didn't say anything in front of everyone. She was concerned about her. She looked depressed too. Her beautiful face portrayed a melancholy look, her eyes a sadness that touched Rosalie's soul. She decided to talk to Jade privately later.
The men came up from the billiards room in the basement. Jade and Karen got up to help Stella who was the housekeeper. When dinner was served, everyone gathered around the dining table, taking their places. Jaden sat with her and Jade sat on the other side.
"What are you doing now? You're in college, right?" Asked Rosalie.
"Yeah, I'm doing a Bachelor of business administration - marketing from University of Austin," she said.
"So you're living there in Austin?" Asked Rosalie.
"No, no, dad is all alone here. I can't leave him. I drive to the university and back everyday. It doesn't take long. Just a half an hour's drive," she said and Rosalie nodded.
"Why don't you come down sometimes to our house? We could bond well," said Rosalie and Jade agreed.
"Sure. I'd love to," she said.
"Welcome home children, it's been ages since we had dinner together. Rosalie, welcome to the family, dear," said Christopher Meyers.
Rosalie smiled and said,"Hello uncle Meyers. So good to see you, " He smiled at her warmly.
"Children, if your mom would have been alive, we would do this every month. You remember how particular she was about family bonding? But I'm growing old. So you'll decide amongst yourselves and Stella here and come once a month for a get together. What do you say?" Their dad asked.
"Yes dad. That would be great," said Jayson.
"Yeah, we would love to," said Xavion.
Everyone else agreed and a beaming Stella bustled about serving the food. They chatted and enjoyed the delicious food that Stella prepared. Their dad told them stories about their childhood antics and everyone howled with laughter.
Dinner ended and everyone took their leave, promising to meet everyone the next month. Rosalie held Jade's hand who had come outside to see her off, "See you soon, Jade. We will be happy if you come down to our house sometimes."
"Yeah, I will. You will then soon get tired of me. I don't have many places to goto actually, " she said.
"Why? A pretty girl like you don't have a boyfriend?" She asked.
Jade let out a deep sigh. "I love someone for the last four years of my life but he doesn't love me back," she said dejectedly.
"You could win him over, " Rosalie suggested.
"No I can't. He's not around. I can't see him," she said, staring at some far away object, unfocused.
"Why? What happened to him?" Asked Rosalie, scared that he might not be alive maybe.
"He's in prison. He had been falsely convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison," she said and Rosalie's jaw dropped at the tragic news.
"You could meet him at the prison, " suggested Rosalie.
"He wouldn't meet me. He says he doesn't recognise me," she said as large teardrops fell from her eyes.
Rosalie hugged her tightly. "Why didn't you ask for Jayson's help?" She asked.
"My family thinks he's guilty," she told her, wiping her tears.
"I could talk to Jaden and have his case reopened," Rosalie suggested and Jade's eyes shone with new found hope.
"You think it could happen? I'll be forever indebted to you Rosalie," she said, holding her hands.
"Please sweetie, you're just like my own sister. I'll talk to Jaden and inform you. Ok?" She said and Jade nodded.
Jaden came rushing out of the house and they left to go home.
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Featured picture: Kathryn Newton as Jade Meyers
