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Chapter Seventy
Back at the table, Jade apologized for her sudden departure and sat back down. The waiter had already brought out her meal, but it was still warm. She picked up the fork and knife and began slicing her food while listening to the ladies chit-chat with each other.
"So, Jade," Laura was pouring herself a glass of water, "Are you up for a tennis match after this? We could really use you on the court. A few weeks ago Rachel got a black eye from Andrea's swing."
Jade glanced over Rachel, but there were no marks left on her face. "I'm not sure if I'm even allowed," she answered, "The whole strenuous activities and having balls flying at me..." she stopped as everyone stared at her like she'd grown two heads. She looked at Andrea, "You didn't tell them?"
Andrea shook her head, "I didn't think it was my place to."
"Tell us what?" Laura leaned forward.
Jade grinned, "Oh my gosh, I thought you all knew. I'm pregnant."
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Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-One
Jade held onto the bend of Miguel's arm as he escorted her up to the front door. It was painted charcoal black, which matched the slated shutters on the face of the house. Her heart pumped nervously, filling her eardrums with a whooshing sound that made her feel both clammy and woozy, like she'd had a bit too much to drink.His mother lived in a stately home—a white brick, two-story nestled in the center of three hundred and eighty-two acres. There were rows of orchards spanning out for miles in every direction. A little plot of the yard surrounding the home was enclosed in a white picket fence. Above the blanket of snow were trimmed hedges, seasonal shrubs, and even blooming flowers. The tall house had four massive pillars on either side of the entry door. The large windows wrapped around both levels, along with a wideset wooden porch: the antebellum period, her favorite type of architecture.Miguel reached out his index finger, pressing the doo
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Two
His mother stared at them with skepticism, petting the dog's head. "Tell me your brother was only joking, Miguel. You can't be thinking of getting married again. It's so soon. You just divorced that Nadine girl...""My ex-wife's name was Nadia, mother, and Jade and I are getting married," Miguel replied, "Before you say anything else, we didn't come here to ask for your permission."Her jaw slacked, "For heaven's sake, I just now got the reporters to stop circling me like a bunch of buzzards. Couldn't you wait a good five or ten years before you make the headlines again? Give us all a break. My surgeon can't keep up with these stress lines you're giving me." She clearly was going to give her opinion, whether Miguel wanted it or not.Vivan snorted, "Sure, and by that age, your child could be the ring bearer or the flower girl.""Dear, the adults are talking here. Why don't you be a good girl and go play with your paint set?" His mo
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Three
The room turned to black as Jade flipped off the bedside lamp and then fell back onto the pillow with a loud sigh. She pulled the thick blanket up to her neck and wriggled underneath it until she was comfortable. "Goodnight," she spoke softly, facing away from Miguel.She heard the mattress shift and then felt his fingertips lightly stroke her back underneath the blanket. "I'm sorry," he replied, his voice swollen with sorrow. Jade took in a deep breath. There was so much she wanted to say, but at that moment, she was too tired to talk about any of it. The interview, or interrogation, whatever you called it, had emotionally drained her. It was the first time she'd ever sat down and laid out her life story to anyone."I'll be fine, Miguel. I just want to get some sleep." She closed her eyes, visualizing the scenes as they replayed in her mind."You don't have to do this," Miguel had cautioned as Jade had sat in the center of the sofa,
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Four
Jade didn't look back as the car pulled away from the house. She leaned against the headrest and closed her eyes, ignoring the ache in her temples. They felt sore and heavy, just as they had when she'd mourned her father all those years ago.She only hoped that Miguel's family understood that she wasn't leaving because she was upset with them. Jade just needed time to digest this new information and heal all over again. There was no way they could've known that her mother hadn't been honest about the circumstances behind her father's death. Nineteen years of living with this tale had all come unraveled in a matter of seconds. Why did her mother fabricate the story? Jade could only assume it's because she didn't have the heart to tell her child the awful truth. Her father chose, like a coward, to end his own life. The lawyer explained that he was undergoing an investigation. The bank had become suspicious that he'd taken undocumented loans out for himself, and he kne
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Five
Jade pulled off of the freeway, turning into a busy corner store. There was still half a tank of gas left in the car, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to fill up anyway. At this point, she wasn't even sure where she planned on heading from here. Getting her car from Miguel's apartment was out of the question unless she wanted the security guard to alert him the moment she had arrived. Her eyes gazed down at the sparkling ring on her hand, trying not to let the guilt eat at her. There was nothing she could have said or done to convince Miguel otherwise; he would have never agreed to this. She sighed. She had to at least call him, if not to tell him this won't be forever. She loved him, but leaving was the best thing for her and their child right now.Jade made her way inside the store, pausing to survey the man sitting behind the counter who was scratching off lottery tickets. He glanced
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Six
Jade's eyes fluttered open an hour before the alarm went off. Birds were chirping outside the window, not the sound she wanted to be woken up to. She let out a groan and tucked her head under the blanket.The smell of coffee was seeping from the lobby next door, enticing her to get out of bed and request a cup. After all, there wasn't a coffee maker in the room, and she wondered if it was intentional. Jade slid her feet into the houseshoes before making her way to the office. A wall of morning dew hovered above the sidewalk, dampening her skin."Oh good, you're awake," the receptionist greeted Jade as if she'd been expecting her sooner."I could smell the coffee from my room," she chuckled, wrapping her arms around herself."Help your
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Seven
A metal groan stirred Jade awake, followed by a car door banging shut. Her eyelashes fluttered open to darkness. She slowly blinked, allowing her eyes to focus on the vast night sky looming above her. The dome of stars was hedged by the shadows of soaring pine trees, which rustled as the breeze swept through their branches. Where was she?Her mind swirled in a stale fog as she tried to recall her last memory. She'd been at the motel. Cassandra had come to visit her. Snow crunched beneath a set of footsteps as they approached her. For a brief moment, she could only hope it was Jean stumbling upon her vulnerable body. "Help," she attempted to whisper, but her mouth felt so dry that her lips were pasted together, muffling the words.A feminine silhouette towered above her, its form thin and dainty. It wasn't Jean. Cassandra? The silhouette raised its foot, planting the bot
Rendezvous Chapter Seventy-Eight
I'll be the one to cut the umbilical cord," Nadia ran a finger across the blade of the scissors, "Just think of yourself as my surrogate. There's no need for me to blow up like a blimp when I have you to do all the work for me." Devious bursts of giggles fractured her words. She sounded like a modern-day Ursula. Only it wasn't Jade's voice she wanted to steal, but her baby. The blood drained from her face. This was the type of thing that people watched on crime shows or the evening news—headlines about women disappearing without a trace or fetuses being cut out of wombs. The thought of it was so repulsive that you felt for the women and their families, even said a small prayer for them, but you didn't ever envision it happening to yourself. At that moment, Jade felt completely helpless, wondering if she would be one of those women you heard about on the evening news, a young mother murdered
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