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Chapter Sixty-Seven
Jade tossed and turned all night, lying next to Miguel. Something about the entire situation was eating away at her. The first time someone had popped her tires, she'd assumed it was an aggressive driver who wasn't pleased with the way she had parked. But, two times in one day, and at Miguel's apartment no less? That couldn't be a coincidence. She was being targeted, but by who? Her first thought was that it was Nadia because the woman was absolutely crazy, but the person in the video was too short to be her. The only other explanation would be Jessica. The girl in the video resembled her height, weight, and hair color. But what reason did she have to vandalize Jade's car? Was this a part of her game to get her attention or scare her? If so, it seemed to be working.
Jade let out a sigh and rolled out of bed. She grabbed Miguel's robe from the back of the door and quietly made her way to the hallway. It would do no good to lie there in the dark; she wasn't going to fall asRelated chapters
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Eight
Jade pulled the slick black Mercedes up to the Lehigh Country Club, hoping Jonathon would be there. If not, she would at least get to say hello to her friends. She opened the car door and glanced around. His car would be parked in the back, in one of the valet spots.The first time she'd ever come here, she thought it was extraordinary. The high pillars of the pale cement building reminded her of the White House. The branches from giant oak trees had reached out and formed a shaded canopy over the parking lot. It had appeared so elegant, and she felt like an impostor as security opened the doors for them. She recalled being so nervous that day that she had clutched onto Jonathon's forearm so tightly he had to tell her more than once to relax her grip.Now it didn't seem as remarkable to her. It looked old and weathered, and if she looked closely enough, she could see the thin cracks zig-zagging up through the cement of the building. The plush trees were now barre
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty Nine
Jonathon was standing near the entryway, having a conversation with a man that Jade had only briefly met years before. Their eyes connected as she sauntered towards him. Smiling, she stood diagonally to them and patiently waited for the man to finish speaking."Jade," Jonathon's voice sounded nervous as he acknowledged her. "I wasn't expecting to see you here.""I know, it's been a while, hasn't it?" She used her overly cheerful voice, "Could I speak to you?" She glanced at the man, hinting for him to get lost."Sure, if you'll excuse us," his head tilted at the man, in a slight bow.They walked in silence down the long corridor, the echoes from their shoes reverberating against the walls. His eyes stared down at the floor; while his hands were casually shoved into his pockets. Jade hooked a right into a library, seeing that it was deserted. Perfect. She led him to the far corner, crossing her ankles as she settled onto a plush leathe
Rendezvous 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."
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
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