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Chapter Sixty
It was Christmas morning when Jade emerged from the bedroom, sleepy-eyed and feet dragging like a child waiting to see what Santa had left her under the tree. "Miguel?" she called out, wondering what all the ruckus was about. Voices had woken her up, and even though they had only been loud whispers, sound traveled easily through the apartment. She tightened the belt on her robe before rounding the corner and then stopped, her jaw slack in astonishment. There was a Christmas tree, not a real one and not very big, but it had white twinkling lights and an assortment of beautiful ribbons, balls, and beads. All the staff members were there as well, standing around the four-foot-high tree, trying to help arrange the decorations that had been messed up during its relocation to their apartment. Miguel was crouched down on the floor, his back turned to her, placing something underneath it.
Jade let out a low laugh, recognizing it. "Did you steal this from the lobby downstairs?" ShRelated chapters
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-One
Jade steadied a foot on the side of the boat, clutched the wooden post with one hand, and then maneuvered herself onto the dock with the help of Miguel. Her hair, which she had fought to keep pulled back against the strong wind, was disheveled and tangled from the boat ride. She spat out a strand that had been caught in her mouth and walked to the edge of the pier, studying the scenery. A little way up the shoreline, on the top of a hill covered in the undergrowth of botanical plants and an orchard of fruit trees, there was a white-washed stucco house with a rustic-red, terracotta rooftop. Along the face of the house, she could see a blackened hollow where the front door should've been and several sets of opened shutters that allowed panels of sheer white curtains to escape out into the breeze.Miguel guardedly looked behind him, noticing that she had suddenly stopped and was now squatting on the edge of the pier. He patiently watched as she gripped a sneaker
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Two
Jade crouched on the end of a craggy boulder that was partially buried under the large dune, welcoming the warm and rough texture as she pulled her knees into her chest, resting her chin across her folded arms. Looking out over the water, the sun had begun receding into the horizon, casting a vermilion glow over the rolling swells of the ocean. The calming rhythm of the water that lapped against the shoreline filled her senses, easing the stress-induced tautness of her shoulders.Glancing back at the face of the house, a kaleidoscopic of warm hues saturated the landscape. It looked unbelievable, like one of those places that most people would only ever see while thumbing through a travel brochure. It felt too overwhelming to be at the house right now, to be anywhere near Miguel. Jade had to excuse herself during their earlier conversation, aware that it would be impolite to confront him in front of the D'aguilars. The last thin
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Three
Jade bounced on the balls of her feet as she headed down the stairs, her ponytail swaying with each footfall. "You remembered to bring the sunblock, right?" She questioned Cassandra, who was only steps behind her. The girl quickly rummaged through the bag, second-guessing herself. "Yes, I have it right here," the girl mumbled.The fabric of her dress fluttered in the wind as she stepped into the morning sunlight, pushing a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. It was officially her last day on the island, and she intended to enjoy every second of it.Their getaway hadn't gotten off to a great start. That first night, after they'd gone downstairs for dinner, the power had suddenly gone out, leaving them sitting in the dark. At first, Jade was convinced it was because of the storm. It turned out that the house ran off a diesel generator, and after investigating, it was determined they had run out of fuel. Jacob suspected someone had siphoned it all, "Probably one of
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Four
They pulled up to the estate late the next afternoon. Looking out into the vortex of a wintry flurry, Jade tried to hold onto the memories of the island, feeling the warmth of it in her heart all the more. Waving goodbye to the D'aguliars that morning as the boat pulled away from the pier had filled her with a void. There was so much she would miss about her time spent there. The long flight back to Philadelphia only gave her time to reflect over the past week and ponder the upcoming days. It was a relief when Miguel insisted they travel to Philadelphia first, stating that he needed to arrange a meeting with Mark Schuler, a man he worked with. He didn't tell her what for but seemed irritated by something he'd noticed while looking over the paperwork that Amelia had delivered to him.Now that she was back in Pennsylvania, the first thing she wanted to do was call her best friend. She'd made a promise to keep in touch and had every intention to
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Five
Jade pushed the glass door open, walking out into the bitter air. She turned to Marissa, wrapping her arms around her in a long embrace. "It was so good to see you again," she reluctantly pulled away, saddened that their lunch date was already over. She understood that Marissa had to get back to work, though. "I know you're busy, but one of these weekends, you'll have to come to the house. Just let me know a day you have off, and we'll schedule it." "Of course, let me know when you get back from visiting his parents, and we'll figure it out. Oh, and you'll keep me updated about the baby shower?" Jade nodded in agreement. She hadn't even thought of having a baby shower but had agreed to let her best friend throw her one.They said their goodbyes and then parted ways, Marissa heading to her car that she had parked at the front of the building. Jade stepped onto the asphalt, bundling her coat around herself as she traveled through the row of vehicles, headi
Rendezvous Chapter Sixty-Six
Jade found it hard to eat, her appetite being spoiled by the fact that she was being stalked. The first time, she thought maybe someone slashed her tires because she had parked too close to the line. This time? There was no way it was a coincidence that it happened twice in one day. While she picked at her food, Miguel took the liberty of calling Ethan and demanded that he get his ass over to the apartment. So much for giving staff the night off. In a sense, she felt better knowing that he would be there with them; if anything about what Cassandra had told her about his background was true.Jade tucked her knees into her chest, staring at her phone as Ethan brought up the security footage on the television screen. She was trying to appear uninterested in what they were doing, keeping her head down and not saying anything. She watched the screen with
Rendezvous 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 as
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
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