The Step-Brother

Chapter 16:Thanksgiving Day.

Would shock be the right word for what she was feeling? They were getting a divorce?? But, why they seemed so happy together, they seemed so content together, they seemed so…so…perfect together! That day still plagued her mind like an oil spill, and it's been three days since she first heard the words. D-I-V-O-R-C-E!!!

"How could they do that?" Jade asked, while sitting underneath her bed sheets. She looked at the clock lazily as it blinked 6:06a.m. It was Thanksgiving Day, but it just didn't seem right at all. After, that awful Sunday afternoon, neither Zach nor Jade said anything about the situation. They didn't even speak about it amongst themselves. Jade was rather quiet around the family after the grocery store incident. It may not be true, it could have been true, but why hadn't her mother talked to her about it yet? They didn't have secrets!

"I thought you would be happy about this!" Zach said, from his side of the room. 

Jade looked over at him, noticing his eyes gleaming at her. "What are you doing up this early? Why do you think I would be happy about my mother getting a divorce?"

"Sorry I'm so early getting up to hear you talking outloud to yourself," Zach snickered. "And, look at it this way we can be together if that happened." 

"Hey this isn't funny Zach!" Jade angrily said. "I thought they were happy and in love…"

"Things happen sometimes," Zach said, pulling back his bed sheets. 

"But, they were just married!" Jade sighed out.

"Don't get upset about this ok?" Zach told her, walking to her bed slowly. "It may not even be true, but if it is let it stay as their problem, because they both had to consent to a divorce." Zach pulled back Jade's bed sheets and slipped in. He carefully maneuvered Jade so she was sitting comfortably in between his legs. He wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her head lightly. "What's wrong?"

Jade sighed. "I just don't want her to get hurt again. When my dad died she fell into depression for a very long time, and I never thought she would get over it. She did after a while, but I always sensed she did it for me, she had to be strong for me!"

"Trust me when I say my dad would never intentionally hurt your mother. Besides, she looks happy don't you think?"

"That maybe a front, but I am hoping she would tell me if anything was bothering her."

"If she loves you I think she would," Zach said, rubbing the inside of Jade's thigh with his thumb. 

"Love is funny isn't it?" Jade asked, leaning into Zach's chest. "Sometimes, it shows up in the strangest places, sometimes it is under your nose but you never realize it and sometimes…it just disappears."

"Do you ever think you could love me, Jade?" Zach asked out of the blue.

"I…uh…"

"Because," Zach interrupted. "I can definitely see myself loving you." Zach moved his hands underneath the rim of Jade's night shirt, rubbing his hands over her bare stomach lightly.

"What are you saying?" Jade asked, some what taken aback by his words. 

"I'm saying that…maybe…I'm falling in love with you Jade," Zach whispered in her ear. "I think I'm falling in love with you hard."

Jade blinked. Once. Twice. "Zach…don't say something you don't mean. We hardly even know each other that well."

"I mean it!" Zach said. "'Love shows up in the strangest places' right?"

"Oh, Zach," Jade sighed. She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to keep herself from crying. He was falling in love with her? They just got together and already Zach felt like he was falling in love…with her no less! "I could!"

Zach smiled. "I'm happy to hear that!" He kissed her neck tenderly and let out a low growl.

"I'm happy if you're happy, but I'm going to have to get up."

"Oh, but why baby?" Zach whined, hugging her closely.

"I have to start Thanksgiving dinner."

"So, early?" Zach asked curiously, looking over at the clock. "Don't go now!"

"If I don't get up now to start, dinner won't be ready." 

Zach removed his arms from around Jade and sighed. "Fine!" 

"Awww…don't do that," Jade said, throwing the sheets back and getting out of the bed. She didn't turn around; she just opened up her dresser and pulled out a pair of, gray, sweatpants.

"Not going to shower?" Zach asked when Jade pulled the sweatpants on.

Jade laughed. "You don't get to shower till after you finish cooking. All hell can break loose in that kitchen. That's how it's always been around here on this day!"

"What do I get to do?" 

"You can hang out with the guys, watch television and sit on your ass!" Jade laughed out. 

"When I just want to hang out with you eh?" Zach said, sounding miserable. 

Jade smiled lovingly at him and walked over to the edge of the bed. Slowly, she crawled her way up to Zach, bumping the bottom of his chin with her nose. When she heard him let out a light laugh she gave him an intimate hug. He felt so nice and warm; she just wanted to assure him that if she could…she would just hang out with him instead of cooking.

"There, are you going to be alright?" Jade asked sweetly.

"Hmm…don't know…I may need a little bit more comfort," Zach said lightheartedly, scratching is chin.

Jade kissed him on the lips softly. "Is that better?"

"No, I think this spot needs that!" Zach said pointing at his throat.

Jade kissed his throat. "Better?"

"No, try here," Zach pointed boldly at his right nipple.

Jade stared at him for a second in dismay, but decided to play his little game. She slowly leaned in, closer to his warm body, her breath bounced off his chest as she got closer. Closing her eyes, Jade pressed her mouth against Zach's nipple, feeling it harden against her tongue. She was pleased when she heard him intake air through his teeth. Getting daring she swirled her tongue around the hardened nub, pulling back after she thought he had enough.

"Better?" Jade sultry asked, her heart beating quickly in her chest. 

Zach let out a satisfied sigh. "Fuck yea!"

"Good," Jade said, jumping off the bed. "I've gotta go and start cooking!"

"Are you going to wear a 'kiss the cook' apron?" Zach joked.

"Sorry Charlie!" Jade sympathetically told him. She opened the door and sent him an air kiss before walking into the hallway. She walked to the wall next to the door and banged her head lightly on it. "That was wonderful! Hell, if he keeps doing this to me I would jump off of a bridge for him," she said, to no one in particular. "Who knows I could actually be falling for the asshole!"

Before, Jade got out of the hallway; a waft of something delicious filled the air. She smiled when she saw the two elderly women in the kitchen, cooking away. Her mother was busy away taking something out of the oven, while Grams was sitting at the kitchen table. Sitting in front of her were different sizes of pans, probably filled with food! But, she looked exhausted and so did her mother.

"Jade!" Kimberly said when she lifted up her head.

"What's with everything here?" Jade asked, walking into the kitchen. She was right about the food in the pans on the table, where Kimberly was sitting, and she couldn't believe it. "Am I too late? It looks like everything's finished!"

"Oh we left the turkey for you," Kimberly said.

"I thought it was a tradition for us to cook Thanksgiving dinner together?" Jade said a bit hurt.

"Sorry Jadey! I woke up at one in the morning because I couldn't sleep and I just started cooking," Sarah said wiping at her forehead. She let out a loud sigh and grabbed a knife. "I woke up your grandmother and damn it if I know it we started on the dinner!"

"Oh," was all Jade could say. What? They couldn't have woken her up! The women cooking together had always been a tradition. She always cooked with her grandmother, mother or Aunts on Thanksgiving ever since she was seven. How could her mother just decide to break a tradition like that?

"Deary don't look so sad, I didn't mean to do it on purpose. I am sorry if this was very important to you!" Sarah said sadly, while she started cutting whatever she had in the pan. "Look, you still have the turkey!"

"Don't worry Ma, its ok," Jade lied.

"Sorry my ass!" Kimberly said. "The one night my Henry can get it up, is the one night my daughter is making so much noise, so that I can't concentrate!"

Jade looked at Grams flabbergasted. "Grams!"

"You have problems with your sex life? Well Jacob doesn't act as if he's interested in sex anymore!" Sarah said, cleaning her knife off.

"MA!" Jade yelled.

"What's wrong with her?" Kimberly said, moving a couple of pans around on the table. 

Sarah smiled and walked to the kitchen table to sit down. "She's not having relations."

Jade sighed hopelessly. "Ma, let's not discuss my personal life please!"

"That's not true!" Kimberly said, looking confused. "I saw her just the other day in the pool having sex with some guy." Sarah looked over at her daughter, who was now staring blankly at Kimberly.

"What!? You were having sex with some guy in the pool?" Sarah asked.

"She sure was, it was with some curly headed fella," Kimberly informed Sarah.

Sarah raised her eyebrow. "It was?"

"I was not!" Jade tried defending herself. How could she remember that? Grams never remembered a lot of things, and on that day the bitch decides to remember something!

"She was...that's the fella right there," Kimberly pointed at Zach, when he made an appearance in the living room. 

"Huh?" he said lazily, looking over at the women. "What you talking about?"

"They aren't talking about anything!" Jade said quickly. "Where's the turkey!" She walked over to the sink and began to wash her hands nervously, after pulling the turnkey out of the refrigerator.

"Mother you must be mistaken, that's Zach, Jacob's son…"Sarah stated.

"I tell you he was the one in the pool," Kimberly pointed out.

"What?" Zach said looking around.

"She thinks you and Jade there," Sarah pointed at Jade. "Were having sex in the pool," she laughed.

Zach looked over at Jade and smiled. "Oh you mean that day, in the pool, when Jade got a cramp in her leg and I had to carry her over to the ladder?" Zach asked Kimberly. 

"I'm sorry Zach sometimes mother; she just doesn't focus on the whole damn picture!" Sarah said, giving Kimberly a glare.

Zach walked over to Jade slowly, not paying attention to the whispering coming from the elderly women. "Ham, cranberries, stuffing…"

"They started without me, breaking a tradition," Jade whispered, a hint of red on her cheeks when he approached her.

"Oh…are you ok about it?"

Jade pulled out a roaster out for the turkey and placed it on the counter. "Yes!"

"Sure?" Zach asked, crossing his arms. Turning around, so that his back faced the other two women, Zach watch Jade place the turkey in the sink and begin to rinse it off. He looked back at Sarah and Kimberly, happy to see they were busy having a conversation, walking behind Jade quietly. "Can I help?"

Jade looked over her shoulder. "You want to help me cook?"

"Yes I do," Zach smiled.

"I only have to do the turkey…"

"So? Let me help," Zach told her, sliding his hands down her arms.

Jade gasped. "You can't do this in front of them!"

"So what, let them see!" Zach murmured in her ear, when he placed his head on her shoulder. "I don't give a damn about what they think, I just…I just…want to be with you now."

Jade smiled to herself and looked over at her mother, talking with Grams. This may not be the Thanksgiving she was hoping for and it may have been filled with bad situations so far, but the only thing good that came out of it so far was getting together with Zach. So what her mother was thinking about getting a divorce, or she forgot about the tradition? Jade bumped her head on Zach's softly…he was there with her! And for some alluring reason, if he wasn't she would have been devastated. He…he…was…!

"You're doing it wrong," Jade said, looking down at his hands smoothing over the turkey.

"Well tell me, teacher, how do you rinse a turkey?" Zach chuckled.

Jade took his hands and placed it under the water. "You have to try not to tear the skin off. It's very fragile," Jade said, placing his hands down on the turkey. "Now, do it like this. There you go nice and easy."

Zach gave Jade a peck on the cheek quickly. "I think I got it."

"I think I've found a new tradition!" Jade whispered, catching Zach's eyes.

"What are you kids doing?" Sarah asked.

Jade looked past Zach's head. When she felt his hands pull from underneath her own, she squeezed them gently telling him to stop. "Just trying to teach Zach how to cook, Ma!"

"Well we need a man who can cook in this family. Zach, you're in good hands with Jadey she's the best," Sarah laughed, waving her hand at the two.

Zach pressed closer to Jade. "You don't know how much I know that already!" Zach told Sarah.

Jade blushed, focusing on Zach's hands and the turkey. Maybe, with all things placed aside…this Thanksgiving would probably be the best one she ever had!