Say You Love Me [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER NINE: THE UGLY EVENT

The drive to the mansion was silent but not awkward. As usual, Zoey and Rhea were chirping happily in the back seat while he was driving them over to his parents. After a long time, his heart was feeling content and he was allowing himself to hope. Hope that there might be something for him which laid buried under Rhea’s demons.

Despite himself, he could not help admiring her ideas. Zoey had sent him a copy of the online article and he had spent the afternoon reading the whole thing. Her whimsical behavior was all clear to him now. At the restaurant she had tried the first “Be feminine but not weak” tip and had managed to unsettle him. However, her “low maintenance” tactics had completely turned against her since she had been looking so hot and he had not bothered about a cent.

And then her fatal mistake had been her determination to prove him that she could not cook. Which was the third tip of being a good girlfriend according to the article. And this morning she had tried her unhappy and dorky attitude with the episode of Zach’s dinner.

The next step was being “Beautiful and fit” and which Adam was looking forward to her trying to show him how ugly she was. It was going to be fun especially after that hot kiss they had just shared. He gripped the steering wheel and braked suddenly at the memory. Both girls were jerked forward at his sudden braking and he apologized gruffly after having several foul words from Zoey.

He grinned inwardly; he was too happy to care. But he threw her a look which spoke volume and she smiled back at him sheepishly. And it was only then that he caught sight of what Rhea was wearing. He had been too preoccupied about the kiss to spare her a glance when they had gotten downstairs.

Adam nearly choked. Her “gown” was long and would have fitted two of her kind. It was of an atrocious color of bright pink and Adam cringed at the sight. As far as he was concerned, it was horrible and looked like she had a large bag over her. He tried not to flinch at the sight and wondered since when Rhea had such bad taste.

Then it clicked. Of course she was trying to show him how ugly and unfit she was. It was after all the next step of her grandiose plan. Adam mentally shook his at how far she was prepared to go with that foolish plan. How someone so smart as her could believe in such stupidities?

Casting another furtive glance through the rear window, he tried not to react at that ugly garment around her body. On the contrary of being put off, it gave him the impulse to tear it off her delicious body. Focusing on the road, he drove through and stopped only when they reached their destination.

Even when she descended the car, he refrained from any comment about her ugly dress. The only way to tackle Rhea was to ignore her. It was what he had done after the kiss. If he had shown her how much it had affected him, she would have ran miles away from him immediately.

But when he reacted cold-heartedly, he was sure it had given her food for thought. He knew her since the day she was born and no matter what shenanigans she was up to, he would make sure that Rhea ended up with him. Eventually.

But for now, he convoked his every ounce of patience. It was going to be another fight for the day. Just the perfect way to end a harmless Saturday evening. Sighing, he watched as his mother Rachel gaped at the horrendous sight Rhea was projecting.

“Rhea Cooper! What is that piece of sh..cloth you’re wearing?” Rachel Crighton cried out unable to retain her outrage.

Adam did his best to hide his mirth. His mother was always suave and well-mannered and it took really a storm to dismantle her. And Rhea Ivy Palmer-Cooper was indeed a storm. And Rachel Crighton looked like she was scandalized.

“Come on kids,” she said after a while still eyeing Rhea like she was some kind of lost puppy. Her gown was that ugly.

“Well, hello to you too mom,” he said kissing her on the cheeks. It was funny to watch how she had completely forgotten to greet him or Zoey.