Love's Beat

Chapter 20

Jaden insisted that he carry her family's baggage up the few flight of stairs up to her apartment before leaving. Ember lead the way since she was the one with the keys.

As soon as he dropped off his load, Aunt Judie, never one to be rude, invited Jaden to stay for dinner which had Ember's eye twitching which only happened when she was supremely annoyed.

Apparently Max saw it and a mischievous gleam entered his eyes as he contributed his efforts to cajole Jaden into staying as well.

The little brat. He was trying to get back at her for the height thing.

     "You're dead," she mouthed, notrils flaring and eyes glaring.

He flashed her his version of 'Boo-hoo' with crossed eyes and sticking his tongue out at her. She forgot the times her brother could also get on her nerves when he didn't distract her with his cuteness.

After more cajoling and persuading from the two thorns in her side she called her family, Jaden reluctantly accepted their invitation to stay for dinner. He slid her a worried look since he could probably feel her silently seething a few feet away.

Ember excused herself from the room and headed to the kitchen. She hoped her aunt was entertaining her guest since she sure won't be doing that for the rest of the night.

She attached a mini speaker, a gift from Drew, to her Ipod and cranked the volume up as high as it could go and got to work at prepping dinner.

She was chopping up potatoes for a mouthwatering chicken curry recipe, bobbing her head to David Guetta when the music abruptly cut off.

She swiveled around to find Aunt Judie standing in the kitchen, Ipod in hand.

     Ember got back to her potatoes. "Did our guest decide to back out from dinner?" she asked with false sweetness.

     Aunt Judie sighed, shook her head and came over to help with prepping the food. "I swear, I've gotten enough grey hairs from you two that would last me a lifetime. I shouldn't even bother touching up my hair anymore. They'd just pop right back out again."

Ember looked over at her aunt beside her. The blonde hair she used to share with her brother, Ember's father, was tucked into a sedate ponytail, leaving only a few tendrils falling to the side of a face bare from make-up. Aunt Judie never believed that make-up was what made a woman beautiful and to Ember, her aunt didn't need a single speck of it.

She was beautiful inside out.

Her face was pulled into a frown as she concentrated on preparing ingredients, which betrayed her true age. Tiny lines formed at the corner of her mouth and eyes, making her look older than the young spirit she truly was. At thirty-eight, she was still single and already had two kids to care for.

     Ember's heart tightened at how her aunt had sacrificed so much for both her and her brother. "I'm sorry, Aunt Judie. I didn't want to make life harder for you. You've already given us too much."

     She jerked her head up and stared at Ember in bewilderment. "Never, sweetheart. You and your brother are my heart. You can never make me tire of my heart. I could only hope that I did a good job as your guardian."

     Ember could only respond with a smile. "You did a wonderful job. And by the way, the grey hairs would make you look more dignified."

She scrubbed at the chicken pieces with such speed it scared Ember. Honestly, who knew scrubbing a chicken needed that much vigor?

     "Thank you," she laughed. "I was just wondering though. Why do you and Mr. McHottie have that tension thing going on? I could taste it in the air how uncomfortable you guys were with each other. I wanted to cover my eyes like how I do when I watch cheesy and embarrassing moments from my favourite chick flicks."