Lisa's POV:
My phone vibrates on my desk and I smile as Joshua's name appears on the screen.
"Joshua.. Hi."
"Trina.." He speaks, his voice deep and more huskier, "how are you?" He asks and I fail to control my heartbeat.
I haven't spoken to him since the day he was pissed about Max flirting with me in front of him. And I missed him so much, I could have called him yes, but I respected the space he gave me. We needed this, more than ever.
"I'm okay, you?"
"I miss you, you know that don't you?"
"Yes I know." I smile and grab my purse, heading to the elevator.
"What are you doing right now?" He asks.
"Heading back home. What are you doing?"
"Do you want to go out tonight?"
"No, why don't you just come to my house?" I ask him, praying that he says yes.
"No problem." He says and I breathe as I open the door to my car and slide into the driver's seat.
"Good. Are you still mad at me?"
"No, are you?"
"No."
"Good. Are we back together now Trina?"
"We'll talk about it later Joshua."
As much as I want to get back with him, l still think giving each other space is the best thing to do. I don't know why I want that though. I love him so much, more than anything in this world, but I don't know why I'm doing this to him and to myself.
"Again with that Trina?" He asks, his tone serious. "Don't you want me now? Do you still love me or not?"
"Yes, I do. Do you still.. like me?"
"No." He answers and I feel myself gasping for more air.
"I don't like you." He repeats and my heart breaks.
I thought he liked me.
"I don't like you because I love you, more than anything. I've never felt like this before, and I've never loved anyone like I love you. I feel so incomplete without you."
I wipe the tears from my eyes and feel so stupid that I want to slap myself.
I almost had a heart attack.
"Hello? Trina, are you still there?"
"Uh.. yes." I swallow. "Can we talk later? I'm driving."
He exhales, "okay."
I wait for him to end the call and toss my phone on the passenger's seat as I drive towards my house.
Parking the car in front of my house, I head to my room and straight into the shower.
Maybe I should stop being selfish and give him another chance? The problem I have is that I expect too much from Joshua, and I depend on him to make our relationship work.
After applying some light makeup, I walk down the stairs to the kitchen with the recipe book Joshua gave me in my hands.
"Are you looking for something miss Trina?" Lea asks when I step into the kitchen.
"Yes, my guest will be here soon and I want to make him something." I respond, staring at the book in my hands.
"What should I cook f-"
"Not you." I interrupt her, "I'll do the cooking today."
She takes two steps forward and I step backwards. She smiles slyly and I shoot her a glare.
She's so weird sometimes.
"Are you sure? I don't think-"
"Don't argue with me. I'm your boss and not your friend, even when I'm being nice to you."
"Uh.. yes ma'am. I'm sorry about that."
"It's okay, don't worry." I reply as I open the book.
Spaghetti.
Okay...
"How do you turn this thing on?" I ask Lea, gesturing to the stove.
"Just turn the stove dial on to light it ma'am. Like this." She answers as she twists the dial and waits for the burner to light, then she adjusts the heat to medium.
"Oh. Let's start then, I'll do everything myself."
...
Combine ground beef, onion, garlic and green pepper in a saucepan. The book reads.
Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender and the meat brown.
By the time I finish cutting the onions, my eyes are red and tears pour out of my eyes freely.
My makeup is ruined now.
Everything around me now is irritating.
Lea doesn't say anything and watches me as I struggle with each process, I did tell her to shut up until I'm done, and I'm grateful that she decided obey me.
Cooking is really not my thing. And it's really difficult, it only seems to be simple when you're eating. Ugh!
It's not really difficult. If only you learnt earlier my dear. My subconscious remarks and I roll my eyes, why can't she just leave me alone?
I stir the diced tomatoes and sauce into the pan. I fan my face with my hands, taking a glass of water and finishing it once.
This is really stressing.
Season with oregano, basil, pepper and salt. Simmer spaghetti sauce for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
What the hell?
1 hour?!
This is insane.
"your guest is here ma'am." A maid announces.
Nodding my head, I head to the foyer where I see Joshua, talking to someone on the phone. He ends the call as I wrap my arms around him.
He smells so good.
I pull away and stare into his eyes without saying a word. Cupping his face in my hands, I stare at his lips and gulp.
"Uh.. Is there anything wrong?" He asks, raising one eyebrow.
He's the most adorable thing ever.
I smile and shake my head, "I cooked something for you."
He smiles, his dimples piercing his cheeks.
I fall for him more each time he stares at me with his beautiful eyes.
"Hmm. When can I get the chance to taste ma'am?" His lips touches my cheek, a soft kiss caressing my skin.
"Just give me two minutes to serve the food in my room." I say, my tone flirty.
"Your room?" He says with a smirk.
"Yes, I'll be right back with the food." I kiss his cheek and walk to the kitchen.
Joshua's POV:
Minutes later, I settle on one of the chairs on the balcony and patiently wait for my beautiful girl to bring the food.
Trina joins me with a smile, making her look more beautiful than ever. The aroma of tomato and fresh herbs fills the whole balcony, triggering my hunger.
"I spent hours cooking this." She says as she serves me a bigger portion of the spaghetti.
"It was so stressing and irritating. I hope you like it." She sits on the chair across me.
The sharp taste of salt hits me instantly and I almost choke, but I play it cool.
"How is it? Do you like it?" She asks, her eyes showing nothing but curiosity.
"Yes." I smile at her.
"Really?" She looks so happy, that I feel happy too, for not telling her the truth.
I would do anything to see her like this. How did I land myself with such a beautiful girl?
I was an idiot at first. I never wanted anything to do with her at first, I knew that she fell in love with me earlier than I assumed she would.
But one thing is for sure, I was in love with her the moment I saw her that night when her call broke down. She looked irritated and scared because it was dark.
That was the first time I met her in person, I used to see her on TV sometimes and mostly Gina's magazines. I never even wished to meet her one day, but I was completely mesmerized by her beauty.
The first time I met her, I was stunned and speechless for a moment. She is the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on.
I wanted to always be with her. But I never had the intention of falling for her one day, and I knew that she wanted to be with me too, and then she fell for me. Without knowing it, I fell for her too.
...
She coughs, breaking my thoughts. I quickly hand her a glass of water and she gulps half of the it, I reach for her hand and stroke it gently.
"Are you okay?" I ask her.
"Yes, but.." She stands to her feet and walks back into her room.
What did you do this time?
I follow her into the room and find her sitting on the edge of the bed with a frown on her beautiful face.
"What's the matter?" I kneel in front of her, taking her hands into mine.
"You lied to me." She mutters. "You said that you liked the food.."
"I do." I interrupt her.
"You're lying again. I can't even cook nice food for you. I added too much salt in there and it wasn't well cooked enough. And-"
I place my finger on her lips, she stares into my eyes and my heart skips a beat.
"You tried for the first time and you're amazing. I'm so proud of you." I tell her. "don't be sad about it." I remove my finger from her tempting lips.
Lisa's POV:
"I'm proud of myself too by the way." I remark and he chuckles.
He covers my cheeks with his hands, "I want to kiss you." He whispers, our faces mere inches apart.
His eyes look into mine, I swallow. We stare at each other for a few seconds. Just when my lips finally connect with his, my phone vibrates and I pull away.
I sigh and grab my phone which is on the bed as I swipe to answer without checking the name.
"Hello." I speak, my thumb gently caressing Joshua's dimpled cheek.
"Trina my baby?" A woman says from the other side.
I remove the phone from my ear and check if it is really her. There's no name but I can still remember her number.
It's Mom.
"Why did you call me?" I ask her, my voice low.
"I'm sorry baby. Please come back to your Mom." She says, her voice cracking at each word.
"I'm busy." I answer, my heart aching already.
"We're already outside your house. We want to speak with you."
What the hell?
How did she even come to know where I live now, and who gave her my new number?
As much as I want to forget about everything those people did to me and my family, I can't bring myself to.
Melissa told me about what they actually did. They only paid the money for her surgery, and they did not pay my parents the other money they promised to give them.
Then they made me hate my family. Mom made me believe that my parents never wanted anything to do with me.
They controlled my life, I had to do everything they tell me. I never said no to them, all they cared about was their image. And nothing else at all.
"There's nothing to talk about, just leave and never come back." I retort.
"Please, we only want a few minutes with you." She sniffs.
"Five minutes only." I end the call and get to my feet.
"Are you okay?" Joshua asks, standing up as well.
"Yes, Mom and Dad are already here." I inform.
"Oh." Is the only thing he says as he takes my hand.
My hands wrap the collar of his black shirt and I press my lips against his. His tongue enters my mouth, pressing and caressing.
He wraps his arms around my waist and I put my hands around his neck. A soft moan escapes my lips when I feel his hands on my thighs, I wrap my legs around his waist as he deepens the kiss.
I lay on the bed and he falls gently on top of me, his mouth never leaving mine. He groans when my fingers move to touch the skin under his shirt.
His lips slide down my neckline and back up to the sweet spot just under my ear. Gasps and quiet moans fills the room as Joshua continues with his attack.
"I love you." He speaks, his voice deeper and more sexier.
"I love you, Joshua." He stares into my eyes and I smile at him.
How on earth did I find myself with someone as handsome as my Joshua? I love the way he looks at me, his eyes are the most beautiful thing that ever existed.
I want him. All the time, I don't even want to imagine how my life would be like without him.
Just before he covers his mouth again, the door opens, revealing Kelvin with his eyes wide. Joshua raises a brow at him and I quickly get up, fixing my dress and my hair.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know that you guys were.. You know.."
His mouth is just too big.
"Kelvin..." I interrupt him, "make sure to knock next time." I say, putting extra emphasis on the word knock.
"I'll just leave then." He opens the door and disappears.
With a sigh, I pull my dress down again. It's no use, this dress is just too short. It reminds me of Sam and how she loves her mini dresses and skirts. Since we were kids, I've never seen her wearing something below her knees. I used to wear longer outfits than her, even when she's taller than me.
Why am I even thinking about her? She betrayed me and now she's after Joshua.
"I think I should go now." I tell Joshua as I start walking toward the door.
He grabs my wrist and pulls me to him, making my face hit his hard chest, "they're waiting for me." I say, wrapping my arms around his neck.
"They can wait." He whispers, his forehead on mine.
I chuckle as I place my hand on his chest and push him back. I grab his hand and walk out of the room.
Once we reach the stairs, I spot Mom and Dad as they follow Lea through the foyer and into the living room.
Great.
As we continue walking, Joshua doesn't stop telling about how badly he wanted me and I just laugh at him.
Once we join Mom and Dad in the living room, Mom hugs me, taking me by surprise. If I remember correctly, she used to hug me only on special occasions. What changed this time?
"I missed you so much my dear." She says as she pulls back.
She looks different. She's wearing black pants and a white shirt with flats.. if I remember correctly, she doesn't like such outfits. She loves her Fancy dresses and high heels all the time. Her face is natural, this is probably the first time I'm seeing her without her makeup. Her hair is in a messy bun, and she looks pale.
"How are you doing my ch-" Dad begins.
"If that's the only reason why you're here, please leave." I feel Joshua's hand squeezing mine.
"We're sorry for being bad parents to you. But one thing is for sure Trina, we love you so much.. even when we never showed our love to you. You're the only child we have and we love you so much.." She wraps her arms around me and I roll my eyes.
Why is she being dramatic?
"Please sit." I free myself from her, taking a step back.
Dad shakes Joshua's hand with a smile and Mom smiles at him as she sits next to Dad on the couch.
"We heard what happened to Karen and Thomas.." Dad begins, "and your mother and I are truly sorry about it."
I don't say anything, I just pretend as if I didn't hear anything.
"Please forgive us dear.." Her voice cracks as she sobs.
She's never cried in front of me by the way.
She stands to her feet, and before I realize it, she's kneeling in front of me, her teary eyes staring into mine. My jaw drops and my mouth opens.
"no," I shake my head, ''please get up Mom.'' I instruct, and she gets up.
"don't do that again, please.'' I say to her, and she nods as she sits back on the couch.
No matter how much she hurt me in the past, I can never allow her to kneel down in front of me, begging me to forgive her. Never.
She and her husband did terrible things to me, but at the same time they cared for me. They both saved my sister's life, and they bought.. adopted me.
They took me in and they provided for me. They became my parents and I truly loved them so much.
"alright then, I forgive you for everything Mom and Dad. And I'm sorry too for the harsh words I said to you guys." I speak, looking between Mom and Dad.
All I want is a quiet and peaceful life. I'm tired of the hatred and holding grudges. All I want is to be happy, and that can only happen when I forget about the past and move on.
"thank you my child, I'll try to be a good Dad to you." Dad says and I smile.
"and I'll try my best to be a good daughter to you both." I look at Joshua to find him staring at me with those eyes I love so much.
"Mom and Dad," I begin as I take Joshua's hand into mine, "this is Joshua, my boyfriend." I introduce my boyfriend to my parents and I can still feel his gaze on me.
When I look over at him, he smiles as he kisses the back of my hand.
"it's nice to meet you young man." Dad tells Joshua with a smile.
"my pleasure." he simply responds.
"take care of my daughter Joshua." Mom says and he nods his head.
Melissa's POV:
It has been a few days since Adrian and I returned from our honeymoon after it was cut short due to issues in his company. It took him a few days for him to fix it.
Here I am today, in my new home. Adrian suggested that we buy a new house but I had to refuse because I just love his house so much. It is nearly transparent, and the sight just out the back windows makes me lose my breath.
It is an extremely morden house.
And everytime I realize that most of the house is glass, I think about murderers. What if one day they decide to attack us and kill us all? But I know that it would never happen because of tight security here.
"one more letter ma'am." Lara, my new assistant says.
I sigh as I grab the envelope from her. I was offered a job as the top chef at Adrian's restaurants because he loves my food so much and he assured me that many people would love it too, but all I want now is a quiet life. I don't want to be a chef, but I love cooking so much. Instead of accepting to be the top chef, I will only be inventing new dishes, school the chefs in his restaurants, share my recipe with them and have it under my own name.
My love for cooking and event planning is on another level.
"okay.. inform all the chefs that I'll be only schooling ten each day." I tell her and she nods her head.
"also, you have an appointment with Mrs Smith tomorrow." she reminds me with a smile and shake my head in disbelief.
I completely forgot about that.
Mrs Smith is a businesswoman who is opening a new restaurant and wants me to do the decor.
"thanks Lara. You can go home now." I tell her with a warm smile.
"Thank you Mrs Dawns. I'll see you tomorrow." she says and walks to the door with her bag around her shoulder.
I stand to my feet and walk to my room. After taking a long shower, I head back into the room.
The ringing of my phone distracts me from my thoughts. Stacy's name appears on the screen and I smile, pressing the answer button.
"Melissa! It's me, Stacy. Do you still remember me?" she asks and I roll my eyes.
"how can I forget you? I was just so busy today, that's why I didn't call you."
"sure. Anyway, I hope you're okay. Is your husband treating you the way he should?"
"yes." I chuckle, "you don't have to worry."
"good. I'm in my new office by the way, I'll talk to you later.. I love you so much."
"I love you too." I smile before ending the call.
I toss my phone on the bed and turn my head to see Adrian standing by the door without saying anything.
"you're finally back!" I beam, wrapping my arms around him.
"did you just tell another man that you love him?" he asks. I pull back and laugh when I look at his handsome face.
"what's funny?" he raises a brow at me and I shake my head.
"I was talking to Stacy and you should be sure that you're the only one I love wholeheartedly Adrian." I put my hands around his neck.
His arms wrap my waist as he pulls me closer to him, "just needed to confirm my love.'' he says, his tone flirty.
Our noses are touching and our breathes are mingled together. Adrian dips his head to trail kisses down my neck and I close my eyes.
He lips move to mine and he kisses me softly. He pulls his necktie and I help him to unbutton his shirt. He picks me up in his arms and walks towards the bathroom for a long, long shower.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO Y'ALL!!
I hope you're doing great!!
We're very close to the end of this book! 😫
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I love you all so much!!
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