Copyright 2014 © Rosesareforever
Crossing Paths
Chapter 5
Resisting the Tension
Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as they descended the stairs, the palms of her hands slightly sweaty. She felt like a timid mouse freed in a terrarium filled with hungry snakes. Brunch with the Miller family, such a joy. She could feel Alison’s grey eyes burning holes in her skin from miles away and silently cursed Sedric for not telling the woman the truth.
She hated the constant look of hatred as if she was a failure because she let Alison’s son down, while it had been Sedric all along who was the reason their relationship ended. It was clear as day that the woman still wasn’t convinced they had gotten back together. No matter how hard they tried to change her mind.
“Stay cool and keep on smiling. Mother can’t hurt you,” Sedric whispered in her ear, playfully licking her earlobe to put on a show for the watchful eyes that kept staring at them. He took her hand in his and squeezed reassuringly as they joined the group of people. Jade put on her best fake smile and even dared to look Alison in the eye, her bravado not faltering, much to her own surprise.
“You look absolutely gorgeous, Jade, those heels totally compliment your dress,” Kate smiled as she stepped closer and linked their arms like they had been best friends for years. Sedric smirked knowingly, but didn’t comment. She wanted to smack him on the chest, but restrained herself.
“Thank you,” she smiled shyly. She was about to return the compliment when Alison stepped closer and came to stand next to her daughter, shooting Jade a vile look. Jade did her best not to show any kind of reaction to the woman’s rudeness, but on the inside she was crumbling, deeply affected by her crudeness. Rage was coursing through her veins, her heartbeat rapid as she felt the sudden need to scream out in frustration.
“Dear, could you ask everyone to gather on the veranda? Brunch is about to be served,” she stated, successfully catching Kate’s attention and leading her away. Jade stayed behind on her own, only then realizing Sedric had disappeared into the crowd to mingle with friends and family. She cursed inaudibly and looked around to catch someone she recognized.
The room was filled with Miller family members, though she noticed there were a few unfamiliar faces as well. They were probably related to Emma - Lucas’s wife – Jade decided. She had only seen Emma during the wedding. The newlyweds were so absorbed with their love for each other, they often ditched the festivities.
“You look stunning, dear,” a man suddenly announced, coming to stand next to her and handing her a glass of champagne. She accepted the flute and gave him an onceover. He was a tall and handsome man, probably in his late twenties with the oddest color of green eyes she’d ever seen.
“And you are?” she questioned, the tone of her voice bittersweet in comparison with the smile that radiated across her features. The man had a knowing look in his eyes, which she absolutely despised. It was like he knew all her dark secrets and enjoyed taunting her.
“We have never been formally introduced. My name is David Thompson, I’m Sed’s best friend and coworker,” he smirked as he extended his hand. She internally cringed as she realized he was the guy who Sedric had been spotted with in the papers. The two of them were the famous bachelor duo that liked to spend their nights in the company of beautiful women.
“Jade Johnson,” she said as she shook his hand.
He nodded. “No introduction needed. I know all about you, Jade. Being friends with Sed gives me the benefit of knowing all his dirty secrets, including you. How does it feel to be used by the man you once loved?” he grinned, his eyes filled with mischief. She instantly disliked the man and adverted her eyes, looking through the room in the hope of making an escape. Fate decided to be cruel as she was trapped with nowhere to go.
“What’s wrong, honey? Do I make you feel uncomfortable?” he went on, taking a step closer. She shivered and stepped back, quickly downing the glass of champagne to calm her nerves. She didn’t know what it was about him that made her feel so damn exposed. It was like he could see right through her.
“You know, it’s a shame you hurt my best friend. Such a pretty face and hot body, I surely would have given you the ride of your life. Too bad I value my friendship with Sedric much more than taking a roll in the sheets with such a delicious piece of ass,” he smirked as his eyes lingered on the V-cut of her dress. She instantly felt the need rising to cover her chest and run far, far away.
“I have no idea what exactly Sedric told you, but there are two sides to every story,” she grunted defensively, pointing a finger at his chest. She hated it when people assumed they knew everything without even bothering to listen to both sides of a story.
“True. I doubt if your side of the story would change my mind about you, though. A killer body and a manipulative mind, that pretty much sums up who you are to me,” he clarified, winking at her before disappearing into the crowd. Jade was left behind stunned. Her eyes almost popping out of their sockets after the hateful words she received.
What did she ever do to deserve such cruelty? The fact that Alison didn’t like her, she could understand. After all, every mother has the right to love her child unconditionally and try to protect them from getting hurt. Alison’s reaction wasn’t right, but it was understandable. The hatred coming from David, however, was baseless and outright cruel. What did Sedric tell his friend?
The sudden noise of clapping startled her, bringing her back to the land of the living. Lucas and Emma walked down the stairs, announcing the brunch had started and everyone was recommended to join the couple on the porch of the mansion. Jade followed the crowd, taken aback by the beauty she faced outdoors. The porch was decorated with lights and flowers, situated on the most beautiful side of the beach.
On the front porch were tables set with purple linen and silver cutlery. Staff moved around to lead the guests to their tables and pour them glasses of champagne. “This way,” Sedric said from behind her, suddenly appearing out of nowhere. She didn’t ask any questions and simply followed him, her thoughts still clouded after the little speech David gave her.
“I’m sorry I suddenly disappeared. I needed to talk to a few people in private,” Sedric explained as they walked towards the end of the porch where his closest family members were seated, including lovely Alison. Great.
“No problem. I’m now acquainted with your buddy David,” she stated, trying not to sound vile. She just couldn’t forget about the cold stare the man had given her, like she was less than a fucking animal.
“We’ve been friends for a while. He’s a good guy, very honest and straight to the point,” he replied right before they arrived at their destination. Jade didn’t comment as she sat down at the table next to Sedric. David certainly had been honest. He hadn’t even bothered to hide his distaste.
As Sedric sat down in his chair, he wondered what exactly David had said to make Jade upset. She did her best to hide her feelings, but to him it was clear as day that she was beyond annoyed with his best friend. Dave was the only person besides his brother that knew the truth about his relationship with Jade and the fact that they were fake dating. He couldn’t lie to the man who saved him from destruction.
When Sedric went through his dark period, David had been the one to bring him back from self-destruction. He’d shown him to let go of his feelings of hatred and learn how to live again. They had some serious fun over the past couple years and eventually started their own law firm together.
He could only imagine the way Dave would act towards Jade. He was very protective of the ones he cared about. Sedric only hoped he didn’t spill too much information to Jade. He didn’t want Jade to know how much she had hurt him in the past. He rather liked looking invincible and untouchable. He wasn’t about to let her enjoy the way she had burned him.
The worst part of it all, even though she broke his heart, he still craved her like she was the only woman on earth. His feelings went beyond the sexual attraction that obviously had only intensified over the years. He wanted her badly. The only thing that stood between them was the agreed upon arrangement that they were better off without each other. She still hadn’t gotten over the fact he cheated on her and he was still furious about the way she had avenged his actions.
“Sedric, tell me. How did Jade and you get back together? You still haven’t spilled the details!” his sister, Kate, squealed excitedly, looking hopeful. His mother uttered a sound of disapproval under her breath, but his younger sister was oblivious to their mother’s distaste towards Jade.
“That’s a story I’d like to hear as well,” Emma butted in, smiling widely. Suddenly all eyes were focused on him. He swallowed uncomfortably, a lump forming in his throat. Dammit. These kinds of conversations were exactly what he had tried to avoid. He quickly darted his eyes to the ground, praying for a miracle to help him out of this unpleasant situation.
“Well,” Jade suddenly spoke beside him. He breathed in relief, glad she decided to save him from downfall. Being a lawyer, normally he can spin a tale with the best of them, except in front of his family. There was no way he could come up with a believable story in a matter of seconds. He should have listened to Jade and made up a plan before coming to the island. At least then he would have known what to say.
“A couple of weeks ago we reunited at the Carrington Fashion Night in one of my sister’s hotels. Nothing gossip worthy happened, we simply talked and went our separate ways at the end of the night. Sedric, however, couldn’t seem to get me out of his head and called me a few days later,” she explained, smiling sweetly at him as she mentioned his name. Damn. She should get an award. That look of hers went straight to his lower body and made it come alive. He uncomfortably shifted in his seat as he waited for Jade to continue.
To be honest, he’d completely forgotten about the Carrington event. If he remembered correctly, Jade hadn’t even attended the Gala. Her sister Alexis had arranged the Night and the only reason he made an appearance was because at the time he had been getting down and dirty with Carrington’s daughter.
“We went out for dinner. One thing led to another and here we are,” Jade finished, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. She made sure everyone at the table was watching them closely, his mother included. He tried to retain the smirk that the show demanded and quickly pulled Jade closer to keep up their act. He gave her a wink before softly pressing his lips to hers. The touch was feather light, yet he could feel the little tinglings going straight to the center of his chest.
He must be cursed. There was no other explanation. He kept being summoned by the devil himself. Jade was bad for him, the worst that could happen. Still he was drawn to her like a magnet. The pull growing stronger with each day that passed. Fortunately in less than 24 hours the two of them would both go their separate ways and he would never have to face her again. It was the only thing that kept him from going crazy right this minute.
“No sappy details?” Kate whined, pouting. She could act like such a toddler sometimes. He used to think she looked quite adorable when she showed her puppy dog look, but he’d become resistant to her charm over the years.
“The cute face only works on Lily. Stop being a baby, Kat,” Sedric retorted, earning a few chuckles from the other men at the table.
“You’re such a party-pooper, you know that? I was hoping to get some juicy details to gossip about,” Kate stated annoyed, flipping him the finger. He grinned at her childish comeback.
“Kate Margaret Miller, quit that improper behavior and act like a woman your age,” his mother demanded, her face beet red. Alison wasn’t a big fan of cursing.
“Yes, mother,” Kate replied evenly, rolling her eyes. Sedric tried to stay serious, but couldn’t help the soft chuckle coming from his lips. Luckily for him, his mother was still preoccupied and didn’t hear him.
“You should start your own TV-show. It’d get more views than the Kardashians,” Lucas smirked as he took a sip from his champagne flute. Kate was shooting daggers at him, though he didn’t seem to mind. God bless him, he had such a lovely family. Sedric thought sarcastically.
***
“The weather forecasts don’t look good,” Lucas stated as he came to stand next to Sedric. After brunch most of the guests had started to retreat to their rooms to pack their suitcases. The Salsa classes on the beach had been cancelled due to the bad weather. Sedric had decided to stay behind with his family and enjoy some quality time with his siblings. It had been too long since he’d taken the time to enjoy the company of his family members.
“I heard a few guests talking about a hurricane that’s about to break free,” Sedric replied, smiling as he watched Lily jumping up and down in the water, little splatters wetting her blueberry colored dress. Emma was currently playing with her daughter in the ocean. Later in the afternoon Lucas and she would leave on a honeymoon for the next two weeks. The couple was going to miss their little girl, but they deserved some alone time before the next one was born in a couple of months.
Emma wasn’t showing yet, but the way she protected her belly clearly showed she was pregnant. Lucas and she were ecstatic to have another child running around. They were the perfect little family. Sometimes, Sedric felt pretty envious of his brother. Lucas always seemed to have been lucky in life. Straight after he came out of college he got engaged to Emma and they had been together ever since.
Sedric seemed to be the only exception to his family’s luck in love. Even his younger sister had gotten married. Sedric himself had screwed up everything when he decided to listen to his dick and fuck a girl that was not the woman he loved.
There was no excuse for what he did and he would never try to talk himself out of how wrong it was. He made a mistake, a big one that would always haunt him. Girls had been circling around him for years, trying to get his attention. He’d always properly avoided their advances, but that one night he hadn’t been able to refrain himself. He had been such an idiot, a fucking horny bastard.
“I’m hoping to be off the island before the hurricane arrives, but the forecasts don’t look good. I’m afraid some of the guests will be stuck here for the next couple days. I don’t think it’s safe to fly,” Lucas commented, looking up at the dark clouds that started to dim the sunlight.
“I sincerely hope not. I have a busy week scheduled ahead of me. I can’t afford to miss the meetings I arranged,” Sedric replied. In reality, he was more afraid what it would mean if he had to spend another week together with Jade, stuck on an island. It wasn’t like one of them could escape the other on the not so very long parcel, no bigger than a square kilometer.
“We’ll see. Maybe it won’t be as bad as they said. It wouldn’t be the first time they got it wrong,” Lucas said, patting Sedric on the back.
He nodded before walking back to the mansion while his brother stayed behind with his family. Sedric smiled as he watched Lucas taking Emma in his arms and whirl her around. She squealed loudly and kept repeating over and over again to put her down while Lucas just kept laughing. They looked incredible together. Sedric honestly couldn’t remember a time he’d seen his brother looking so happy.
He shook his head and turned in the other direction. Watching other couples acting all lovey dovey usually left him in a crappy mood. Some twisted part of him didn’t like to see the people around him being happy. Not when he felt lost himself.
He kept his eyes glued to the ground as he made his way upstairs. Jade had excused herself after the family brunch, claiming she felt a headache coming on. He hadn’t commented and let her get away with the crappy excuse she made up. To be honest, he had been glad to be away from her for a while. Being around her kept him on his toes. He constantly needed to remind himself he hated her and sum up the reasons why he shouldn’t sleep with her.
She had seemed to be the best solution when he needed to find a date, the perfect person for the job. A woman that despised him just as much as he hated her. It had seemed like she was the only person that would guarantee his heart wouldn’t get broken again. Guess he had made a capital mistake when he counted on the fact that he wouldn’t want her in the slightest.
Jade was probably the worst person he could have sought out. Not only did she bring back his well-hidden feelings for her, she also reminded him of what he lost when he cheated on her. She was still his perfect match. He couldn’t help but wonder how his future would look like if he hadn’t betrayed her.
Sighing deeply, he pushed the door to the suite they shared open and stepped inside. Jade was lying on the bed, on top of the covers, staring at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. She seemed to be lost in thought and hadn’t even noticed he walked inside.
He decided not to disturb her peaceful moment and laid down beside her, the bed sagging softly as his weight touched the matrass. Jade’s eyes suddenly locked with his as she turned her head to the side. She smiled softly before returning her attention to the ceiling. “Lucas and Emma look very happy together,” she said, still looking up.
Sedric nodded. “They’re amazing together. Emma is the perfect wife for my brother. I have never seen him happier than when they are together,” he agreed as he gazed at the empty space in front of him.
“Lily is such a lovely girl. I wonder if she’s going to have a little brother or sister,” Jade mused, her attention still focused on anything but him. He suddenly realized it had been a while since they talked about anything normal. The last couple conversations they had usually always ended in a fight. It felt…nice, he decided.
“I’m secretly hoping for a little brother. Having a niece is awesome, but I’d love to have a little nephew to play football with,” Sedric replied honestly, wondering if he would ever have a family of his own. Probably not. He didn’t exactly see a wife and kids in his future. He was still too busy making a success out of the firm to start thinking about settling down.
“That would be nice indeed,” Jade decided, a small smile playing at her lips. “I often wonder how long it’ll take before my sister gets pregnant. She’s so busy with the Hotel Group. I’d really love to have a little niece or nephew,” she added as an afterthought.
“It’s great. I really love having Lily around, even if I don’t see her that often. I should make more time to spend with my family. Kate is right. I have been losing sight of my priorities,” Sedric admitted, not really understanding why he felt like he needed to spill his guts to the woman he once loved – probably still did. Somehow the pressure on his chest seemed to lighten with each word he said. Jade always had a relaxing effect on him.
Suddenly Jade turned on her side to face him, her body curled towards his. He did the same and outstretched his arm to cup her cheek with his hand. He softly caressed her skin as he watched her closely. Their eyes locked, a quiver running straight to his heart and combusting it. Their connection surfaced and for a moment, he completely forgot about his place and time. He was back in college, staring lovingly at the woman who captured his heart.
He didn’t know how long they kept looking each other in the eye, but once Jade blinked their connection broke and she quickly turned away from him. “I’m going to take a shower,” she stuttered as she made a quick run for it. Before he could try to come up with a reply, she fled to the bathroom and firmly closed the door, the lock turning. He rolled onto his stomach, took a pillow in his hands and growled loudly into the cushion.
Fuck. He had been so close to taking her into his arms and making sweet love to her until dawn. Fortunately one of them got their mind out of the gutter and decided to end this madness. He should have never ordered her to come to the wedding. It had been a bad idea – very bad indeed.
***
Jade cursed under her breath as she locked the bathroom door behind her and turned on the shower. What the hell had happened in there? One moment Sedric and she were having the first civil conversation in years and a few seconds later they were practically absorbing each other with their eyes.
She had felt his eyes gazing straight into her soul, to the core of her being. She hadn’t felt that exposed in years. Not even the intense stare David had given her could compare to how nude she had felt in front of Sed with all her clothes still in place. For the first time after their breakup, he’d looked at her again like she was the only woman in the entire universe, the oxygen his lungs so desperately needed.
It was that kind of look that had attracted her to him, like a moth to a dancing flame. The intense stare that made little goose bumps arisen on her skin. She had been absorbed in the moment, time had stood still as they watched each other. It would only have taken a soft caress of his fingertips against her tender skin and she would have been putty in his hands.
It would have been so easy to get lost in the moment and forget about the past. Both her body and mind had wanted nothing more than to be devoured by their former lover. She was sure that if he’d taken advantage of the moment and tried to kiss her, one thing would easily have led to another without much effort on his side. She’d practically been begging for him to take her there and then.
Her relationship with Sedric was already way too complicated to make matters worse by adding a sexual affair in the mix. They ended any kind of bond when she ran out of their bedroom six years ago after witnessing him fucking another woman.
A sudden shudder of the earth underneath her feet made her loose her balance and she quickly turned to the washstand to keep herself from crashing down on the floor. “Sedric,” she called out, her hands shaking as she tightly held on to the sink while the earth kept shaking.
“The door is locked,” he called back, the handle of the door moving up and down. She quickly moved towards the door, wobbling on her feet. When she finally reached her destination, she turned the key in its lock and let out a relieved breath when Sedric came into view.
“Are you okay?” he questioned worriedly when the earthquake finally subdued. She faintly nodded, her heart beating rapidly in her chest as her panic slowly started to diminish.
“I think the anticipated storm has started. It was all over the news earlier that they forecasted a severe hurricane to take place,” Sedric explained, looking a little pale himself. He never had been a big fan of natural occurrences like storms and tornadoes. It was something no human could control, entirely out of reach for the living beings.
“I haven’t watched TV in days,” Jade admitted, biting her lips softly as she watched Sedric letting out a deep sigh.
“We probably won’t be able to leave the island tonight. I don’t think any of our private jets will get the permission to fly out in weather like that,” he clarified as he walked back to the bedroom.
“I wouldn’t feel safe flying either. It looks like the worst has yet to come. The storm has barely started,” Jade stated, stepping towards the window and looking at the huge tides that crashed down the shore. A shrill tremble of fear went through her spine as her eyes were locked on the darkness outside. It didn’t look good, not good at all.
“I sincerely hope not, but I think you might be right,” Sedric agreed as he came to stand beside her, their arms brushing against one another. A palm tree suddenly broke in two, the remainder of the leaves got sucked into the waves of the ocean. Jade’s eyes widened, her heart hammering in her chest with fear.
“What do we do now?” she questioned as she glanced aside to look Sedric in the eye. He looked as desperate for an answer as she was.
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. As long as the storm doesn’t end, we’ll have to keep pretending to be dating while we stay trapped on this island,” Sedric replied tentatively.
Jade nodded, but didn’t reply. A few days ago she probably would have been able to glean the courage to keep pretending to be Sedric’ girlfriend, today she wasn’t as certain. They were growing closer quite rapidly. She honestly didn’t want to know what would happen if they had to stay on the island longer than anticipated.
The sexual tension was thick in the air and it took all her power and energy to stay away from Sedric. It would be so easy to just forget about what happened in the past between them for just a few minutes, to pull him into her arms and not let him go until the sun started to rise again.
She honestly didn’t understand how she could even consider sleeping with him after what he did, yet she couldn’t deny the thought kept crossing her mind from time to time. Jade wasn’t ready to forgive Sedric for the mistakes he made in the past, but she could not deny the attraction between them either. It was inevitable that they would end up in bed together if they stayed on the island for much longer.
Sedric looked aside to see Jade frowning deeply, her mind holding an inner struggle. It was then he decided he had to try harder to keep pushing her away. It would be too easy to give in to his feelings and get her between his sheets. Their relationship was already complicated enough.
“Don’t forget our deal, Jade. I won’t keep my promise if you decide to come forward and admit we’re not seriously dating. I will keep going until the HEHG goes down,” he taunted, knowing fully well he was breaking every ounce of trust that might have resurfaced. She would finally see him again for the asshole she thought he was and fight even harder against their obvious attraction towards one another.
Jade’s jaw hit the floor as she watched wide eyed while Sedric finished his little speech. For a moment she had believed Sedric did have some redeeming qualities, but it was clear she had been wrong. Affronted and feeling like he stabbed a knife straight into her back, she poked her finger in his chest and said loud and clear: “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare forget about your precious promise to leave me the hell alone after I get off this fucking island of Hades!” Her voice didn’t waver, her stance proud as she turned around and locked herself back in the bathroom.
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