I loved writing this chapter. Hope u all enjoy it . Pic of Wade on the side.
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~*~ Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes ~*~*
*Faith*
The man gave a naughty smile and I leaped to my feet. "Hello," I replied bluntly. He stood on his foot while the other upwards, the toe of his shoe slightly dug in the grass.
"What a beautiful place to meet a gorgeous lady like yourself," he flirted. I did not respond instead frowned at him. Where is Cloud? Who is this man and how did he get here? Horror crawled at my throat but I did not permit it to be displayed on my face. The man smirked, "Who are you?" he added his smirk dimmed a little, inquisitive.
"Faith," was all I uttered and let my hands fall on my sides, not desiring to give this stranger more details, but there was something about him which seemed so familiar, the only issue was I could not pin point it.
"Oh the Faith," he laced his fingers. "Sir Cloud's fiancé, wonderful to meet you," he said, his eyes scrutinizing me with an uncanny intensity.
"You know Cloud?" I demanded.
He stood on his feet now and gave a nod, "Yes, as a matter of fact we go way back, we are buddies. Ah those old days we had with girls,"
I raised a brow, "You have?" and questioned.
"Oh yes, Cloud being the handsome man he is, ladies fall on his feet," he declared and hooked his thumbs in his belt loops.
Why should I believe what a stranger informs me, but I felt my insides sting with jealousy, as if a sharp needle was thrust in my heart. "Why should I believe you?" I voiced my thoughts and he chortled which made the sides of his eyes wrinkle.
"I might be a stranger to you but to Cloud I defiantly am not," he apprised in a tone which pressurized me to over think on what he commented.
"Still I have a hard time," I retorted.
"Very well, whatever floats your boat but remember it can sink in water as well," he chuckled at his own joke, here I got irked, and crossed my arms prepared to spit a reply that swam with venom.
"Isn't this fellow here charming, Faith?" came Cloud's voice. I glanced over my shoulder at him. I didn't know when he got here or how I didn't hear him approach. I then took note of a bottle and glasses he had in his right hand, my eyes met his and I was stupefied to encounter his smile, a smile so bright and joyful it kindled veins of my heart so it picked up its beat.
He placed what was in his hands on the bench and walked towards the man. "He is?" I asked. "I don't know," murmured looking at him then at the stranger.
"Whose boat will sink in water?" Cloud investigated and I spoke the same time. "How long have you been standing there?" my voice held a tone of amazement.
"Quite a while," he smiled at me, and then looked at the stranger to answer him.
"Man I was just saying how strong your boat is," the man explained.
"You are comparing me with a boat?" I delivered my thoughts a bit loudly.
"No, of course not," he winked. I gaped at him dumbfounded by his deranged behavior.
"That's enough Wade," Cloud unveiled the stranger's identity. "Faith," he turned to me, a smile still plastered on his lips "This is my younger brother, Wade," he added. Now that I pay attention to their features they looked so much alike.
"He is?" I repeated my brows rose up.
"I am," he confirmed. "It was entertaining to spend some time with you, Faith," Wade laughed. "I went in the hall only to learn you guys already left, the only place I knew my bro would bring the guest of honor was here, so I followed," his eyes swung back and forth from Cloud to me like a pendulum.
Cloud shook his head then hugged his brother, "Welcome back," and gave Wade's back a few rough pats.
"Good to be back," Wade let his gaze clash with mine. "I apologize if I offended you," he eyed me, somewhat sincere. Here I took note of his eyes; they were a dark brown with a touch of gold.
"It's okay," I beamed an endeavor to calm the tension that had built up like a bridge inside my bust.
"I should go," he walked backwards. "Didn't get a chance to meet the guests properly," Wade quickly dismissed himself. I tried to understand what just occurred. The younger Jayden was nothing, nothing at all like his other brothers. Aside from the looks he shared with his brother, he seemed like someone who did not belong in this family. A family where every individual owned a different, intriguing personality, Wade on the other hand seemed far too ordinary.
"You have a very interesting family," I began.
"I do?" Cloud's eyebrows lifted.
"Yes, I don't know how to explain it to you, but to me it's different, very different," I stated. Cloud nodded slowly and lowered on the grass, stretched his left leg while the right was bent then slung his hand over his knee.
I did not sit next him, instead took my seat on the bench. My nerves dashed to reach the speed of my heart. He poured me a drink then offered it. I bit my lip at the slight tremble in my hand. Cloud leaned back on the bench, his head mere inches away from my leg. I stared at his face, the bruise on the side of his jaw.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
"Mmm?" he looked at me sideways.
"That," I pointed at his eye.
He puckered his lips. "No, not at all," he then smiled.
"How did it happen?" I questioned.
"Drunken people cause great deal of displeasure in clubs, Alexander needed help with some of them and I offered it," Cloud smirked, there was something in his eyes. Something I observed the day he proposed to me. At that thought, I felt my cheeks go hot so I averted my gaze.
"This place is really wonderful," came my honest praise.
"Took me a year to fix everything in here," Cloud said in a tender tone. I stood up to walk to the pond; he put the glass in his hand on the bench and mirrored my actions. Cloud opened his mouth to vocalize something then suddenly we heard a nerve penetrating growl.
I squealed and twirled around to come face-to-face with round golden eyes. "Oh God," I gasped took a step back only to bump into Cloud's hard chest. At once he enfolded his hand on my middle. "It's a wolf," I breathed; my body began to quiver from the monstrous glare in its eyes. The beast was huge; it was half the size of a human, with a large head, its eyes were golden-yellow color, with gray and black fur.
"It's my pet," Cloud replied as if it was a normal fact, his hot breath burned my ear. Another shudder rolled down my spine and my palms welcomed moist. I have never been this close to him, our bodies touched, there was no space between us; to make it even harder his warmth captivated my consciousness, as though my insides melted away from the heat that traveled from his body to mine.
The wolf in front of us urged me to run for it but the protective, careful hand on my middle, the hard chest pressed against my back made me want to lean back and remain there for eternity. "Your pet is a Wolf!" my voice was rasp.
"A Gray wolf actually," Cloud corrected then chuckled, his breath fanned my hair. He rested his chin on my shoulder and peered at the wolf.
A Wolf! For the love of God, who has a wolf as a pet in their own house?
Cloud gave a silent whistle and the Gray wolf proceeded to circle around us. Dread rose in my chest and wrapped its rope around my throat. I clenched his arm with my hand. "Faith calm down, it's harmless," Cloud assured gently. I swear I detected mirth in his tone. Like my reaction was bizarre and laughable to him, like the beast was not hazardous and I should not be terrified from it.
He had rolled his sleeve even higher so now my cold fingers were wrapped firmly around his hand. "Make it go away," I begged pressing myself closer in his chest.
The wolf glowered at me for a second then circled another round; its huge paws crunched the fragile grass. "Faith, you trust me?" he asked, then stood to his full height, when his hand let go of my waist I bit my lip, feet rooted to the ground.
Cloud stretched his hand; automatically his wolf advanced to him, and rubbed its huge head on his palm. The owner's fingers vanished in the fur. My eyes gawked at the scene, when I sensed eyes on me I looked up to see Cloud smiling at me.
He extended his left hand to me. "Come," I shook my head violently. "You trust me?" he questioned again, his eyes blazed with intensity. I felt it boil my blood, flow in my frozen veins, warming them. I placed my hand in his and he closed his fingers around mine, tugged on my hand so that I would step forward. "Calm down, he won't do anything," Cloud promised when I finally stood side-by-side to him.
I just nodded.
He let go of my hand to grab my elbow, his warm fingers ignited the spot. "Outstretch you hand," Cloud commanded, kindly. My breath came in harsh puffs. I obeyed his order.
My eyes shut tightly. Then the softest thing I have ever felt lingered on my skin. I gasped and opened my eyes. The wolf raised its head higher so my palm disappeared in its fur. "Wow!" was all I could say.
"I adopted it from Alaska, it was just a pup back then," Cloud informed his eyes on me.
"What's its name?" I asked, with a small, timid step forward. The wolf kept its eyes on me, I swallowed.
"Felan," Cloud responded then kneeled next to Felan, he ran his hand over the wolf's body.
"What does it mean?" I was curious.
"Means little wolf in Irish," Cloud rubbed down Felan's neck.
I did not say a word then something went off in my brain, it slipped off my tongue before I could hold it. "You left me alone with a wolf?"
Cloud laughed and stood up, "No, you were never alone here,"
"What do you mean?" my eyebrows ceased.
"Wade was here all along," he ran his hand through his hair my eyes followed the movement.
"You never saw Wade," I was confused, when we came here there was no one here.
A lopsided smile appeared on his lips, "No, he was right there," Cloud pointed to some trees ten feet away from us, "I saw him the moment we walked in," he nodded.
"You saw him," I repeated.
"Yes, that's why I left you alone to get us something to drink," I gawked at him, this was not the Cloud I knew, he was untroubled, his eyes were content, when will I understand this man? Every time I encounter him, he reveals a different personality to me which only ends up in me being even more puzzled.
~*~*
I don't know how but we departed from the green house at the right time, when we entered the dining room everyone was seated. I sat next to Cloud, then moments later Wade joined us to sit on my left side. Rosaline interrogated me how much I liked the dinner and some questions that involved Cloud. My face burned so much I was certain the skin would peel off from the heat of embarrassment.
The man on my right, my fiancé would simply grin at my replies; his reaction only sent my emotions to another level. When at last dinner was over, I went to accompany the women. "So Faith, tell me, how was your private meeting with Cloud," Alina asked, stressing the word 'meeting'.
I watched as she then flipped her long tresses over her shoulder "It went nice," I responded with a grin.
"Oh common," I jolted by the sudden voice near my ear. "How did it go well when I ruined everything for you guys," Wade pulled up only to plunge his hands deep in his jeans pockets and my smile evaporated.
I still disliked his behavior.
"No, you didn't, don't blame yourself," I notified him.
"Well then I'll forget it," he smirked and dropped next to me, "So Faith, how did you and Cloud meet?" he investigated, looking at the ladies then at last at me.
A small frown appeared on my forehead, "I met him here," it felt strange to inform him, freakish to discuss my meeting with Cloud to him.
"Interesting story, I want to know everything," he teased.
"Wade darling don't act like girls, the lady won't fall for you," Alina joked with a smirk. A laugh bubbled up my throat and threatened to escape my lips but I controlled myself.
"Damn," he rubbed the back if his neck, again I took note of how short his hair were. "If she didn't belong to Cloud," he took my hand in his, I flinched but did not pull away, "I would have stolen her already," Wade declared and winked.
I pulled my hand away from his grip rather harshly. Wade burst out into fits of laughter I literally glared at him. "Oh sweetest Faith, man you are so easy," he managed to say in between his laughs. "I can't even imagine of stealing you from Cloud, first he will chop my head like a roosters, second I am not dense to mess with him," he finished and sobered up a little.
What is this guy!
"Sorry once again, my blood does not rest until I haven't had my way with someone and today you look too damn pretty for me to let you go. I know Cloud will not like it that's why I am here with the ladies where he won't kill me," Wade kept babbling. I clenched my jaw so hard it began to hurt, not much though just a slight throb.
What to think of him! Hate him? Like him? I can't despise him because I am his sister-in-law and I can't like him because of his ridiculous behavior. Tybalt whose form makes me want to shrink into the ground. Rory, whose kindness is too mighty to be real, Cloud who is so, so mysterious that my brain ceases to function so that I am unable to learn his mind, his temperament and then there is this person, Wade, a lively man with no care what so ever about what he utters.
My God will I ever survive in this family?
Wade was out of jokes that were targeted at me when Cloud came to join us. He set next to me, laced our fingers but did not squeeze them. I remained silent as the Jayden family was engrossed in their animated chat. Cloud would lean every now and then, with elbows on knees and listen to what Mia or his mother would say but when Wade, his younger brother spoke a smile graced his lips.
Once again I felt my brain being compressed by an invisible force, a force that I could not touch yet feel it grasp my naive beating heart and crush it. Then I knew it was the underestimation, the level of distinction me and Cloud had in our class and lives. The questions I had abandoned rang like a ferocious wail in my head. Why did he agree to marry me? He has everything, then why, why ties the knots of his life with a poor, lonely, orphan girl?
I could not help but question his feelings for me. Although he smiled at me, but there deep inside his eyes the smile was silent, somewhat cold!
At midnight I decided it was time to bid my farewell. Rosaline engulfed me in a tight, motherly embrace. "Tomorrow I will set a date for your engagement party," she beamed at me. I bit the inside of my cheek when a blush crept on my face.
"I will let mom know," she placed the heels of her palms on my shoulder then gave a nod.
After that Cloud grabbed my hand to escort me to his car. Once we were out of their house I inhaled and exhaled quietly to steady my frantic heartbeats. He then turned on the radio, just like the first time and let it on low volume. I liked it that way. "You enjoyed yourself today?" Cloud asked while returning his hand from radio to the wheel.
"Yes, like I mentioned earlier your family is quite fascinating," I answered, averting my gaze from the window to him. He was beautiful, I knew this was idiotic of me to think of him this way, but would someone tell my heart that?
"What are you thinking?" his voice snapped me out of the daze.
"Nothing," the lie rolled smoothly from my tongue, again I knew that he knew I lied.
"You should be ready," he grinned. I winced as his cheek lifted, hope it does not hurt him smile with all the wounds.
"What for?" my head tilted on its own record.
"Mother will now ask a lot of questions from you regarding the engagement party, she is someone who fancies throwing them," he finished.
"Shall I take precautions then? I am not much of a party person," he laughed; I watched his shoulders shake with every laugh.
"No, it's not that serious," he stopped the car I looked around we had already reached my house.
"I guess I can do that for her, I can help her sort things out," when I said that he rotated to face me, there was a light behind the veil of his eyes and I gulped. "Good night," with that I got out.
My house was dark which indicated mom and dad were already asleep. I did not hear the door close but goose flesh appeared on my skin when he stood behind me. Cloud's hand found my wrist; I looked at him, aware that my eyes were wide with astonishment. He had no expressions on his face so I held my breath. "Cloud," a whisper sounded from somewhere.
His breath touched my face when he inched closer; his eyes stared in mine while I had hard time breathing. Cloud touched his forehead with mine, my eyes shut as a shudder snaked down my spine. Then I felt his lips brush my forehead, I allowed my eyes to open again.
He smiled, a small smile, "Good night," was all I heard before he turned around to leave.
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So tell me did you like Wade? Oh I love him, his character is really unique lol Let me know what you think in your COMMENTS and don't forget to VOTE.