Rose smiled sadly with the image of her mother on her mind as she stared at her biological mother's cousin who was now her foster mother. She hugged her as tears clouded her eyes. "Thank you," Rose appreciated sincerely.
"It's okay now," Valerie whispered patting Rose back.
When they separated, Rose opened the door of her new car and sat inside. The leather of the seats was top notch quality and the light pink color they had gave off was really beautiful making someone feel comfortable in it.
"Do you like it?" Valerie asked.
"I love it," she replied sincerely with a bright smile across her cheeks and a dramatic nod.
***
"Hey, welcome," Anna said pulling each and every one of her friends in for an embrace including Jace and his bodyguard.
It was not hard for anyone to notice the pink tint that appeared on Jace's cheeks when Anna pulled away from the embrace. This was the first time he saw Anna without being dressed in her uniform or sport wear and she looked particularly beautiful in her simple black jean shorts and black tank top.
Her hair was held behind exposing her fair neck and he could not forget how warm she felt when he hugged her. He gulped as he looked her craving for another hug. He suddenly wished everyday was her birthday. He only moved his gaze from her body when he noticed Anna's glare at him.
"Happy birthday," they chorused as they followed her into the living room.
"Thank you but where is my gift?" Anna asked glaring at them playfully.
"Here," Debby was first to answer giving her two wrapped boxes. "I bought a set of a five layers bracelet and a light shade of lilac lipstick."
"Thank you," Anna shouted hugging her friend again.
"Hey, I saw your post on social media. You got a car and bike," Wayne complained frowning as he comfortably sat on a sofa.
"The car belongs to Rose and besides I would have gotten two bikes. Did Rose rat me out?" she murmured while walking towards Wayne with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Why will I rat you out. You were only dreaming about getting two bikes," Rose corrected her as she took a slice of cake from the maid who came in to serve her friends.
"I will get the next one before I turn seventeen," Anna promised her with determination as she continued to advance towards Wayne. "Don't eat too much cake. We will be going out for fun today."
"Where do you plan to go to?"
"I don't know but I think visiting the amusement park will be cool."
"Are you a kid? Or are you on a date?" Debby asked shaking her head at that idea.
"If it were just us alone, ladies, we would have visited the spa together and enjoy some aromatherapy," Anna murmured as she intentionally slowed down her movement towards Wayne to give him the chance to bring out her gift.
"Wayne, quit stalling," Debby gave Wayne a friendly advice.
"She has her bike," Wayne complained.
"I don't think you should ride that bike at sixteen," Jace said in a very serious mood.
Everyone turned and stared at him with raised eyebrows and slightly parted lips. Anna shook her head and ignored him. She moved her attention to Wayne as wondered what gave Jace the right to tell her what to do.
"You should wait till you are twenty or get a bike with a smaller engine. Riding that bike is dangerous, it has a stronger power than you can handle," Jace continued his lecture not caring that he was getting ignored.
Anna turned and smiled at Jace as sweetly as she could. "Thank you Mr. Hart," she answered him in a sarcastic manner as his words were slowly pissing her off.
Rose hardly got to see Anna angry but Jace's superpower was making her angry. She had to agree with him. It was not right for her to ride a bike at her age. It could be dangerous.
"I am not telling you this as Mr. Hart but as you friend and crush," he said more serious than earlier making Anna blush.
Anna needed an escape route at this point with everyone now staring at her expectantly. She frowned and launched at Wayne like a hungry wolf searching his pockets for her gift.
"Oh stop it or I'll bite you," Wayne shouted back shattering the serious atmosphere Jace created.
"That was manly by the way," Debby praised Jace with a smile and a wink.
Jace returned her smile and her wink as he planned to steal her bike the moment she starts learning how to ride it. If she buys another, he would just steal it again and keep stealing all her bikes till she gives up.
"Hey let's go out it is almost Lunch time. How about we grab lunch together? Tomorrow, we the girls will go to the best spa in town. And you, Wayne give her the gift you brought," Debby said standing up as she wiped her lips after eating a slice of cake.
"You brought my gift?" Anna had to ask her friend who was unwilling to give her his gift.
"Yes. I left it in my car." Wayne answered truthfully although he wanted to keep stalling but he had gotten tired of Anna going through his pocket like he stole from her.
"You are just too luckily. I would have handed you over to the security men for full body check," Anna told him pulling away from him and went upstairs to get ready to go out.
Rose followed her into the elevator. "You don't joke with your birthday gifts do you?" Rose teased smiling.
"Yeah I don't. Don't forget you promised me you were going to cut your hair in college on my fifteenth birthday."
"I promised to keep it short for only a year, don't forget that too."
"What about my sixteenth birthday gift?"
"I will give you later. I could not buy anything nice. I am in the process of making something for you."
"Thank you."
"You are welcome. Try not to get angry at Jace. He is right. You got the bike but I don't think it is right you ride it now. You might get hurt."
Anna's smile disappeared for a few seconds but returned immediately. "Okay, I won't ride it till I am nineteen. I will tell mum. She also refused to buy it for me at first but I kept requesting for it."
"I just think its best you wait for a while. I will also . . ."
"No, don't say that. You will drive your car because you are going to be dropping me off at school soon."
"I don't plan on driving anytime soon."
"You will or I will simply learn and drive us both to school."
"I pray you pass the driving test," Rose teased her with a smile.
"Oh come on. I will pass it before you do. Should we make a bet?"
The two girls returned down stairs to go out with their friends after Anna went to the third floor to tell her mum who was busy in her studio that they were living.
Rose was dressed in a simple white and blue floral print gown and white sneakers. She wore a sliver hair band holding her hair back. She looked very natural but beautiful. The only jewel she wore was a silver wrist watch and a pair of earrings.
"Wow," Wayne wowed in admiration. Rose was the perfect definition of a natural beauty she also had the ability to look good in anything. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Yes she has," the body guard snapped.
"What's your name? You hardly say a word that I find it hard to remember your name," Debby asked the body guard shocked that the guy actually spoke she did not know what his voice sounded like till today.
"Scott," he answered calmly but expressionless like a robot.
"Oh I will try not to forget and try to talk more I like your voice," Debby told him wriggling her eyebrows expecting a smile from the boy but he only nodded remaining expressionless.
"Why did you say she had a girlfriend?" Anna asked frowning at the boy then giving Rose a questioning look but Rose shook her head and gave her an innocent look. If Rose ever gets a boyfriend, she would have known first.
"I guess he means since Rose is beautiful, she must have a boyfriend," Jace replied to clean up his guard's mess.
Scott wondered why he had to answer the question when he had always done good job of staying silent for all these while. He did not even have any idea about who the boyfriend could be. Everyone in the living room nodded in agreement since their friend, Scott had problems communicating properly.
"Let's go," Debby hugged Scotts hand and pulled him after Rose who led the way.
"You look beautiful," Jace told Anna as he walked beside her.