I still have my sprained ankle in a moon boot, I wonder why Jace didn't mention it… it makes me wonder, maybe he sensed that I was too overwhelmed from the visit so he didn't bother bringing it up.
I frown to myself, how can Jace be so closed off? I don't know anything about him. The mystery stirs my infatuation. I wonder if perhaps that is why I am so drawn to him, as people are commonly inquisitive about the unknown.
I help Emily set the dining room table. "Are you nervous?" She beams. My eyes widened. I shake my head.
"Not really– should I be?" I question while applying the silver cutlery.
She shrugs. "It looks like something is on your mind. You look deep in thought, that's all." She remarks calmly– Emily is always serene. She is the exact opposite of my mother. Calm, sophisticated, wealthy background. I think that being born into a wealthy family is just as slim as winning the lottery.
I let out a nervous chuckle. Did I look like I was thinking about something serious? Jace always puts me deep into thought. I constantly try to read him and I never succeed. He is just… unpredictable.
I wave Emily off. "No, of course not. I was just thinking about starting a new school." I lie, I didn't need to lie. So why did I do it? Possibly a habit I developed to keep certain things hidden from my real mom.
Could I even call her that? Real mom. Especially now that she is nothing to me.
Emily puts her hand on my shoulder. "Nothing to be nervous about, you are an exceptional young lady." She smiles gently. "Remember I'm always here if you need me." She reminds me.
I nod, should I tell her how I feel about Mom? Should I tell her that I still have terrible dreams about that night? I want to but I know this isn't a good time. But if I don't, when will I? There's a lump in my throat. I part my lips to speak. But just before anything can come out the doorbell rings.
Emily looks at me with excitement, "They're here." She smiles widely.
"I'll get it," I say in a small voice.
I go over to the door and open it. I stand cold on my feet. He looks at me like he isn't that surprised to see me at all. "Jace." I mummer as he stands sideways next to a couple that looks about in their late fifties or early sixties.
Jace looks away.
"Mr Harrison." My father emerges from behind me to shake the older man's hand.
"Mrs Harrison." My dad then shakes the lady's hand. She smiles. She has dark red lipstick on her plump lips and her hair is blonde resting like a cloud above her shoulders, her eyes are emerald green. She looks like she has a lot of class considering the white dress that compliments her youthful-looking figure.
She smiles at me and I offer her a small wave. I recognise these people. They are the same people that are on Jace's Instagram.
The man only has a frown on his face, he lets it rest when my father invites them in, I step aside as they walk through the door.
"You must be Jaehyun." My father says, shaking his hand.
My eyes widen hearing that name.
"I see that you've done your research Stone but the boy answers to Jace." Mr Harrison says firmly.
He is intimidating and looks nothing like Jace. His hair is greyed but he does not have one evident wrinkle. His eye colour is blue and he is about three inches taller than Jace. Oddly, the picture made Jace look taller.
Jace wears a black suit, the same as his grandfather. It suits him but he doesn't look like he is in the mood to wear it.
"Jace, sorry." My father apologises.
Jace shakes his head, "It doesn't matter Mr Stone, call me whatever makes you feel comfortable." Jace says in a mellow voice.
My father lets go of his hand, "You've got a firm grip on your son, nothing like the boy Lucy brought home." My dad praises Jace.
Jace puts a little smirk on his face. "Thank you, sir."
"Why must you insult Andrew, Dad?" I shake my head.
"Sorry for insulting your boyfriend pumpkin, it won't happen again." My dad teases.
Jace's smile is short-lived when my dad makes that comment. He then gives me a hard look. Which I shrug my shoulders, to inquire why he is giving me such a stern look.
"I haven't introduced you to my daughter, Lucy." I greet them with a shy smile and an awkward wave.
"This is Mr Harrison CEO of H Renovation co and this is his wife and grandson." My father says warmly.
"Nice to meet you both," I say to the couple.
"Such a pretty daughter you have Mr Stone, what is her nationality? Did you adopt her?" Mrs Harrison asks the most forward question I have ever heard, with her husky voice.
"No she is my daughter, her mother is mixed with African American and Mexican." My dad answers he seems a bit tense, but he holds himself together.
"Oh, interesting mixture." She smiles and laughs in the most pretentious one I've ever heard.
"Grandmother, could you please behave." Jace makes a face at her.
"Oh Jacey, such a stick up his arse, you're always so serious. You will have to excuse him. You know it's times like this where I miss my Dorian." She says and then enters the house.
And Jace turns his head almost as if he had been smacked in the face by that remark.
"Would you like a drink?" My father asks the couple.
"Make it something strong, Stone." Mr Harrison says stiffly.
"Lucy, please keep Jace company while I take Mr and Mrs Harrison to the bar area." My dad asks me but before I can agree he walks off with the pair to the bar area.
Jace sighs, "Fuck Dorian." He mutters.
For a moment I stand still in silence with Jace.
I then break the silence, "Who is Dorian?"
He shakes his head, "Nobody." He stares at me with a numb expression. "What's this business about Andrew being your boyfriend?" He asks me with a fierce look in his eyes.
"My dad thinks any boy I talk to is my boyfriend and then he threatens them, and then they run away," I explain.
"But you didn't deny it." He frowns.
"Well, he isn't my boyfriend." I shrug. "Besides I think my dad was just teasing me." I give a small shrug.
Jace sighs and stands closer to me. "I didn't expect to meet your dad like this… why didn't you tell me he works for grandfather's company?"
I shake my head. "it didn't come up, besides I didn't know your grandfather is the CEO." I look at him in confusion. "It's crazy, isn't it? That we're neighbours and my dad works for his company." I remark.
He shrugs, "I live alone in that house. It used to be my grandfather's vacation home when he was my age but my grandmother and grandfather's Californian home is in another part of the city.
I frown, "You live alone?" I say in shock.
He nods.
"Why?" I scowl.
"I suppose Grandfather hates looking at me..." Jace shrugs and I remain silent.
I take him by his hand and he looks down at my moon boot.
"Why do you have that thing on?" He looks at me.
"Just a sprain." I shrug.
"You're such a klutz." He tells me. But I just shrug him off.
I frown at him but I just brush that remark off.
"Come, I want to show you something." I smile.
I lead him to the backyard.
"Admit it you just want me alone." He smirks.
I frown at him. "No. I wanted to show you the garden. Isn't it beautiful?" I ask.
He shrugs. "It's alright I guess." He says looking around.
I roll my eyes at him. "What is your garden better?" I ask. To my surprise, he nods.
"My gardener takes care of the garden but I suppose there's going to be another drought so everything in the garden will die again," Jace says bluntly as if he is familiar with that word, which I know from Andrew he is.
I watch him scan the yard, his eyes looking over to the statue. He walks over to it and admires it with his hands in his pockets.
"I like this statue." He says out loud.
The male statue stands in a thoughtful pose. "I wonder what's on his mind," Jace says to no one in particular.
He turns back to me, "He's probably thinking why hasn't he kissed her already?" Jace says with a naughty smirk. "I'm thinking about that myself, Mr Statue." He answers the statue playfully.
"Let me fix that." He murmmers as he then storms over to me in a heartbeat to press his lips against mine.
My heart contracts. Is Jace kissing me? This moment feels surreal. As he moves his hands in my curls, kissing me hard with his soft lips like he has wanted to do this since the first day he's met me. Kissing me as if I might just disappear–
"Lucy…" A voice says behind me, and I quickly break away.
"...Emily," I say in a mixture of guilt and embarrassment.