Chapter 44: Chapter Forty-four

I often wish that when we’re together, you’d hold my hand and be proud to say I’m yours. When you do, I can’t express how much I love you and how thankful I am to have you by my side, even if it’s just for the day. Please know that there are times I worry about you not loving me anymore, that you’re merely playing with my heart. If that’s your intention, just walk away and leave me. Don’t waste your time.

Who the hell sent this?

Ignoring the cooling coffee on the table, I continued to stare at the scandalous message. Is someone playing a prank on me? No, it’s not a prank… This person knew about what happened between me and Chad back in New York. Is it one of the staff? Who on earth is it?

“Hey, sis, why do you look so scary?”

When Harvey said those words, my brain translated it to the voice of a mature man. Hey, why do you look like you got a stick up your bum? Somebody bit your ass?

Mentally making a note to pray that Harvey wouldn’t be like that soon, I threw the boy a reassuring smile and patted his head. “Nah, I was just thinking about spiders.” Harvey thought that all women were afraid of spiders and I was no exception to that. So, he merely nodded knowingly and sauntered off to somewhere in the house. Completely oblivious.

A sigh of relief came from my lips once Harvey had disappeared from my sight. The boy just got kidnapped not too long ago and including him in this new problem would just be too much for a ten-year-old kid.

My heart started to beat faster when another text came, but I laughed at how paranoid I looked. It was only a message from Chad. Thank god.

From: Chad Hey, baby… You got home safe? The smell of turkey is in the air! I hope you gave some thought to the party I told you about. Happy Thanksgiving, I love you.

Despite the sudden threat, I couldn’t help but smile giddily at Chad’s message. My fingers hurriedly typed back a reply—it was like they had a mind of their own.

To: Chad Yeah, I did. I hope you did too. Are you also having pumpkin pie? I’m missing you already.

Just as I was about to send the message, I stopped short and reread it. At the mention of the party, I leaned back and bit my lower lip in contemplation. My birthday was fast approaching but it was still too early to give him an answer.

To: Chad Yeah, I did. I’m glad you arrived home safe. About the party, I’m still thinking about it. I hope you’ll give me time. Are you having pumpkin pie? Mashed potatoes? I’m missing you already.

Once my reply was sent, I stood and left the empty dining room. In a few hours, a party would be held here for Thanksgiving and this disturbed me. Who sent that message, could it be the mastermind? The one who was behind all the harassment and the kidnapping? I better ask the investigator to trace this number.

With gritted teeth, I went straight to my room to conceal my fury. It would be bad if I let it slip out during the party. A relaxing bath and an hour to myself made me forget all the worries I had, only, the relief was temporary.

Lying on the bed, I smiled as I texted Francine and Patton. The two were celebrating Thanksgiving together with their families. It was like they were already married or something.

To: Francine I wish I could come, but you know…I can’t leave. It’s Thanksgiving. I wish I could spend it with you guys.

From: Francine It’s all right, Rach. I wish we could spend it together, too. I’ll call you later tonight, okay? I have a lot of things to talk to you about since you’ve been gone. I miss you and your voice!

To: Francine Me too. Yeah, sure! I’ll be waiting for your call.

Setting my phone aside, I took a short nap, and afterwards, I took my journal from the desk. In the middle of writing, I shot up straight when my ears picked up a foreign sound coming from the balcony. Curious, I walked over to it to see that it was empty as always.

What the–?

A hand suddenly came out and almost shocked my soul out of me. The owner of the hand’s face came into view, the blond hair and the striking blue eyes—it was no doubt Chad Montgomery. What? Why is he–? How did he even get up here?

His eyes landed on me and he waved, a goofy smile on his lips. Still stunned, I waved back limply. But as soon as he climbed up further, his facial expression turned to shock, and before I knew it, Chad disappeared.

Oh, my god!

I ran out of my room, panting hard in fear as I raced outside. As soon as I reached the side where my balcony was facing, there was no sign of Chad. “Where are you? Chad?” A certain bush was making groaning sounds and I knew I didn’t have to look far. “Chad…”

There lay the man, who was known for being a player and a famous businessman. But the titles society gave him didn’t match what I could see here now. Chad had a pained expression. His hand was rubbing his back as he groaned loudly. Leaves and snow that seemed like his crown decorated his now messy hair. When he opened his eyes and saw me, he broke out in laughter.

“Thank goodness you’re not injured! Chad, please don’t do that again. You gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, I thought I could do ‘the princess met prince through the balcony’. Like in that Rapunzel story.”

I shook my head at him in disapproval. “Yeah? And how would the story have ended if Rapunzel never had the longest hair and the prince died from a fall? Let the kids think he did the disappearing act?”

“Well, if it’s a sci-fi story, then tell them he fell into a portal going to another world.”

“Damn it, Chad! Don’t you ever do that again!” I pointed up to the balcony. “Do you see that? If it were higher and that bush hadn’t been there, you’d probably be like jelly right now!”

A sheepish laugh was what he gave me. “Geez, I’m so sorry Rachel. Yes, I won’t do it again. I mean, I worked hard just to get in so I wouldn’t get noticed… We agreed to keep our relationship a secret, right?”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t knock and use the door to get in like a normal person! You slipped on ice!”

“Sorry...”

Heaving a sigh at the impossible man—who happened to be my boyfriend—I bent down to help him up, only to be pulled down by the same man. “Chad!” His huge hand went to the nape of my neck, pulling my face down to meet my lips with his. Cheeks flushing, I tried to pull apart from him in fear that one of the bodyguards might notice the commotion and catch us. Not only that, the cold atmosphere was getting to me. I needed warmth. However, Chad wouldn’t let that happen. In fact, it only excited him.

“Don’t…resist me…Rachel,” he murmured in between kisses, his tongue licking my lips before exploring my mouth. He tasted delicious. Humming in content, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him deeper. If we were shadowed by the night, this would’ve been okay. But since we were doing this in broad daylight…

“Chad… My room, not here.”

Getting my point, we parted for air and smirked at each other. Taking his hand, I guided him to the back so that we would be able to dodge the house staff and my parents. Harvey was obviously not a problem, since the boy was probably in his room playing video games. Suppressing my giggles, I maneuvered our way to my bedroom.

As we were about to head up the stairs, Mom and Dad’s voice could be heard from the hallway approaching us. Panicking, I pulled Chad with me and hid behind the potted plants near the kitchen door. All the staff inside were busy and would probably only see the world again after the party.

I hushed Chad as my parents approached the stairs, discussing business as they walked. “Helen, if we don’t do the marketing well, we’ll lose a lot of opportunity to…” The rest of his words grew faint and we waited.

“What are you waiting for?”

“Shh! Be quiet, Chad.”

The door was clicked shut above and that was all the signal I needed before pulling Chad with me again. My eyes were wide as my hand reached out to take the doorknob. Almost there! Once the door was open, I pushed Chad in.

“Hurry!”

“Sis?”

No! I can’t be caught! Geez, this brings me back to my high school days, when I would always sneak that traitorous snake in my room whenever he asked me too.

Harvey stood behind the door to his room, eyes peeking through the narrow crack. “Are you okay? You seem flustered.”

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine, Harv. You know, I’m just a bit bored and tonight’s party might even be the same as usual.” Why am I rambling like this? “But we should always try to enjoy ourselves. Yes, I’ll just go prepare my clothes. You should do the same, Harv. Love you!”

The look on Harvey’s face was priceless as I closed the door with a huge smile on my face. It was all I could do for him not to be completely weirded out by my sudden change of demeanor. After the door was shut, I leaned my head against the wooden surface and silently cursed at myself for lying again.

What am I doing?

My thoughts in a state of disarray at the touch of Chad’s hand against the skin of my neck, goosebumps rose. “Baby, it’s only been a few hours and I’m already missing you like crazy. What have you done to me?”

A sultry smile on, I turned to face him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I could ask you the same thing, Chad.” Liking where this was going, Chad took the lead and began to fire me up with his touches. His hands roamed, plump lips attacking mine while I did the same. It was like he was worshipping me with those hands of his alone… I imagined how I would feel once he started fucking me wildly.

That would be so nice.

“Chad, I want you.”

His response came out breathily. “I want you too, Rach.”

It was out of instinct, when a knock resonated from the door, that I pushed Chad into the bathroom as I fixed my messy hair. “Who is it?” The person didn’t answer and it pissed me off. How dare they interrupt and without a cause?! But, to my surprise, I opened the door to see it was Dad.

“Rachel, is everything all right?” He narrowed his eyes while scanning my room for anything out of the ordinary. “The bodyguards said that they heard something in the garden, told me that someone probably broke in. You haven’t seen anyone?”

“Me? Oh no, Dad. I haven’t. I just finished my paperwork a while ago and I was getting ready for the party tonight.”

Gosh, I’m a very bad liar. Please, I don’t want to go to hell!

“All right, if you say so.” Dad then smiled. “Do you want to go out and snowball fight with me? You always pestered me about that before. I know I may be old, but I’ve still got that perfect aim!”

“Oh, Dad! I would love to…” I suddenly froze, realizing Chad was still in the room, probably listening to our conversation. Would it be all right to accompany, Dad? I’ve been wanting to spend time with him for a while. Now there’s the chance, Chad’s here with me. Can I just abandon him here?

“Splendid! Let’s—”

His words were cut off when his phone began ringing in the pocket of his pants. Taking it, he held up a hand and walked out of the room. Seeing that this was the perfect time to ask Chad, I raced to the bathroom to find him just staring at his reflection.

“Chad, I hope you don’t mind, but my Dad wants to spend time with me and I feel the same.” Fiddling with my fingers, I gave him my best smile. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay? It’s just that it’s been a long time…”

“Yeah, sure. Go ahead, you don’t have to ask me about that,” he chuckled and looked at me through the mirror. “Just have fun, okay? It is Thanksgiving. I’ll be here in your room, waiting.” Then, he winked. “Of course, when you come back, I expect you to give me something in return.”

He sent me a cheeky smile and I couldn’t help but giggle at it. “Fine, you act like a child sometimes.”

“Says the woman who’ll be having a snowball fight with her Dad.”

“Hey! I love playing snowball fights and it’s been a while since I did it, especially with my Dad, who’s busy with the company.” I leaned forward to give him a chaste kiss. “Besides, you won’t be complaining later, so just stay here.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Bidding the blond, handsome man goodbye, I walked out of the bathroom just in time for Dad to finish his call. “So, are you ready? Better wear a jacket first, pumpkin.”

***

After several fights, we ended up cold and hungry. “Guys, we still have a party to hold! Come on!” Mom beckoned. She and Harvey were watching us from the patio, laughing and supporting us. I wiped off the snow that stuck to my hair.

“Let’s get ready for the party, pumpkin.” Dad grinned and sauntered his way over to Mom. I nodded in agreement and walked side by side with him. But, as soon as we got in, I excused myself and rushed to my room. Damn, I left him all to himself for a long time now. I hope he hasn’t died of boredom. I’m coming, Chad!

Swinging the door open, I stepped in to see that Chad was just sleeping soundly on my bed. In his arms was one of my pillows and he was snoring lightly. The sky outside was slowly becoming darker, the day paving way for the night. Approaching him, I muffled my laughter and petted his hair.

Oh, Chad. I’m sorry that I made you wait. Should I wake you up?

“Chad. Chad, I’m here.” I shook his shoulder gently, so as not to surprise him. “Chad, wake up.” He let out a soft groan, his eyes squinted open, and when he saw me, he pulled me down into an embrace.

“Hey, Chad.”

“Hey, Rachel,” he greeted softly, his hand running through my hair. “You’re so cold…want me to warm you up?”

“Chad, there’s still a party to be held.” I release myself from his embrace and walked towards the wardrobe. “You remember that, right?”

“Yeah, my parents are also invited. They’ll probably be here in a few minutes.”

Taking the clothes I’d picked, I held it up and smiled. It was the perfect dress for a Thanksgiving party. The dark red color of the dress alone screamed festivity.

“What do you think?”

Chad hummed in response, pointing his index finger at the dress. “Yeah, it’s cool.” A suggestive smirk then painted his face. “But it’s better off of you. To be specific, on your bedroom floor.”

“Chad!”

“Yes, it’ll look great on you. I was just teasing!”

Now is not the time to fool around, especially when my family is here. Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery are also on their way. What would I say if they caught us in bed together? I’d probably be too shocked to come up with a reply while Dad would be dragging Chad out the house! That can’t happen!

“Yeah…”

Turning around, I took my clothes off and slipped into the red dress. I figured that since we had done the deed, it wouldn’t bother him or me if I stripped while he was in the room. But even though my back was facing him, I could feel his heated gaze and it was just making me feel hot all over again.

Hurriedly zipping the dress, which made me do weird poses, I moved to the vanity and brushed my hair. It was silent in the room as I prepared myself for the party, doing my hair and makeup.

“Rachel, can I ask you a favor?”

In the middle of applying lipstick, I paused and turned to face Chad. “Yes? What is it?” When he didn’t answer right away, I faced the mirror once again to continue applying the lipstick. “What is it, Chad? You can tell me.”

Chad sighed and brushed it off with a wave of his hand. “Never mind, Rach. It’s nothing.”

By the time I was done, I grabbed Chad’s hand and led him to the living room, where there were already guests mingling. In the crowd, we spotted his parents and decided to part ways.

“Talk to you later, okay?” I squeezed his hand before letting go.

Chad winked and nodded, joining his parents afterwards. Looking for Harvey, I found him by the buffet table and chuckled at how he stared at the turkey. “Harv, relax! We’re going to eat that later.” With an impatient moan, Harvey directed his gaze elsewhere, onto something that wouldn’t make his stomach rumble.

“I’m just hungry… When can we start eating? I mean, do we really have to talk to everyone? Can’t they hear this boy’s rumbling stomach?”

“Harvey, I know you love food. I do, too!” The cheesecake that sat next to the mashed potatoes had been tempting me ever since I set eyes on it. “But we have to wait.”

“Well, that lady isn’t!”

Following where his finger was pointing, I felt my throat go dry when I spotted Heather—who supposedly dated Chad before we met—talking to him. Not only that, she was smiling quite fondly at him and dared to lean close to kiss him. But what angered me the most was the slice of cheesecake on her plate. Inspecting the cake on the table, I realized that a slice had already been taken. I gritted my teeth together and clenched my hands, not liking what was going on.

That bitch…