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Chapter 18 - Lily: Make It
Three glasses in, and we were finally seated at the table for dinner. I had remained silent for the majority of the dinner, seeing as I had nothing but anger on the tip of my tongue and no one deserved my anger apart from Nora.
“Thank you, Nora, the dinner was amazing.” Jade smiled at my mother, and my mother smiled back at her.
Of course, she would smile at her. After all, Jade was the daughter my mother wished she’d had instead of me.
I wasn’t even making this up. She had said those exact words to me a few years back when we had gotten into it over something. When my mother and I clashed, hurtful words were always exchanged. We never had calm fights.
Grayson stood from his seat with his wine glass in hand.
“I would like to make a toast.”
Everyone around the table grabbed their glasses and raised them in the air, even Riley, Jade, and Nathaniel’s son who was too cute for words.
“Thank you all for coming to celebrate this holiday with us. To you, Tash and Nate, who flew all the way from New York just to be with us on this special day. To you, my mother who made a feast for us to enjoy and not to forget my beautiful sister, Marcus, Ethan, and of course Maddie. I am grateful for every single one of you.Last but certainly not least, to my woman, my rock, and my everything Jade. I am so thankful for you. A year ago, I would have never dreamed of having you here beside me. I had lost all hope for there ever being an us, but somehow by some miracle, you are here, and I never plan on letting you go. Which is why…”
Grayson put down his glass and reached for something in his pocket. He pushed the chair he had been sitting on away and lowered himself onto one knee. Jade’s mouth hung open, as she stared at the velvet box in his hands.
“I have loved you from the moment I met you. You complete me in every humanly way possible. Saying I love you doesn’t do my feelings for you justice. No amount of time with you will ever be enough but how about we start with forever. Jade Elizabeth Masters, would you do me the extraordinary honor of being my wife.”
Jade had tears streaming down her face but yet she still looked gorgeous. Figures. The Masters’ genes would do that to you.
“Yes!” She jumped on top of him, and they went tumbling to the ground.
The entire table erupted with screams of joy and happiness, and I downed my fourth drink of the night. Then, I reached for the bottle as everyone moved around the table to congratulate the happy couple.
“Your father would be so proud, my boy,” my mother beamed.
I rolled my eyes and took a sip of the wine.
“Thank you for gifting me grandma’s ring.”
I choked on the liquor in my throat, and it sputtered out of my mouth staining my dress. I began to cough, and someone came up behind me and started patting my back. When I recovered, I stood from my seat abruptly causing it to fall back.
I looked at Jade’s finger, and sure enough, she was wearing my grandmother’s ring. My father had promised me that I could have it.
“Take it off,” I commanded, staring Jade dead in the eye.
“What?”
My eyes snapped to my mother who was looking at me like I had just lost my mind. “Don’t you dare make me out to be a crazy psycho when we both know I am not crazy. That is my ring!”
“Lily,” Grayson said to me softly. “What are you talking about? This is the ring mom gave me to give Jade.”
I slammed my hand on the table. “That is my ring, dammit! Dad promised me that ring when I was a girl. Take it off now!”
“Honestly, Lillian, you are so full of dramatics. Can you not allow your brother his moment without trying to steal it away from him?”
“You shut up!” I snapped my eyes to Jade. “Jade, I’m so sorry to do this, but I need that ring back. It is not yours to have and, Nora, it was never yours to give.”
My mother gasped. “Yes, it was. I wore it for almost sixty years, and I gave it to my son to give to the woman he loves. It wasn’t even like you are going to get married, Lillian. Why not let your brother have it.”
“What if I was, and I wanted the ring on my finger like dad promised?”
My mother let out a humorless laugh. “And who would marry you? There is no man with enough patience in the world that would put up with you someone like you. You make it so hard to love you, Lillian, do you know that?”
“Mom,” my brother scolded her, but it was too late. Her words had already pierced my heart.
