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12
Gisele
“You look well rested,”my father remarked the moment I entered the formal dining room. He sat at the head of the table. I took the seat to my father’s right. Jared took the left, and Abigail sat next toherson.
We hadn’t used this in years, and I was quite ecstatic we were using it again. It was a beautiful room. It would be a waste if we didn’t use it asoften.
“Thank you. I slept really well.” Brightly beaming at my father, I greeted Abigail and her son. I could feel Jared’s gaze on me, carefully measuring as though studying my calmdemeanor.
But it was all a façade. Come on, who would forget about his two-hour session with Rose? What was he, a jackhammer energizer bunny? Bitterness filled me, and I loathed feeling like such a jealousnutcase.
Needing to distract myself, I greeted our butler with a warm smile. “I’ll skip the main entrée and dessert, Thomas.Thankyou.”
“Still not hungry?” Jared curiously voiced out from across the table. “You skippedlunch,too.”
Before I could respond to him, his mother, Abigail, did thehonors.
“She’s a new bride. Maybe she desires to look the very best foryou,son.”
I almost choked on my wine. For the first time today, I had a genuine smile on my face. Abigail, bless her, was the sweetest. “You’re right. Your son is quite the catch. I want to please him as often aspossible.”
Jared lookedflustered.
I coyly fanned my lashes at him, entertained. “I’m so lucky to have such a perfect husband. Don’t you think so,mylove?”
My father laughed. “She’s going to give you a run for your money, Jared. Don’t underestimate those sweet smiles. Her mother was the same. It used to drive mecrazy.”
“I look forward to it,” he uttered while his eyes never left my face. It held something…menacing.
Nevertheless, Jared would stay in his lane as well as I. Separate lives but under the same roof. Was that even possible? I reeled at the thought of him seeking his girlfriend. He would never want me. He never had, and he never would. Married or not, that much hadn’t changed. The truth was a hard pill toswallow.
While they enjoyed the rest of the courses, I casually sipped on my wine, joining in the conversation when necessary. Silently dejected, I gathered enough courage to carry on discussions without showing how distraught I was. However, Jared’s scrutinizing gaze still unsettled me from timetotime.
My eyes flickered towards the mantelpiece in search of the clock, which indicated it was time to change. So, without fuss, I calmly excused myself, bidding them all a greatevening.
I didn’t let out a shaky breath until I reached the safe confines of my bedroom. Upon reaching my vast walk-in closet, my nerves began to settle down as I sorted out what look would be best fortonight.
I chose to wear a delicate fine thong before sliding my feet into my favorite three-inch black stilettos. I then strode towards the black dresses section, browsing through each designer piece. Should I do long or short? Since it was still summer, might as well go for short because once it started getting chilly, I wouldn’t be able to don these sexy dresses any longer. The semi-sheer black slip mini dress caught my eye. It was a form-fitting one. The back had two thin lace straps that ran all the way down to almost at the base ofmyneck.
Strolling over to the lengthy mirror, I did a sweeping once-over with the dress over my bare figure. It’d look absolutely gorgeous on my five-foot-ten frame, I conceded with a pleased grin. After today’s madness, I badly needed an ego-boost, and this dress would surely help meachievethat.
“Goingsomewhere?”
I whipped my head around, only to find Jared leaning against the closet’s doorframe. Pensive as he severely scrutinized the piece of cloth in mypossession.
With nothing but a slinky thong and stilettos on, I wasn’t even an ounce uncomfortable baring my almost naked state. In fact, I proudly arched my back, emphasizing my jutting breasts in total defiance. Jared had been blatant about not being attracted to me whatsoever. Witnessing my starkness shouldn’t faze him. I felt as though I had to prove a point—that his non-attraction to me hadn’t dented myconfidence.
“Yeah, I have this thing…” I trailed off, not sure where Wyatt was taking metonight.
“With whom?”he pressed. The weight of his stare troubled me. His displeasure was palpable. The deep frown etched on his face stated as much. Instead of focusing on his foul mood, I noted how his unbuttoned dress shirt gave me a glimpse of his sculpted physique. My mouth watered at the sight of hischest.
What did they call shameless women who kept pursuing even though the men had rejected them?A hopeless case. This was me…all these years…I held onto false hopes. Desperation made oneafool.
Everything in life was about choice. Right or wrong, it was a choice. If you were overweight, daydreaming about being skinny, but you choose not to do something about it? That was a choice. If you decided to cheat on your significant other, that was not temptation addling your mind. You made that choice. If you hurt someone because they hurt you, that was a choice. Life was an obstacle. Good or bad, we got to choose which path to take. There wouldn’t be changes if the choices you made were the same ones that got you there in the first place. You could only be defeated if you remained insouciant. Like a sick never-ending cycle that slowly drained you dry until all hope had left you. But instead of cowering, it was my choice not to hunt down a tub of coffee ice cream, plop onto the couch, and watch reruns of Sex and The City while I balled tears, seeing Carrie’s never-ending heartbreak over Mister Big. So tonight, I chose me. It was always going to be me from now on until the very end. If being selfish would get me to where I needed to be, then sobeit.
The only thing hindering such esteemed progression was Jared, who chose to linger in the background. Appearing not ready to leave until he had all the information heneeded.
Dragging my eyes away from his inquisitive cerulean blues, I mindlessly caressed the soft texture of the silk in my hand with my thumb. “I’m going out with Blair’s brother, Wyatt.” I’m sure he knew who Wyatt was. There was no need for explanation. So, why did it seem as though he still wasn’t ready to drop thesubjectyet?
