He picked me up and turned so he could lay me gently on the bed. I shivered as his lips moved against my skin. One by one, our clothes disappeared and so did the world around us as the night slowly faded into dawn.
CHAPTER 14: WORTH IT
Paul laid there staring at the ceiling as Jade snored softly beside him, her head on his chest. He looked down and brushed back the hair falling over her face, smiling. For such a short person, she had a lot of fire in her - in more ways than one. She proved that the night when he made love to her for the first time in almost five years. It had been incredible for both of them. That had been nearly two months ago and they made love almost every night since then. If he was being honest to himself, he couldn’t get enough of her.
Careful not to wake her up, Paul slipped his arm from beneath her body and slowly got out of bed before pulling on a fresh pair of boxers and grabbing pajama pants from his dresser. Tugging on a shirt, he headed downstairs to make breakfast as a surprise for Jade. His mom was already up and drinking tea at the table as the sun peeked through the curtains separating the room from the backyard. She smiled brightly when he appeared in the kitchen.
"Good morning, my son. How was your night?"
"It was good," he said, pouring coffee into a mug. She smirked knowingly, but didn't push for details. "How was Ava?"
"She was a little angel for Grandma. We watched Frozen and Tangled before she fell asleep."
"Her two favorite movies in one night? I think someone's a little spoiled when it comes to spending time with Grandma," he joked as he leaned against the counter next to the sink, breathing in the smell wafting upwards to his nose.
"You were spoiled that much at one point too, mister." Clara playfully scolded him.
"Really, though. Thank you for watching her. Almost every night for the last two months. I really appreciate everything you do for us, Mom, and I know Jade does too."
"It's my pleasure," Clara reassured him. "After all, she's my only granddaughter… and I’m her only living grandma. I like to spend time with her, even if it means letting her parents have alone time with very few interruptions."
Paul grinned at his mother’s subtle innuendo, then walked over to the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs. As he began the process of scrambling the eggs until they were fluffy yellow deliciousness, Clara put bread in the toaster for him. She fried bacon as he covered the sausage, both sizzling loudly as the air filled with the mouthwatering meaty scents. Within minutes, breakfast was ready, steaming from the pans as Clara switched off the stovetop. Paul was putting eggs on a plate when Jade appeared, wrapped up in her fuzzy pink robe, matching slippers, and messy bed hair tossed into a bun.
"Good morning," she yawned, then smiled sleepily. "I knew I smelled bacon."
"Good morning to you too, beautiful. Bacon is your weakness," Paul teased, kissing her. She blushed.
"Bacon is life… Sue me," she shrugged, pouring orange juice into a glass. Paul shook his head, chuckling as he noticed the ice cubes clinking against the cup. "What's so funny?"
"You are."
Before Jade could reply, a little voice interrupted them.
"Bacon!"
Ava appeared in the doorway with Skylar right behind her. Sky looked to Jade and they shared a look before they burst out laughing. Jade motioned for Ava, who immediately ran over to her, arms outstretched. She gave Ava a piece of bacon as she helped her into the booster seat on the chair. Paul made them both a plate while Jade poured apple juice into a cup for Ava. Clara had left when Jade came into the kitchen, but returned a few minutes later.
"Oh good. The three of you are here. We're throwing a party for Alpo and Lola tonight… kind of an engagement-slash-baby celebration. Paul, I'll need you and Nick to help set up the backyard in a little bit. Leo has the men getting the tables and chairs out of storage, and I already called in a DJ. They should be here soon to do a sound check and whatever else they need to do."
"Okay, Mom."
"I'm going to the store. Do any of you need anything?"
Paul and Sky shook their heads while Jade quickly wrote down a few things on a piece of paper. She handed it to her future mother-in-law and Clara gracefully floated out of the room, going over the rest of her shopping list. As she got into the car and instructed her personal day driver where to go, she noticed Paul was calling her. She smiled when she picked up on the second ring.
“Yes, my son?”
“Will you pick up a dozen pink carnations with baby's breath? Please?”
“Anything for my baby. I’ll be back soon. Don’t wreck the house.”
Paul laughed at their small joke and hung up before he walked back into the kitchen, smiling to himself. He feverishly hoped that Jade would love her surprise; it had been a few weeks since he had a bouquet sent to her. Before he could worry about that any further, Nick stumbled into the kitchen, looking like he was still half asleep. Paul handed him a cup of coffee and slid over the sugar and creamer while Nick sat down at the island counter. He didn't seem to notice Jade or Sky at the table as he turned his attention to Paul.
"You're one lucky man, little brother." He took a drink before sighing and running his fingers through his hair, a telltale sign of stress with the Centofanti men.
"What do you mean? What’s gotten into you, Nick?" Paul asked, motioning for the girls to stay silent.
"You have a great job, the dream girl, and a family of your own. You're getting married and everything seems to be falling into place. I'm 30 and I can't even gather enough courage to ask out someone… it’s like I’m a teenage boy getting ready for his first high school dance all over again."
"Who's got you wound up like an eight-day clock?"
Nick sighed and hesitated before answering his brother, his gaze avoiding Paul as he stared into his mug.
"Skylar."
"Jade's best friend?" Paul glanced over to the table where both Jade and Sky had their hands over their mouths, looking at one another with wide eyes. He turned back to Nick, who didn't notice.
"Yes, Jade's best friend.” Nick grunted, rolling his eyes at his brother’s surprise. “She's beautiful, funny, smart... She was so good with Ava the other day, when you and Jade were out for lunch. She's practically everything I've ever wanted in a woman… more than Christine ever was, ya know? I just don’t know how she feels about me… or if she’s even open to dating, given the circumstances of her last relationship."
"Why don't you turn around and ask me yourself?" Sky spoke up, causing Nick to nearly jump out of his skin and the chair. He slowly turned around and realized that both women were staring at him curiously, bemused grins on their faces.
"Well, this is awkward," he blushed before glaring at Paul. "Thanks, bro."
"Anytime," Paul smirked as Nick quickly got up and left without another word, clearly embarrassed. Jade and Sky burst out laughing again, clutching their stomachs.
"What's so funny?" Leo walked in just then, raising an eyebrow questioningly as he studied the trio.
"Nick just embarrassed himself," Paul shrugged, as if his brother making a fool out of himself was something that happened on a regular basis.
"Good, his ego has always been too big for his head. He should be knocked down a few pegs every now and again.” Leo chuckled, grabbing himself a cup of coffee. “Where’s your mom?"
"She went to get some stuff for the party tonight."
"That woman is always on the go, getting things done. Well, I guess we should start setting the backyard up. Go get your brother and Alpo and have them meet me in the backyard."
"We'll be in the living room with Ava," Jade nodded to Sky. "That way, Nick doesn't get embarrassed again."
“Way to take away my fun, babe.” Paul snickered as he walked out of the kitchen, the sound of their giggles following him.
By the time Clara got back from the store, the guys had the backyard decked out and ready for any touches she wanted to add. Walking over to Paul, she held out the bouquet he req
uested. He smiled in response and sneakily went upstairs to hide them in Jade's old room. When he came back downstairs, Clara directed the guys on where to put the other flowers she had delivered to the house. Soon, everything was in its proper place and ready for the guests to arrive. Paul headed upstairs to change before guests started arriving, not wanting to smell like sweat while covered in dirt. Taking the stairs two at a time, he popped his head into the living room on his way back down to see Jade fast asleep on the couch while Sky and Ava watched The Princess and the Frog. Sky looked over to him and shrugged, grinning as he walked over to them.
"Could you take Ava upstairs and get her changed? I'll wake up Sleeping Beauty," he said quietly. Sky nodded and took Ava upstairs as Paul gently shook Jade by the shoulder.
"Hey, beautiful," he smiled as she yawned. "It's time for you to get ready for the party."
"Okay," she mumbled sleepily, and he helped her off the couch and upstairs to their bedroom. Guiding her into the bathroom, Paul adjusted the water before he helped Jade remove her clothes and brushed her hair.
He waited a few minutes to make sure she was in the shower before he retrieved the flowers from the other bedroom. Skylar made it back to the kitchen before he did, smiling at Ava and Nick through the patio as she filled a pitcher with water.
“Your mom put me on lemonade duty,” she explained as Paul looked questioningly at the misty liquid. “It’s mostly for Ava, but I think Clara might spike a cup or two if people aren’t careful.”
“You mean, if you and Jade aren’t careful.” Paul laughed.
“Busted.”
“Hey Sky.” Paul turned serious for a moment, resuming his stance against the counter from the morning’s conversation with his mom. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Sky said, stirring the contents of the pitcher as she eyed him sideways. “What’s on your mind?”
“How bad was it for Jade after she had Ava? And I mean honestly… I know her mom passed away after Ava’s 1st birthday.”
“Honestly? I think the first year was the worst, even with Sofia losing her battle to cancer.” Skylar said sadly, her eyes filling with sorrow. “Jade didn’t even have her Christmas decorations finished until Christmas Eve… and you know how the girl loves her winter holiday.”
“I do.” Paul smiled weakly, remembering how Jade used to decorate her locker in high school and dress up for the holiday every year.
“Dr. Grayson did diagnose her with postpartum depression, although I’m not sure if she was on any kind of medication… I do know she went to therapy, though. Really amazing woman… oh, what’s her name? Her office is down by the Bluebird Cafe.”
“Dr. Alexandra Hamilton?” Paul racked his brain.
“That’s the one!” Skylar snapped her fingers. “She just opened her office a couple years ago, right?”
“Yeah. She’s one of Uncle Leo’s friends. Well, her father is anyway.” Paul shifted his weight to move out of Sky’s way so she could put the lemonade in the fridge. “What happened after that?”
“Therapy went well for her, and soon she was back to herself. Well, as much as she could be. Losing Sofia was hard, but Jade knew it was time. She understood there was nothing else they could’ve done to save her… her brothers didn’t take it as well. They were still mad at Jade by the time the day of Sofia’s funeral arrived, Mr. Corbett had to physically remove his sons from Jade’s presence. I can’t tell you what happened though, I was babysitting Ava during the burial.”
“And they haven’t spoken since?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” Skylar nodded. “None of her brothers have even sent Ava a birthday card… although, for all I know, they don’t even know Jade kept her.”
“Hm.” Paul grew silent, thinking about what Skylar said. She patted his shoulder almost comfortingly, a quiet understanding passing over them.
“I’m going to go check on Jade, make sure she’s okay.” Skylar broke the silence after a few moments, heading towards the staircase. She paused in the doorway, glancing back at him. “And Paul?”
“Yeah?” He snapped his head up, breaking out of his thoughts.
“None of that is your fault, either.”
Without pausing to hear a response, Sky disappeared from view, leaving Paul alone in the kitchen with his emotions tangled in the pit of his stomach to wait for the love of his life.
CHAPTER 15: GOOD NEWS
Turning off the cooling water, I stepped out of the tub and tightly wrapped my hair in a towel before drying off and wrapping one around my body. I walked over to the closet and pulled out the coral pink dress and heels, eager to show them off. Setting them on the bed, I quickly made sure I was completely dried off and got dressed. Blow drying my hair, I ruffled out the curls as they formed, letting them cascade down my bare back. Leaning towards the mirror, I applied a matching shade of lipstick and put my engagement ring back on, twisting it so it was snug against my finger. As I slipped on the heels and tightened the straps around my ankles, a wave of dizziness overcame me and I had to grip the sides of the dresser in order to steady myself.
"Jade?" There was a knock on the door, then Sky walked in. She saw my face and ran over, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I think so," I said, avoiding her eyes. "I just moved too fast and made myself dizzy, that's all."
I let go of the dresser and took a step towards the open door, wobbling a little. Sky put an arm around my waist to give me support, just to be safe.
"You sure you're okay?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Let's just go downstairs."
Slowly, we made our way down the staircase. Once again, the place was full of people, the sounds of happy laughter and proud voices filling the space. It still amazed me how Clara could throw such an amazing party with such short notice and planning; the woman had a superpower, I was sure of it. Sky let go of me when we reached the bottom step, but stayed close until we reached the backyard. I gasped when I saw Paul standing at the end of the patio with a bouquet of pink carnations with baby's breath in his hand. He grinned widely as I made my way to him.
"You remembered my favorite flowers," I said in awe, tears filling the corners of my eyes.
"Of course, I did," he kissed me and handed the bouquet over.
"That's why he had a bouquet delivered to your house and the office every two weeks for almost five years. The office still smells like carnations," Alpo grinned mischievously as he threw an arm over Paul's shoulders, making Paul blush.
"Oh really?" I teased, laughing at his guilty expression. “So, you’re the mysterious man sending flowers to me. Is that why there was never a card with the carnations? You didn’t want me to know it was you?”
"Thanks, Alpo." Paul elbowed him in the gut playfully.
"You held the door open on that one," Alpo shot back. "You know better than to not look around before you speak."
"Yeah, especially with you around."
“You got that right,” Alpo put Paul into a headlock and ruffled his hair. Paul pretended to punch Alpo in the ribs in an attempt to break out of his hold.
"Alright boys. Don't make me get Mama Clara to break you two up," I laughed as Clara swatted their heads as she walked by, winking at me. "We're here to celebrate Alpo and Lola."
"Yeah. Congrats, man. It's about time something good happened to you. Don’t mess it up."
This time, Alpo elbowed Paul in the gut. I shook my head and noticed Sky talking to Leo. They appeared to be glancing every so often over to me, both looking worried. I shrugged it off and listened to Paul and Alpo crack jokes about each other. One of the wait staff offered wine at that moment and something told me to decline. I excused myself to go get iced water from the kitchen.
As I started to make my way through the crowd of people, my eyesight went blurry and I stumbled, almost knocking the waiter over. The tray he was carrying fell from his hands and the sound of broken glass caught everyone’s attention as I started to fall to the ground. The last thing I saw was S
ky's shocked face, then darkness engulfed me.
A bright light blinded my vision and I squinted my eyes close. Suddenly it was gone and I slowly blinked, my eyes adjusting to the room. Leo, Sky, and Paul were standing off to one side, worry etched onto their faces. A woman with gray hair neatly tucked into a bun and round black glasses framed against blue eyes was sitting next to the couch I was currently laying on. She smiled at me and I recognized her immediately.
"Hi, Doctor Grayson." I smiled sheepishly. She returned a reassuring smile and patted my hand comfortingly.
"Hello, Jade. How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess. I think I have a headache."
“Nothing hurts besides your headache?”
“No, I don’t feel like I’m in pain. Just a little sore and probably bruising somewhere.”
"Do you remember anything?" She asked curiously, looking at her clipboard and jotting some notes down.
"Um, I remember feeling dizzy when I got dressed after my shower, but I thought it was because I was still tired from my unexpected nap. Then the second time, I was hoping to get water because something told me not to have wine. I stumbled into a waiter and passed out on my way to the kitchen." I looked at Dr. Grayson and she nodded, handing me some Tylenol and a glass of water. I quickly swallowed the pills and slowly sipped water, pausing to steady my racing heart.
"No concussion, it looks like. No irregular sleeping patterns? Or blurry vision, dizziness, and headaches lasting more than a couple of hours?” I shook my head no and she turned toward the others. “May I have a moment alone with Jade, please?"
Paul remained where he was while Leo and Sky started to move toward the door. Leo stopped when he noticed Paul wasn’t with them. He waited patiently as Sky stood in the doorway.
"Go," I looked at Paul. "I'll be fine."
He nodded slowly before walking over to Leo. They left, Paul looking more concerned than the other two. I turned back to Dr. Grayson, who was watching me expectantly.
A Heart of Gang (The Centofanti Gang Book 1) Page 12