Tuesday.
She had returned to the restaurant, where she was bombarded with questions, but she only replied that it wasn't the right time and that she had things to do.
It was eight at night, and she'd been told Armand was waiting upstairs. The restaurant had a second floor, divided — one part belonged to Floren and her daughter Casmin, and the other was where Nerea, Armand, and she lived.
Jade went up the stairs and entered the apartment. Armand was looking at his phone, his eyebrows raised and his face bathed in astonishment.
She cleared her throat to get his attention. He quickly put his phone away.
"Jade, you're finally here. Where were you?" he asked, standing up.
She said nothing and ran to hug him.
"He found me," she sobbed, clutching Armand's shirt. "Dominick is here… I don't know how he found us. He managed to find us…"
Armand pulled her back, cupped her face, and wiped her tears away.
"Calm down," he said, guiding her to sit on a chair. "I promised I'd take care of you, and I will. He won't be able to hurt you, because I won't let him. Do you want to leave? Do you want to run away again?"
Though Armand hadn't meant any harm, the word run displeased her. She knew she had been a coward years ago, and Sofía had made her see that.
So she shook her head.
"I can't go. Sofía told me I have to forgive him, listen to him, and close that chapter of my life," she said, leaning back in the chair.
"She's right, though I can't say I completely agree," Armand said, gently brushing her hair. "Forgiveness is the only way to cleanse the soul, Jade. And if that's truly what you want, then do it. I'll be here for you. And about the other matter, don't worry."
"Thank you. Really, I don't know what I'd do without you all," she smiled.
"I have to go back tomorrow. I only came for a short visit to see how you were doing. It's my mother's birthday in a few days, and she wants to see us," he said with a smile. "Nerea has to come with me, you know that."
Jade still wasn't used to seeing him smile, but lately, he did it quite often.
"That'll be for the best," she smiled, though the thought of being far from them didn't sit well with her — she knew it was for the best.
"Let's make a plan. Do you want to go downstairs and get something to eat? We can catch up with Floren and Casmin — it's been a while since I last saw them," he said, standing up.
Jade smacked her forehead.
"Go ahead. I have to take a shower because I'm…" she cleared her throat, "I'm having dinner with Kevin."
Before she could hear his opinion, Jade leapt up and ran to the bathroom.
[...]
Dominick
After leaving her standing on the street, he had gone back to the house he'd rented. He had to analyze his actions from now on. He was aware that Jade would only give him rejection — and he had to accept that. He told himself he would take things slowly, step by step, and not repeat the same mistakes.
He knew perfectly well that he had one of the worst tempers imaginable, but for her, he'd make an effort to keep it in check.
He paced across the room. It was going to be hard — really hard. He checked the time; he wouldn't go after her tonight, but tomorrow afternoon he'd return to the restaurant. He hadn't lied when he'd said he'd show up there every day if necessary.
He went to the kitchen — he had to make himself something to eat.
He'd learned to cook thanks to Rosaura's advice, who had once suggested they find a healthy hobby. It was either learning to cook or to read… he had chosen the first one because he wasn't a fan of reading. He dedicated an hour a day to it, and it had worked wonders.
He smiled as he remembered Marcus blackmailing him for food.
He told himself he'd call his friends later — they needed to catch up. He gathered the ingredients and got to work...
[...]
9:05 p.m.
She had been ready for fifteen minutes, and her stomach was growling. But she was nervous — Kevin Fischer always intimidated her. He always managed to get too close, invading her precious personal space.
She gathered her courage and left her room. Nerea was always telling her that she should go out with someone — even with Kevin — but Jade always refused for reasons she couldn't quite explain, always finding an excuse not to go...
She made an effort not to overdress. She didn't wear makeup and only ran a brush through her hair. She put on a simple blue floral dress that reached her knees.
She went down the stairs calmly and looked around the restaurant. It was crowded — people eating and chatting cheerfully.
"You look so pretty!" Casmin exclaimed out of nowhere. The young girl had her hair braided, which made her green eyes stand out even more.
Jade sighed.
"Don't say nonsense. Have you seen Nerea?" she asked.
"She was talking to one of her boyfriends — oh, look, there she is," Casmin said, pointing toward the brunette who was just coming in.
"Isa, we need to talk," Nerea announced.
"It'll have to wait because I managed to get her to have dinner with me, and I'm not wasting the chance," Kevin said as he approached, referring to both Nerea and Casmin. "So, ladies, you can leave her alone," he smiled. "Come on, coniglio."
He took her by the arm.
"When I'm done, I'll look for you!" she promised as Kevin guided her toward the private section. The closeness let her appreciate his masculine scent.
"I hope you like it — I made it myself," he said, pulling out her chair for her.
"Thank you."
He sat across from her.
They began to enjoy the meal Kevin had prepared. He was delighted to watch her. They exchanged small talk about work. Jade took a few sips of wine, trying — in vain — to relax. It wasn't working. She kept thinking about Dominick, about what his reappearance in her life meant: trouble.
Dinner was almost over — only dessert left — when Kevin said,
"I'm glad you agreed to have dinner with me, Isabel." He dabbed his mouth with a napkin. Sometimes she felt Kevin looked at her as if he wanted to devour her. His eyes said so much — they desired so much — and one of those things was having her to himself.
"It's nothing, you're my friend, and friends share dinners," she blurted out, mentally slapping herself. If she wanted to follow the doctor's advice, she shouldn't say things like that. She grabbed her wine glass and downed it all in one go.
Kevin raised his eyebrows.
"Easy, or you might choke — and we wouldn't want that," he teased with a smile.
She took a deep breath; she needed to calm down. Dominick's arrival had completely shaken her nerves.
"I'm sorry, I'm just nervous," she admitted.
Seeing Kevin's expression, she realized what she had just said.
"Do I make you nervous, Isabel?"
Jade thought he had a peculiar way of saying her middle name. Even though she didn't like it, she'd had to adopt it — and with some influence from Armand, she'd also dropped her father's surname and taken her grandmother's instead. She had gone from Jade Henderson to Isabel White.
"No, well… sometimes. But I have so much on my mind. Someone from my past — someone I don't want — came back to torment me. And if that weren't enough, Dr. Ernes told me I should sleep with you to get over my past," she rambled, all in one breath, "and I don't know what to do."
She covered her face with her hands, realizing she'd said things that were none of his business. She stayed there, trapped in her thoughts for a few seconds — seconds Kevin used to move closer. He crouched down beside her.
"Did I hear that right?" he asked, making her jump. "You're supposed to sleep with me?"
Her face turned bright red. She was in a very embarrassing situation and had no idea how she'd gotten there. She blamed the wine — a very delicious wine, to be fair.
"You know what? I have to go!" she said abruptly, dragging the chair as she stood up. "Thanks for dinner, it was delicious."
"So soon?" Kevin stood up too.
"I've got things to do..."
Without giving him a chance to respond, Jade left. She wanted to lock herself in her room and not see anyone.
She went into the bathroom and splashed water on her face.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked the mirror. The woman staring back at her was just a shadow of who she once was. Her boldness, her charm, and her strange sense of humor had all faded with time. She missed those days — when, if she felt lost, she'd go to her father for advice.
"What would he think if he saw me like this…?"
He would want her to be happy, to be herself. She had lost her essence, and she didn't know how to get it back.
She brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. As she was removing the extra pillows, she noticed Nerea's brown hair peeking through the doorway.
Nerea was trying to open the door quietly, carrying a tray of fruit, cheese, and crackers. Jade raised her eyebrows, and Nerea set everything on the bed, disappeared for a moment, and came back with two glasses and a bottle of wine.
"We need to talk," she declared, placing the tray on the floor. "We'll be more comfortable here."
"Ner, it's been such a long day. I just want to rest. I'm stressed, tired, and my nerves are on edge…"
"Did I ask if we could talk?" the brunette shot back. Jade sighed, defeated. "No, right? Then sit that white ass down."
Jade obeyed and sat next to her friend.
"So, Dominick found you," Nerea began, pouring herself some wine — and then filling Jade's glass.
"Yes," Jade confirmed, drinking it all in one go. She needed to relax... just a little more.
"I talked to Armand, and he told me everything you're planning. Are you sure about this? If he finds out—"
"He doesn't have to!" she interrupted, alarmed. "He'll get tired eventually, and I'll be able to go on with my life just like before."
"Do you want to keep living like this? Hiding? Afraid? Your eyes don't shine like they used to, Jade. Your smile isn't the same. You're acting like a ghost," her friend scolded. "I know what Lucas's death meant to you — I loved him too, he was the only father I ever knew — but we have to learn to live with loss. I'm sure he'd die all over again if he saw you like this."
Tears filled Jade's green eyes. Nerea was right.
"I can't… I try, but I feel so guilty. I should've done something sooner. If I hadn't let him stay in that house—"
"The word should've doesn't exist, Jade. You have to know that letting yourself die inside isn't the solution — and lying isn't either," Nerea said firmly. "But I'm your friend, and I'll support you in everything, even if I don't agree with it. That's why I'm leaving with them tomorrow."
"Thank you, Ner."
"I still don't agree," she repeated. "You could get into legal trouble. Anyway, tell me — what did that bastard say? Do you know why he came looking for you?"
"He said he wants to talk, to apologize, to tell me a bunch of lies — I'm sure all of it's lies. Can you believe how shameless he is?" she asked, irritated, grabbing a cracker.
"You should talk to him," the brunette suggested. Jade choked on the cracker. "Hey, hey, not like that — don't die on me here," Nerea said, rolling her eyes.
"How—" cough "—how can you say that?" she managed to gasp.
"Just because I don't like him doesn't mean I'm not aware that everyone deserves a second chance," she said, refilling her glass. "I think talking to him — letting it all out, even a little — might do you some good."
"Everyone keeps telling me the same thing," Jade muttered. "Is this some kind of conspiracy?"
Nerea burst out laughing.
"No, we just want what's best for you. What does Sofía say?"
"She thinks the same — that I should forgive him so I can move on with my life," she sighed. "Oh, and she also suggested I have sex with someone."
"Oh my God! Are you kidding?" Nerea started laughing uncontrollably. "I like her — she's right too. You need a little action to get rid of all that bitterness."
"That's not true," Jade protested...
They kept talking until dawn. Nerea stayed in Jade's room, and together they reminisced about old times — laughing and even crying over the silliest things.
When Jade was about to fall asleep, she thought about everything they'd said. "Forgive Dominick… Does he even deserve it?" She waited for the answer, but it never came. Sleep came first.
[...]
Wednesday
9: 55 a.m
They'd had to get up early, though neither of them wanted to. They needed to pack their suitcases — since the trip had been planned just the day before, it had all come as a surprise.
They drove to the airport in Armand's car.
"Luka, come here — I didn't see you yesterday, and I want to say goodbye," she smiled...
[...]
Dominick
He had gone to the restaurant to look for her, but the girl from the day before told him she wasn't there. He was about to leave when a small sign caught his attention.
"CHEF WANTED."
Dom smiled and turned around...