Chapter Nine
Edwin only stood around for another hour before he disappeared. It didn't matter that there was a crowd of people, Janelle saw when he walked back into the house, carrying a platter, never to return. She lowered her head and smiled. Unflinching, she laughed at something someone had said and continued to enjoy the cookout. She stayed until the last guest left and helped her parents clean up.
“Thanks, guys, it was an awesome day. And I want to say how thankful I am that you stuck it out with me.” She looked like a little girl that had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
“Oh, sweetheart, you know we are always here for you,” Camellia said, hugging her daughter.
“And besides, we can't take the credit for this. It was Edwin's idea,” Clifton chimed in.
“Really?!”
“Yeah, he said that he thought it would make you happy, and he was right,” he said.
Clifton was so happy that he had stuck with his plan and didn’t back down. After the first week, he had thought he was wrong about Edwin and had considered calling the whole thing off. But now, with his little girl standing in front of him resembling so much of the person she used to be before her injuries, he knew he would always be in debt to the young man. Janelle’s laughter, teasing nature, her willingness to love and express that love freely, was all back.
“Wow, I'll thank him later,” she lied with a wink. She knew that there wasn't going to be a later, but she wasn't going to get into it with her parents.
Forty minutes later, she walked into her place carrying a platter of food. She strolled into the kitchen, put the food up, walked upstairs, passed her bedroom, and went into her closet to pick out something for tonight. She and Trish were going to hit the clubs and have a little fun. She picked a clinging, cream colored little short set that plunged low in the front. She held it up to her body and walked out only to come face-to-face with Edwin walking out of the room with the gym equipment. He was dripping with sweat from an obviously heavy workout.
“I thought you left. Why are you still here?” she demanded with her hand on her hip. She hadn’t even looked to see if his clothes were gone from her closet. She had just assumed he had cleared out while she was at the party.
“Well, I couldn’t just leave without my pants,” he responded, eying the club wear in her hand.
“You could have bought another pair,” she suggested with a roll of her eyes. She really wished he had left. Now, things were going to be harder.
Edwin closed the gap between them as he pierced her with his razor sharp gaze. “Are you planning on going out?” The realization that the outfit was short, but still covered her should have comforted him, but it didn’t.
“Yes, I am,” she responded, hotly as she began walking past him. His hand flew out, ripped the clothing from her grip, and tossed it over the railing.
“Okay, now you gotta go. Get your shit and get the fuck out!” she shouted.
“I can't do that,” he said seriously, trying to keep calm.
“Why the fuck not? You did what you came to do. Now you can leave.” She directed him with a wave of her hand as she turned and marched into the bedroom.
He was close on her heels. “What do you mean?” he demanded, his eyes narrowed.
“Oh, my gosh... You thought I didn't know,” she laughed. “Wow, I see. I should be the one getting the reward for best performance, here,” she said, flopping down on the bed. She looked up at Edwin. She wished she could tell what was going on behind his blue gaze, but he wasn't giving anything away.
He nodded as he leaned against the doorframe. He realized keeping space between them was probably smart at the moment. He didn't want to get out of control and slap or shake her because he lost it due to her nasty attitude. He had seen her like this many times before when she was out to hurt someone. But she didn't know that he had read her entire blog. He had already figured out her weapon of choice.
“So you weren’t fooled?” he asked sheepishly.
“No, dear,” she said in a way that made her face look creepy and cruel. “You think you were the only one that my Dad has sent? There were others,” Janelle said in a wicked way that brought all kinds of imaginations to his mind.
“Did you fuck them, too?” he whispered angrily. The look of pain was reflected clearly in his eyes.
She only shrugged in response. “But, I must admit, you were the best, on all levels. So,” she clapped her hands, “you can leave now. And here's your pants. Like I said, I bought my own,” she finished as she pulled them off and tossed them across the room.
“You can keep them. Now you’ll have an extra pair for our trip,” he informed her, unfazed by her funky attitude.”
“Trip?!” she exclaimed in a high pitched voice as she rolled up onto her knees.
“Yep, we'll be leaving on a private plane in the morning for Italy.”
“My God, why are you doing this?” she shouted.
“Well, my Dad just got married, and my brothers are both engaged to pregnant women, and it’s going to be my birthday soon, and, finally, the vineyard is located there, so we'll be gone for a month, maybe longer,” he said as he ticked the reasons off on his hand.
“Not that, damn it. Why are you doing this to me? Why are you determined to continue to make a fool out of me by playing this game?
“I'm not playing, Jay...not anymore,” he sighed. “To be honest, I don’t really know myself, but I know I want to be with you. You’ve done something to me in this short time that I really wasn’t expecting, and I know I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t let this play out.”
“Well, you're the damn fool. I'm not going anywhere with a man that my father... paid to pretend to liked me because of some shit that that crazy ass bitch did to me,” she cried, tears falling from her eyes.
Edwin pushed off the doorframe and his long strides brought him to her in a matter of mere seconds. “Wait, someone did this to you?” he asked, full of emotion now.
She blinked up at him in disbelief. “No one told you how I got like this?”
“I knew there was an accident, but I thought it involved a car crash with an old boyfriend.”
“You can drop the–”
“I'm going to beat you if you don't tell me what happened to you,” he growled in anger.
Realizing he wasn't acting, she sat down in the middle of the bed. “The guy I was dating at the time was cheating on me. I guess his side chick thought he was such a good catch that she wanted him all to herself. She jumped me as my mother and I were coming out of the hair salon with a box cutter...and the rest is history.”
“And the woman?”
“He wouldn't give her up. It doesn't matter now, anyway. This is my lot in life, and I’ve made peace with it.”
“You know, I don't even notice your face anymore,” he said as he sat down on the bed next to her. At her quick look, he held up his hands in defense, “At first, yes, it was a big shock. But now , I don't see it. All I see is you.”
“Don't do this, Edwin. You've drank the Kool-Aid. You never drink the Kool-Aid,” she moaned.
“It's too late. I want you, and that's it. Are you going to tell me that you weren't feeling something for me? I could see it. Not to mention, I've read your blog. I'm good at reading between the lines,” he explained.
“It doesn't matter. This is not good,” she pushed a little further. “This is going to end badly for me. You’re going into uncharted territory here.”
He reached up and dried her tears. “I'll never hurt you, Jay, and I'll fuck anyone up that disrespects you. Now that the truth is out, why not keep going? We can build on what we have. Let's see what will happen. You don't have to be through with love,” he pleaded with a smile. He was so nervous. All he wanted was for her to say yes. Yes to his offer. Yes to him.
Involuntary, her hand went to her face as she considered his words.
I must be crazy to be even considering this , she thought.
“My family isn't like that,” he whispered, his hand touching her scars. “They will treat you like a person. And if I bring you, the clan will accept you.”
“Clan? Oh, your family is close, like a clan.”
He could have kicked himself for saying that. He was so eager to get her to agree that he was starting to let too much slip. She was standing on the edge and was close to jumping. He didn’t want to mess things up by revealing the secrets of his family unit. There would be more than enough time to introduce her to them when they arrived.
“Well, my father gave his word to train you for the ownership of your vineyard. And hell, it's a free vacation, too,” she smirked.
“That's true,” he said, replacing his fearful stare with a blinding grin that reached ear to ear. “You'll have a great time. You'll love my family, which, by the way, you will be the first girl to come home with me. So, I’m sure they’ll have tons of embarrassing stories to tell you,” he finished with a sigh.
“Is that supposed to make me feel something?” she teased.
“Speaking of feeling something, I'll have my work cut out for me.”
Janelle raised her eyebrow, confused.
He leaned over, sliding his hand up her thigh. “I'm gonna make you love me by becoming the man you deserve. I got her on my side,” he said, huskily as his hand brushed her pussy. “Now I just have to capture this to win,” he said, placing his other hand on her heart.
“Hm,” she moaned.
Edwin eyed his phone again as it vibrated across the side table. He knew it was his mother calling him again. The damn woman never knew when to quit.
*
Adel ended the call. She knew he wasn't going to pick up, the damn brat. The job shouldn't have taken him this long to complete. How hard was it to fill a girl with a bunch of lies, fuck her, make her happy, and then bump the chick? Hell, he had been doing that all his life. He never got serious and he never stayed too long with any one girl; a few days, tops. And this girl should have been easier than the rest. If her father was bribing men to screw her, she was probably over the moon to have someone as handsome as her son fucking her.
It was because she was black .
The allure of her brown skin. She had always had to watch her son around other black girls and then women when he became older because of his affection for his father's mistress and their kids. But she didn't think she had that to worry about with the girl’s face being as scarred as it was, but she could see that she had been wrong.
She picked up her phone one more time and placed a call. She tapped her long, painted nails on the glass top table as she waited for the person to pick up.
“Yes, ready the plane and have the villa in Italy prepared,” she commanded. She was going to put an end to this shit herself!
TO BE CONTINUED