16. Alec
Chapter sixteen
Alec
“You still haven’t told me what’s happening,” Damien says, watching me pack my luggage. “Where are you going?”
I ignore him and continue packing my stuff. Usually, I don’t pack luggage when I’m going to France, but since Jasmine’s with me, I may stay for a long time, so it’s better I pack some things. There’s so much in France that I want to show her, and I cannot wait.
Besides the joy I feel at the prospect of taking Jasmine home, there’s an underlying wave of skepticism and uncertainty. As a man, I love knowing what to expect from certain situations, but this is different. There are only two possible outcomes from this: my parents accept her, or they don’t.
But the primary truth is that neither of these outcomes matters to me. I’m with Jasmine whether they agree to it or not. I’m only taking her to them out of courtesy .
Damien is still standing beside me as I pack, a confused expression on his face. I have to tell him what’s happening eventually, but I’m only hesitating because Damien has never been a big fan of my relationship with Jasmine because of all the troubles it represents. He will flip out when he finds out I plan to take Jasmine to France today.
“Master Alec,” Damien calls softly. “Can you please tell me what’s going on? I’m supposed to be updated on everything you’re doing. It looks like you’re about to travel when you’ve only just returned.”
“Yup!” I nod. “I’m going to France.”
“Again?” He screeches. “You’ve only just got back.”
“I know.”
He releases a deep breath, and I watch him trying to regain his composure. He’s already unraveling, and I haven’t even told him the juicy part of the story yet.
“Why are we returning to France?” He asks. “You want to make up with your mother? That’s a great idea.”
“Make up with her for what?” I frown. “She should be looking to make up with me.”
“Then why are we returning to France.”
“Because…” I pick up my luggage. “I’m taking Jasmine to see my parents.”
For a moment, Damien freezes, his eyes roaming my face while his mouth falls open. In the next moment, he explodes like I knew he would. “Master Alec, that is a thoughtless idea! ”
“What? Did you just call me thoughtless?”
“With all due respect, sir, I don’t believe much consideration was put into that thought,” he says. “Your parents would eat Jasmine alive. You’re taking her into the lion’s den.”
“I will be there with her They can’t do anything!”
Damien tuts. “Deep down, you know it’s a bad idea.”
“I just want to get it out of the way. It will happen someday, so why not just do it now? I don’t care what my family thinks. This is not an audition for Jasmine; it’s courtesy.”
Damien stares back at me like I’ve lost my mind, but thankfully, he doesn’t respond. “Hurry and take this to the car.” I point to the luggage. “We’re picking up Jasmine before heading to the airport.”
In another hour, I’m knocking on Riley’s door. The door opens to Riley in black sweatpants, and his gaze drops to my nose as he ushers me in. “How’s your nose?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” I roll my eyes. “You hit like a baby.”
“Whatever.” He sits on the couch. “Jasmine says you’re taking her to France. What’s up with that?”
“To meet my parents,” I respond. “And to do some sightseeing.”
“Are your parents ready to meet Jasmine, especially since Eve's breakup is recent?”
“It doesn’t matter if they're ready. They should meet her.”
“You see…” Riley leans forward. “Jasmine is very sensitive and picks up everything around her. If your parents are hostile, it will hurt her. I need you to think about this very well.”
I nod. “I understand your concerns, Riley, but trust me to take good care of her. I’ll be there all through. She won’t be alone.”
Riley is about to respond when we hear noise from the stairway and look to see Jasmine coming down the steps with two heavy pieces of luggage behind her. I quickly rush forward to relieve her of them, enjoying how her eyes brighten happily when she sees me.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No. I just arrived.”
Riley comes to stand in front of us. “I can’t believe I’ll see a day that my sister and best friend become romantically involved. It makes me want to puke.”
I roll my eyes. “Are you done?”
“Take care of yourselves,” Riley says and then points to Jasmine. “Especially you.”
“I will take care of her,” I assure him. “Don’t worry.”
We hold each other’s gaze for a few seconds before we share a hug. I wait until Riley and Jasmine embrace before taking her hand and heading to the door.
“At least I have the TV to myself for another long while,” Riley says as we walk out the door .
“What’s he talking about?” I ask Jasmine, who is laughing heartily at her brother’s words.
“We only have one huge TV screen in the house, and we always fight when we have shows to watch and the time overlaps.”
I store her luggage in the trunk before helping her into the vehicle. “Hi, Damien.”
“Hello, Miss Jasmine.”
“Please, call me Jasmine.,” she says, and Damien grunts before starting the car.
One hour later, our private jet leaves New York on an eight-hour flight to France. Jasmine is seated in front of me, looking beautiful as always. Damien is sitting in the opposite row, a dark sunshade over his eyes.
“Are you excited?” I ask Jasmine.
She smiles sweetly. “I’m more nervous than excited.”
“Why are you nervous?”
She looks out the window for a few seconds before shrugging. “Meeting your parents. I have a feeling that they won’t like me.”
“It doesn’t matter if they don’t—”
“It matters to me,” she insists. “I want them to like me. Especially your mom.”
Damien coughs beside us, and I slide him a pointed glare, but he’s not even looking my way. He doesn’t say anything, but his cough holds a thousand words. Jasmine’s relationship with my parents can only be built one day at a time.
I want them to like me—especially your mom.
If I can vouch for any of my parents to remain professional and polite throughout the meeting, it’s my dad. My Mom, on the other hand? I can only hope for the best. One thing I’m sure of, though, is that I would never let her talk down on Jasmine while I’m there.
The last time I left France, my mother hit me, and although we’ve had lots of rows and disagreements over the years, she had never laid her hands on me. She has offended me so many times before, and I haven’t started forgiving her because she never apologizes. I love my mom, but I wonder how my dad puts up with her.
“We can go sightseeing, though, right?”
“Of course.” I nod, smiling. “Meeting my parents won’t take long. We will spend the rest of our time there sightseeing.”
“Can we go to the Eiffel Tower?” Jasmine asks, vibrating excitedly. “I’ve heard and read so much about it.”
I roll my eyes. “Everyone who isn’t born in France always speaks highly of the Eiffel Tower, but trust me, that’s not even up to the top ten percent of things you can do in France.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The tower has an incredible view, especially of the City of Lights, but there are a hundred more spectacular things.”
“Fine, Mr. Ace.” Jasmine crosses her arms over her chest. “Since you’re my escort, I believe I’m in great hands.”
“I’ll do more than show you around,” I tease, then clasp my mouth shut when I realize we have company. I’m sure Damien heard me, but his expression remains impassive.
“Let’s go inside.” I stand from my seat and reach for Jasmine’s hand. “It’s an eight-hour flight, so you should try to get as much rest as possible.”
As soon as we’re inside the sleeping quarters, I hold Jasmine’s face and kiss her lips. I groan, suddenly feeling life seep back into me. It’s been a while since we kissed. I miss her so much. Jasmine melts into my arms, and for a while, we remain like this, basking in each other’s presence.
If anyone had told me I’d be here today with Jasmine —Alec’s sister— I would never have believed them. I knew she had the potential to unravel me, and so I avoided her like a plague. However, that night we gave in to our desires, changed everything, and I’ll never forget it. My only regret is not being with her sooner.
We move our embrace onto the bed, and I lie with her tucked in my arms while thinking about what the next few hours have in store for us.