The Petals Of A Red Rose

Chapter 2.1

Part 1

The stormy grey irises stare back at me emotionlessly. Stepping inside my childhood bedroom, it looks exactly like I left it a few months ago. "I asked you a question." I return my eyes back to the stormy ones that were sizing me from my shoes to my face. The 6'3 tall looking male places the picture he had in his hand back on the picture shelf I had asked dad to install in my room a few years ago. He takes slow and calm steps towards where I am standing at the entryway of my room.

"You must be Emerald." His deep voice sends chills down to my core.

I blink.

"Uhm," I clear my throat. "Who are you and how do you know my name ?" His masculine scent invades my nostrils sending chills down towards my fingertips.  "I know karate." I add defensively.

He looks down, a smirk tugging on his pink lips, he moves closer towards me. He stands right in front of me that I have to raise my head to look up at him. His dark brown hair with a few streaks of golden blonde flops on his forehead when he looks down at me. "Haden." His hot breath fans my face. With that, he brushes past me and exists the room.

I blink. Twice. What the fuck just happened? And how the hell did he know my name. Who is he ?

I shake my head clearing my worked up conscious. There obviously must be an explanation to everything that just happened.

I head towards the picture Haden had in his hands. Picking up the photo, a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips.

It's one of my favorite pictures of me in my bathing suit last year when we went on a family vacation to Bora Bora. Realizing that this is the picture Haden had been looking at, my cheeks heat up from blushing. He basically saw you almost naked.

I'm wearing a bathing suit.

A very revealing one, might I add.

It's just a little revealing.

Keep telling yourself that. We both know that one can see your tits through that mesh fabric.

I roll my eyes at the woman in my head. She is very opinionated.

Returning the picture back on my shelf, I decide to head down towards our family room which consists of a 24 seater large dining table, another 8 seater, which is usually for kids 13 and younger. Then we have a baby section where we have 5 high chairs for babies that come with family members who visit. The room may sound packed but it is far from being packed, it's as large my apartment. Stop exaggerating. Okay, maybe not as large but it is relatively large. The white walls and high ceilings make it feel spacious.

Opening the white wooden sliding door towards the family room, the whole family is seated and chatting animatedly, except for my mom, Kade, my dad and his two friends and Mario, who are not present at the dinner table. Some of my family members turn their gazes towards where I'm standing.

"Oh!, would you look at that." Uh-Oh. "Come now Emma, come greet your favorite grandma." My grandmother gushes as the whole table turns to look at me. More family members gush for me to greet them. Telling me how big I have gotten and how much thinner I look from the last time they saw me. Faking a smile, I greet most of the family members, some I just politely nod at them. I huff sitting between Sofia and Olivier. I turn towards my sister scowling at her as she laughs at my exasperation.

"Why aren't you dressed up ?" She asks looking at my outfit. Looking around the table, I realize everyone but me, is dressed up for the party. Since it's already half past two and the party starts at six, most people came dressed. Sofia and Jake are also dressed in their outfits. Sofia wearing a baby blue satin mermaid dress that fits her tall supermodel form very elegantly. A silver diamond chocker adorns her neck giving the sweetheart cutout dress a little bit of life to it. Her hair is tied up in a neat bun with pearls all over her bun. She looks amazing. Jake is wearing a blush pink suit with a white dress shirt and a bedazzled bow tie. He also decided to put makeup on which suits him perfectly. Looking around, everyone looks super elegant and gorgeous for the party. My eyes land on grey ones. Sitting across me, Haden, also dressed in a navy blue suit with a black dress shirt with the top 3 buttons undone. Lifting my gaze up to his eyes, he stares back at me in amusement.