Crossing Paths

Chapter 9: Passionate Encounter

Copyright 2014 © Rosesareforever

Crossing Paths

Chapter 9

'Passionate Encounter' 

Jade was sitting on the windowsill, her legs hanging limp against the wall as she stared ahead of her at the waves that crashed down the shoreline. After a decent night rest, she felt ten times better than the day before. Her headache had magically disappeared, as had the dizzy feeling she got every time she tried to stand.

Sedric had taken beyond good care of her. He’d surprised her with breakfast in bed this morning, telling her how important it was she drank water and ate enough fruit and vegetables. She honestly didn’t know what happened to him during the 24 hours she had been lost. He seemed to have made a complete 180, from being an utter jerk to acting all sweet and caring.

If she just let herself dream for a single moment, she could easily see the adorable boy in him that he once had been back in college. Sedric the cocky and arrogant lawyer had disappeared from the surface. She wondered how long his change in behavior would last. It was clear he was acting purely out of guilt. He probably felt bad about running her off and wanted to make it up somehow.

She didn’t appreciate being a charity case though. If he wanted to pity someone, he’d better search for someone who wanted his full attention. It was bad enough her own feelings were entirely mixed up after experiencing the worst night of her life, him being on top of it wasn’t helping. When she was lying in that shack, waiting for someone to rescue her from calamity, all she could dream off was having a family of her own. The scary thing, however, was that the only man she could envision as her children’s father was Sed – the man who had broken her heart and tore it to pieces. It was absolutely ridiculous.

Sighing deeply, she decided to try to call the only person who could comfort her when she felt like a complete and utter idiot. The phone reception was still pretty bad, but hopefully fate would decide to give her a breather after everything that happened the past 48 hours. After dialing the right number, she patiently waited for her cell to connect the call and hear her friend’s voice.

“Stephanie speaking,” the bubbly voice said from the other side of the line. Jade smiled, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes at the sound of her best friend’s voice. It felt good to hear her voice. Especially after she was certain she might never see any of her friends and family members again. Jade was a tough cookie, but right now she felt like an emotional wreck.

“Hi, it’s me,” she murmured, quickly wiping her eyes. She had decided against telling her loved ones the truth about her little adventure on the island. It was unnecessary to burden them with the thought they might have lost her if Sedric hadn’t gotten to her in time. Besides, she really didn’t need to get endless lectures about her irresponsible behavior. It was bad enough to admit to herself she acted like a stubborn child by running away, she didn’t need the same from everyone else.

“JayJay!” Stephanie squealed loudly, making her ears hurt by the screeching noise. The girl had entirely too much enthusiasm for one person only. “I am so happy to hear from you! I was worried something might have happened on that island of Hades,” she exclaimed, sounding relieved.

For a moment she felt a tug at her heart, her gut wrenching because of the secrets she was keeping. Jade had always been a forthcoming and honest person. If there was one thing she absolutely despised, it was lying or keeping people in the dark. It ate at her conscious and made her feel guilty as a sin.

“No worries, Steph. I’m alive and healthy,” she lied through her teeth, praying she didn’t sound unconvincing. Stephanie and she had always been best friends. She could easily count the times she had lied to her on one hand. Their relationship was based on trust. It literally felt like she was betraying her friend by not telling her the entire truth. Yet, she couldn’t help but think it was for the best if Stephanie didn’t know what happened after the fight Sedric and she had had.