Crossing Paths

Chapter 10: Denial

Copyright 2014 © Rosesareforever

Crossing Paths

Chapter 10

'Denial'

Birds were chirping happily outside the mansion when Jade opened her eyes the next morning. She yawned loudly as she stretched her sore muscles, only then realizing she was alone in the large queen-sized bed. Rolling to the side she noticed the sheets had already turned cold, leaving no doubt that Sedric had left the bed early in the morning. He always had been an early riser, but she suspected this time he snuck out of bed to avoid an awkward moment between them.

Honestly, she couldn’t say she blamed him. In fact part of her was relieved she didn’t have to face him right away. Last night had undoubtedly made their relationship a whole lot more complicated. Even after their talk in the middle of the night, she still had a bunch of questions. The most important one was directed to herself. Would she ever truly be able to let go of her first love? Would her feelings for him ever diminish or extinguish?

Sedric and she shared a beautiful history with both ups and downs, but their relationship had ended on a drastic note. The resentment she still felt towards him would make it damned difficult to refrain from throwing nasty remarks from time to time. No matter how much she wanted to forget about his betrayal and move on, it would to be a difficult task.

After throwing on a pair of slippers and her bathrobe, Jade descended the stairs and made her way towards the kitchen. She decided she would take a shower later on. Last night had definitely been a test to both her stamina and condition. She needed another few hours of rest to regain some energy. A lazy Friday was exactly what she had in mind.

As she stepped into the kitchen she was surprised to see Lily sitting in the high chair while Kate was trying to feed the little girl. She’d only come across Lily once during her stay in the mansion. The child usually spent time with her grandparents. “Good morning,” she greeted as she sat down across Kate.

“Morning,” Kate mumbled sleepily. “I apologize for my appearance, but little miss sunshine over here kept me awake all night. She misses her mom and couldn’t sleep,” the woman smiled sadly as she held out another spoon of oatmeal. Lily shook her head and hit the chair with her tiny fists as she released a loud cry.

“Come on, baby girl, you’ve got to eat,” Kate insisted, urging her niece to finish her breakfast.

“Mommy!” Lily screeched loudly, surprising everyone with her powerful set of lungs. Damn that girl could scream.

“It’s the first time she’s been separated from  Emma. Usually Emma stays home with Lily when Luke is on a business trip. We had hoped it wouldn’t be much of a problem, but after only two days, its clear Lily is having a hard time. I told my mom I’d take care of her for the night so she and my dad could catch a break. They’ve been handling her tantrums so far and now it’s my turn,” Kate explained, frowning as Lily spit out the food for the umpteenth time.

“You still want kids after babysitting Lily?” Jade teased, hoping to lighten up the mood. Kate laughed and nodded as she cleaned the little girl’s face.

“I guess so. Usually Lily is a wonderful child, but not seeing her mommy is making her cranky,” Kate said as she put the bowl of oatmeal in the sink. “No need to keep pressuring her. If she doesn’t want to eat, she won’t. Despite being so little, she sure has a strong will and stubborn personality.”

“I’m sure she’s an angel compared to Sedric when he was little. Alison once told me he was the most stubborn and irritating child she ever came across,” Jade laughed, helping to clean up the mess Lily made.