Mismatched

Chapter 14

"So... we broke a rule," I giggled.

"Yeah, we did," he replied, grinning from ear to ear. He asked, "Was it okay? Did it hurt? Most importantly, do you have any regrets?"

"None at all," I said and kissed him on the cheek. I looked at the time. "Oh my God. It's ten o'clock. How long did we sleep? Come on, let's head out for breakfast." I got out of bed and put on a T-shirt and a pair of shorts.

He smirked. "We must've drained all our energy last night."

I could feel the blood rushing up to my cheeks. Jace! "Get dressed and let's eat," I replied, scowling. I looked at my phone and realised that it was low on battery. I charged it. I glanced at Jace who was putting on his pants. "Let me guess. Your phone is powerless too."

He checked it and replied, "Ten per cent. I need to charge it too."

"Use the cable in the living room," I said and yawned. I went to the bathroom and glanced at the bin. A used condom was lying in there. I heaved a deep sigh of relief. Thank God he had a condom. Thank God he remembered to use it.

We grabbed some coffee and snacks at Starbucks before going back to my apartment. By then, my phone was around twenty per cent. My phone lit up with a new notification. My aunt had texted. I gulped.

Lunch. Noon. We need to talk.

I showed the message to Jace and he froze. If there's anything or anyone he's scared of, it's my aunt. His first interaction with her was intimidating. What can I say? My aunt is a scary and enigmatic person. I'm a little scared of her but I know she's a nice woman.

She didn't have the need to take care of me all these years but she did so anyway. It might've been because I was her precious little sister's daughter but it still warms my heart to think about it. She could've cast me aside but she didn't.

She's an angel. She's my saviour. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to leave my father. I wouldn't have been able to lead the life I have today.

As the sun rose above our heads, we made our way to the Upper East Side, Manhattan, where my aunt lives. We got out of the car and walked to the place where she has her daily cup of coffee.

I had a feeling of déjà vu. The first time I came to Jace's house, my aunt requested to have lunch with Jace and me the next day. It's happening again.

Butterflies were fluttering in my stomach. My aunt is very protective of me. Knowing what happened between Jace and me five years ago, what if she doesn't approve of us anymore? She was very upset about his actions.

Aunt Elena was sitting at the exact same spot, drinking coffee. I gulped. I glanced at Jace and saw that he seemed nervous too. He gripped my hand tightly and took deep breaths. "We can do this," he murmured.

I nodded and we walked towards my aunt. Breathe in. Breathe out. We took our seats opposite my aunt.

"I heard from my dear friend Avery that you two are now back together," Aunt Elena said, leaning against her chair. "Give me a reason why I should give you two a second chance after how badly it failed the last time."

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

She laughed, "Right. Why are you willing to give someone a second chance to hurt you again? Haven't you learnt from what your father did to your mother? Haven't you learnt from the first time he hurt you?"

"I love Belinda. I will never hurt her," he said.

"That's what you said the last time. Look what happened. You broke up with her in the most cowardly way possible. You two just graduated and were supposed to be happy and excited for your lives ahead of you. You bailed on her and texted her goodbye," she spat.

He recoiled and bowed his head. Five years have passed and things haven't changed. Jace is still extremely afraid of my aunt. He muttered, "I was young and foolish. I had abandonment issues." He turned to face me. "Mark was right."

I placed my hand over his. "It's okay."

"I hated being alone. I hated the thought of people leaving me. We graduated and I got scared. Life changes so fast. One moment, I was a child. The next, I was an adult. I had to make big decisions. I made the worst decision to break up with Belinda because I was scared she would do it first. I made that mistake once and I won't do it again," he declared.

Aunt Elena nodded in acknowledgement and sipped on her coffee. I couldn't read her expression. Did she buy it or does she still not approve of Jace? "That was quite a speech," she said. "But it's easier said than done."

"I know that there is no reason for you to trust me but... you just have to trust my words. I'm no longer that cowardly boy who was afraid of his girlfriend leaving him. Mum and Dad helped me with this for the past five years. I'm ready for a stable relationship with Belinda. I love her and I want to spend the rest of my life with her," he said.

My heart rate increased as I heard those words. Jace Leighton wants to spend the rest of his life with me. I initially had second thoughts about breaking our no sex rule but his words pushed them away. I love him and he loves me. I squealed internally.

"One last chance is what you get," Aunt Elena said, lifting one finger. "If you screw up again, don't even think of appearing in front of my face ever again. Don't even think of seeing my niece. This time, I trust her judgement. Don't let me down. Don't let Belinda down."

It took some time for us to register what she said. One last chance. I jumped up and hugged my aunt who patted my back. I let go of her and moved to hug my now-approved boyfriend. This calls for a celebration!

"Thank you so much, Aunt Elena!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you, Mrs Smith," he replied at the same time.

She nodded. "I'm glad you still remember my name. By the way, I hope you two had lots of fun last night. I just hope you took extra precautions. You don't want something unwanted coming your way."

I blushed upon realising what she meant. She knows! How? I facepalmed internally. Of course, she knows. When Jace didn't return home, Mr and Mrs Leighton must've inferred that he spent the night at my house. They must've told my aunt.

I covered my face in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Bella. It's all part of growing up," Aunt Elena chuckled. She stood up. "Well, I have to go. I wish you two all the best. Make this one last chance count. Remember to invite me to your wedding."

"Don't worry, Aunt Elena. You'll be walking me down the aisle," I chuckled.

"That'll be very nice," she replied. Then, she left.

I looked at Jace and punched his arm. He yelped in pain. "That's for taking my virginity. Now, let's celebrate!" I waved the ring he gave me yesterday and he laughed. "I hope you will turn this into an engagement ring very soon."

"No promises!" he replied, winking. I punched him again. "Anyway, let's celebrate the same way we did last year. Seafood?"

"Seafood," I laughed.

With that, we went to the seafood restaurant after Aunt Elena approved him as my boyfriend six years ago. What better way to celebrate than to relive our happy past?

***

A/N:

Aunt Elena knows ;)

Ah, this is such a happy ending... not. Don't worry, this is not the end!

Who likes seafood? Comment!

This book is full of déjà vu~~ most of which Jace had planned for. This was certainly not part of his plan.

I shall silently take my leave...