Rosie
I was preparing to leave for my shift at the café when I felt my phone vibrate in my bag. I furrowed my brow and rummaged through my handbag, pulling it out to see Jude’s na on the screen and my heart imdiately started thumping.
I rolled my eyes at my quick flustered reaction, swiped to answer, and pressed the phone to my ear. My breathing stopped while I waited to hear his voice.
“Hello Rosie,” his voice ca through like a wave, hitting hard and I released the breath I’d been holding.
God, his voice had a way of doing things to , making my stomach flip and my skin tingle.
“Hi,” I managed, trying to keep my other hand busy so I wouldn’t start twirling my hair.
“I’m sorry for the short notice but I kind of told my mother about you and she’s been pestering about eting you and...” he trailed off and I heard him take a breath. “Would you want to co to dinner at my parents’ house? Today?”
“?” I asked in a shocked voice, because I wondered why his mother would want to et . We’d only been officially together for like a couple of days.
And today?
“I’m so sorry for clashing with your day when you’re supposed to relax, I know it’s a lot to ask and if you can’t—” I interrupted him before he could spiral.
“It’s okay,” I blurted out, not having it in my heart to decline him even if it was impromptu. Although my heart was already racing and panic was creeping up my throat. “I’d love to et your parents.”
“Really?” His voice brightened imdiately. “Thank you so much, I’ll send you the address. At seven?”
" At seven,” I confird and we said goodbye.
The mont the call ended I slumped down onto my bed and rubbed my hands over my face, already feeling them trembling and my breathing coming in short pants. What was I thinking about agreeing to et his parents? ? Ugly fatso.
God, I wasn’t thinking this through.
I clutched my hands together to stop them from shaking as my mouth opened, trying to take air in, my chest rising and falling too fast.
Could I put it off? Cancel? Make an excuse? I didn’t want their judging eyes on , didn’t want to see disappointnt when they realized what their son had chosen. What if his parents were like mine? What if they took one look at and told Jude he could do better?
No, I clutched my neck trying to stop myself from going into a full panic attack. Jude was nice, his parents must be nice too, right? They raised him after all.
I blinked continuously, trying to get my breathing under control. I closed my eyes and started counting my inhales and exhales, one-two-three in, one-two-three out, until I felt my breathing regulate and my heart slow to sothing approaching normal.
I gripped my phone with shaking fingers, scrolled to a contact, and pressed call. “Please help ,” I said when she answered.
“I’m coming,” Maya responded imdiately and I released a relieved breath.
I could count on her. I could always count on her.
Maya arrived within so minutes, knocking on the door, and as I opened the door for her, she was already staring at with those warm, understanding eyes. “It’s okay, my parents are nice,” she said while pulling over to sit at my tiny kitchen table. “My mom is literally the sweetest person alive and my dad is just... well, he’s traditional but he won’t be rude.”
“What if they hate ?” I whispered and Maya grabbed my hands.
“They won’t. Trust , my mom has been dying to et you since Jude first ntioned you weeks ago,” she said with a grin. “Now co on, let’s get you ready.”
Maya did my makeup, keeping it natural but making my eyes stand out which I was grateful for. At least makeup could cover my flaw. Then she helped bake cookies in my small kitchen, flour everywhere and she really tried to calm my overthinking head down.
“You didn’t have to bring anything...” Maya trailed off when I first told her I wanted to bring sothing along.
And I responded, “but courtesy that requires a small gift when visiting soone’s ho for the first ti,” I explained while we packaged the cookies in a pretty box I’d brought a few days ago.
Evening ca too fast, and suddenly I was standing outside the Winters’ mansion, staring up at it with my mouth slightly open.
The house was beautiful, massive, and intimidating. I felt completely out of place in my simple dress and cardigan, clutching my box of homade cookies. I knew Jude played hockey but I didn’t know he ca from a wealthy family, and I didn’t think his house would look like sothing out of a magazine.
I breathed in deeply, trying to calm my racing heart, and pressed the doorbell.
The door was yanked open almost imdiately and a petite woman appeared, her face lighting up when she saw . I hadn’t even gotten a good look at her before she pulled into a warm hug that made stiffen from the abrupt contact.
“So beautiful,” she said when she pulled back, holding at arm’s length to look at properly. “Even prettier than Jude described.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said shyly while my face heated because the woman was gorgeous, looked like an older version of Maya with the sa warm eyes and bright smile.
“Call Elena, please. Ma’am makes feel ancient,” she laughed while taking my hand and pulling inside excitedly. I trailed behind her like a lost puppy, taking in the expensive artwork on the walls and the gleaming hardwood floors. “I’ve been dying to et you since the first day my son told about you. He talks about you constantly, did you know that?”
I didn’t know what to say to that, my face burning hotter while Elena led toward what I assud was the dining room.
Then I saw Jude walking toward and relief flooded through , but there was a man beside him and I gulped. The new man imdiately put on alert, sothing about the look in his eyes and the air around him felt suffocating, authoritative, and I wanted to hide behind Jude.
Elena left my side and went to the man, wrapping her hand around his elbow with obvious affection. “This is my husband, Marcus,” she introduced with a warm smile.
I stepped forward to shake his hand, trying to be polite, trying to make a good impression. But Marcus just stared at for a long mont, his face completely blank, then turned away without saying a word or taking my offered hand.
I heard a growling sound and turned to see Jude with his jaw clenched tight, his eyes flashing with anger at his father’s rudeness.
Elena clapped her hands together, breaking the tension. “Let’s have dinner, shall we?” she said brightly, though I could see strain around her eyes. She touched my arm gently. “Don’t mind him, he’s grumpy with new people. He’ll warm up.”
I smiled weakly, I wasn’t welcod by him...
As we moved to the dining room, each person took their seat with Jude sitting beside and Elena across from us while Marcus sat at the head of the table. The dining room was as beautiful as the rest of the ceramics set on the table.
I felt so out of place, so wrong that I knew I didn’t belong in.
As I reached for my fork to begin eating, my trembling fingers fumbled and it clattered loudly against my plate before falling to the floor with a sharp tallic sound that echoed in the sudden silence.
I sucked in a breath, wanted to disappear right there, wanted the floor to open up and swallow whole.
I blinked while slowly raising my head, only to et Marcus’s cold eyes staring at with clear disapproval and I wanted to hide, wanted to run, wanted to be anywhere but here.
The vicious voices started crawling back, making themselves known, telling I was a disgrace, that I wasn’t good enough, that I was humiliating myself in front of Jude’s wealthy perfect family and they could all see how pathetic I was.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes and I blinked rapidly, trying to hold them back while my chest tightened.
Then Jude’s hand found mine under the table, warm and steady and grounding. He squeezed gently and when I glanced at him, he smiled softly at with so much warmth in his eyes that so of the panic receded.
“I’ll get you a new one,” Elena said quietly, standing up to grab a clean fork from the sideboard and placing it beside my plate with gentle fingers. “There you go.”
“Thank you,” I whispered and she smiled while Jude squeezed my hand, using the pad of his thumb to brush my hand in a circle motion.
And I couldn’t help but be grateful for having him. At least I wasn’t going into panic mode.
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