Chapter 9

After a long drive to somewhere I didn’t know where, Jayden helped me get out of the car. We were standing in front of an exceptionally expansive mansion, a white elegantly well-built mansion. Then he led me inside the house.

Earlier when we were on the way to this place I learned that Jayden has a funny side, we talked about some things and he made me laughed all the time that I didn’t even notice we were on the road for almost 2 hours. He’s truly serious when he said that he wanted a peaceful date with me but in his own way. We’re in the boarder of New Jersey.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” He said with a pleasant smile.

“This..... is your house?” I asked looking around with parted lips. “I thought your penthouse is.....” he cut me off and said.

“I have a lot barbie, this is one of my properties.” He chuckled, I continued roaming around, the interior design is far more different from his penthouse, a portrait of a stunning woman captured my eyes. She’s like a queen, then I realized someone resembled her face. I looked to see Jayden smirking beside me with both hands in his pocket.

“That’s my mom.” He murmured.

“She’s so beautiful.” I said still looking on the picture. “Where is she?”

“She died long ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear.” He just smiled at me and we continue walking inside that tremendous mansion, when I saw a glass door overlooking a garden, and that got my attention too, my feet brought me to that way, sliding the glass door I walked out and looked on everything. There was a circled fountain in the middle of the garden and a framed bench in front of it. I got goosebumps, I placed my right hand in my chest near my heart which was beating faster. I am not in Italy am I?

I am sure I am not in Italy but why I felt like I am there. The bench, the fountain and this garden feels like same. Everything over the past six years were suddenly returned on my mind, those memories, which recently I have decided to forget and locked in my heart. The thought of Liam again on my mind made my eyes teary. I am still holding my chest with my hand trying to prevent the impending tears from dripping.

“Barbie are you okay?” He asked from behind and placing his hand on my shoulder. I was strucked a bit but I tried to calm myself.

“I’m fine.” I said with a low shaky tone. I wish he didn’t notice. Then he led me to the other side of the garden where you can spot a fancy dinner table set for two with candle lights. This part of the garden was dimmer. He let me sit down and he went to the opposite side.

“Are you sure you okay?” He asked me again showing worries with the way I was acting awhile ago.

“What’s bothering you?” He added but I did not answer him instead I told him something different.

“My stomach.” He looked at me with astonishment in his eyes. I laughed and he smirked.

“I’m starving.” I added with my stomach grumbling. He chuckled and looked down on the table and opened all the round dome stainless cover exposing all the food served. Different variants from appetizer to main course and desserts.

“Wow, so many food.” So much excitement you can see from my eyes and the smell of them, made my tummy grumbled too much. I am really hungry though.

“These are all homemade cooked by chef Nadia Santini.” Jayden muttered.

“What?” I asked with curiosity overflowing my face. I know her, she’s famous chef in Italy.

“I know what you’re thinking barbie, well one of the reality cooking show here invited her to be the judge, so I just took the opportunity, plus she happens to be one of my mom’s close friends too.”

I nodded and looked down on the set of food they were all pleasing to the eye. I have been dying to try her signature dish pumpkin tortelli which was very traditional and very famous and now it’s in front of me. I licked my lower lip and started digging up the plates, before I put the food on my mouth I looked up to see Jayden, he was staring at me intensely with an unreadable expression. Then I told him with a command tone and an arch eyebrow.

“Eat!” He laughed and responded.

“I didn’t know you have this bossy side.” He said smirking.

“I just don’t want you to stare at me while I’m eating.” Then I stuffed my mouth with penne pasta with creamy white sauce. He chuckled and started eating in his plate. I tried the pumpkin tortelli as well and it’s delicious. There were barbecue steaks, my favorite pierogi and some desserts all prepared by the popular Italian chef. To be honest this was the only time I felt important, when I am always treated VIP whenever I’m in a show.

I looked down on my empty plate, I almost tasted all the food served on the table and I think I am feeling bloated. I’ve never felt so full in my life ever since I started my modeling career, I have a lot of eyes watching in everything I do and checking up my diet and Margaret was one of them I am most afraid of. I was lost in my thoughts.

“What are you thinking?” He asked me curiously.

“I am not suppose to be eating a lot and I think my manager will kill me.” I said looking on my bloated tummy and since I am wearing a fitted dress I felt like my flat stomach has really grown. Jayden also followed my gaze down my stomach and he laughed.

He laughed, like crazy. “Why are you laughing?”

“You still look the same barbie, nothing’s change, what are you so worried about?” He said, still with a smug smile on his lips. I intensely looked at him on the eye, then I managed to ask him questions out of knowhere.

“Why do you keep on telling me I am yours? That I was born to be yours.” Suddenly the surroundings became serious. The mood between us changed.

I looked at him not leaving his eyes, tracing every inch of it, I am sure I have seen those eyes before, I just couldn’t remember, then I didn’t know what happen but I found myself standing in front of him felt like I was hypnotized by his charm, he’s looking back at me with so much longing in his eyes, he stood up on his seat and gently sweeps a wisp of hair from my forehead. His fiery gazed lands on my lips then I felt my heart started to hammered against my chest like it’s about to burst. I was trying to figure out what this guy were doing to me, why do I feel this intense feeling over him all the time. Why I’m getting crazy when I’m with him? Why do I feel this thing only with him not with Michael or any other guy I mingled before?

“Just trust me barbie.” He said cupping my face.

“How can I trust you? When I feel like you’re hiding something from me?” I growled and a stoic unreadable expression formed his face. His hands moved down my waist.

“How can you say I’m hiding something from you?” He asked curiously.

“I don’t know.” I shook my head, I turned my gazed away from his eyes and gently pushed him away. “I feel like I have known you for a long time.” Instead of answering all my questions he grabbed my shoulders and hugged me tight and that made me surprise. I was electrified by the sudden action. I could feel his hard muscled chest against mine, his arms wrapped around my back. And his chin rested on my shoulder, his breathe tickles the shell of my ear and I am fighting back an outrageous giggle that was threatening to burst out. This is what exactly I am talking about. What this man can do to me that my body was overreacting.

He was hugging me like he didn’t want to let me go. Then he looked me again in the eyes. His eyes were full of desire.

“You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this moment.” He said placing a hand on my cheek, stroking my jawline.

“To be with you, and to hug you like this.” He continued saying. Then my frankness resurfaced again.

“So what do you want from me? I heard a lot about you. The playboy in town.” He laughed at my statement and place a hand on his chest like he was hurt or something.

“Those were all meaningless dates barbie, believe it or not you’re the only one I wanted in my life.”

“If you really want me, why did you introduce yourself just now? I didn’t even know you existed!” I said almost shouting.

“You came out of nowhere, kissing and hugging me, telling me that you wanted me in your life and that I was born to be yours or whatever....” I stopped for awhile, the annoyance that was building up all over my body was about to explode. I want to understand what is going on between us. Why am I like this when I am with him. Then I continue muttered in calm and soft tone, but tears were about to drip. “I find it weird Jayden... But here I am, like a fool who get easily carried away in all the things you do to me.” Now I am being emotional.

“Because that is what you desire.” He replied and paused for a moment.

“Just give me a chance to prove myself to you.” He said in a soft pleading tone.

“I am not here to hurt you barbie, I’m here to give you all the time I’ve wasted not being with you, you just have to trust me, please.” Looking at his gentle face with excessive pleading and concern I was like hypnotized again. I am so confused that I wanted to say no and just walked away but I knew that, it was not really what I wanted. The truth was, I wanted to be with him for a long time so I could get to know him better. I wanted to be with this guy, it was like there’s a magnet pulling us together and it’s making me weak. I didn’t know what to say I couldn’t find any words to answer him.

Instead I found myself voluntarily getting closer to him and let my whole being crashed against his warm body. Feeling the warmth of his embrace, I’ve never felt safe in the arms of a stranger in my entire life. With my sudden action, I don’t think I still need to answer his questions anymore. I wanted to trust him and I wanted to give it a try. He may not be Liam but in the way I reacted to him was also the same way I reacted six years ago, maybe this is just the way how I fall inlove, weird but it is what it is. This is how I feel.