Chapter Fourteen

They arrived at San Jose and booked an hotel room where they stayed for the night. The next morning they headed to the orphanage. Living stones orphanage was its name.

Jeffrey Hudson was inaugurating the newly built orphanage and there were lots of reporters and his supporters. The inauguration hadn't started but Jake's father was going around with phony smiles chatting with people. Jake stood at a corner with Jules and few people were able to recognize him based on his resemblance with his father and some that knew him when he was younger.

"You look like daddy" A little three year old said to Jake.

He crouched down and patted her hair. He recognized her as Rome's daughter. Rome had married a woman he met in the Uk despite his fathers disapproval as his father wanted him to marry someone from San Jose he could benefit from. Rome didn't care about the disapproval from his father that he experienced for the first time in his life. Father later on came to terms with it seeing how his favorite was unbothered about his thoughts. The father realized that Rome's wife's family were actually loaded so that calmed his greed.

"Hi ... how are you baby girl"

"I'm fine..." she said in her cute baby voice.

Her mom came over and nodded at Jake then took the little girl away. Apparently she and Jake had never met and no mother would want her daughter hanging out with some strange man.

" she couldn't even say hi" Jules noticed.

"We've never been introduced" Jake had seen their marriage invite from Josh's phone and Josh had kept informing him on their lives. He'd been so curious to know how his brother was living.

"My dad would have been here but he's busy " Jules said.

Kiki's dad spotted Jake and waved him to come over.

"Let's go to them"

" okay" they bustled through chattering people to where Mr Hart was.

" Good day Mr and Mrs Hart. how've you been" Jake greeted.

"Hey Jake its lovely to see you.." Mr Hart said. He was the financial backing behind Jake's father's campaign.

"We've been well... you never call nor visit your future in laws" Mrs Hart nagged.

"I'm really sorry..."

"He's busy so stop nagging at him" Mr Hart defended.

"Who is she ?" Mrs Hart inquired staring at Jules with judging eyes.

" I'm Jules...his friend" Jules said.

"Hello..." Mrs Hart spotted the ring on her finger. "You are engaged ?"

"Yeah...my fiancée is on a trip"

"Okay..." she still kept staring Jules down, scrunching her nose and Jules felt uncomfortable.

Jeffrey Hudson came over.

"Hey Jake how are you" Jeffrey asked Jake with his arm on his shoulder.

"I'm fine" Jake grumbled shrugging him off.

"Mrs Hart....when is Katherine coming back " His father asked Mrs Hart.

"She's rounding up in a few months ...she'll fly here for a while then back for graduation"

"Hello mr Hudson" Jules greeted and he nodded at her.

"After graduation we can go on to fix the marriage"

"Yeah...their anniversary is in a few months...we could fix the wedding on that day"

"Sounds cool"

His father stylishly whispered in his ears while patting his shoulder.

"Is she your girlfriend now ?"

Jake shifted from him his weird vibe.

'What is wrong with this man ? He definitely wants me to marry Kiki and he still has the guts to ask me if Jules is my girlfriend...' Jake thought.

Rome came over and announced that it was time for Jeffrey to give his speech. He said an awkward hi to Jake, staring at him like he had something to say but changed his mind. Rome left leading his father to the podium.

"Get ready for the wedding okay" Mrs Hart told Jake.

"Sure...excuse me" Jake said.

Jake and Jules went to where the chairs were arranged and sat at the back.

"He's so shitty" Jake voiced.

"Calm down Jake ..."

"I just wanna get this done and leave....seeing their faces is suffocating " he loosened the tie he was wearing. Rome came over to call him to go on stage and he followed to get today over with. On stage, Jeffrey Hudson gave his speech.

"I'm loving memory of Diane my beautiful wife who lives evergreen in our hearts. She was a mother to all, and always loved kids...such sweet woman. Though unfortunately we lost her to a battling disease...she was so selfless that even in her dying moment she bore the pain, didn't want to share it with anyone...didn't want to burden her family... she was selfish to have left this world but we'll always love her and I don't want the good people of San Jose to never forget a rare gem like her..."a picture of Diane in her youth was displayed on a banner. Wherein she was full of life and bubbled in youth with her beautiful smile. Reporters took their pictures and his dad held both brothers shoulders and posed for pictures. After a few shutters Jake shrugged him off and Rome did same. Jake immediately left with Jules without saying bye to Kiki's parents.

They went to the hotel and flew back that night.

When they got to San Francisco Jules went home and Jake rode a taxi to Owen's house calling him out. Owen rushed down sleepily and when he got close Jake hugged him. The place was dark and lights dimmed as most people had turned in for the night.

"I missed you so much" Jake heartily said with Owen in his arms.

"I missed you too babe" Owen leaned in, inhaling Jake's scent that he had grown to love.

"I love you !"

"Same here"

Jake let go.

"What were you doing ?...what's on your face ?" Jake asked noticing the green face mask on Owen's face.

"My sister was giving me a manicure and facials upstairs".

"Okay...I'll leave you to that"

"Please come up"

"I'm sorry...another time...I just needed to see you and it's pretty late now"

"Should I come over later"

"It's fine...finish what you're doing"

"I'm leaving for New York tomorrow evening flight for a week....I've got some work to do"

"Okay...I'll miss you"

"I wish I could bundle you in my suitcase and take you with me" Owen joked which eased Jake's heart. Seeing him was a relief to his soul, everything about Owen comforted him.

Jake laughed. "Could I possibly fit in any suit case ?"

"Yeah...there are some extremely large ones"

"Okay....I'll see you when you get back"

"Wait a while so we can go to your house together"

"Okay...I'll wait in the car"

Jake drove them to his house. They cuddled through the night and Jake told him about his trip and how he felt seeing his father. He buttressed his dislike for his father as well. He chattered happily about seeing his niece.

"She's the cutest !" Jake stated.

"Cool...I have a cute cousin brother...Lucas he's annoying and cute at the same time"

"Yeah kids" they laughed.

****

Owen left the next morning to go get ready for his flight. Jake gave him a million kisses before letting him go. Minutes later, Jake's door kept buzzing, like someone was inputting the wrong code to gain access. He paid no attention to that just kept reviewing some work on his laptop. The doorbell finally rang and he went over to see who was there at the door. 'You finally rang !" He was shocked to see Kiki standing out there with a mini suitcase and his mouth hung open.

"Did you just see a ghost or something" Kiki inquired.

"What are you doing here!"

"What do you mean by that ?...do I need someone's permission to visit my fiancé..." her eyes caught his ring less finger. "...where the fuck is your ring Jake ?"

"You should have called before coming"

"I wanted to surprise you...now where is your ring ?"

"It's in my drawer"

"Why is it there and not on your finger" she said barging in.

"It itches okay...so I took it off..." he complained.

"Really Jake...I wear mine even to bed and when I shower and never take it off" 'this ring is a witness to all the stuff I've done behind your back'

"That's your problem "

"Why did you change your door code ?" She asked.

"Cause I wanted to"

"Please change it back to my birth date "

"Why would I do that ?"

"Come on Jake...I wanna do a video"

"Is that really necessary"

"Please"

"Fine" 'well the earlier I do your bidding the earlier you will leave'. She was just too immersed in this 'show off' life, making people envious and choking them with fake life.

He imputed her birth date as the new door code and she took a video of him whilst he did that.

"Okay...so why are you here ?"

"Why does it feel like you're eager to send me away...do you have some secrets ?"

Kiki dashed to his room scanning it clear, she moved on to the other rooms in check of possible secrets.

"You're clean... well Chelsea is having her one year wedding anniversary in two days and i couldn't possibly miss it...we gotta be there" Kiki shared.

"She's your friend not mine...I don't have to be there"

"Come on Jake ...it's been a while we went places together, we need to let my friends know we're still together"

"When do you leave ?"

"After the party I'll go to my parent's then fly back to London"

"Okay fine...we will book an hotel when we get to San Jose.

"Are we finally having sex ?" She desperately asked.

"No...we aren't...I've told you we are waiting till after marriage "As i spewed that I felt really bad cause I knew...I knew even if we eventually got married I'd never be able to sleep with her...I'd make her unhappy...would she ever forgive me ? Can I do this to her and Owen ?...breaking two hearts at once...At one hand I want to fulfill my mother's wish but what about mine...I want to be happy too...with Owen...don't I deserve to be happy...either way Kiki would surely get hurt... I wish I could just tell her where my heart is"

"Whoa...you're so outdated...why is your Ig account never active ?"

"I don't like it"

"You're boring...we're compatible...I'll spice things up for us...I can't wait to graduate and finally marry you" She said and hugged him.

'Owen flew out this morning...what if his shoot gets canceled or something unexpected happened...what if he bursts through that door and sees me in such situation with her...he'd think I was bi and cheating on him..." Jake untangles himself from her embrace.

"I'll go nap in your room...I'm tired"

"Wait...I'll get the guest room ready for you"

"Why would I sleep in your guest room Jake ?"

"Because I don't like your perfume...I don't want it leaving choke prints on my bed"

"Well you need to think about me in your dreams too... and you can also get it washed"

She got into his room abandoning her suitcase in the parlor. He rolled it after her to the room.

Jake entered the guest room and arranged it for himself. He saw he had gotten a message from Owen ten minutes ago.

'What are you doing' The text read.

'I'm working late tonight' Jake replied.

'Once you get tired ditch that work and go to bed'

'Yeah I will...hope you arrived safely ?"

"Yeah I did...I'm in the hotel now...chilling with my roommate...work commences tomorrow.

"Okay...Goodluck"

"Thanks"

'Goodnight'

Jake tried to sleep but he was restless all through the night. Whenever he managed to doze off, he saw himself in a situation where in he was in his room with Kiki and they were kissing and romancing then Owen barges in. These dreams kept recurring and he couldn't sleep till dawn.