One more night episode 43

ONE
MORE
NIGHT 🌃
_____________________________
🎄🎋A Night Before Christmas 🎋🎄
_____________________________
Owned and written by:- Racheal Dennis.

Episode forty-three🎄

★★★★★

Veronica’s pov

VERO TEAHOUSE

Chiming of bells rang loudly as I pushed the door open and rushed into my teahouse, I saw how beautifully my staffs has decorated the place awaiting my arrival.

I couldn’t help the smile that flooded my face and I nodded in satisfaction, they’ve done a great job here.

“Miss Mars” I heard Lily called me from behind.

I turned around to face her, my smile not leaving my face.

“Lily, you’ve coordinated everything perfectly, I mean, the decorations are great” I complimented her.

“Thanks, Miss Mars” she thanked me.

I walked towards the cashier table and dropped my bag on the table, I reached for my phone and started taking photos of the decorations – it’s not everyday my teahouse look this beautiful.

“Has he called you?” I asked, adjusting my position to get good lightening.

“Who?” she asked back, sounding confused.

“The customer…”

I paused and smiled at a photo I just took, it’s the best so far of all the photos I’ve been taking.

“…the one who’s booking our teahouse for his anniversary” I completed my words.

“Oh, about that…” she trailed off.

I waited for her to continued, but….

“SURPRISE!!” that’s what I heard instead.

I turned around and saw Stephen holding a bouquet of red roses, he’s handsomely dressed in a navy blue velvet tuxedo and his hair was stylishly gel and combed backwards – he wore a boyish grin which made him look like Zac Efron from highschool musical.

Wait – why do I find him attractive today? Is something wrong with my brain?

“Don’t tell me he booked our teahouse” I whispered to Lily.

She cleared her throat.

“He did, ma’am” she replied and rushed off in a flash, I simply gaped at the direction she ran off to.

I turned back to face Stephen, I folded my arms on my chest and leaned my weight on my right leg as I was kinda bent backwards.

“So…what are you celebrating? Where’s your wife?” I asked teasingly.

“I don’t have a wife” he answered.

I scoffed. “Tell me something new”

He stepped closer to me, almost closing the space between us but I took a step back to create the space again.

“Roses for you, my love?” he said stretching the bouquet towards me.

From my peripheral view, I can see some of my staffs peeking at us, it would be embarrassing for him if I don’t accept the flowers.

“Thank you” I collected the bouquet with a tight smile.

I headed towards the table we’ve arranged for him and sat the flower on the table.

“What anniversary are you celebrating?” I asked.

“It’s not an anniversary, this is our first date” he answered.

I slowly turned my head and stared at him in shock.

“Date?!”

★★★★★

Cassandra’s pov

There was a pin drop silence in the car as Jayden focused his attention on the road, with his brows knitted too tightly in a scowl and his knuckles kept turning whiter as he gripped tighter on the steering wheel.

He was also clenching and unclenching his jaw, making the veins on his neck show.

It seemed like his mind isn’t here with us, or maybe he’s still mad at the fact that I am Brad’s fiancee – well, fake fiancee to be precised.

Maybe I should break this silence before the atmosphere becomes suffocating and reeking of awkwardness, I really can’t stand when it’s gotten to that stage.

“Where are we going? Work?” I asked.

Instead of replying, his looked at his side mirror and increased his speed at once, as he overtook two cars at a time.

I quickly held onto my seatbelt for support, I looked behind me at Isabella who was sleeping peacefully on the backseat, then turned back to Jayden.

“C-can you slow down?” I asked nicely.

He didn’t reply me, but rather increased his speed again and I felt my heart racing in fear of us crashing.

“We’re not in a racing competition, please slow down” I said.

But he didn’t listen to me, it seemed at though he’s being possessed by some unclean spirits and he continued driving in that dangerous speed.

I shut my eyes and breathe in deeply, but shakily.

“ARE YOU CRAZY? HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THERE’S A KID WITH US IN THIS CAR?!” I shouted when I couldn’t take it anymore.

He came to an abrupt stop, which made us jerked forward, me especially and I hit my head on the dashboard – pains shoots through my head and I winced.

“Are you hurt?” I heard him asking.

I lifted my head and shot him a killer’s glare, but hissed quietly at the pain in my head.

“I’m sorry…” he trailed off.

“Are you crazy? Were you trying to get us killed?” I asked as calmly as I could.

He shook his head.

“Then what was that about?”

“I.. I…” he doesn’t seem to have anything to say.

I scoffed.

“We’re both fine and doing great just a few minutes ago, I don’t get why you’re suddenly so angry” I said.

He exhaled.

“It’s.. it’s the issue with brat… ”

“Who’s brat?” I asked, contorting my face in a confused frown.

“Your friend, the one you’re pretending to be his fiancee” he explained.

“You mean Brad?”

He nodded quickly.

“I just can’t seem to get his issue off my head”

“Why?”

“I mean, you agreed to pretend to be his girlfriend” I nodded for him to go on. “What if you accidentally k-ss?”

“What?”

“You know, there might be a situation that requires you to prove to others that your relationsh¡p is real – what if it involves k-ssing?”

My frown deepened as I stared at him in disbelief, I could feel anger slowly seeping through my veins at his words and I tried to keep myself in control.

“Ok, let me set something straight with you”

I paused to take breathe.

“Brad is my friend and friends do help each other in times of needs, he’s being my friend since I was a kid and his family has done so much for me – helping him with little things like this is the only way I can repay him”

“Yeah, his family saved you and they mean so much to you, but do you have to repay him like this? By agreeing to be his fake fiancee?” he argued.

“Hey, you just used the key word, fake. We’re not in a real relationsh¡p, it’s fake and isn’t that what we are too?” I asked, pointing between us.

“Ours is different, I….”

“It’s not different, you and I are just friends, our friendsh¡p just started last week and I’m already helping you with something as huge as this – why then do you say I can’t help my childhood friend too? Someone I grew up with? Someone who picked me from the streets and took me home to share his family’s love with me? Aren’t you being a hypocrite right now?”

“Baby, we….”

I raised my hand to cut him off.

“Don’t baby me” I’m way too angry now. “I have a life to live outside this fake relationsh¡p of ours, ok?”

He stared at me, he looked like he wanted to say something but I didn’t let him.

“You have no rights to get angry or jealous because you mean nothing to me and I mean nothing to you, what’s going on between us right now is fake and we both know it’s taking us nowhere, everything is gonna end after we get your daughter’s custody”

Saying all this is breaking my heart but I don’t care, I need to stand my ground and let him know I’m not a pushover, I have feelings too and he should respect them.

“Listen, Jayden, I didn’t plan on getting involved with someone I have zero feelings for – like every other girl, I wanted to fall in love, date and get married to the love of my life but I don’t know if that is still possible – wanna know why?”

He nodded speechlessly, I looked straight in his eyes and I saw fear, what is he scared of?

“Because after all this, I’ll be a divorced woman and that stigma would forever stay attached to my name even if I finally get married to the love of my life!”

Tears suddenly started flowing down my cheeks as I was saying those words, why do I feel so hurt?

I can’t stand him anymore, I can’t breathe the same air as him and before I knew what’s going on, I’m already unfastening my seatbelt.

“What are you doing?” he asked, holding my hand.

“Getting away from you and boarding a taxi home” I answered.

“Baby, stop, don’t…”

I snatched my hand from him and alighted his car angrily, I shut the door and started walking towards the bus stop nearby – thank God he stopped near a bus stop.

I heard him opening his door and rushing out.

“Let’s go home together, I swear, I’ll try getting him off my mind” he said.

“No, you should go alone, you need to cool off” I replied him.

“But we’re…”

“Send Bella home and make sure she gets a good rest before I arrive” with that I increased my pace.

★★★★★

Writer’s pov

Jayden continued staring at his wife until she’s made it to the bus stop, he exhaled roughly and angrily kicked his car’s back tyre.

“f–k, why did I even fight with her?” he asked, blaming himself for what just happened.

He reached for his phone and sent a quick apology message to Cassandra, he stared at her, waiting for her to check her phone but she didn’t.

With a frustrated sigh he slide in his car, he threw his head back and closed his eyes – just then, his phone rang.

He answered it without checking the caller’s ID.

“Hello”

“Hey, Jayden”

He quickly sat upright when he heard Mike’s voice, his eyes instinctively moved to his daughter who’s still sleeping.

“I have sued Matilda and the hearing is 14th of December, please there shouldn’t be any mistake from our side” Mike said.

Jayden’s eyes were still on his daughter all these while.

“Yeah, I understand”

“Ok, that’s all.. have a blissful day” Mike hung up.

Jayden looked through the rearview mirror and realized Cassandra is no longer standing at the bus stop, he looked ahead of him and saw a bus leaving – he sighed.

“She must be in that bus” he said to himself.

Having nothing else to do, he started his car and drove off.

★★★★★

GRASSI’ VILLA

Mrs Grassi sat in their large, spacious living room, holding her phone and staring thoughtfully at a particular number.

She felt a strong urge to dial it but a nagging voice at the back of her head, kept telling her not to.

Not knowing what to do anymore, she threw the phone on the table and m-ssaged her tempo as it helped her calm down.

“Danny’s such a bastard!” she growled.

Just then she heard the doorbell ring, she glared at the as if it has committed a crime because she doesn’t feel like seeing anyone.

She ignored it, hoping that whoever’s ringing the bell would go away but it’s not so.

The bell kept ringing and ringing until she couldn’t take it anymore, she angrily got up and stormed towards the door.

“Who’s that, that wants to die?!” she growled angrily, snapping the door open.

“Hello, aunt?”

Mrs Grassi tensed at this all too familiar voice, she stared wide eyed at the figure before her and a small gasp slipped off her mouth.

“Ma-Matilda?” Mrs Grassi stuttered.

To be continued.