Jessica certainly did not expect that question and was too stunned to answer. "I am sorry if I offended you. I was just curious" Xavier said in a haste. "No, it is not that you offended me. It's a question I have never gotten before" he told her. "Do you want to share?" he asked because it seemed like there was a story behind it. "Well at first when my mom died she left me with my alcoholic and debt breeding aunt who used up all the insurance money and then she put me in an orphanage home" Jessica began. She loved how attentive he was and how he looked at her. "Well in the home we were mostly maltreated and our punishment for any misbehavior was us going days without any food," she told him. She was sure that Xavier had never heard of anything like before. "And then after a while, I grew accustomed to not having food daily which resulted in an eating disorder for me. I had a hard time recovering. That made me take an interest in the cooking line" "All that happened to you?" Xav
Xavier spoke on the phone for a few minutes before he went back to meet Jessica sitting on the bed. "I see that you are awake now. You were sleeping so peacefully" he commented as he went to pick up a bottle of water. He came back and gave her an opened bottle. "Thanks" she murmured as she took off the cover and gulped down a large amount. "I really needed that" "Why don't we order something in?" Xavier asked returning to his laptop that was set down on the table. "Order something?" she asked slipping the cap of the bottle back and yawning a bit. "Yeah like pizza or chicken?" he said and she scrunched up her nose. "Or Chinese" he added seeing she did not like his suggestion. "We had chicken all day and I do not feel like having anything with flour in it," she said standing up and walking to the kitchen. "Don't you worry I would make something extremely delicious" she said before stopping halfway and turning to face him. His eyebrow went up as he saw her face. It was a mixture o
Jessica got the grill up and running as Xavier stood in a distance watching her set it up. She began to grill the meat. "See I told you that nothing could go wrong with grilling," she said as she flipped the meat on the grill. The aroma of the meat filled the atmosphere and Xavier almost admitted out loud that she was almost nearly perfect in all she did. She did them well and he almost had no complaints at all. "It's so boring here why don't we have a conversation" Jessica suggested. "About what?" he asked taken aback by her suggestion. "Anything you choose something" she replied as she poured some spices on the grilling meat. "I am bad at things like this" Xavier after a long moment of silence. "I don't know what to say," he said in a whisper. "Should I take the lead then?" she asked removing some of the cooked meat from the fire. "Yeah sure I am sure you would be better at it than I would," he told her. "Let's play a game then" she suggested and he nodded. He had nothing t
"Arghh" Jessica screamed. Xavier dropped the cups to the table and rushed to stand beside her. "What was that?" he asked taking her hands on his and looming over it. "I was not looming but I think the oil and spices from the meat dropped to the fire causing it to flare up" she explained. She asked him to trust her that she would not get hurt but here she was with a burning wound on her hand. "Let me get the first aid box but sit here first," he said leading her to the chair by the table. He left her hand and dashed inside to search for the box. He found one right by the kitchen exit door took it in his hands and sprinted out to meet her. He silently cleaned the surface and put ointment on it. Jessica was expecting the I told you so but it did not come so she settled her mind. Maybe he was not that petty after all. "You are pretty good with burn wounds. Did you have a lot or did you help those who had wound burns a lot?" Jessica said when the silence was getting to her. "Jason w
Xavier rushed to the grill. "How do I turn this off" he asked fanning on the flames with his hands. "You have to cut off the air on the grill" Jessica responded coming close. "Stop don't come close. Tell me what to do and I will do it" Xavier shouted before Jessica could get to where be stood. "Okay first it is an electric grill so you have to turn off the flame with the knob on the side" Xavier nodded and did what he was told. "Okay then close the hood and remove the plug from the wall" she instructed and he did so. "Oh thank goodness that could have started a fire," Xavier said with a sigh and Jessica nodded in agreement. "See grills are dangerous," he said walking to stand before her. "If you say so Mr. Delgado," she told him. Silence fell between them as they both shuffled on their feet. "There goes our dinner" she murmured breaking the silence. "It's fine I guess we can have cereal or something else" Xavier murmured. He did not mind because they had a lot to eat at lunchti
Jessica sat still waiting for him. She knew he was done trying to clean up after her so she should just cooperate at this point. "I brought the things you would need for the meal out," she said. Xavier stood opposite him the island separating them from each other. Although the island was thin enough for her to climb over it was still a barrier between them. "Okay," Xavier said rolling up his sleeves. Jessica looked at his arm and she gulped hard. It would be a hard task for her to control herself while watching him. She has to do it or else she might have to eat cereals and not be able to satisfy her cravings. "What do I do first?" Xavier asked. He watched her as she shook her head trying to get him out. 'What could she be thinking?'He tapped the island separating them to call back her attention to him. "What do I do first?" he asked again when her eyes flew open. "Wash the veggies I brought out," she said pointing to the carrots and bell peppers alongside other greens. "Again
"What what what?" Xavier asked startled at her sudden movement. "I think I want to go to the bathroom" she lied and moved to the bathroom. "How do I complete the meal?" he shouted after her. She opened the bathroom door and peeped outside to him. "Use YouTube. Search for stir-fry pasta" she said and closed the door back. She stood in front of the mirror with her eyes wide open. "What are you doing?" she said in a hushed whisper. "Was the break up with Burke not enough heartbreak for you? How can you go ahead to fall for him? Yeah I know he looks like a handsome irresistible character but how can you think of falling for him" she continued in the same voice intensity and tone. She bent her head to the sink and splashed water on her face to wake her up. "Come on Jessica Penelope Delgado" she caught herself calling herself Delgado. She staggered back from the mirror. "In less than a year he would have moved on from you and you would have to forget him no matter how hard you fall f
Xavier got the phone ready and put out it on the island. Jessica could not deny but it looked good and she could not wait to taste it so she could know what it tasted like. "Can we still have the wine?" she asked pulling out the cutest face she could muster. "You still want to drink," Xavier asked shocked at her request. "If we have nothing to do then I guess having a cup or two would not hurt one bit" she explained trying to make her case. He looked at her intensely for a while. She was right there was nothing wrong with the low alcohol-content wine he had brought out earlier. "Okay ma'am," he said setting the cups on the island with the meal he had prepared. He poured some wine into both cups before he came to sit beside her. "Should we eat here?" Jessica asked when she saw him faking his seat. "I guess we can do so if you are comfortable with it," Xavier said. There was no need for them to travel all the way to the couch just to eat and this served as a good table for them.
Hello Guys this is the final chapter. I want to first appreciate everyone who has read this book, who had supported, commented, voted and called me order when I did not update for such a long time. Thank you so much for being such a support in these times. As this work comes to an end I hope you support me in upcoming works. This free Chapter is for you."Joshua we would be late" Aletta screamed from the bottom of the stairs. "Honey are we using our government names now?" Joshua screamed back at her. "Joshua you know I do not like being late for any of these events" Aletta screamed back at him. Altetta paced back and forth at the bottom of the stairs. "You know you should not be screaming while you are this pregnant"Joshua said as he came down the stairs with his daughter in his hands. "If you had come down earlier then I would have had no reason to scream that much" she retorted and he smiled. "It was my little pumpkin here who kept me waiting" Joshua replied as he got to stand b
"I am so happy for you, this is finally happening," Aletta said holding the arms of Jeanne excited."I am excited but also nervous very nervous does anyone have calming pills?" Jeanne said slipping her hands off Aletta's hand and feeling the sweat on her palm."Calm down, it's just you and Thiago, everyone else is just like a rock. I promise you once you get on that altar every of that nervousness would be gone" Aletta continued. "Thank you," Jeanne said sarcastically."Are you nervous because its mu brother? I can help you run away from this right now" Nichole suggested and Alethea rolled her eyes. "Are all sisters this way? This was the same advice you gave Aletta the other day" Alethea said and Jeanne shook her head. "How can I leave, I have been dreaming of this day" Jeanne replied. "Then calm down even though I don't know why you would dream of marrying my brother but we all choose our battles I guess" Nichole shrugged as she sat down."Nichole" Aletta chastised because she k
"You have to get to work" Aletta said rubbing the hand of Joshua gently. They had arrived back from their honeymoon over the weekend and this Monday morning was the first time Joshua was going back to work after the wedding."Can't I just lay down here with you all day?" he said taking out her hand and pulling her down to his level."You kept saying that and prolonged the honeymoon by two weeks,""Call me a criminal for wanting to spend time with my wife, I am getting the feeling that you do not want to spend any time with me" Joshua said opening one eye and giving her a judging look. "Joshua, you know that is not true, so get up now""You are no longer my assistant, you are supposed to be begging me to stay a bit more with you""What makes you think I don't want to do that?" Aletta asked taking his dishevelled morning hair back from his face."Because you keep urging me to get back to work so quickly, it's like you can't wait to get rid of me" Joshua took his head back to the pillow
"Mom don't cry again, you might get a serious headache at this rate," Aletta said rubbing the back of her mother while in a hug. The entire wedding was over already and the whole family was seeing the couple off as they were going directly to the airport for their honeymoon. "Come on, at this rate they might miss their flight" Leon said trying to pull Eunice off her daughter. She had been bawling the entire ceremony, if someone saw her they would think it was a sad occasion. "My daughter," Eunice said as she finally pulled away and took a step back. "I am so happy and so proud of you because you managed or find love for yourself even after everything" Eunice sniffled and smiled. "Thank you, Mom," Aletta said with a smile. "You better get going now" Jessica said stepping forward."We are on our way now" Joshua said pulling open the door and gesturing for Aletta to get in."Call us when you get there" Jessica called after the shut door."Do not call us" Xavier said as if he was giv
"I was always unsure about how I felt about you, You were always around me, taking care of me and I felt anxious whenever you were out of sight. A little secret that was the reason I always made you work overtime even when it was not necessary" Joshua said and there was a burst of small laughter across the room.They were both standing in from of the priest and altar but they had decided to take their custom written vows there. Joshua cleared his throat and looked up from his paper to stare at Aletta whose eyes never left his face. He flashed a small warm mile to her and she returned it."I never realized my feelings for you until you made that drunken confession that night that caused us to go into a relationship. I had always thought about marriage but for me, it was the only way for me to make children that would take over the company one day, being with you makes me so excited to think of waking up every morning with you by my side, I think of planting kisses on your lips and spend
"Are you feeling nervous?" Alethea asked Aletta who was sitting in the waiting room with her shaky hands. "Yes I am, who wouldn't be?" Aletta asked as she closed her eyes to steady her breath. "I mean you are very right, who would like to marry my annoying brother, as much as I would like to call you my sister in law I can help you escape if you wish to" Jeanne chimed in. "Thank you so much for the suggestion, I am nervous about this and not rethinking my decision. I can't wait to be married to him" Aletta said as her eyes shot open. "Ew" Jeanne said as she gaged. " What do you see in him?" she added as she picked at her nails. "Everything I want to see" Aletta added. "Jeanne stop trying to put ideas in her head" Jessica cautioned coming towards them. "What did I do?" Jeanne whined."I heard what you said" Jessica replied giving Jeanne a warning look. Jesica knew that her daughter was playing around but she did not want Aletta taking any of the words to heart. "I know I have s
"Mom's boyfriend would be here soon," Alethea said as she dropped the dish in her hand to the table. "I can not believe that I am being made to meet my mom's boyfriend at her age" "What I can not believe is that she can't order out but is making us to make food for him"Alethea whined as she moved back to the kitchen."What is even more crazy is that she is in a relationship again" Aletta exclaimed as she moved behind Alethea. "Don't get me wrong I guess I am glad she is finding love again" "Same here, if she is happy then there is no issue. Love is in the air" Aleteha added coming back to the table "So why don't you have anyone to share the love with?" Aletta asked. They were making the last trip from the kitchen to the table. "Says you? Who told you that I do not have someone to share this love with?" Alethea said dragging out her sentence and a weird smile climbing her face."Alethea you are hiding something from me" Aletta said going to clutch her sister's hand. "Spill now" sh
Aletta and Joshua tried to reach Anette and Richard but it was as if they had fallen off the radar. "At least we tried" Aletta said as she set down the phone to the table. "Happy now?" Joshua asked and she nodded. "I guess I have to get going now" she said taking up her phone from the table."Where to? You just got here" Joshua was sad because they had finalized her resignation and she had not been around him like he wanted her to be. He was happy regardless that she was doing what she loved. "I have to go finalize things with HR on hiring your new assistant and then I have to go shopping with your mom and sister" Aletta explained. "Can we at least have dinner together?" Joshua asked and started expressing shock when he saw the expression on her face. "We can not? I barely see you anymore these days" he whined like a child who was cheated of having any ice cream. "I am having dinner with my family, mom is introducing her boyfriend to us today and honestly, I love spending time wi
"Did you hear about Anette?" Aletta asked as she pushed the jar of pickles into the hands of Joshua. They had picked a date for the wedding and it was in three weeks. They were having one of the date nights where they stayed back home and cooked for each other. "What happened to her?" Joshua asked. Anette shook her head in bewilderment, how could this man be so oblivious to everything happening around him?"Have you seen her in a while?" Aletta asked. She wanted to know how much he did not know. "Well, since that day she came to our house, I did not think much of it when I did not see her again," Joshua said truthfully before taking off the lid of the jar. "But you know she called off her wedding and left the country so abruptly with Richard?" Aletta asked hoping that he at least knew about that fact. Yes, Anette did hurt them all but it would be too mean to not care about her when she had sincerely apologized."Maybe they did not want the wedding again?" Joshua asked shrugging. Al