Chapter 6

Ivyrose's POV

The moment my car entered the gates of Foxworth mansion, memories of my heart breaking past all came flooding back. I sighed as I thought of the first memory I had of him. It was my 5th birthday and Gareth was crying. His dad, Mr. Cole, our gardener, had he scolded Gareth for opening one of my presents, a rocking horse. 

"He can have it." I said to his dad. "You can have that so stop crying now. We can be friends and I'll share all my toys with you."

Gareth listened to me and wiped his tears. He kept sniffing and blowing his nose until a huge snot bubble formed and it burst on his face. That was the first time he made me laugh so hard. 

I shook my head as I parked my car in the driveway. Stop thinking about him and just focus on the party.

"Ivy darling." My mother greeted me, wearing her big gardening hat and loose plain brown clothes. Gardening in the early mornings was the only time she looked unfabulous, she used to tell my dad. 

"Hi. Mom. You're up early. How's your greenhouse?" I said, kissing her on both cheeks. 

"Oh it's fine, dear. Although I wish spring would come sooner. I can't wait for my tulips to bloom." She told me all the details about her tulips which were all from Switzerland, as we headed inside the mansion. 

"Where's the birthday boy?" I asked her while looking around the old mansion. It was three years ago when I left the place permanently and moved to my apartment in the Upper West side.

"Where else?" mom said and I chuckled knowing all too well dad would be in his study working. 

"Well, all the staff for the party will arrive any minute to start the preparations. See you later, mom."

I went up to my room which was on the fourth floor, but didn’t take the elevator, making my mother shake her head. 

"This is how you stay in shape without lipo, mommy." I teased and she rolled her eyes at me before heading to the kitchen. My heart ached as I remembered how Gareth and I used to race up these stairs when we were still kids — two kids having the time of their lives. 

When I opened my room, more and more of our memories came crashing, making my chest constrict. I tried to think of something else, but it was no use. Somehow the smell of my room made it all seem like the memories happened only yesterday. 

Gareth used to climb up the old oak tree right in front of my bedroom's balcony and snuck in. We'd stay up all night just talking. On my 15th birthday, Gareth snuck in at midnight and confessed he was in love with me and I told him I felt the same way all these years. We had our first kiss that night. A few months after he had his birthday, we made love for the first time. 

*********

“Promise me you’ll never leave me.” I said to him back then.

“I’m yours forever, Rossie. You own my heart, my mind and my soul. Being without you would mean being without air and I’d die. I promise I’ll do my best to be worthy of you.”

“But you are worthy of me already. I wouldn’t have given you everything of me, if I didn’t think so, Gareth.” 

“I meant to be worthy in the eyes of your parents. I know they’re good people, but still I know when they find out we’re more than friends now, they’ll be different.”

“They won’t be. They love you. They love your entire family living her and helping us.”

“That’s just it. I don’t want us to be the “help” forever. I have to be somebody your dad will be proud of.”

“And you will be. You’re the smartest one in our class. You’ll make all of us proud and fast. ANd then we can get married and have lots of baby Rossies and baby Gareths.”

“I can’t wait for all that, Rossie. But for now let’s just keep this a secret between us, okay?”

“If you think that’s for the best, then yes I won’t tell a soul even though I love you so much I want the whole world to know it.” 

*******

I went out the balcony and saw our favorite spot under the old oak tree and sighed. My tears started falling as my chest constricted again. Stop thinking about the past, idiot. He chose the money over you. Get over it.

I saw the trucks and cars of the crew coming and hurriedly wiped my tears away, taking deep breaths to calm myself, pushing the memory of me begging him not to leave. By nine, the mansion was full of workers decorating, arranging the seats and preparing everything else for the party. I had a quick lunch with my parents and they asked how Christopher and I were. I told them we were doing great. 

"Remember dad, all the guests are expected by six later. All one thousand or more of them, so be ready by then, okay?" 

"Yes, boss." my dad said, saluting at me and my mom laughed. 

I checked the decorations in the ball room, in the entrance hall, and lastly in the garden. Everything was perfect. I called Christopher and told him I’d see him later. Hearing his voice made me feel a lot better. Christopher is my future. We’ll sell Foxworth Mansion and build our own paradise on earth.

By six cars were already lining up the driveway all the way to the gates. The first time Christopher came here, he told me how different we were if I grew up in a place like this. 

"Let's just say your maids' house is bigger than the apartment we rented and the entire neighborhood could fit in your front lawn. And your backyard could fit the entire town." he chuckled. By six thirty the mansion was already packed. All of New York's elite and even Hollywood actors under daddy's star agency came. I took a picture with Johnny Depp just to intentionally make Christopher jealous. 

I was talking to my friends from highschool when I saw Christopher walk in and they all asked if he had a brother or maybe a cousin. Christopher wore the armani suit I custom made for him and it accentuated his broad shoulders, making him look even hotter. He saw me and smiled. 

My heart pounded in my ears as he suddenly pulled me back and kissed me passionately. It was a kind of kiss that makes you forget everything, even a haunting past.

After all the guests went out to the garden where the party propper would be held, I got up on the stage again and gave my speech for my dad’s 60th birthday. I was about to say the last two sentences when I noticed this guy who looked so familiar. It was crazy because I thought it was Gareth even though he looked different and more importantly it was impossible for him to be in New York as daddy warned him he’d kill him if he ever showed his face again. 

I blinked once and he was gone. I looked around until I remembered I was in the middle of my speech.

Mother cleared her throat and I remembered I was in the middle of my speech. I smiled at the guests who were all looking up at me wondering why I stopped talking mid-sentence. 

“Sorry about that.” I chuckled before I continued. “And he is the love of my life. Happy birthday, daddy!” 

I looked helplessly among the guests as we all sang Happy  Birthday, but I couldn't find him. Daddy gave his speech and when we all thought he was done, he called Christopher up on the stage and my stomach flipped, realizing my father just announced our engagement and there I was, trying to find my ex boyfriend. 

The moment Christopher's lips touched mine, I closed my eyes, and remembered how Gareth and I used to sit under the old oak tree, behind my mother's greenhouse and make out there. 

"I love you so much, Rossie." 

I opened my eyes and it was Christopher's smiling face I saw. It was his arms around mine. 

"What did you just say to me?" 

"What? I said I love you so much, Rose."

Christopher said, scratching his head. "Are you okay?" 

"Yes. I thought you called me Rossie, that's all."

"But you said you hate being called that."

"Exactly." I said, kissing him on the cheek. "Now. Come on and ask me to dance."

My mom, dad, and Chris and I all went down from the stage as the orchestra started playing. 

Christopher and I swayed to the music. I stared into his blue eyes and I tried to think about the first time we met. I wanted my head to fill with memories of us and not of my past with Gareth. 

"What's wrong with you?" 

"Nothing. I'm just admiring how handsome my future husband is." 

"Just handsome?" 

"Oh and hot too. Definitely hot." I said as I touched his bulging biceps and thought of his six pack. I love licking his abs.

"Anything else?" 

"Hmmm he's also good at bed. I guess." I teased and he tried to tickle me in the middle of the dance floor. 

"Only good, ey? I'll show you to-" 

"May I cut in?" my dad said, tapping Christopher's shoulder. 

"I love you." I said as Christopher let go of me and held my mother's hand. 

I laid my head on my father's chest and sighed.

"You okay, princess?" 

"Yes, daddy. It's just the stupid memories trying to force their way into my mind."

"I love this party, Rose. You did a great job. You should add this as another business of yours." 

My dad said, ignoring what I just confessed. He was always like that. He never wanted to talk about Gareth or what happened that night. He never wanted to talk about what happened to me after all that. But I couldn’t blame him. I never thought of what happened nine months after too. I closed my eyes and thought hard of Christopher proposing to me just to force the bad memories out of my head.

“Rose?” Daddy said, when I didn’t respond to him.

"Yeah, maybe next year, dad. I'm focusing on the flower shop for now and then on our wedding. Do you think I'm doing the right thing, dad?" 

"Of marrying Chris? Of course you are, princess. Christopher is a good man. A hard working man. He's got his business, but still he worships you. If that's not a good sign, I don't know what is."

"You're right, daddy. Thanks for always being there for me all these years. I hope you'll live to be a million years old, dad."

"You've been reading those vampire novels again, haven't you?" my dad laughed. 

The music had ended and two men approached us. The other one I knew by the name of Henry Melbourne, a Billionaire, owning one of America's largest automobile shops and he was one of dad's closest friends. 

"Rex. Happy birthday, you old fart."

"Hey, you jackass. Thanks for coming."

"Oh I wouldn't miss this for the world." They hugged each other and I couldn't move. The man beside him was the man I thought was Gareth. He stared at me, but didn't smile. We just stared at each other until Henry introduced him to my dad and me. 

"Oh hey, this is Ricardo Costello Sanguin, my business partner from Italy. This young man is a genius. He reminds me of us when we were young, Rex."

"Ah so he's a jackass too." My dad said jokingly and the three of them laughed.

"Nice to meet you son. I'm Rex Foxworth and this is my beautiful daughter, Ivyrose."

"Nice to meet you, sir." He shook my father's hand. I looked at my dad's expression and couldn't believe he didn't recognise Gareth. 

"And nice to meet your acquaintance, miss." The man said in an Italian accent, kissing my hand that I never noticed he held. 

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. My heart was beating too hard and my head was spinning, I thought I would faint. Daddy nudged me and when I was still staring at Gareth, he shook his head and said something to the two men. They all left me standing there in the middle of the dance floor, looking at them as they made their way through the crowd. 

"Ivy, honey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Mom, did you see that guy that just left with dad?" 

"Yeah. Henry? Why?" 

"No. The other one."

"Oh Mr. Sanguin. He's nice. From Italy." 

"You don't think he looks like someone we know? Used to know?" 

From the confused expression on my mother's face, I knew she didn't recognize him either, so I just told her I was fine and excused myself. 

I have to talk to him. I need to talk to him. He’s Gareth, I’m sure of it. My mind kept repeating like a broken record.