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Chapter Ten
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"Another crappy day," Jade thought to herself as she stared from the living room window out onto the front lawn. Through the dawn, she witnessed brown puddles from the downpour quickly expanding, running over and down the edges of the sidewalk and spilling onto the pavement of the quiet street. The crackling thunder had startled her awake. Last night she had fallen asleep thinking of all the plans she wanted to fulfill today. She thought she might do a bit of shopping to personalize her new room, maybe even take a jog around the neighborhood and explore. She could feel herself getting antsy, the weather keeping her stuck indoors for far longer than she liked. She took a sip of warm coffee from her mug and let out a long sigh. She needed to keep herself distracted, and this weather wasn't helping.
"What're you doin' up this early?" Marissa yawned from the opening of the hallway. Jade turned in surprise towards the figure standing on the other side of the darkling
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She could feel the anxiety swelling up inside of her. Her palms turned cold and sweaty as she held the phone and scrolled through her list of contacts. She quickly called the number listed for Grovington, the nursing facility her mother stayed in.Why hadn't she thought about that? She could never ignore her phone because of that very reason. How could she be so stupid?She was on the brink of crying as the number went straight to a voicemail, the recording stating that it was after hours. She tried again, hoping it was just a fluke. Again, there was no answer. Jade took a few deep breaths in, trying to control her breathing, trying to rationalize the situation. She listened to her voicemails, quickly skipping through them until she found one from the receptionist. Only it was too vague; it just asked her to call them back. If it were an emergency, they would have said something about it, right? She knew she was overreacting, but still— her mother.
Rendezvous Chapter Twelve
She leaned against the reception window, causing the worker to look up at her. "Hi, I'm Jade Meadows. I'm here to sign the medication authorization form for my mother, Margaret Meadows." Her lungs burned as she was forced to take in a breath, overpowered by the stench of peach cobbler, urine, and old people. She looked back and forth between the two nurses, wondering how either one of them could stand it. They seemed unbothered, acclimated to the foul odor. The woman typed something into her computer and then searched through a tower of brown clipboards, handing her one. Jade scanned over the form to sign, noting that it looked identical to each previous one she'd agreed to."And are you going to visit your mother today?" The receptionist politely asked as Jade handed the clipboard back to her. She'd seen her dozens of times before but still couldn't remember the woman's name. She glanced down at her nametag,Rita.She hated Rita at that moment.
Rendezvous Chapter Thirteen
Much to Jade's surprise, when she pulled up to the house that evening, she was able to park right next to the little VW bug. She smiled at the considerate gesture; it had made her feel more at home. She turned off the engine and checked her eyes in the rearview mirror once more, convinced her friend wouldn't be able to tell she'd been crying. She would deny it anyway, give tiredness as an excuse. Her hand hesitated on the door lever before she finally sighed and opened it."Hey! How was work?" Marissa had been on the couch watching television when Jade walked through the front door. She was still wearing her scrubs, so Jade assumed she must've just gotten home as well. Jade slid her heels from her sore feet and wiggled her toes in relief. "Same old, same old," she mumbled without looking up at her. She could hear the desolation in own her voice and knew there was no way to hide her mood. "I stopped by and visited with my mom today."Marissa didn't give it a second
Rendezvous Chapter Fourteen
Marissa sat behind her on the sofa and followed along as she attempted to log into every site she could think of. Jade explained the entirety of the situation to her friend. There was no indication of an ongoing affair within his personal email, not that he ever used it. She typed in several keywords, and still, nothing came up.'Love' 'Dinner' 'Miss you'It all seemed to lead nowhere, especially since Jade didn't even have a name to go off of. She explained that his work email was off-limits. He'd be instantly notified if a different IP address accessed it, so she couldn't even attempt to login without alerting him. Their cellphone records only listed an abundance of numbers, nothing detailed that she could use to satisfy her curiosity. He had already changed the passwords on his social media account, or maybe it was the email address? She didn't know, but either way, that wasn't working for her either. She couldn't imagine he deleted it altogether. Something abo
Rendezvous Chapter Fifteen
Jade veered the car towards the keypad, coming to an abrupt stop in front of the iron gate. She punched in the four-digit code and waited to hear the familiar beep. The black steel rattled in front of her, the gate slowly opening, as she rolled her window back up. It was chilly out today; her pink hands trembled as she held them closer to the air vents and waited, wishing the heater in Marissa's car had worked better. She had cranked it at the highest volume, and still, it could barely keep up. There wasn't much choice in the matter if she wanted to be inconspicuous. If Jonathon were here, he wouldn't recognize this vehicle. Maybe it had been a good thing that she'd always tried to keep Jonathon and Marissa separated. Jade's eyes glanced up to the rearview mirror, discerning the b
Rendezvous Chapter Sixteen
Jade greeted her, held the door open as she strolled inside, her mouth already parted open in awe. "This is... Wow! When you said apartment, I wasn't expecting this."Jade gave a bleak smile. She remembered being in awe the first time she'd seen it as well. It was beautiful, not like anything she'd ever lived in before— it had vaulted ceilings, hardwood flooring, chandeliers, chrome appliances, granite countertops with the complementary backsplash. The best part was the view from their bedroom. It overlooked the vibrant grassy knolls of the golf course behind them."Would you like a tour?" Jade asked, only realizing afterward that she'd used an insincere, almost artificial voice. The same one she used when she was speaking to Jonathon's colleagues or clients. It c
Rendezvous Chapter Seventeen
When she was younger, nobody had ever suspected a thing when it came to her home life. Jade was naturally a pleasant child. Each day she greeted her teachers with a plastered-on grin, and as long as she had brushed her hair and she made good grades, nobody ever questioned it. Her parents started as both loving and attentive; they were always doting over her. She was their miracle baby, as they both called her. They would hang every piece of artwork she created up onto the fridge, up until it became so thick with scraps of paper that the magnets couldn't hold. They were at every ballet recital, attended every school play, and you could hear them in the stands at every soccer game, cheering her on. She couldn't have asked for a better childhood.That lasted up until she was nearly eleven years old.In the early hours of February 21st, Jade's mother had been lectu
Rendezvous Chapter Eighteen
Jade squatted down on the front porch's wooden steps, laced up her sneakers, and then started up her playlist. "Happiness, hit her, like a train on a track. Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back."... She stretched her arms above her head, basking in the gorgeous day outside. It was somewhat chilly out, she could see the little puffs of her breath in the air, but it was also the perfect temperature for a good run.An older woman across the street was pouring mulch around her newest saplings. It was unusual that Jade saw any of the neighbors outside; it seemed they didn't enjoy the cold either. She gave the woman a quick wave as she walked up the driveway and headed east, soaking in the warm rays from the clear skies overhead.Her long ponytail swayed with every stride she took. Through her earbuds, she could hear the thudding as the rubber soles of her shoes bounced off the pavement. Her heart held a steady beat as she jogged, barely putting
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Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Nine
Grace is the divine power that inspires virtue in humans and gives us the strength to endure difficult times. Grace Elizabeth Santos was born on June 29th at 3:17 pm. The first time Jade laid eyes on her, she believed her daughter was absolutely perfect in every sense. She never truly understood what love was until she laid her eyes on her daughter and cradled her tiny, pink body in her arms for the first time. It was the most magical moment she'd ever felt. Grace came out screaming, wide-eyed, and confused by the strange cold world, but the moment she heard the sound of her mother's voice, she froze and just blinked, listening for her. "I could lay here forever studying her features and adoring every little movement and noise she makes," Jade whispered as she softly hummed to Grace who was sleeping in her arms.&n
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Eight
"Time keeps slipping away from me," Jade thought to herself, sipping on a cup of morning tea as she gazed out the window. Her drink had already gone cold. Was her memory failing her? How many days had passed? Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset, she tried to count them all, but it was difficult—fuzzy like static on the television. At this point, nothing made sense. One moment it was two in the morning, and she was lying in bed next to Miguel, and the next, she was here, sitting in this chair, having a cup of tea. She didn't know what was real or which memories she could believe.She was losing her mind, just as her mother had.Miguel had to have known that there was something wrong with her, although she attempted to conceal it. There had been no way to explain to him how she ended up in the ocean, drenched from head to toe and nearly frozen to death. She couldn't explain it. She couldn't
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Seven
The following day, Jade had been medically cleared to leave the hospital. After signing a mountain of paperwork and receiving follow-up care instructions, she began getting dressed. The clothes alone brought a comfort she had greatly missed. Miguel had run out earlier that morning to grab her something to change into for the flight home. She couldn't exactly leave there in nothing but a thin hospital gown, and the clothes she had been wearing were now somewhere in an evidence bag. "One pair of black leggings, slippers, and an oversized t-shirt," Miguel beamed as he placed the shopping bag on the hospital bed, proud of himself. Even if there wasn't currently an assistant around to fulfill the task, he was determined to get them both out of that hospital room. After she was officially discharged, a nurse wheeled her down the elevator to
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Six
Their reunion had been long-awaited, but as Miguel sat diagonally from her in an armchair in the corner of the room, sorting through the emails on his cellphone, she couldn't help but feel like there was a rift between them. She turned the television on to watch the five o'clock news. Lieutenant Davidson had mentioned that he would be giving a statement to the press that evening, and he'd even stopped by to ask her if there was anything she would or wouldn't prefer him to mention. She'd decided to give him her own brief statement to read.The top of the screen read 'LIVE' in big, bold red letters. "Are they really outside right now?" Jade questioned, seeing the camera was angled at the front doors of the hospital. Her room was positioned somewhere in the north wing. She wondered how many people had driven all the way to Pittsburg just to film this.She turned the volume up as
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Five
Lieutenant Lyle Davidson leaned forward in his chair, rubbing over the scruff around his chin. He was heading into his second double shift, and the week had only started. He flipped the page, scanning over the investigative report one last time. It was unfathomable that this woman was good for it. Her demeanor definitely had him fooled. When one of his detectives had first sent over the file to him, he thought, for sure, the boyfriend had something to do with it. Shit, wasn't it always the boyfriend in cases like these? At the time, it had seemed cut and dry. Some arrogant rich guy gets a chick pregnant, and then she suddenly turns up missing? Babies born out of wedlock could bleed a man dry, and money was one hell of a motive. Hell, it wouldn't be the first time he'd had a case like this come across his desk.A smile crossed his face as he snapped the folder shut. Between the physical and forensic evidence collected at the crime scene and Jade Meadows' affidavit, he had
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Four
The sounds of the hospital were unmistakable, and Jade recognized them before she even came to. Machines continuously beeped around her, footsteps paraded in front of the doorway, and an elastic band that was tightly wrapped around her abdomen monitored the baby's heartbeat— swish, swish, swish.She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, glancing around the small room. The walls were painted a flat pale blue, and the miniblinds on the windows let in a beautiful stream of afternoon sunlight. The tables and windowsill were lined with dozens of flowers, cards, balloons, and teddy bears. They'd been pouring in, all sent to her from strangers.The doctors had transferred her from triage to a private suite earlier in the day. From the moment she'd uttered the word 'kidnapped,' it was like she'd set off an alarm throughout the building. It felt like a million p
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Three
Jade was startled awake by a thud. Lying on the tiny bathroom rug, she didn't dare move. She was frozen in fear, not exactly sure what or who was out there. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but it had been the first time in months she'd been without the lock around her ankle. It was so relieving to know that she free from her chains, even if she was stuck in the bathroom. She wondered if Marianna was there. The woman didn't usually come back for several weeks at a time, but Jade thought that perhaps she'd called Eduardo, and when he didn't answer, she'd rushed back.She listened carefully to the surrounding silence, only hearing the vibration of her trembling breath. The house was silent; there was nothing. No footsteps or voices. Just her and the ghost of Eduardo. "Hello?" She finally called out. If it were Marianna, perhaps she would open the door, and then Jade could overpower her.
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-Two
Jade already knew that he'd allow her upstairs after Nadia had left. They always fell back into their old routine, and as predicted, after breakfast, he unchained her. It made her feel twenty pounds lighter. She'd nearly forgotten about the scissors wedged against her breast and had to stop herself from reaching up and touching them to make sure they were still there. She glanced back at the mattress as they walked towards the stairs, him in front of her. The scissors hadn't fallen out. She thought about pulling the scissors out right then and there and stabbing him but then decided against it. Knowing her luck, he'd probably fall backward on top of her and she'd die under his weight.That's not why she couldn't do it, though; it was because fear had a way of paralyzing you. She'd been here for months and never screamed out to his family for help, never attempted to escape. Why? Because females tended to l
Rendezvous Chapter Eighty-One
Sometimes it was nice to be able to hear what's going on upstairs, and then there were days where Jade would rather shove sharpened pencils through her eardrums than listen to one more second of Nadia's neurotic voice. The lunatic had woken up bright and early that morning and had been raging ever since. Their voices carried through the walls depending on where they were standing, giving Jade little bits of their conversation. She surmised that Nadia doesn't like his cat. "Well, at least it's not me that she's going all schizo on."Their conversation waded in and out like a tide, "I'm not getting rid of her!" Eduardo declared as the keys jangled in the door. "Ahh! Breakfast, at last." Things never seemed to operate smoothly while Nadia was here. Jade liked that he had a routine. It made captivity easier, not having to question what was going to come next constantly.
