Chapter 114: Chapter 114
Amelia's POV
Azura shyly ate at the dining table as she sat beside Adrian, looking uncomfortable and intensely aware of herself. Mom tried to make her feel at home. Dad also spoke to her, as well as us, involving everyone in the easy conversation. Azura apparently worked as a barista at one of their New York hotels, where Adrian met her. She just graduated high school and started working, saving money from work for her further studies. Her father had died when she was eight years of age while six months back her mom abandoned her to marry her boyfriend and move in with him. She had been fending for herself since then. We felt bad for her but she just shrugged trying to seem unaffected and casual. She didn't need our sympathies and squirmed under all the attention that she was receiving. Dad seemed to sense it and thankfully left her alone. We talked about casual stuff, about the upcoming wedding, and Stefan and Anna's choice of honeymoon destinations, amongst other things.
Tristan sat beside me, as close as he possibly could, his hand permanently resting on my thigh. I tried removing it, but every time I removed it, he placed it higher up my thigh till it was at my upper thigh, near my core. My breath was stuck in my throat at his audacity. My cheeks flamed, I tried to glare at him when his hand left me suddenly. What happened? To my shock, he said, "oww", as he glared at Claire. She sat beside him and must have pinched him for the torture he was up to. I smiled cheekily at Claire who smirked and then winked at me. Tristan grinned at both of us. He leaned toward me and I knew he was up to some mischief.
"To be continued," he whispered, making my heart skip a beat or two. I refused to look into his eyes which held a million promises. I knew that he would somehow find a way to resume where he had left off. After all, nothing was impossible for Tristan Jayden Henderson!
Stefan wiped Anna's mouth where some chocolate syrup was sticking from the Choco lava cakes we were treating ourselves to for dessert. She blushed as Julian coughed and mom glared at him.
Azura was playing with the food on her plate when Adrian caught hold of her hand and fed her. Then he glared at her, which made her eat properly. Claire winked at me, gesturing towards them. We rolled our eyes at all the melodrama going on at the dinner table. It seemed as if the Hendersons were a cool lot who didn't care much about dining table etiquette contrary to what my family was. I was glad that they were so natural and unpretentious.
Dad was cool with all the drama around as gran and Cassandra only giggled at all the jokes they shared between them. Mom too smiled at a few of the jokes. The food was absolutely delicious and I helped myself to more just like the others did.
"Enjoying yourself?" whispered Tristan in my ear and I nodded.
"Yes, very much," I said honestly and this time, I turned and looked deep into his eyes. "Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for making me a part of your life," I whispered back. He gazed back at me as if wanting to say much more but then controlled himself.
"I'm honored, baby doll," he just said, looking away. I thought I noted a strange emotion on his face for a split second before he expertly masked it. I had the feeling that he wanted to say a lot more but couldn't. The rest of the time I wondered what it was that he wanted to tell me.
After dinner, we sipped wine and played games till Anna and Stefan excused themselves, followed by Adrian and Azura. We also left followed by Julian and Cassandra. Apparently, gran and Arielle were spending the night at mom and dad's house.
Tristan helped me to his car and he drove me home. After 2 hours, we reached Tribeca instead of my apartment in Garment District. "Where are we going?" I asked, looking around with surprise.
"Wait and watch," he said, smirking. Of course, he would say that. Did I expect him to blurt out the address? Then I remembered his promise of resuming where he had left off. A strange excitement filled my body just thinking about it. Did he forget? Would he seriously keep his promise? I just couldn't think about it anymore. My body started reacting in ways I wouldn't want it to. So I looked out of the car window to divert my attention.
We rounded off a corner and headed straight through huge back gates into the underground parking of a huge building. "Hudson Sky Terraces" read the neon-lighted sign above the 25-floor condominium. It was spread out over a large area with gardens, a badminton court, swimming pools, and a sprawling clubhouse. There were 2 blocks made of historic red brick with a modern glass and metal curtain wall. The place was beautifully lit up with sparkling lights against the dark sky. I gazed at the place with wide eyes wondering where exactly we were. I turned towards Tristan but he just avoided my curious look as he parked his car.