Broken Pieces by L. S. (cat reading book TXT) 📕

I was putting on my pearl necklace when I glanced at the digital clock sitting on our nightstand. Ten minutes before eight. I am having dinner with Carter tonight. It’s been a week since we flew back to Los Angeles. He gave me some time to spend with Nicole before we decided to go back to our home. Things are going so well between us. After the night we spent at the hotel Miami Beach, Carter never left my side. As per his company, things are also starting to go back to normal. His investors are putting back their shares to the company but it is still being managed by Carter’s father, Mr. Greene.

I haven’t seen him but I will tonight, Carter set up a dinner for us tonight so I could meet his father. His father is living in Paris and recently went home when he was needed to save Carter’s company. He was now living at his mansion-like house in Orange County.

I looked at my reflection at the mirror and I am surprise to see how huge I changed from the last time I took the time to look at myself in the mirror. A year ago, I looked scared, damage and broken but now I look so alive. My short-sleeve-knee-length black dress is hugging my curves perfectly. As usual I didn’t put too much make up. I just want my natural beauty to be seen. I feel like the pieces of me are being put back together. Carter is putting me back together.

My thoughts were dismissed when I heard my phone rang. It’s Carter. He met up with his friend Frank before our dinner tonight.

“Hey,” I answered.

“Hey baby, you’re on your way?” he asked sweetly.

I reached for my purse on the bed and put my black laced stilettos on.

“I am on my way downstairs,” I said. “Are you at the restaurant already?” I asked.

“Not yet, I am driving my way though, I’ll see you there, okay?”

I nodded.

“Yes, of course. How’s Frank by the way?”

“He’s great, Lisa is pregnant,”

“Wow! That was fast,”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, I’ll see you at the restaurant, okay?”

I noticed the uneasiness on his voice.

“Are you alright? You seemed bothered,” I asked with a concern tone.

Is he worried that his dad might not like me?

“I am fine,” he said while taking a deep breath. “I just missed you, that’s all.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, of course,” he was smiling but I can still sense that something is bothering him.

I chose not to pry, but deep inside I am praying that everything is fine and that there is nothing we should worry about, especially his company. It once came between us and I don’t want that to happen again, not now that I madly in love with him.

“I’ll see you there then,” I said.

“Yeah, I love you babe,”

“Love you too, bye!”

I walked out of the house and saw Marcus waiting for me on the garage.  I get inside the car and waited for Marcus to start the engine.

On our way to the restaurant where Carter made the reservation, I was silently praying and hoping that everything is alright and that nothing bad is gonna happen. I don’t want to lose him. I have been in that place and it wasn’t a good place to be.

“Miss Jillian, we’re here.”

I heard Marcus say, I gave him a slight nod and get off the car as soon as he opened the door. I was standing in front of a French restaurant. I’ve been in this place before. The place is good and they have excellent customer service.

I walked inside and was greeted by a very beautiful host standing at the reception area.

“Bienvenue à Avec Nous Mademoiselle,”

I gave the lady a slight smile.

“I have a reservation with Mr. Greene,” I said.

She smiled and checked on her monitor.

“This way Ma’am,”

I followed her as she made her way inside the dining area. I noticed that the place is empty and I kind of wonder why. This place is usually crowded, this establishment indeed have a lot of patrons.

At the farther end of the dining area, I saw a man perhaps in his late fifties occupying one of the tables. He was wearing a pair of black suit. I think he is Carter’s father. I looked around but I don’t see Carter anywhere. Maybe, he is still on his way. I checked on my wristwatch, I am just on time, maybe he is running late. I don’t know what to do if I should just wait for Carter or I should approach the old man.

The beautiful host continues to walk towards the direction of the old man so I had no choice but to follow her.

“Here it is Ma’am,” she said.

I smiled and gave her a slight nod.

“I’ll have the waiter bring the menu,” she said and walked away from the table.

The man stood up and looked at me.

“You must be Jillian,” he said in a baritone voice.

I nodded.

“Yes sir,”

“Finally, I got to meet the face behind the name,” he said, “I am Caesar Greene, nice to meet you dear,”

“Pleasure to meet you Mr. Greene,”

I was shaking when I accepted his hand. He treats me okay but I kind of feel awkward, maybe because we are the only people there.

“Have a seat,” he said.

I did. I sat still on the chair and slightly checked on my phone, no text from Carter. I am hoping that he didn’t think that I should have dinner with his dad alone. I feel so tense that I can feel my nape sweating because I honestly don’t know how to act in front of Carter’s dad. I was never in this kind of situation before. I have never met the father of someone I dated because I didn’t date anyone in the first place.

“Where’s Carter?” he asked.

I swallowed the small lump on my throat.

“He’s already on his way sir,”

“I see, my son was never late,”

I smiled. I really don’t know what to say or what to react.

The waiter walked to our table and asked if we need everything, Mr. Greene asked for a wine and while I settled for sparkling water. I wonder where Carter is now. I silently sat there and checked my phone from time to time but there’s not even a single text on it. I badly wanted to call him or text him but I don’t want to be rude in front of his dad and I don’t want him to think that I am a clingy girlfriend either. I’ll just wait for Carter even if it makes me uneasy to sit there with his father sitting opposite mine.

Couple of minutes later, we were both stunned as the lights inside the restaurant turned off.

“Is there a black out?” I heard Mr. Greene mumbled.

Suddenly, a piano version of the song “Everything” by Michael Bublè played at the background and then I saw Carter popped from I don’t know where holding a candle light on his hands, slowly walking towards our direction. I noticed that every step he takes a light right under the glass floor turns on.

He looks gorgeous wearing a gray suit with no tie. His hair was comb perfectly; he looks too formal too, maybe it’s because I was meeting his dad.

He smiled at his dad and looked at me nervously.

“What’s all this?” I asked with confusion as he took my hand to stand up.

“Jillian, from the very beginning that I saw your beautiful face, you never left my mind. I think about you every second of every minute of every day,” he said as he grip on my hand tightly. “I thought I was going crazy when we were apart and it wasn’t a good place to be. I’ve missed you so damn much and I’ll do everything I can to keep you. I don’t want you to be gone again.”

My heart is beating so fast, I don’t know where this lead us but I have a huge feeling that it’s going to be great.

“I don’t care about your past Jillian, I only care about you being here with me. Let me be your family Jillian, I love you so much! Will you marry me?”

My eyes widened as I heard what he said and saw him knelt on his knee with a sparkling diamond ring on his hand. I feel like the world stops around me and that I was just dreaming.

“A-are you sure?” I asked innocently.

I saw him laughed slightly as he put my hand on his mouth.

“Of course baby, I am sure, I am damn sure. I want you to be my wife. I want us to be a family. I want you to have my name. I want you to have my offspring. I want us to grow older together. I want you to be by my side until my last dying breath. Please baby, say yes.”

I put my other hand on my mouth as I was trying to hold back my tears. I was completely taken away with the idea of him being my husband. I was overwhelmed with everything he said. My heart is full of love for Carter.

“Yes, I will marry you,” I answered in between sobs.

He stood up, put the beautiful ring on my finger and pulled me into his arms.

“I love you,” I whispered.

I didn’t care if his dad is there or if the whole dining staff is watching us I pulled his face towards mine and kissed him on his lips.

I am just so happy, I thought being with him again after our reconciliation in Miami Beach was the happiest day of my life but I was wrong. Today is the happiest day of my entire existence. I never felt this way before. Growing up all I felt was pain, fear and grievance, Grievance for losing my dad at an early age, pain for watching my mom waste her life and fear for my life by being with Dan but now it changed. Everything changed when I took the chance to escape town. It changed when I had the courage to leave everything behind and when I believed in Carter that everything will be alright.

I never thought I will be this happy. I thought God forgot that I exist but now I finally saw the light I was looking for and I thank God for it.

It’s been a week since Carter proposed to me and still hasn’t sunk into me that we are getting married. The engagement party is set this weekend and Carter would want us to get married before the new semester starts, and that is a month away from today. I feel like we are rushing into this wedding but I do not want to give Carter any bad impression that I do not want to marry him. He just seems so happy and I do not want to spoil the moment.

I was on my way to the café near the campus to meet Christy. She just got back from her Bahamas trip with Johnny. Brooke is still in the Caribbean so I haven’t had the chance to tell her about my engagement. I am hoping to get in touch with her soon so she could attend the party this Saturday.

I parked my Bentley right beside where