CHAPTER 16: News Of Marriage
Jaidyn’s Pov
I looked up as I heard someone knocking on the door. I put down the clothes I was folding and stood up from sitting on the edge of the bed. All of my clothing is spread out on the mattress, and my duffel bag and backpack are placed on the floor. When I reached the door and opened it, Claire was there, cradling a jar of cookies.
“Hi!” She greeted me cheerfully.
I noticed how her eyes widened a little upon seeing my puffy eyes so I forced a smile, opening the door wider. “Hey”
She handed me the jar, saying, “This is for you. I know you will love these cookies.”
“Who made this?”
“Kate” Claire stepped inside, “She runs a diner in the town, and she asked me to give this to you, which she feels may entice you to go to her diner.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
I shut the door behind us and we made our way to the living room. “Please send my thanks to her. I love cookies”
After setting the jar down on the table, I turned to retrieve drinks for us when I saw Claire halting her steps and gazing intently towards the bedroom, to which I had left the door open.
Claire gasped at me with disbelief, “You’re leaving? Already?”
I hesitantly nodded at her. “I think I need to go back now”
“Why? Do you not want to stay here? You haven’t really explored our town; you’ve only been to the bar and this area around here.”
I headed to the refrigerator, grabbed a pitcher of orange juice, and poured us a glass, saying, “I know but I think that’s enough. I did enjoy the scenery here”
“But… you can’t…. ”
“We can call each other and I will visit here again, maybe someday,” I said with a smile but Claire just shakes her head in distress.
She suddenly grasped my hand with both of her hands, startling me, and I regarded her in shock. “Don’t leave, don’t”
“Claire-”
“I will be getting married two weeks from now!” she blurted out.
“Huh? You are what?”
She blinked and thought for a second as if contemplating things before nodding. “Yes, yes. I will be getting married and I want you there”
“I… I don’t think I can-”
“Please, Jaidyn, please, stay with us for a few days huh”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, Claire but I need to leave. Don’t worry, I will come to your wedding”
Her face twisted in panic as her eyes widened. “No! I mean your sister will come here in a few days” she blurted out.
I frowned. “My sister? Really?”
“Yes, I… I called her and asked for help in planning my wedding and she excitedly agreed to come here”
“She didn’t tell me, ” I whispered. My older sister always tells me her plans and the fact that I didn’t know this makes me uneasy?.
“So please, stay with us for a few days, please” Claire looked at me. Her brown eyes plead with hopefulness.
“I… ” I pause and cast a quick peek at the bedroom, where my clothing is. “I will think about it”
As soon as she heard it, her expression dropped, but she just nodded and offered me a saddened smile. I handed her a glass of orange juice as she pulled out a chair.
“Why are you suddenly leaving? I mean I thought you had a few days here. Did something happen?”
I nibbled my lower lip. Given that Traian was well-known in the town, I am confident that Claire knew him. I don’t want her to think of me for something if I told her that I have this unexplainable attraction to that man, especially considering that I recently ended a failed engagement.
She suddenly held my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You can tell me what’s bothering you, Jaidyn. Maybe I can help”
Telling her was pointless. Once I speak with my sister later, I will leave the town and I won’t see him again. It was useless to talk about it. I smiled and shook my head. “I am fine, it’s nothing. I just feel like I need to go back to the States now”
I lightened my face to change the subject. “So, who is the lucky guy?”
Claire blushed and looked down at her glass. “Uhm… it’s the man I was within the corner of the pub the other night?”
My eyes widened. “Oh my god, the man you’re having a very serious conversation with!”
I remember the other night the first time we went to the pub and I met Traian.
“Yes, exactly”
Then it dawned on me: “You’re going to marry him after only two days of knowing him? That seems a little rash.”
Claire smiled at me and I could see she was in love with the man by the warmth and affection in her eyes. “I know that he was my soul mate, we both know are, so I think postponing it was pointless”
“How do you know he was your soul mate? ” I might sound bitter but it was also what I thought to my boyfriend of eight years but I ended up broken. And Claire had just known the man for two days. “I know, I may sound harsh, but you know I came from an eight-year relationship and that didn’t end well. I just don’t like for you to hurt in the end”
Claire shakes her head. If I were in your position and my friend informed me she was going to marry that man she had only known for two days, I would likewise seriously scold her,” she giggled. “But you might not know now, but you will also understand someday that soul mates exist and there were few people who were blessed to see them through a very special bond”
I merely nodded despite not understanding what she was trying to say. Claire talked with a voice that was brimming with confidence and happiness that reminded me of how I had been acting in recent months when I was talking about my wedding and recounting Anthony’s proposal to strangers. Claire exuded happiness and a great deal of trust in the man. That is the most crucial factor in a relationship. If there is a problem, I am confident that Cayden will also stop her. So I made the decision to suppress the inner skepticism.
“Is he from here in Grevis Town?”
“No, he’s from Scotland and, like you, merely came here for a vacation,”
“Scotland? ”
“Yes, in fact, he lives in the same town as your brother-in-law.”
“Jaxon? Really? Wow, that’s cool”
“Yes, it is. If only I had known that my mate was a member of Alpha Jaxon’s pack, I would have visited them a long time ago.”
“Stop right there. What do you mean Alpha?” I chuckled, saying. “Is that an inside joke of yours?”
Claire nervously laughed. “Yeah, It is. We called him like that for uhm… joke. He kind of has that authoritative vibe about him like Alphas.”
I giggled. “You definitely are very into the joke, even referring to the village where he lives as pack-like wolves
Claire answered, taking a sip of her juice, “Aha, we’re wolves enthusiasts.”
“I have even seen such paintings on Traian’s house. I absentmindedly replied.
Claire’s lips twisted into an O and her eyes grew wide. “What?!”