Page 68 of Truth

Jade looked confused again.

“I... I was with... a bad man. He... he hurt me.”

Stephan

I was shocked when Brianna spoke up to explain. She hated talking about Ian or her time with him. Normally I had to pull every word out of her. I squeezed her hand in encouragement. She was doing so well. If she wanted to share with Jade, I wouldn’t discourage it.

“He...” She took a deep breath. “I was his... slave.”

Taking the opportunity to glance over at Jade, I saw first shock, then horror as she processed the information. Then she surprised me by abruptly standing, walking around the table, and kneeling next to Brianna. She reached out to touch her arm. Brianna was startled by the initial contact, but soon her muscles relaxed and she looked down at Jade.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you. I can understand why you’re so shy now. I only hope that one day I can earn your trust. Did you cook all this?” Jade motioned toward the food on the table.

Brianna didn’t answer immediately. At first, I didn’t think she was going to, but then I realized she was considering how to respond. I knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t take all the credit since I’d helped her, even though what I did was minor in comparison.

“Sir helped me,” she whispered.

Jade’s gaze flickered to mine briefly, curiosity in her eyes, but she was quick to cover it. “Well, help or not, the food is delicious. I can’t cook to save my life. Maybe one of these days you could teach me how to make something.”

“You want me to... teach you how to cook?”

“It would have to be something basic, but yeah. I mean it would be nice if I could actually cook a meal for my boyfriend once in a while, right?”

Brianna looked over at Cal, and I followed.

“She’s not exaggerating.” Cal chuckled. “The last time she tried to make something, I had to get out the fire extinguisher. Since then, we pretty much stick to frozen dinners, boxed meals, and takeout.”

“You’d really be helping me out, Anna. I don’t want to burn down my boyfriend’s house.”

Brianna giggled. “Okay.”

“You’ll show me how to cook something?”

Jade was overexaggerating her enthusiasm, and Brianna began cracking up. I had to admit, her expressions were pretty funny.

“Yes. I’ll... I’ll show you.” Brianna managed to respond between bursts of laughter.

All the sadness had disappeared and been replaced by smiles. I loved hearing Brianna laugh. It didn’t happen often enough.

Jade stood. “Perfect. I’ll see what my schedule looks like and we can plan something.”

The second half of dinner went much smoother than the first half. Although I caught both Jade and Ross staring at me slightly longer than was normal every now and then, conversation flowed as Jade told Brianna about her studies. I was happy to hear Brianna opening up and asking a few questions of her own. Jade had made an impression, and it was a good one.

When it was time for dessert, I suggested we take it into the living room. Brianna was always more comfortable there in the less-formal setting, and I hoped she would continue talking.

Ross and Jade took seats on the couch while I sat down in my chair. There was still enough room on the couch for Brianna if she chose to sit there. She didn’t, however. Without pause, Brianna walked up beside my chair and waited for permission to sit down. I opened my arms and gave her the okay. She hurriedly climbed into my lap, resting her head on my shoulder facing Ross and Jade.

That same look crossed both their faces. This time, however, there was something other than curiosity in Ross’s. He was putting the pieces together between what he’d observed and what he’d heard about me from Karl Walker’s drunken rants. The question was what he would do with his conclusions.

“Oh, my goodness!” Jade took a bite of the cake Brianna had made earlier in the day and closed her eyes. “This is magnificent.”

Brianna blushed. “Thank you.”

Jade took another bite, and I followed suit. After tasting it, I had to agree. “It really is spectacular, sweetheart.” I gave her a soft kiss before feeding her a forkful from my plate.

She accepted it and then tucked her head into my neck. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Are you still planning on school in the fall, Anna?”

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