Part 22

As the limo stopped in front of a grand mansion, I forced the bile back down my throat. I was not going to puke; I just couldn't embarrass myself like this in front of Dash's father.

"We're here. Let's go, chocolate chip. I'm so excited to introduce you to my family," Dash said, excitement radiating out of him like butterflies.

What kind of an analogy was that?

"Can we not go? I don't feel so good." My stomach was tied in the worst of knots that no boy scout could ever conquer.

"Oh, shortcake, you do look kind of green. Don't worry, I'll have my family's doctor take a look at you. Come." Without wasting another second, Dash pulled me out of the car and begun leading me towards the front doors.

The mansion was the biggest I'd ever seen in my life. It was made of white marble with columns sprouting up with pride like giant beasts to support the triple storey grand structure. Surrounding the mansion were trees and shrubs of every shape and size, closing around it as if trying to protect it from unwanted eyes.

"Dash, where exactly are we?" I enquired as I looked around.

"My father bought a private island just a few miles from the border of the United States and built this mansion for us. My father is a very private man, which is why he built our home away from everybody else. And that's where we are," he answered.

"You mean we are on a private island?" My eyes widened on their own accord, unable to believe his words. A private island. Dash's father owned a private island.

"Yes, exactly. I told my father to buy me an apartment in the country, but he doesn't want to. He is willing to buy another private island for me, but I'm not sure I want that." He told me.

"Your father has way too much wealth. Tell him to stop working so hard," I joked.

"I wish. But the way my Mom is always absent, work is the only thing he has that keeps him focus yet distracted at the same time. It is better that he works rather than sulking in his private study over my mother." There was pure bitterness in his voice as he spoke of his mother.

"I understand. I think that is why my father is a workaholic as well." I squeezed his hand in support. "So, since we are on a private island does that means the ocean is around here somewhere?"

Dash laughed. "Yes, the ocean is just a couple of miles from here. I'll take you there tomorrow. We'll spend the day on the beach."

"Alright, that's perfect. But I'm still nervous about meeting your family," I muttered.

"Don't be. Come. Let's take you inside. My father is eager to meet you." Before I could protest, Dash dragged me inside the mansion. It was strange how the door opened on its own as I saw no one standing there to open it.

The house was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. The marbled floor gleamed as if somebody had worked tirelessly to make it sparkle. Paintings lined the wall along with fixtures, making it look as if I'd entered a museum. A few potted plants litters the corners, adding chracter to the foyer.

As soon as we neared what I assumed was the living room, I could hear murmurs and they got louder and louder until they transformed into full fledged voices of people. The living room had a magnificent chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling, along with a few smaller chandeliers hanging in the corners.

When we stepped inside the living room, everybody fell silent and all eyes were upon us. I swallowed hard before tightening my hold on Dash's hand, wishing I could just vanish into thin air instead of being scrutinized by at least thirty people. Dash said he was taking me to see his father, but it looked like his whole family was here.

"Why are there so many people here?" I whispered to Dash, trying to be as subtle as possible.

"Because I lied to you," Dash responded, his eyes on the people currently staring at us as if we were a couple of aliens who landed from Mars.

"About only meeting your Dad?" I knew the answer already, I just wanted to confirm.

"Yes. This is the annual family gathering. Every year, all my family members get together for a week in my house, and it is mandatory for every member of the family to be present, no matter what," he said.

"And will your mother be here?" I questioned since his mother didn't care about spending time with him.

"Yes, she will be here. I'm not sure if it's fortunate or unfortunate," he confessed.

"Then why did you bring me here when all your relatives were here?" I asked.

"Because I don't want to be alone. Come now, let me introduce you to everybody." Planting a smile on his face, Dash went over to the man who looked to be the eldest in the family. "Hello, grandpa. This is my girlfriend, Brielle. Bri, this is my grandfather."

His grandfather smiled, his pale, blue eyes sparkling. He stood up and quickly pulled me in his embrace. For such an old man, he was surprisingly strong.

"Finally, I got to meet the special girl whom my grandson couldn't stop talking about. It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear." Dash's grandfather was so warm; I didn't know what my grandfather would've felt like because they both died when I was just a baby.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Mr. Melwin," I said and was surprised with the sincerity in my tone.

"No need to be so formal, dear. Call me grandpa, just like Dash," grandpa Melwin replied.

"Alright, grandpa." I smiled at him.

Pulling me away from his grandfather, Dash turned me to face his entire family. "Everybody, this is Brielle, my girlfriend. Bri, this is my entire family, save for a few relatives who will arrive in a few hours." He introduced me to everybody currently staring at us.

"Um, hello. Nice to meet you all." I rasied my hand and waved with an awkward smile on my face. I was terrible around large groups of people.

"Hello, Brielle," his entire family chorused, taking me by surprise. Did they always welcome a guest like this, with synchronized voices?

"Well, everybody, Bri is tired from our flight over here, so I will show her to her room. We shall see you all in a little while." With a forced smile, Dash took me out of the living room towards a grand staircase.

"You have a big family," I commented.

"Thank you. But they are not immediate aunts and uncles. They are my father's cousins and second cousins. My father doesn't have any siblings, but he is really close with his cousins," he informed me as we climbed the staircase.

"Where is your father? I want to see him," I queried.

"I am taking you to meet him. He is, as usual, holed up in his study," Dash said as we reached the landing of the first floor.

"Why is he working when there are so many people downstairs?" I asked.

"You know, you ask a lot of questions. I'm started to find it endearing, though it used to irritate the hell out of me when I first met you." Dash threw me a cheeky smile, one that made my heart gallop with joy.

"If that's suppose to offend me, it doesn't. I like asking questions. The more I ask, the more I learn. So tell me why is he still working?" I repeated.

"He will keep working until my mother shows up from her trip to South Korea," he replied, leading me towards the end of the hallway.

"And when will that be?"

"Okay, I take my words back; your questions are still very irritating. Stop asking so many questions," he grumbled.

"Tell me when will she come back," I commanded.

"You are supposed to do what I tell you, not the other way around," he bit out.

"Tell me or I will tell your father what a terrible student you are and the Headmaster is planning to expel you," I threatened.

"You do that and I will finish the ten semesters right here, right now," he threw at me, instantly shutting me up.
We arrived in front of a thick, mahogany door. Dash raised his hand and knocked three times. A strong voice spoke from the inside.

"Come in," the man said.

Dash turned the doorknob and the door opened, allowing us access. We entered his father's study and my eyes immediately landed on the man sitting behind the desk. I had to say, Dash was the spitting image of his father. He had the same eyes and the same chiselled jaw, the only thing that was missing was a beard and a few years spent in the gym, because Mr. Melwin was bulky while his son was lean.

Mr. Melwin smiled when he saw Dash and immediately stood up to greet us. "Finally. My son is here. I'm so glad you could make it in time. How are you?" Mr. Melwin embraced his son and I felt a twinge of jealousy in my heart. I wished my father hugged me like this, but he could barely manage to look at me.

"Dad, this is my girlfriend, Brielle," Dash introduced me.

"Hello, Mr. Melwin, it's a pleasure to meet you." I smiled and held out my hand.

Mr. Melwin's grip was firm and strong as he took my hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Brielle. Dash has told me a lot about you and I was looking forward to meet you. It was I who told Dash to bring you to this year's annual family gathering. I hope you like our humble abode."

"Your house is truly magnificent, Mr. Melwin. Thank you for having me." I smiled. I liked Mr. Melwin, he was not obnoxious like this son.

"Dad, Bri is such a cool girl. We instantly became friends on the first day of school. And she is smart, like wicked smart," Dash said, pride shining in his blue eyes. My throat begun closing up as emotions pooled in my eyes. My boyfriend was proud of me. No one had ever been proud of me before.

"That is good to hear. A smart girl means that she can handle you and your erratic behaviors," Mr. Melwin teased his son.

"Dad! I'm not that bad. I just got expelled once," Dash defended.

I chuckled. "Dash is right, Mr. Melwin; he is not that bad once you get to know him. He is a pretty cool boyfriend, though." I came to his defense.

"See? Bri thinks I'm cool. Now you remember that, old man, the next time you lecture me about my erratic behaviors." Dash puffed out his chest as if he were a gorilla getting ready for a fight.

Mr. Melwin chuckled, amused by his son. "Of course. I'll believe her over you the next time."

"That's not what I meant. You only believe the good things she say about me. Never believe the bad. Bri likes to exaggerate just to get me in trouble," he stated.

"That's not true. I only tell the truth, and I don't need to exaggerate it in order to get you in trouble because you do that on your own," I snapped.

"Alright, kids, don't fight. Dash, why don't you take Bri to her bedroom. I'm sure she is tired from the flight." Mr. Melwin suggested.

"Sure thing, Dad. I'll see you in a few hours, once Bri and I have rested. Come on, shortcake, let's go to your room," my boyfriend announced, quickly taking my hand, ready to drag me out of his father's study.

"I'll see you later, Mr. Melwin. Thank you once again for inviting me. It is a pleasure meeting you." I bade Mr. Melwin farewell before allowing Dash to drag me out of his study. "Your father is so cool."

"He is my father, chocolate chip, he is supposed to be cool. I just wish I could say the same about my mother." Sadness shadowed his blue eyes, twisting my heart in pain.

"Hey, at least you have one parent who is cool. My father is grumpy all the time. I swear he can put the worst of monsters to shame," I ranted.

Dash burst out laughing. "You're funny, chocolate chip. Come on, let me show you your room. Please tell me you hate the color pink."

"How did you know I hate pink? By the way, I do hate pink," I replied.

He shrugged. "A lucky guess. I just never saw anything pink in your possession so I came to the conclusion that you probably don't like the color."

"In my possession? How do you know about my possessions and the fact that I don't own anything pink?" Alarm bells begun ringing my mind. Did Dash sneak in to my dorm room and go through my things? Was he the one who stole that button?

Emotions flickered in his eyes and clouded his features. But it was only for a few seconds. It was gone as quickly as it had come. But I saw it and I knew there was something he was hiding from me, something big.

"I mean to say, your bag, books and stationary. And all the times I took you out on a date, you never wore anything pink," Dash said. However, his explanation contradicted the earlier flash of emotions, which indicated annoyance, fury and possibly dread.

"I see. Well, you are very observant." I told him. I would not call him out on his actions, but would observe him. It was clear Dash was hiding something from me. Now I had to find out what it was.

"I have to be in order to keep my girlfriend happy." He smiled before opening the door to a bedroom. "Welcome to your room."

My room was designed to be every girl's dream. Pastel colors dominated the room, with blue and green walls and pastel colored sheets. There were a couple of arm chairs placed near the window with a table in the center. And a huge, plasma screen was placed across the bed.

"Wow, this is so pretty," I praised.

"Thank you. Glad you liked it." Just as Dash finished speaking, an unfamiliar feminine voice echoed outside of my room.

"The flight was so long. It's good to be home," she said.

"Oh shit!" Dash swore, slamming the bedroom door shut and turning the lock.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My mother is here."

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Author's Note.

Hi guys,

Here is another update, I hope you all like it.

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