9)Sprightly;
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Nervous, it has lots of meanings. I didn't know which was the meaning of what I was feeling. I was anxious about what was going to happen in the family reunion, I get easily worried when car speeds due to not being ready to meet them, his family.

I am a nervous wreck...

He stood on the large main gate before horning his car getting attention from the Gardner talking to a girl with white and black apron. She looks like a maid.

Deep breath I took as Ashton sighs nodding to the Gardner before rushing off to the wide road, and a gate of the house stood proudly.

Different luxury cars stood side by side, the garage looks like a salon with it's black cement and gray walls. Ashton got down after sighing deeply as if he was hopeless and come to my side to open the door for me.

I smile thanking him and he replied with a tightened smile. He see around to check something as if he is worried. He was acting too wired and it was freaking creepy.

Then I saw her, I saw her looking our way with amused face. She looked gorgeous with the white and red dress, her raven hair designed in a messy yet beautiful bun.

"You look beautiful"

Ashton's word rang in my head, and worry encases me. I was always afraid of losing him, he was absolute perfection and any kind of girl will stand by his feet.

I smile to her while Ashton just stood by my side, deeply in thought. I didn't see there was someone beside her let alone to see a man. Looking at her with pure affection and lust.

Oh..

They come towards us with a polite smile. The room's tension was thick as they stood in front of us.

"She's everything you can't be to him.."

I stare at her, simply at the person everyone wishes to have, everyone wants for Ashton..as far as now.

"Ashton" she speak, her voice mellifluous with authority, politeness and affection. It was soft yet very appealing to hear.

She shouldn't be here tonight!

I knew I wasn't supposed to be afraid but I was. I should..

I don't know who even invited her, why is she here? Isn't it a family reunion? Is she maybe a family? But can she be a family when she was something to my boyfriend here?

"Kylie" he wasn't looking at her when he nod, rather at the man beside her holding her delicate tiny waist.

"Levan, this is Ashton, my b-old friend, Aki's brother. Ashton, Levan"

There was something between those two guys and it wasn't pleasant. They send draggers to each other, I see Ashton looking his hands in her waist tightening. There was obviously something this girl did to this guys.

Even their hand shaking wasn't proper, it looked like a fight on who threw whose hand first. Levan boy looked like he knew he was winning from the smirk he flashed Ashton before letting go and taking Kylie's hand in his, interlacing them.

He showed him he won by holding her hand? What's that?!

"Hi" I smile cheerily to Levan stretching my hand "I am Adina, Ashton's girl friend"

"So sorry Adina.." Kylie say "I didn't introduce you"

"Don't worry about it" I say hugging her, her scent was so much familiar, so much more than familiar but I couldn't put my hands on it.

"We're getting late Adi.." Ashton's voice paused my thoughts about her scent "..we shall get in"

"Yeah" I smile looking at her on last time before we made our way to a narrow hallway.

The house had me amazed, from the first two large and thick red pillars that stood high by the gate to the each circular stair of the house. Marble flooded the room, vases with different flowers specially Lilly filled each corner of the hallways. Chandelier sparked it's light from high ceiling and people filled the room.

"I thought it was a family reunion" I say still admiring the Mathew's house.

"It is.." He look around "my parents childhood friends join us too, the main purpose was for them to meet, and we children enjoy"

My mouth formed '0' shape as he takes me towards a lady with a velvet dress in her mid forties, her eyes sparked as she saw Ashton. I didn't even get to finish to awe at the lady before the beautiful with blonde hair started talking.

"Ashton" she hug him "are you really meeting me when it's only family reunion!! Am upset"

I smile at her, she looks playful.

"Mom" oh she was his mom "you know I also miss you much more than you think"

"Says the son who never come home when invited to dinner or lunch." She hug him again.

And I guess they forgot me for a while until she turn to me smiling.

"You must be Adina" she caught me in surprise when hugging me tightly and speaking as if I was her daughter.

"Hello miss Matthews.." I greet.

I was never good at meeting parents and all, it was awkward meeting someone too much older than you, and it's someone you don't know, above your rank, above you.

"...Ashton talks a lot about you"

She sure was observing me, maybe comparing ne to other women, I didn't belong here when talking about rank and wealth.

I expected the look if disgust and stigma from my boyfriends mom, I saw sth I couldn't recognise from her eyes before smiling spuriously.

"Please..call me jer, miss Mathew's would make me old now, won't it"

I chuckle, there was sth about the mother that made me cautious, but there also this inexpressible feeling that warms me up, it was a strange combination.

She invoked me with unpleasant emotions.

"Is that Kylie.." she suddenly spoke, breaking the unbearable  silence that we formed after Ashton left us to meet Evans -his bestie - her voice imbued with delight, love and laud. "I thought she wouldn't make it"

She stood moving her legs speedily but rather in an elegant way, I followed closely behind feeling something close to jealously.

"Jer.." Kylie came almost running to the mother and hug her tightly "what's with the running, you saw me the day before yesterday remember??!"

"I thought I wouldn't meet you today, I was in a dull mood." She cup her cheeks between her hands in affection "thank God you made it, Nessa would love seeing you again, she was much more -"

"Adi, you made it" Aki rushed to my side reliving me from the boredom of their blabbers.

"Yep" I pop the 'p' "I did, how you"

"Am cool, and how is my soon to be sister in law" she wiggle her eyebrows with a smile I couldn't know if it was genuine or spurious...as of her mothers.

I blush tearing my eyes from her, and wandering off the walls of the castle like house before answering.

"I guess am great, am starving though"

She laugh before nodding for me to follow her and I did, right behind her, as a dog following it's owner to wherever it go.

I goofed by coming here...I didn't deserve to be here..

After half an hour of boredom with lots and lots of people happiness I wanted to only go home, with Ashton. Cuddle in his bed with his arms around me, a kiss that lasts long and a very appealing dream, with Ashton of course.

Everyone here seems to know Kylie, the father, his friends, the parents friend and all, it was like she was here more than forever, and I bet this wasn't her first time here.

I excused myself before going to the kitchen to get a cup of water, the table we sat on was larger than my whole apartment, we all gathered there. Everyone talked and laughed while I sat there digging on the delicious food with elegant manner unlike myself, but what appeared to me surprising was, there was no water in the table full of everything.

Funny I thought.

After getting a glass of water and relishing my desire, the maid from before which I knew her name was Sandy got in with another maid laughing.

"Ma'am, Aki told me to tell you to come to the living room, since they are all there" she smile politely again before rushing the other maid by her side out of the kitchen.

I stomp my feet and sigh, I need to go home, just home. But I need to do this for Ashton as he wants me to be here, I'll survive this for him, for what's mine.

I was lost for a moment in the hallways of the house until I heared voices, I sigh gladly.

Finally,

I moved  to the living room trying to spiff and stopped when I heared them talking,

"-ere, I don't think they will ever get back again, not unless a miracle falls from the so called sky" it was jue, her voice held sarcasm yet seriousness too.

"He still loves her, it's obvious from the look he gives her when she wasn't looking" a new voice but I recognise it from the table.

"And" it was the father this time "he has a girlfriend as she have a boyfriend now, I hope you guys realize they are already moving on"

"Dadd" Aki graoned "you love Kylie remember"

"Yes I still do love her, but reality steps the illusions don't they, live this to them. Their life, their decision"

"It's like they are this same babies who don't know what to do until someone does it for them, ridiculous" Evans mutters enough for everyone to hear.

My tears threaten to fall, everyone wants them to be together. Why can't they see Ashton loves me, he has moved on and she is the past? Am sure Ashton loves me, he just don't want to admit it, I knew by the kiss he gave me this morning, he needed me.

He loved me, me only. Not her, I am his present and I'll be his future too.

I walk simply through the hallways, thinking about nothing as my mind was blank and couldn't make a simple word, until I reached an opened door of a bright room.

Curiosity get over me as I slowly walk towards the door and knock slightly, trying to catch if anyone was in or not. When I heared nothing I cautiously moved my feet into the room to see a big room, with king sized bed at the middle and bedside table on each side, a white rug was planted in front of the bed.

What held my eyes was the picture on the bedside table ,it looked like Ash, my ash and... and Kylie, I took deep breath before moving to it and watching the two happy teenagers, all toothy and giddy.

It wasn't one picture, it wasn't two, not three, five.. Not five, there was lots of pictures, but not only the two of them, they were 8 of them, one looked younger though, he is here today, the other 6 are here too,

Where did that guy go?! I wonder staring at the blue eyed gorgeous boy standing beside Aki hugging her.

"Aki likes photographs" it was the mother coming in with a smile towards me "that was on his 18 birth day, she made him a big party with everyone"

"They look happy" I couldn't stop myself from feeling envy.

"They were happy, so much"

"You don't like me" I state staring at the almost disgusting photo that I wanted to shatter piece by piece.

"It's not that I don't like you.." She broke the silence and her gaze become intent "..I do like you that's why I don't give you hope with my son, it's not about wealth and all shitty stuff but his heart doesn't belong to you, He loves Kylie. No one knows better than a mother, and I know my Ashton well enough to know he still has something for her. Adina, I totally like you but you are being oblivious about the thing happening around you, or you don't want to admit the truth lingering in the sheds of your life. Your choice, it's your life and I don't you want to interfere but life is so much short to stay lagging behind, open your eyes and make your decision"

I glance at the mother of my boyfriend smiling at me before wiping my tears with her thumb and giving me a motherly hug, I couldn't hug her back though.

I know what she was doing, I wasn't fool, she was intimating me.

"Now everyone is searching for you, let's get down" she smile moving to the door "and I don't like my words sterile, just so you know"

Totally intimation....
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Long chapter I knew, I'll be making up the late update abd the upcoming late update since I am not going to update for almost a month, so bare with me. I'll update more chapters today just to makeup for it.
All love
Habo-j