Chapter 256: Missing Her Husband
Sadie frowned at her cell phone. She tried calling Hannah a few more times but she didn’t respond. Her eyes watery, she looked up to the dark night sky, battling the tears that tempted to fall and dampened her cheeks.
Brooke stared at herself in the mirror, particularly at the vintage Taupe sleeping gown Susan had dressed her in.
Taupe...
Her heart sunk. ’Mr Grayson had said this color suited me. Brought out my eyes.’ she couldn’t help but think about Thane in everything she did.
She remembered the saddened look on his face when she stepped in Julian’s car. She darted her eyes to her phone sitting on the dresser, her hand reached for it, playing into her desire. She typed in his number and was about to hit call, when the bedroom door was pushed open.
She quickly turned her phone off and looked over her shoulder, only to see Susan had returned, with Kayden behind her holding two trays of food.
"Sorry, did I startle you?" Susan asked softly.
Brooke shook her head, "No, I was just...admiring this gown." She awkwardly said.
Susan grinned, "That gown was my mother’s, it was her favourite design."
Brooke walked over and helped Kayden set the plates on the mini dining room inside Susan’s bedroom. "Your mother was a designer?"
"The very best. But she never launched a clothing line, she made clothes as a hobby and kept her designs within the family." Susan’s eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Still, she must have been ahead of her time to have made such a design." Brooke complimented.
Kayden sighed, "Really? I can’t tell, they’re all a bunch of worn out fabrics to me."
Susan stared daggers at him, she let out a hopeless sigh, "I’m glad I have someone here who appreciates vintage fashion. I’ve been trying to get Kayden to place more interest in his grandmother’s designs."
Brooke smiled, "If you have some of her other designs I’d like to see them please."
Susan dramatically placed her hand on her heart, "Such an angel."
Kayden sneered, "Yeah, yeah, sit down already so we can have dinner." He said pulling himself a seat.
Brooke sat at the table only to realize that it was leftovers from dinner being served. She turned to both Susan and Kayden who seemed to have no trouble at all.
Kayden noticed her staring and asked, "Shit, sorry, I forgot to ask if you could handle eating leftovers. Should I get you something else?" He dropped his fork and tried to get up.
Susan followed, "I’m so sorry, we should have been more considerate-"
"It’s fine, really! I was just surprised, you people seem very rich, I just found it strange that you could eat leftovers when you have maids and cooks working for you." She aired out her thoughts.
Susan and Kayden exchanged quick glances, vivid confusion drawn across their faces.
"Why would it be strange? It’s already so late at night, we can’t wake the chefs up and trouble them to make us something." Kayden reasoned.
Susan seconded, "Not to mention the food was freshly made and barely touched. It would be such a waste to throw out perfectly good food."
Brooke who had only ever been faced with the direct opposite treatment from the rich find this line of logic strange. Cassie would have the chefs make a new dish at the slightest inconvenience, she’d even punish the chefs if the food wasn’t to her liking.
"But if you can’t eat it that’s a different story. I could make you something-" Kayden was saying, but his aunt cut him off.
"Brooke, if your options are the leftovers and Kayden’s cooking, I suggest you eat the former. My nephew cannot cook to save his life!" She announced.
Kayden sent her a glare, "I know my way around the kitchen...sometimes." he mumbled the last part.
"Oh really? Remind me who started a kitchen fire trying to scramble eggs?" She teased.
Kayden rolled his eyes, "Here we go again-"
Brooke giggled. Susan turned to her, "It was the morning of Christmas and Kayden got up early to make a surprise ’feast’ for the family. He locked the door so no one would come in and see." She made air quotes at the word feast.
Pinching his temples, Kayden let out a hiss, "You never get tired of that story, do you?"
Ignoring him she went on, "But the only surprise we got that morning was the sound of our fire alarm going off!" She laughed, earning soft giggles out of Brooke.
Brooke covered her mouth, "Sorry...so sorry..." She said in-between laughs.
"Laugh all you want. But let me remind you aunt, I was frickin nine!" Kayden pointed out, trying to defend himself.
"You should have seen me Brooke! I kicked the kitchen door down like I was some super heroine and bursted through the fire brandishing my fire extinguisher at a ceiling level fire! I really should’ve become a fire fighter rather than a businesswoman."
This time Kayden cut her off. "She’s over exaggerating Brooke, it was a small kitchen fire and the fire extinguisher was empty! If mom didn’t call for help-" all of a sudden he stopped talking as though he had just mentioned a taboo.
Brooke noticed the grim expressions on both their faces and could tell Kayden’s mother was a sensitive topic.
Julian’s wife.
She hadn’t heard Julian say anything about her, and now it seemed like it was for good reason.
Her tone nervous, Susan cracked a laugh, "I was the one who carried you out of the kitchen, and that part about me breaking down the door was real too."
Kayden cracked a smile, "That was over twelve years ago..." He took a pause, "Well technically longer than that, if we count the nine years I spent in coma..."
A coma? Brooke looked at Kayden who seemed older but acted around her age or maybe younger. So he was older, and from what she could deduce, he might’ve been in an accident of some kind.
Did it have something to do with his mom?
Her thoughts were penetrated when a knock was heard at Susan’s door...