Rosie

I was preparing to leave for my shift at the café when I felt my phone vibrate in my bag. I furrowed my brow and rummaged through my handbag, pulling it out to see Jude’s name on the screen and my heart immediately started thumping.

I rolled my eyes at my quick flustered reaction, swiped to answer, and pressed the phone to my ear. My breathing stopped while I waited to hear his voice.

“Hello Rosie,” his voice came through like a wave, hitting me hard and I released the breath I’d been holding.

God, his voice had a way of doing things to me, making my stomach flip and my skin tingle.

“Hi,” I managed, trying to keep my other hand busy so I wouldn’t start twirling my hair.

“I’m sorry for the short notice but I kind of told my mother about you and she’s been pestering me about meeting you and...” he trailed off and I heard him take a breath. “Would you want to come to dinner at my parents’ house? Today?”

“Me?” I asked in a shocked voice, because I wondered why his mother would want to meet me. We’d only been officially together for like a couple of days.

And today?

“I’m so sorry for clashing with your day when you’re supposed to relax, I know it’s a lot to ask and if you can’t—” I interrupted him before he could spiral. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

“It’s okay,” I blurted out, not having it in my heart to decline him even if it was impromptu. Although my heart was already racing and panic was creeping up my throat. “I’d love to meet your parents.”

“Really?” His voice brightened immediately. “Thank you so much, I’ll send you the address. At seven?”

" At seven,” I confirmed and we said goodbye.

The moment the call ended I slumped down onto my bed and rubbed my hands over my face, already feeling them trembling and my breathing coming in short pants. What was I thinking about agreeing to meet his parents? Me? Ugly fatso.

God, I wasn’t thinking this through.

I clutched my hands together to stop them from shaking as my mouth opened, trying to take air in, my chest rising and falling too fast.

Could I put it off? Cancel? Make an excuse? I didn’t want their judging eyes on me, didn’t want to see disappointment when they realized what their son had chosen. What if his parents were like mine? What if they took one look at me and told Jude he could do better?

No, I clutched my neck trying to stop myself from going into a full panic attack. Jude was nice, his parents must be nice too, right? They raised him after all.

I blinked continuously, trying to get my breathing under control. I closed my eyes and started counting my inhales and exhales, one-two-three in, one-two-three out, until I felt my breathing regulate and my heart slow to something approaching normal.

I gripped my phone with shaking fingers, scrolled to a contact, and pressed call. “Please help me,” I said when she answered.

“I’m coming,” Maya responded immediately and I released a relieved breath.

I could count on her. I could always count on her.

Maya arrived within some minutes, knocking on the door, and as I opened the door for her, she was already staring at me with those warm, understanding eyes. “It’s okay, my parents are nice,” she said while pulling me over to sit at my tiny kitchen table. “My mom is literally the sweetest person alive and my dad is just... well, he’s traditional but he won’t be rude.”

“What if they hate me?” I whispered and Maya grabbed my hands.

“They won’t. Trust me, my mom has been dying to meet you since Jude first mentioned you weeks ago,” she said with a grin. “Now come on, let’s get you ready.”

Maya did my makeup, keeping it natural but making my eyes stand out which I was grateful for. At least makeup could cover my flaw. Then she helped me bake cookies in my small kitchen, flour everywhere and she really tried to calm my overthinking head down.

“You didn’t have to bring anything...” Maya trailed off when I first told her I wanted to bring something along.

And I responded, “but courtesy that requires a small gift when visiting someone’s home for the first time,” I explained while we packaged the cookies in a pretty box I’d brought a few days ago.

Evening came too fast, and suddenly I was standing outside the Winters’ mansion, staring up at it with my mouth slightly open.

The house was beautiful, massive, and intimidating. I felt completely out of place in my simple dress and cardigan, clutching my box of homemade cookies. I knew Jude played hockey but I didn’t know he came from a wealthy family, and I didn’t think his house would look like something out of a magazine.

I breathed in deeply, trying to calm my racing heart, and pressed the doorbell.

The door was yanked open almost immediately and a petite woman appeared, her face lighting up when she saw me. I hadn’t even gotten a good look at her before she pulled me into a warm hug that made me stiffen from the abrupt contact.

“So beautiful,” she said when she pulled back, holding me at arm’s length to look at me properly. “Even prettier than Jude described.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” I said shyly while my face heated because the woman was gorgeous, looked like an older version of Maya with the same warm eyes and bright smile.

“Call me Elena, please. Ma’am makes me feel ancient,” she laughed while taking my hand and pulling me inside excitedly. I trailed behind her like a lost puppy, taking in the expensive artwork on the walls and the gleaming hardwood floors. “I’ve been dying to meet you since the first day my son told me about you. He talks about you constantly, did you know that?”

I didn’t know what to say to that, my face burning hotter while Elena led me toward what I assumed was the dining room.

Then I saw Jude walking toward me and relief flooded through me, but there was a man beside him and I gulped. The new man immediately put me on alert, something about the look in his eyes and the air around him felt suffocating, authoritative, and I wanted to hide behind Jude.

Elena left my side and went to the man, wrapping her hand around his elbow with obvious affection. “This is my husband, Marcus,” she introduced with a warm smile.

I stepped forward to shake his hand, trying to be polite, trying to make a good impression. But Marcus just stared at me for a long moment, his face completely blank, then turned away without saying a word or taking my offered hand.

I heard a growling sound and turned to see Jude with his jaw clenched tight, his eyes flashing with anger at his father’s rudeness.

Elena clapped her hands together, breaking the tension. “Let’s have dinner, shall we?” she said brightly, though I could see strain around her eyes. She touched my arm gently. “Don’t mind him, he’s grumpy with new people. He’ll warm up.”

I smiled weakly, I wasn’t welcomed by him...

As we moved to the dining room, each person took their seat with Jude sitting beside me and Elena across from us while Marcus sat at the head of the table. The dining room was as beautiful as the rest of the ceramics set on the table.

I felt so out of place, so wrong that I knew I didn’t belong in.

As I reached for my fork to begin eating, my trembling fingers fumbled and it clattered loudly against my plate before falling to the floor with a sharp metallic sound that echoed in the sudden silence.

I sucked in a breath, wanted to disappear right there, wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.

I blinked while slowly raising my head, only to meet Marcus’s cold eyes staring at me with clear disapproval and I wanted to hide, wanted to run, wanted to be anywhere but here.

The vicious voices started crawling back, making themselves known, telling me I was a disgrace, that I wasn’t good enough, that I was humiliating myself in front of Jude’s wealthy perfect family and they could all see how pathetic I was.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes and I blinked rapidly, trying to hold them back while my chest tightened.

Then Jude’s hand found mine under the table, warm and steady and grounding. He squeezed gently and when I glanced at him, he smiled softly at me with so much warmth in his eyes that some of the panic receded.

“I’ll get you a new one,” Elena said quietly, standing up to grab a clean fork from the sideboard and placing it beside my plate with gentle fingers. “There you go.”

“Thank you,” I whispered and she smiled while Jude squeezed my hand, using the pad of his thumb to brush my hand in a circle motion.

And I couldn’t help but be grateful for having him. At least I wasn’t going into panic mode.