Forbidden Mate- A Step-brother Romance - Chapter 72: Chapter 72

~LANA~
Isabella and I are upstairs in our room, gazing out the window as we wait for Apollo's mother to arrive. The anticipation is making me feel uneasy; I can't shake off the tension building inside me at the thought of seeing Apollo and Jada together as they prepare for their engagement. I close my eyes before opening them again and wishing this was all just a nightmare.
"Why do you think they chose to stay here?" Isabella asks. "It doesn't make any sense at all. They have all that money; why put up with us when they clearly can't stand it?"
I nod, echoing her confusion. "I've been wondering the same thing ever since mother broke the news."
Isabella folds her arms thoughtfully. "Do you think she could possibly know about you and Apollo?" she inquires.
I shake my head firmly. "No way. If she had any idea, there would be a huge scene. She already dislikes me so much—imagine how she'd react if she found out her son was involved with me."
Isabella sighs. "Honestly, I just don't understand why she would want to stay here. Jada should be enjoying all the wedding preparations with her own family. The fact that she wants to stay here as well makes me a little concerned about their true intentions. I feel like they're staying here just to keep an eye on Apollo and make sure he doesn't try to escape!"
I didn't even think about that. Maybe that was truly their reason for being here. They knew that Apollo had his player ways and slept around with random women all the time. He was also avoiding the dinner a long time now. They were probably concerned that he would cancel on them.
But to go through all of this just to ensure that Apollo actually got engaged to Jada felt a bit too extreme to me.
Just as I open my mouth to respond, I hear a vehicle pull up. Isabella and I glance out the window simultaneously. I struggle to keep my emotions in check as the butler steps outside to open the door for Apollo's mother, followed closely by Jada.
I try to suppress my feelings, but it's hard when I'm reminded of just how beautiful she is. She seems perfect in every way. If I weren't so taken with Apollo, I'd genuinely be happy for them.
"She looks—"
"Perfect," I interject, anticipating Isabella's comment. Jada is dressed in an elegant white flowing dress; she already looks like a bride without even trying. With the engagement party just days away, she's glowing as if she's already ready for the big day.
Her hair is styled in a neat bun, and her makeup has that effortless, glowy quality that so many people strive for.
"That's not what I was going to say," Isabella chides, rolling her eyes. "I was thinking she doesn't seem like Apollo's type at all."
I frown. "And what exactly is our stepbrother's type?" I wonder aloud. He's been with just about every kind of woman imaginable. I don't believe he has a specific type.
Isabella smiles knowingly. "You, obviously. She's too uptight for him. With you, he just seems like he can truly be himself. I've never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you."
How long has she been watching him to notice that?
I sigh. "Well, regardless, he's going ahead with the engagement. He made that clear. And considering his mother and future fiancée are staying here until the ball, it's safe to say she'll soon be his fiancée, and nothing will stand in the way of her becoming his wife."
Isabella looks at me with sympathy as she takes my hand. "I really don't think he'll go through with it," she counters.
She couldn't truly believe those words.
I know she's only trying to soothe my worries, but it isn't helping. Ever since our last encounter, I've been avoiding Apollo. I don't want to see him; I know that the moment we lock eyes, those feelings will only intensify.
I turn my gaze back outside to see my mother and stepfather approaching Apollo's mother and Jada. They exchange forced smiles, pretending to like one another, even though the tension could be cut with a knife. It's strange to see my mother act this way; she usually avoids people who don't like her. That was something I often admired about her. I didn't like that she was pretending out there for these people who have never once said anything good about her. Well, I wasn't sure about Jada but I knew Apollo’s mother had a lot to say in the past.
"Look at them," Isabella comments with a sigh. "Just a few weeks ago, mother and stepfather were complaining about that woman. Now they're acting like old friends."
I can't help but laugh a little at her observation; she's put into words exactly what I've been thinking. I wish mother had said no to them. After the way she’d been treated, it was the perfect opportunity to slam the door in their faces.
"Maybe we should move away from the window," I suggest. "I really wouldn't want Apollo's mother or Jada to catch us staring."
I knew that Apollo caught me a good few times looking at him from up here. While his mother and Jada would not expect to see us, I would rather not take that chance. Things were already awkward enough between us.
"I don't want to greet them," Isabella admits. “They will no doubt irritate me.”
"Same here," I reply. "But do we really have a choice?"
She shrugs. "I doubt our stepfather would care whether we stay in our rooms or not. That woman never liked us; I don't see why we should disrupt our peace for her. I don't want to see you sulking out there either.”
Just then, there's a knock on our door, and we exchange glances. Ugh, I was hoping no one would come look for us. I wanted to stay hidden in this room until the engagement was over with.
"Girls," my mother calls. "I know you're in there. You can't hide away forever. Come greet Jada; she's a really nice young lady. You'll like her."