This is a deleted scene from Black Dalliances. Its been a while since I’ve put a snippet up and I was pretty sure you were tired of Disney posts. LOL!

 

“This bedroom suite is pretty,” I said. Jade and I had already purchased a furniture for the living room, tables, everything for the dining room and kitchen, an outfit for a den with a large enough desk that if Patrick and Dean could share, two smaller bedroom suites and small pieces for the bathrooms. The only thing left was my bedroom.

The salesman was salivating at the commission he was going to get. I didn’t even want to know how much everything was. I just handed over the card Dean had given me and cringed. We still had to go to Macy’s and buy everything else. I didn’t realize how expensive it was to furnish a home from scratch, furnish a life from nothing.

“It’s nice but not sturdy enough. It also doesn’t come in a California King. You need a California King,” she answered absently, peering down at the informational tag attached to the bed post. She’d hugged me and said she was glad to see me but there was a distance between us she was trying like hell to maintain.

“Why do I need a California King?” I asked, forcing her to look at me, talk to me in more than a clipped sentence. Her striking green eyes met mine, almost cold.

“Dean,” she said, hoisting her bag back up over her shoulder. “He’s a big guy. You’ll need the length.”

“I’m not sleeping with him,” I said, in defense of God knows what but Jade made me feel all of a sudden like I had to defend myself.

“Not yet,” she said simply, turning to walk down the aisle.

“What the hell?” I snapped. “Is there a problem?” I stormed after her.

“Nope,” she clipped out.

“Bullshit,” I said. “What’s going on?” Her eyes narrowed on me in a way that made me rear back from her in surprise. She watched me for an uncomfortable moment then blew out a heavy breath. She ran her hands through her thick chestnut hair in frustration.

“I thought this,” she said, waving her hands between us, “would be like you weren’t even gone. I thought we would finally get back to normal. But all I can think about is how MAD I am at you,” she finished through clenched teeth.

“Then yell at me. Get it out. Say whatever it is you want to say. I can take it.”

“Dahlia, we’re in the middle of a furniture store,” she said, almost ashamed but not really. The fire in her dark green eyes was too bright.

“I don’t care. We’re spending enough money in here today that they’d better let us have a fist fight if we wanted,” I said, a sly grin curling my lips. She couldn’t help but laugh even as she tried to hide it behind her hand. I still saw the laughter dancing in her eyes.

“Dahlia!” she giggled.

“Seriously, if you have something to say, say it. I don’t want this tension between us.”

“Okay,” she said with a sly smile. “Well,” she started pensively, and then came the onslaught. “I can’t believe you left without saying anything to me. I was worried sick. I had things to tell you every day and you weren’t there to hear them!” she shouted.

I could see the hesitation in her body, wanting desperately to stomp her foot but thought she was too much of a grown up for that.

“I can’t believe you disappeared and I couldn’t find you,” she hissed, almost to herself but I heard it.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” I laughed. “You’re mad that I disappeared and YOU couldn’t find me,” I taunted.

“That’s not true,” she said with indignation but I could hear her heart thump in her chest. Caught like a bunny in the brush.

“It is too and you know it. Don’t try to lie, I can hear your heart thump in your chest and smell adrenaline wafting off of you,” I said, still smiling at her. “Ah, grasshopper, when you know who’s chasing you, it’s easier to hide,” I said, bowing at the waist.

“Okay, stop smelling me. It’s weird when you do that and you know it,” she said, brushing her hair out of her face again. “So, what do you think about this one?” she asked with a satisfied smile on her face. Just like that, we were back to normal.

“Nah, that’s too gaudy for me. Plus, I’m going to need more dresser space. You know for Patrick and Dean,” I said, dropping that little tidbit, casually as I walked by her.

“Oh, you’re admitting it now?” she asked, taking the two steps to catch up with me.

“I admit nothing.”

“Uh huh, like everyone doesn’t already know that if it hasn’t happened yet, it will,” she teased, pointing out another bedroom collection. My gut tightened in regret. Even when I wasn’t around, Patrick’s face was being rubbed in it.

“Jade, Patrick asked me to leave last night,” I whispered as she turned down another aisle.

“What?”

“When Saeran and Fergal arrived last night, he asked me to leave. I heard him through the door after I left. He doesn’t trust me,” I said. A queasy tightening at the core of my gut sent chills over me as regret crept over my skin.

Wrapping her arms around me, cautiously since I’d never let her hug me before, Jade embraced me. When I hugged her back, her body tensed and then relaxed in my arms. “Don’t worry. He’s hurt but most of all mad. Give him some time, he’ll come around,” she soothed, making me think of Amblan. For the first time since her death, I smiled at her memory. Jade stepped away from me and gave me a reassuring smile. “Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“So how do you feel about this one?” she said, gripping my shoulders and turning me toward a gargantuan paneled headboard in cherry, appearing sturdy like it belonged in a forgotten castle in the highlands of Scotland somewhere. Perfect.

“Does it come in the California King?” I asked with hope in my tone.

“Sure does,” she smirked.

“Let’s get it.” I turned to the salesman. “I don’t want to see the bill,” I said, handing him the card. I figured it was a platinum card, it could take the hit.

“We want delivery today,” Jade said to the horror of the salesman.

“Miss, I don’t know if that will be possible,” he simpered.

“We can take our business somewhere else, somewhere that will guarantee it if you’d prefer,” she chortled. Finally witnessing Jade in her element, she was like a lioness; regal, demanding and dangerous. It was fun to watch.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ll deliver it myself if I have to,” he squirmed, scurrying off with Dean’s credit card.

“Let’s just hope it all goes through,” I whispered, praying after Jade practically emasculated the poor guy.

“It will,” she said and I had no reason to doubt her. “What do ya say? Macy’s?” She smiled at me. “You need sheets, blankets, clothes, dishes, kitchen appliances and general stuff, towels and all the rest.” She strutted back to the service desk to arrange delivery and I followed her helpless. We’d brought Kurt’s SUV because Jade said ‘we’d need the room’, now I understood why.