Forever Yours novel Chapter 12

Saturday came like a flash to the surprise of Michelle, Derek and Nathan, they dreaded going for the family dinner so they decided to watch movies that day to ease the tension, Michelle ordered for pizza they could eat while watching the movies. After the movie marathon, Derek and Nathan went upstairs to shower and get dressed, Derek had wanted Michelle to join him in the shower but she insisted on cleaning up the mess they made in the TV room, she knew Derek was still ecstatic about Thursday night, he loved her surprise and the Armani suit she got for him as a birthday gift and she was proud of herself for making him that happy but that wasn't the case at the moment, she needed to think about what was going to transpire tonight because she was certain Rebecca would stop at nothing to get her offended, she sat for a little while in the living room trying to prepare herself for the worse before going upstairs to get herself ready.

Michelle was a nervous wreck, she was scared about going for the dinner, she thought having a warm bathe was going to help ease her nervousness but she was wrong, she tried opting out by making Derek see reasons why she didn't want to go but Derek insisted that she should attend not just because he needed her there but because his dad was currently in Washington and was eager to see her. She looked herself in the mirror one last time before leaving the room. Derek and Nathan were waiting downstairs in the living room discussing

"I'm ready" She announced getting both their attention

Derek smiled at how beautiful his girlfriend was, her hair was straightened this time, she was wearing an elegant biege color pencil midi dress with lace, it hugged her body perfectly, he felt blessed for having this woman in his life, he stood up from the couch and made his way towards her, he kissed her on the cheek and said

"You look beautiful"

Michelle blushed at his compliment and replied

"Thank you"

Nathan also stood up from the couch and said

"Wow Michelle, you're looking gorgeous"

"Thanks Nathan" She replied with a smile

"We need to get going. Dad sent his chauffeur to come get us" Nathan then said

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot the wine you got for your dad...I'll go get it" Michelle told Derek before excusing herself to go get the wine from the wine cellar

"I'll be waiting in the car" Nathan said leaving Derek alone in the living room

Derek on the other hand was hoping his mom won't ruin tonight's dinner like she always did, he never for once liked what his mom did but he had no idea why he hasn't been able to say anything to her, to at least stop her from continuing her verbal abuse on Michelle, maybe it's because he didn't want to hurt her feelings but she was hurting his without even realizing it. He would marry Michelle right here, right now if it were up to him but he didn't want them getting married under such tense atmosphere, if he had a choice, he would love to have a private wedding but his dad wouldn't want that since he was a well known businessman in the country and also Michelle was from a rich family so having a private wedding was out of the question because he didn't want to upset his dad but he wanted something small and private because he was scared his mom would make a scene or make false accusations about Michelle on that special day since she was good at doing that, God, his thoughts were all over the place, he wanted all this to be over pretty soon but he doubted that would ever happen, time was no longer his friend as he was already getting impatient and desperately wants to make Michelle his wife, all these thoughts were running through his head when Michelle walked back into the living room

"Sorry for keeping you waiting" She apologized

"It's okay" He assured her, placing his hand on her lower back as they walked out of the house

They climbed into the black limousine, Nathan was busy on his phone, as soon as they made themselves comfortable the chauffeur began driving. The ride was quiet, Derek was occasionally giving Michelle's hand a light squeeze to ensure that she was okay, she smiled at him every time he did that. After an hour's drive, they arrived at the mansion, they climbed out of the limo when the chauffeur stopped in front of the mansion.

Michelle was always in awe of the mansion each time they came over, it was a beautiful sight. They walked to the door and as if on cue it was opened by the family Butler who greeted them as they walked into the mansion. Mr Howard Sr and his wife Rebecca were seated in the living room when they arrived, a smile grew on Derek's face on seeing his dad, their parents then stood up to welcome them, Derek walked towards his dad and gave him a warm hug

Mr Howard

"I missed you so much Dad" He said into the hug

"I missed you too son" His dad replied giving him a pat on the back

Nathan also went forward to give his dad a hug, Michelle just stood there enjoying the scene, she made sure not to make any sort of eye contact with Rebecca who was already glaring at her. When Nathan pulled away from the hug, Mr Howard held out his arms for Michelle

"Aren't you gonna give me a hug?" He said

Michelle couldn't help but smile as she walked into his arms, he gave her a warm hug and she wouldn't deny that she enjoyed it, it has been a long time since Michelle felt this kind of fatherly hug. Mr Howard was more like a father to her ever since she began dating Derek, so she cherished every moment she shared with him no matter how short they were

"It's so good to see you again Michelle" Mr Howard said into the hug

"Me too Mr Howard" She replied after the hug

"I don't" Nathan sternly said

Rebecca scoffed and walked out of the living room

"I'm sorry about that dear..." Mr Howard apologized for his wife's behavior

Michelle nodded in understanding and they all went into the dinning room. When they were all seated on the dinner table, the maids served them dinner, they were having lamb salad, chicken salad with fregola for dinner

"Why did you decide to move back to Washington?" Mr Howard asked Nathan

"C'mon dad. I don't think moving back is a crime, right?"

"I never said so"

"I just want to be close to my family... I've been away for too long..."

"So. How do you intend to manage the company in New York and the one here at the same time?... you know, your presence would be needed there and having to travel back and forth would be strenuous on your part"

"I know that dad, but the truth is, there isn't much work to be done there...I'll be working from home most of the time and if my presence is desperately needed there, I'll travel back"

"Okay son. Just don't get too worked up"

"I'll try not to"

They continued eating, bringing up little topics here and there. Michelle barely ate her meal because Rebecca was staring daggers at her. Mr Howard asked about her well being and that of her mom which she answered with a sincere smile, she knew he was trying to make her feel welcomed, comfortable and accepted and she really appreciates it but with Rebecca always on her case, she can never feel that way.