PEACE (A Catherine Peace Novel)

Chapter 4

The next morning, Jade dashed off to her classes bright and early, leaving me to face the daunting task of starting my assignments. Sixteen hours later, with tired eyes and a brain on the verge of meltdown, I finally conquered those three dreaded tasks. Ugh, schoolwork – the ultimate soul-sucking activity. But hey, it's all part of the grand plan, right?

You see, ever since I was a kid, I've had this crazy dream of taking over my mom's law firm. It's been my North Star, my guiding light. Being raised in an orphanage, I never imagined I'd have a shot at something so big. But then my parents swooped in and adopted me when I least expected it. Turns out, nobody wanted to take a chance on an older kid – they all wanted cute, squishy babies. Lucky for me, my parents saw something special in this old soul of mine.

"I bought some wings on the way home," announced Jade as she swung open the apartment door, a tantalizing aroma wafting in behind her. The delicious scent of food filled the air, instantly awakening my appetite.

"There are more bags in the car. I decided to do a grocery run," she explained, setting down the bags with a thud.

"Without me, though?" I raised an eyebrow, half amused and half betrayed.

"Well, there was literally no food left, and I just got my allowance, so I thought, why not?" Jade's eyes pleaded for understanding. "I'm sorry. Next time, I promise I'll bring you along."

After wrestling with the grocery bags and settling on a movie, we finally agreed to watch Titanic. Personally, I couldn't wrap my head around the whole love-on-a-sinking-ship thing. I mean, come on, spending three days together and suddenly believing you're soulmates? Total nonsense. But hey, it's Jade's favorite, so I'll suffer through it for her.

As the doomed love story unfolded on screen, Jade broke the silence with her signature question. "Did Liam text you yet?"

I tore my gaze away from the TV. "Nope. Maybe I should text him?"

"Nope, not happening. We don't do that here," Jade replied firmly.

"Why not? He's only here for three more days. I might miss my chance," I argued, feeling a pang of uncertainty. "Then again, maybe I should just steer clear of him. I'm not ready to jump into anything new. My heart's still healing from Jacob."

"Girl, his name is uglier than his personality. Please keep Jacob away from us. If Liam wanted you, he would be with you. Just focus on yourself," she smiled, planting a kiss on my forehead before heading to the kitchen.

"Get me more popcorn, please!" I called out, snuggling with my puppy.

"Your arms aren't broken. Come get it!" Jade retorted from the kitchen. But I didn't budge, knowing she'd eventually bring it back to me.

"I don't like Liam. He's not my type. He's arrogant and famous. A guy like that can have any girl, so why would he settle for me?" I confessed, feeling tears welling up again. "If Jacob didn't want me, why would LIAM HENDERSON want me? Have... you... seen... him?"

Jade turned off the television and turned to face me, pulling me into a comforting hug. "Honey, it's not about what he wants. It's about what you want. And right now, what you want is more popcorn, am I right?"

I couldn't help but chuckle through my tears. "You know me so well."

"No one has ever wanted me, and I thought that Jacob was it for me," I cried.

"What are you talking about? You have two loving parents who adore you, and let's face it, Jacob was never the one for you."

"BUT MY OWN BIOLOGICAL MOTHER GAVE ME UP!" I blurted out, feeling like my whole world was crashing down. I didn't understand why this sudden surge of emotions hit me, but somehow, Liam was the trigger for all of it. It was all his fault.

"She was a fool to give you up," reassured Jade. She sat quietly beside me as I sobbed, offering her silent support.

....

"Cathy, wake up! Your class starts in 10 minutes, and it's a 15-minute drive to campus!"

I bolted upright at the sound of Jade's voice, a mix of excitement and panic rushing through me. Jade was already dressed in her dance attire, her eyes shining with anticipation. I couldn't help but grin at her infectious energy.

"Thanks for the wake-up call, Jade. You're a lifesaver," I said, throwing on some clothes and rushing to get ready.

"Anytime, roomie! You know I've got your back," she replied with a wink, her enthusiasm practically radiating off her.

As I stumbled into the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast, I couldn't help but marvel at Jade's dedication to her passion.

I jumped off the couch and rushed into my room to change. There was no time to shower, so I'd have to deal with feeling like a sweaty cow all day. I pulled on some clothes, tied my hair up, and raced out of the house. Jade agreed to take the train, so I didn't have to drop her off.

As I pushed open the classroom door, all eyes turned toward me, and I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.

"You must be Catherine Peace?" he turned to me.

"Yes, sir."

"Please take a seat next to Miss Elena Ridgewell," he stated.

My heart stopped immediately. What were the chances that ELENA AND JACOB would be accepted to Oxford? What were the chances that ELENA would be in my class? Okay, what is going on here? Do I have to repent for something?

"Miss Peace, I would like to start the lecture. Please take a seat."

I walked over to my seat and placed my books and tablet down.

"You are stinking up the area," laughed Elena and several of the students around her laughed. I ignored her and continued to listen to Mr. Rockingham.

"Did your parents pay for you to get accepted?" she giggled.

This is going to be such a long year.