Chapter 3

Jackson didn't seem bothered by my response. Instead, he said with confidence, "We're not that close yet, but I'm sure I'll win you over eventually."

I almost burst out laughing. Seriously, what was there to like about him? The pickled egg he gave me?

Out of politeness, I didn't snap back. I knew he'd paint me as some gold-digger if I had.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Matthew: [Do you like the bracelet I sent you?]

[Wait, you picked it out? Not bad, you've got good taste,] I replied with a smile.

He quickly responded: [Been juggling a couple of investments lately, so cash is tight. Just think of it as a little keepsake. I'll get you something nicer when I'm back next month.]

[You're suddenly so generous—should I be worried?] I teased.

[Well, the birthday girl's big day is coming up. I've got to be on my best behavior for you,] Matthew replied.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Selena, sitting next to me, shot me a look and teased, "Who are you texting? You've got this huge grin on your face. Careful, Jackson might get jealous."

I rolled my eyes and fired back, "I'm talking to Matthew. He sent me this bracelet, so yeah, I'm happy."

"Matthew sent you that? You're totally dreaming in broad daylight," she teased with a sharp edge.

Before I could say anything, she snatched my wrist and inspected the bracelet. "So this is a Swarovski? The quality's nothing special. Honestly, you should stop buying stuff like this—it's not worth it."

"I told you, Matthew bought it. I couldn't afford it even if I wanted to," I replied with an awkward smile, not wanting to argue. I'd learned early on that things I took for granted could look like showing off to other people.

After that, Selena and I didn't say another word to each other.

Over the next few weeks, our finance major had a market research project we had to do off-campus.

There were four of us in the group: Jackson, me, and two other classmates—Luna White and Henry Shaw.

Back when the semester started, I had no idea what Jackson was really like. When he asked me to join his group, I said yes without thinking. Looking back, I totally regretted it.

To Luna and Henry, Jackson and I were in that awkward "will-they-won't-they" stage. So whenever we were out doing the survey, they'd team up and make sure Jackson and I had plenty of alone time.

"How about we grab a cab to the next company," I suggested. The next place we needed to visit was about 12 miles away.

Luna and Henry were on board, but Jackson shook his head. "Come on, cabs are way too pricey. Let's take the bus—it won't take that long."

"Yeah, but the bus ride's gonna take like two hours," Luna pointed out honestly.

Jackson wouldn't budge. "Splitting a cab is like twenty bucks each. That's more than what I spend on lunch."

"I've got a ride-share coupon that's about to expire. I'll cover the cab," I said, trying to smooth things over. If we took the bus, the company would probably be closed by the time we got there.

If it weren't for Jackson going on about his parents working in government at the start of the semester, I would've honestly thought he was strapped for cash.

"Well, if the rich girl's treating, who am I to refuse?" Jackson said. His whole vibe changed the moment he heard I was paying.

The other two felt bad about it and said they'd pay me back later.

Jackson's pride as the group leader took a hit, so he quickly jumped in and offered to treat us to lunch at a pasta restaurant he loved.

But nobody was really comfortable letting him foot the bill, so the three of us didn't take his offer seriously.

When we got there, Jackson didn't even give us a chance to look at the menu. He went straight to the counter and said, "Two pasta dishes, please. And can we get two extra plates?"

"Wait, why only two? Aren't there four of us?" Luna asked, looking puzzled.

"Look, you and Shelley are girls, and you probably don't eat that much. The portions here are huge, so two plates should be enough for all of us," Jackson explained, sounding like he'd thought it through.

He led us to a table and, looking all proud, announced, "Today's on me. Dig in—don't be shy."

We couldn't really say much to that, so we just gave him some awkward thanks.

When the pasta showed up, we were all speechless. The portions were just a normal serving, and there were only a few sad little pieces of beef on top. No way could that feed four people.

Jackson's stinginess was really something else.

Henry couldn't sit still any longer and got up to order more food himself.

"Shelley!" a voice suddenly called out, interrupting whatever everyone was doing.