Chapter 2
Once the door slammed shut behind him, I finally dropped the act and let my guard down.
Gasping for air, I slowly slumped to the floor.
Ever since I was a kid, everyone said I was just too nice.
But what they never realized was, whenever I made a decision, I never regretted it, whether it was falling for Jonas, or giving up on Jonas.
Just then, my phone rang.
"Marlee, are you really not considering going to Eldor City for grad school?"
"Our school only gets one spot a year, and it's a rare opportunity!"
This time, I didn't turn down my professor's offer.
He was really happy about it.
That night, he passed along the contact info for one of his former students who'd graduated years ago.
He was also a grad student in Eldor City, and my professor said I could go to him with any questions I had.
When I finally met him, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I never saw that coming.
The senior my professor kept praising turned out to be Nixon Beasley.
A year ago, I attended a party with my father.
That was when I first met Nixon, a young rising figure everyone was talking about.
Even my father, who never had much respect for business moguls, couldn't help but rave about him.
He said Nixon was a rare talent, someone who'd managed to establish himself in the industry in just two years.
Nixon took his time, carefully explaining everything about the university and what life in Eldor City was like.
He'd pause every now and then, glancing at me to make sure I was actually getting it.
He said, "That's about all I know about the school you're applying to."
I asked him where he went to college.
Just as I guessed, it was Gilmore, somewhere I could only dream of.
I couldn't help but be impressed.
I spent three years in high school studying late into the night, and in the end, I just barely got into a decent college.
But my professor said Nixon only wound up there because he missed one subject on the entrance exam, so he had no choice.
This was really unfair.
I said, "Nixon, thank you so much."
"You must be really busy, but you still took the time to answer all my questions."
I felt a bit awkward.
People like him were always super busy.
If my professor hadn't done me a favor, there's no way he'd spend his time on something so trivial. Someone like me would never even make it onto his radar.
Nixon paused, his coffee halfway to his lips.
Suddenly, he said, "You don't remember me?"
I froze for a moment, caught off guard.
Remember what?
A meeting a year ago?
His memory was quite good.
But before I could get a word out, I saw Jonas and Regina heading right toward us.
Honestly, they looked like a perfect couple.
People in the cafe started glancing over, curious about them.
I bit my lip and ducked my head, trying to act like I hadn't seen them.
But it was too late.
Jonas looked at Nixon's back, his gaze lowering just a bit.
"Marlee, fancy running into you here."
"Hanging out with a friend?"
Nixon turned to face them.
Jonas's eyes widened in surprise as he finally recognized him.
Jonas said, "Wait, Mr. Beasley, you know our Marlee?"
Nixon looked at me as if he didn't recognize Jonas at all. He asked, "Who's this?"
Jonas's smile faltered, looking a bit embarrassed.
With things already this awkward, I stood up and introduced Jonas and Regina to Nixon.
"Jonas, he's my dad's student."
Honestly, I had no clue how to introduce Regina.
But she was even more graceful and composed than I'd imagined.
She smiled and said, "Mr. Beasley, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Regina."
"I'm Jonas's... girlfriend."
I didn't know why my heart missed a beat at this moment.
Jonas didn't say a word to correct her. It seemed they really were official, just like that.
Regina noticed the Eldor City info on the table and smiled.
"Marlee, are you planning to study in Eldor City?"
She casually pulled Jonas down to sit next to her, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
She said, "Oh, I actually did both my undergrad and master's at Gilmore. It's a great school."
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
Gilmore again. Of course.
No way I could ever make it there.
Jonas curled his lips into a mocking smirk, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in his tone.
"You’re smart and outstanding. Getting into Gilmore isn’t hard for you."
"But her? Don't even think about it."
"What, you took one trip and now you're hooked?"
Jonas was talking about that secret trip we took to Eldor City last year, when we slipped away together and kept it hidden from everyone.
It was a city that was completely new to us, and a future that felt just as uncertain.
It was one of those rare moments when we could finally act like a normal couple.
We could hold hands and hug out in the open, basking in the sunlight.
Now, he just brought it up like it was some casual joke, as if those memories meant nothing to him.
My eyes burned with a sudden ache, and I subconsciously lowered my head.
Just then, Nixon spoke up out of nowhere.
"Gilmore? That's really nothing to brag about."
"We've got something to take care of, so we'll head out."