Chapter 3
After Nixon and I walked out of the cafe, I gave him a slight nod, letting him know I appreciated it.
I could tell he'd picked up on how uncomfortable I was and stepped in to bail me out.
Nixon nodded, being a total gentleman, and offered to give me a ride home.
Right before I got out, he looked like he had something on his mind, almost as if he wanted to say something.
But in the end, he kept it to himself.
At dinner, my mother was once again checking in on how things were going between Jonas and Regina.
Jonas kept a smile on his face, but his words were definitely loaded.
"Mrs. Newton, I'm doing just fine. Maybe you should pay a little more attention to Marlee."
"Don't go getting fooled by some guy just because he graduated."
My mother looked at me, puzzled.
Her eyes were practically asking, 'What's going on?'
Whatever weird mood Jonas was in, I wasn't about to waste energy figuring it out. So I went ahead and mentioned my plan to study in Eldor City.
I was planning to fly out in a few days, just to settle in early and get a feel for the city before classes started.
My mother's brows furrowed.
"Why bother with grad school? You're just not cut out for that!"
"You'd be way better off finding a decent guy to marry. Getting hitched should be your main focus right now!"
My father shot her a look and backed me up.
"While you're young, make sure you don't have any regrets."
He just wanted me to stay for his birthday the day after tomorrow before heading out.
How could I say no to that?
Jonas's expression grew stormier by the minute.
His glare was practically burning holes in me, full of barely contained anger.
I kept my gaze down, refusing to meet his eyes.
Without saying a word, I took out my phone and booked myself a flight for three days later.
When I was at the mall picking out a birthday gift for my father, I happened to walk past the Montblanc counter.
One glance was enough to spot the pen lying in the display case. It was understated and restrained, yet impossible to ignore.
Out of nowhere, Nixon came to mind.
I ended up buying the pen as a small thank-you for helping me out and answering all my questions.
The clerk asked if I wanted it engraved.
I thought about it for a second, then decided to have his name etched onto the pen.
But just as I took the pen with "Nixon" engraved on it from the clerk, my wrist was suddenly caught by a pair of long, well-defined fingers.
Jonas smirked, "Marlee, I knew you could never really forget about me."
"I just tossed it out there, and you actually went out of your way to buy it for me..."
But when Jonas caught sight of the engraving on the pen cap, his smile froze on his face.
I could practically hear his teeth grinding.
"Nixon? Nixon Beasley?"
"Marlee, when did you get so cheap? You barely know the guy, and you're already throwing yourself at him with gifts?"
I didn't bother arguing with him. I snatched the pen back and walked away.
Out of nowhere, Jonas grabbed my hand again and hauled me off to the fire escape.
"Let go! Jonas, let go of me!"
I was no match for his strength, so I went for his wrist and sank my teeth in.
I didn't hold back at all.
But for some reason, Jonas suddenly started laughing.
"Didn't you get enough of biting me in bed?"
"Want to have another taste?"
Instinctively, I raised my hand to slap him, anger flaring up before I could even think.
But he pinned my wrist again, trapping me so I couldn't move.
I bit my lip so hard it hurt, but the damn tears just wouldn't stop, no matter how much I tried to hold them back.
"Damn,"
Jonas swore under his breath.
The next second, he suddenly reached out like a madman, gripping my chin tight.
He leaned in without warning, catching me completely off guard.
Just then, the fire escape door swung open.
It was Regina, who'd been waiting for Jonas for quite some time and finally came to find him.
Her face froze for a split second.
But then, acting like she hadn't seen a thing, her voice was soft as ever as she spoke up.
"Jonas, the movie's about to start. Let's go."
Jonas finally let go of me, his grip lingering for a second before he pulled away.
He stormed off with a cold scowl on his face.
Regina's smile faded away.
She locked eyes with me and, without any warning, just said it straight out.
"Marlee, I saw you last year."
"Back when you and Jonas went to Eldor City together."
"Guess what I saw?"
For the next two days, her unfinished words kept me anxious the whole time.
But the night before my father's birthday, things finally made sense to me.
I was about to leave the country anyway, and once I finished school, I wasn't planning on coming back.
Whatever Regina said was, at most, just a warning or a reminder.
She wasn't actually going to take any real action.
Once I realized that, the weight that had been pressing on my chest for so long finally lifted.
The engraved pen on the table caught my attention.
My father had sent him an invite to his birthday dinner as well.
I just wasn't sure if he'd actually show up.
Just then, the door swung open.
It was Jonas.
The smell of alcohol coming off him was so strong, even from several feet away, it made me dizzy.