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Maria A present.
There was something about this woman that was intriguing. Was it her boldness or how she readily tried to hurt his pride, or how she always defied him? That brief moment of nerfed intimacy he had with her didn't cease to taunt him, perhaps because it's been a while since he'd been that close to a lady. It was...fast and confusing and if there was anything he was sure of, it was that he hated it. Jackson was scared of a change in plans, in routines. A little tweak in programs that had already been set in place could shatter him completely. What he needed now was a hot bath, dinner, and sleep—a long nightmare-free slumber. Earlier today, he had received a notification from his father compelling him to visit and a warning of the dire consequences that followed if he didn't. Jackson's true nature was defiance and pride but towards this man, all he felt was faint cold fear. Never has he once underestimated his ability to pull strings—his father, in other words, was the puppeteer
Maria No day off.
Her legs were numb and her body tired from the day's activities, the fun parts, and the parts that she was too complicated to be talked or thought about, at least not until she was freshened up and wrapped up in a blanket on her warm cozy bed. That period of introspection was something everyone needed, that time when you carry out personal criticisms and calculations about what really matters. The ride seemed longer than she expected. Not only was it longer, but it also bore with it two depressing messages from Jackson, just a few moments away from each other. The first— an invitation to somewhere she was unsure of, while the second was a message of urgency, she could feel the rush in the text after counting the exclamation marks that ended it.Only God knows what he wanted this time, she has asked for a day off. Like a halo, her thoughts were afloat in her head, churning and turning with the need to be attended to. It's been just a short while here yet so eventful, she kept feeling
Maria Something to say?
The D- day. It's been what? A year or two since he last saw his father, now he had to do it today and successfully hold back the emotions rooted deep in his heart. He had to smile, nod, and answer unsolicited questions just to protect that particular person—his mother. His bed seemed to swallow him deeper at that moment, making it even harder for him to get out of it. He hoped he could just lay there as time passed, registering in his head that nothing really mattered and that his life was his. Not the world's, not his father's, not America's, not ACE's, His. But that was too farfetched, it shouldn't be, he was only human after all.Was inviting Maria with him cowardice? It, indeed, was. A part of him was scared of the unfamiliarity or hostility that he'd be met with, he needed a familiar face to create a balance for the short period he was going to spend there. And he knows for sure her presence would piss off the old weasel. Anything he could to make a dent in his emotion
Maria Harry is a Jones?
How did her life go from living in a cramped two-room apartment to living the moments in houses she thought she'd only see in her dreams? That remained inexplicable to her. The fact that she existed in this time, in a mansion she once thought only the movies could offer, it was incredible. She had been angry after he informed her of the location, but as soon as she set foot on this heavenly ground, all of the anger waned drastically. All she felt was gratitude and happiness.Mr. Jones seemed to be a nice man, one of the nicest she had met since her stay here. If the mother was nice, and the father was— summing up looks and courtesy— near perfect, where then did Jackson get his nasty attitude? She was led to the dining room by the man that welcomed them outside the building. His name was Theo and from what Maria noticed, Theo was someone Jackson cared about. Something inside her moved when she watched Jackson hug him. Already sitting on one of the expensively carved chairs was Mrs. Jon
Maria The proposal
*A FEW MINUTES EARLIER* Theo accompanied Maria into the dining hall after father had said he had something important to discuss. Something didn't feel right, Jackson couldn't tell if his father was tense or pretending to be. In a while, they were at the lush green scene behind the buildings, his favorite place inside the mansion. He remembered sneaking out on late evenings to throw himself upon the soft grass as they cuddled him deeper, making the best blankets. He did this to feel like he was in control, like he could at least do something that he wanted to do. Theo was the person who watched out for his father's arrival and snuck him back into his room whenever he lost track of time.Those were the few good times that he could remember. Jackson's father took steps in sync with Jackson's, tucking his hands inside his pockets. He released them with a shrug and dropped them to his sides. Jackson wanted him to talk already, staying next to his father made him seeth in silence."I
Maria On edge.
The car screeched to a sudden halt, packing at the very middle of the road. Maria suddenly couldn't go on with her driving, she had to have heard wrong. Today had taken a lot of unexpected turns but this...this had to have been a mistake. First, The Jones Family, second—Harry, now this? Maybe Jackson was finding new ways to frustrate her. "W-what? What do you mean?" She blurted with surprise, "what are you talking about?""Marry me, Maria. You heard right." His head was resting on the seat and his eyes were covered by his arms as they rested on his forehead. His body language showed no nervousness or enthusiasm or fear, but it was quite the opposite for Maria. Her thoughts were clashing and electrical currents ran fervently down her spine. Confusion was the sole emotion she felt. Jackson had been acting weird since his meeting with his father, which she understood. From what she'd noticed, they probably had another clash or a disagreement. What she termed as unfathomable was
Maria Bad to worse.
"H-hi, what are you doing here?" She could barely manage to make out words, the shock was too much. Harry was the last person she had expected to be standing drenched in front of her apartment in the evening! Drenched and miserable. His lips tugged into a smile, "what a thrilling way to welcome a drenched visitor..." Sarcasm. But she didn't care about that right now. All she wanted to know was why her dilemma metamorphosed into a person and had come to torment her, it was hard enough dealing with it in her head.She realized she didn't invite him in like a polite person would have done. Immediately, she dropped her arm that held the door open and ushered him in."Come on in.""Thank you." He kicked his shoes off and placed them by the door side, along with the plastic bag he had—on a closer look, it looked like the content in it was rectangular shaped. He took light steps into the living room, and like a kitten, he stood at a particular corner to stop his wetness from messing things
Maria Acceptance.
She watched the loving glint his eyes darken with sadness and his grip on her hands got loose. He rose slowly and settled on a chair. He sat with a tired slump.Silence swallowed the air and the atmosphere was thick enough to choke. They both choked, on unsaid words, on their feelings and emotions. A knot formed in her chest from seeing him that sad...or was it disappointment?Maria didn't know the next thing to say to him, explaining wouldn't do him any good. One thing she was sure of was that he wasn't a part of her priorities right now. She had far more important things to settle. To achieve, and the moment she gave in to her emotions, the faster she might give it all up. She had seen powerful people get ruined by the myth called Love, and she feared falling into that same trap.He sighed, "can you at least tell me why?"Why? Because I came to the USA to do far more important things. Would that hurt him more? Because I fear emotions and the ties they have on us. Because I don't w
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