"Did you visit Damon today?" Jones asked suddenly.
"Yes," I confird, neither denying my actions nor explaining why I had gone. If Jones wanted to misunderstand my intentions, then let him. I was perfectly content to let him think I was still hung up on Damon, so he could finally let go.
As expected, Jones’s eyes darkened at my admission. His gaze, sharp as a knife, cut through like a hot blade through butter.
But I wasn’t afraid. If we didn’t have this confrontation, we would only be wasting more ti.
"Where exactly do I fall short compared to Damon? Anything he can provide, I can offer you even more!" Jones’s emotions finally started to flare up. I knew he had been holding back for far too long.
Seeing his emotional unrest, I found myself oddly calm. My voice softened considerably, "It’s not a matter of you being less than Damon, but being unable to fall in love with you. Being with soone you don’t love is agonizing, and I think you understand that."
Jones had been forced into an engagent with Scarlett in the past. During that period, he didn’t even have the intérest to look at her.
Perhaps because he understood that feeling, he couldn’t respond to my words. The disappointnt and unwillingness in his eyes were painfully apparent.
I had seen that look before, when he told that Ariel didn’t love him.
Unconsciously, I had beco the second Ariel, his unattainable goal. In the end, it was hard to tell whether his pursuit was born out of love or a distorted desire to win.
Our voices must have carried, as my mother ca out looking for us again. Seeing Jones’s distressed expression, she imdiately shot a warning look.
"Mrs. Brooks, I need to take my leave," Jones managed to say in a controlled voice, before swiftly leaving.
"Jones, wait!" my mother called out, but to no avail.
Once Jones had left, she turned to , her brows furrowed in anger. "Eliana, what did you say to Jones? I’ve never seen him this upset before. I couldn’t even call him back!"
’Mom, I’d rather keep things complicated with Damon than force myself to accept Jones. You and dad should give up on that idea," I said firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.
My mother looked stunned, likely not expecting my resistance towards Jones to be this strong, to the point where I was willing to overlook the potential danger of Damon.
I was too exhausted to argue with my mother any further that day, so I quickly went back to my room to sleep.
My mother knocked on my door a few tis, but I didn’t respond. She probably didn’t want to wake the kids, so she left it at that.
For several days, my mother tried to persuade to stop rejecting Jones, even suggesting the idea of us getting married.
The more she pushed, the more I resisted, creating a tense atmosphere in the house.
"Your father will be back in a few days, and he has always hoped you could be with Jones. Since you’ve made up your mind, you should explain it to him yourself!" my mother said coldly, clearly disheartened by my stubbornness.
Regardless of her attitude, I would not back down. If my father was coming back in a few days, then it was the perfect opportunity to clear things up.
I didn’t respond to my mother’s words, focusing instead on trimming Serena and Brandon’s nails. My phone rang, and seeing that it was Lisa, I set down the nail clippers and walked out into the yard.
"Eliana, could we et tonight?" Lisa’s voice was as gentle and kind as always.
"Yes, I’ve been quite busy these past few days and haven’t been in touch. If you’re free tonight, let’s catch up," I agreed, not wanting to stay at ho in the suffocating atmosphere.
We decided to et at a nearby private café, Bloom & Brew. Lisa enjoyed gardening and the café had a lovely ambiance, perfect for a chat.
After entrusting Serena and Brandon to Norah’s care, I set out to et Lisa at the café.
Lisa was already there when I arrived, dressed in a simple yet elegant navy blue dress. Her hair was neatly pinned up. The violet bracelet on her wrist, also a gift from , added a touch of sophistication to her attire.
"Eliana, have a seat," Lisa greeted warmly.
Seeing Lisa’s friendly smile eased the tension I had been feeling from my mother’s pressure.
I sat down opposite Lisa, "Lisa, have you been waiting long?"
"No, Damon had a dinner party nearby tonight, so hitched a ride with him. He left just five minutes ago "Lisa checked the ti on her phone and shared with a smile.
Was Damon in the area? I was surprised to learn that he had been the one to drop Lisa off.
I nodded and ordered two cups of coffee for us. We sipped them slowly, chatting casually. Despite my divorce from Damon, we had once shared five years of marriage. During that ti, I had genuinely loved him and strove to be a part of his life, even when he ignored and didn’t reciprocate my feelings, I was sowhat familiar with the happenings in the Coleman family.
So, Lisa and I found ourselves in an engrossing conversation, which eventually veered towards her health issues.
"Don’t worry about , I’m fine," Lisa quickly quipped when the topic of her illness ca up, a hint of evasion in her voice. She took a sip of her coffee, her gaze drifting away from ,
"Is it because of my divorce from Damon? You still haven’t co to terms with it, have you?" I asked softly, heaving a sigh. "Or is it because of the child? You can always talk to about it. Maybe getting it off your chest would help. I don’t want you to be ntally tornted because of these things."
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