I again turned to face him. “Yes. I am done eating. I’ve got to go.” I started repacking my bag with my belongings as I finished wrapping the last of my lunch.
“Why are you escaping? I wasn’t trying to frighten you.”
Right. This person made ‘creepy’ look like it was a small offense.
“You didn’t frighten me. Just in a rush, really.”
I gathered the rest of my belongings and started to leave. I did, however, hear something that made me shiver first.
“Willow, I’ll see you soon.”
Whether he wanted me to hear it or not was unclear. Or perhaps it was all in my head. I didn’t turn around to look. I returned to school as quickly as I could, and I didn’t stop until I was inside the building where my next class was being held.
How could he know who I was?
When I previously ran into him, I was certain that I hadn’t told him my name. Furthermore, since he knew my name, he was undoubtedly stalking me. Had he intended for me to bump into him early? How the hell had he known where I would be?
I sat down on a bench to take a breath and attempt to understand what was going on with him. I almost called John to just come pick me up early since I was worried.
Even though I knew Nicholas would definitely freak out, I thought about calling him.
I managed to collect myself to finish the day’s classes at least. I was constantly on the lookout for anything odd, like someone following me around. I finally felt at ease after lunch when I got into the car with John.
Too bad it didn’t last long.
Laura was in the kitchen when I got home, but she wasn’t there by herself. There with her was Nicholas’ father. His being there surprised me, since he never came to the house since I started living there.
He greeted me as I entered. “Hello, Willow.”
“Hi.” I grinned at Laura before giving him a nod. He got out of the chair.
“I had hoped to speak with you.”
My heart began to race. Despite the fact that we didn’t actually know one another all that well, I had never had any problems with Jefferson. I assumed that my worry stemmed from not understanding him. Given that Nicholas and he didn’t exactly get along, it seemed unusual for him to want to talk to me in this way.
I was still trying to get Nicholas to open up about their relationship.
“Sure, we can talk. Where do you want to do it?”
He swiveled to face Laura. “Do you mind stepping out to give us some privacy?”
When caught my eye, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. But when she turned to him again, she nods. “I will be upstairs if you need me.”
Jeff and I both took a seat at the table after I followed him there. I fiddled with my fingers under the table and waited for him to speak. It seemed like a long time passed. I struggled to stay still in my seat even though I wasn’t sure what was making me feel so uneasy. I kept looking at the table as if I were waiting for some type of lecture.
The longer the quiet persisted, the angry I got. I shouldn’t feel as though I had to tread carefully in my own house. When I finally looked up, he was observing me.
I questioned, “What did you want to talk about?”
He appeared to be somewhat sad as he clasped his fingers in front of him. “I have some crucial information and I am giving you a chance to explain yourself.”
My eyes widened from his accusatory tone.
“What information?” I asked even though I was fairly certain of what was about to happen.
His gaze was fixed on me. “Did you wed my son for financial gain?”
I was furious internally. I had the impression that I was under attack from all sides. Rosemary, Julia, a strange man, a stalker who had been sending me menacing letters, and now Jeff. I pretty much believed Rosemary had to be behind that letter to me, even though Nicholas hadn’t confirmed it yet.
I spat, gazing at him, “No. Who said that to you?”
“I don’t believe that matters,” he countered
‘Is this guy serious?’
“I believe it to be crucial.” I kept a close eye on his expression. “Did Rosemary tell you that?”
His expression of composure briefly turned surprised, and I realized I was correct. That fucking bitch.
“Rosemary has a close relationship with Nicholas and has known him all of his life. She’s concerned about his life.”
He gave a weak excuse, and my mouth gaped. “You truly don’t know anything, do you? You are somehow unaware of what truly occurred because she has sold some sordid tale to you.”
He started to look furious, but I didn’t care. I had had it with the way he treated his son, and by extension, me. “I’m attempting to understand what’s happening so that I can guard my son.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Guard your son?” I snorted. “Since when were you concerned with defending him? When he really needed you, where were you?”
“I’ve always supported him.”
I gave a headshake. “You weren’t, though. Both Nicholas and I love each other. Your dear Rosemary hurt him, and now she’s attempting to break us apart in order to hurt him once again. You know what? You can go and inform her that all her plans are in vain. I won’t treat him like she did.”
He arched his brow as if he didn’t understand what I was saying. “How she treated him? What are you referring to? They were a couple, but Nicholas broke things off. He hurt her deeply.”
I softly shook my head. “You truly don’t know your son at all.” My heart ached for Nicholas. My Nicholas. It was understandable why he had issues with his father.
“If you know all the answers, then please enlighten me.” His arrogance was apparent in his voice.
I intended to declare Rosemary to be a nasty whore. Perhaps it was time to finally come clean so that he would understand the truth. Would I make Nicholas angry?
I moved closer to him. “Rosemary is a manipulative, and calculating bitch and she shouldn’t be trusted.”
He was shocked that I would address him in this manner. Probably no one ever did so before. “Explain to me why I ought to believe you.”
“Your son is the one you should put your faith in,” I screamed. I paused and took a few long breaths. If I didn’t calm down, this talk would likely have a tragic end. However, it was challenging since I felt as though I was experiencing a multitude of emotions at once. I mostly wanted to strike the table and jolt him awake so that he paid attention and took me seriously.