White Tie, Black Leather

13: So Very Picturesque

"This isn't very quiet, Daniel," I say as we pull up to the curb of Daniel's restaurant.

"I know, darling. I just need to grab something before we leave," He pats my leg before getting out of the car, leaving me alone to my own thoughts.

I brush my leg off where he touched me and scoot closer to the edge of the seat. Thinking about it, I realize that if Daniel and I go somewhere quiet, we'll be forced to speak— I'll be forced to speak.

I begin to get out and tell him we can stay here, but he slides back in the very moment I unbuckle myself. He hangs two black dress bags on one of the handles in the interior of the car.

I raise my eyebrows at him. "What are those for?"

"You'll see," He grins, then his eyes shoot down to my bare, left hand. "Where's your ring?"

"I spent the night at Soledad's," I lie. "I didn't want to lose it overnight."

"Ah," He says curtly, his jaw ticking back and forth out of anger.

"Why do I need my ring?" I question.

"Because it's a sign of our engagement!" He snaps and I retreat further into the door. He sighs, wiping his mouth with his fingertips. "I'll get your mother to bring it."

He pulls out his shiny smart phone and calls my mother, explaining shortly and irritatedly about the ring. I can hear my mother's screeching from the other line and I know I'm going to get it when we get to wherever we're going.

"Daniel?" I say after he's hung up the phone. "Where are we going that my mother is also going?"

"It's a surprise, darling," His term of "endearment" sounds more like a term of hatred in this moment.

I sigh and slump further back against my seat, crossing my arms over my stomach and sliding down slightly. Why did I agree to this, again?

Hey, as long as I'm back at school by three, I'm good.

So I can see Jesse...

I sigh again at the thought of him— that black hair, those blue eyes, that lean, yet muscular, physique. So mysterious, so bad, so foreign to me. I've never come in contact with someone like him.

I mean, yes, I've known Cam for a long time, but they're not the same. Cam is an inherent party animal while still remaining fun-loving and goofy.

But, Jesse—Jesse is a partier who hates the social scene. He enjoys drinking and sex, but not really the human contact. He's icy and unforgiving in his words and actions.

He sounds cruel as I've described him, but there's something about him that keeps him from being that way. Something... soft.

Granted, I would never mention this to him. He also likes to keep up a wall to hide any inner feelings and when any are evoked or noticed, he shuts down and lets the insults fly.

Maybe that's why he's always so terrible to me— because I evoke some sort of unwanted emotions from him.

Or, maybe, he just hates you.

Well, that makes no sense. He wouldn't have kissed me or invited me back to his house today if he hated me. No, it's something else, and I'm willing to bet a lot of money that I make him feel something he doesn't want to .

But I have to be careful not to spook him. Any talk of relationship will put us back at square one. So, I suppose I'll just have to be satisfied with flirting around for now.