Chapter 102: The Engagement Ring

At Hershey's Dormitory

Jade rang the bell again, and sure enough, Hershey was home. She was always at home, or more so than Marco Junior. Jade sighed, irritated. Why didn't she come home on this important occasion?

An idea came to her mind. Maybe, just maybe she didn't mean to tell Hershey about Marco Junior's other girlfriend, Emily Reyes. Perhaps she would let them live in peace.

"Jade, I'm glad you're here."

She heard a high-pitched tone. Her spirits immediately dropped. Maybe she should say it. When Jade turned, Hershey was staring at the stairs she had just climbed. Marco Junior is not far behind. As usual, her cheeks were hot pink.

"Hi, Jade my best friend." Jade waved, saddened by the fact that she had to be here for this.

"Look what I got." Hershey stated, holding Jade's hand, her giggles giddy.

Jade stared at a beautiful circular band with diamonds on silver metal. "Nice." She spoke, her tone soft, her heart broken.

She looked at Marco Junior, who seemed to have sparked in his eyes. He looks so happy.It can't be the same Marco as in the picture with the other girl. He and whoever else is in those photos look alike, but their personalities seem different. If a picture can give you a glimpse of the person's personality. Jade looked down at her bag. He won't do it. She can't break his friend's heart. Surely this was a mistake. It must be a mess. Clearing her throat, she looked back at Hershey, with a smile on her face, "Congratulations girl."

Hershey smiled a lot as if her face would crack at any minute. "Come help us celebrate." Hershey said, taking Jade by the arm.

"Well...I...I...I have a class to attend." She stammered.

"Jade, you don't have class today." Hershey said, grabbing Jade's shoulders.

"I mean, I have something really important..." Jade trailed off. As she was doing that Hershey's grip was released from her shoulder and towards the bag. As Jade hurried to grab the bag so Hershey couldn't see what was inside, the bag flew into the air and then came down. Everyone inside claps or rolls on the ground. Photo album included. Hershey grabbed it before she could.

"Aww, that's cute. Let's see what's in here..." Hershey stated, opening the album.

"I don't think you should..." Too late, Hershey scanned the photos and then looked at Marco Junior.

"It's a joke, right?"

Marco Junior frowned in confusion. "What?"

He approached where Hershey was with the photo album. A shocked expression covered his features. The woman in the photos is Emily. That man...him.

He stared, not recognizing either of them.

"Who is he, Marco?" Hershey hissed, still staring with both shock and anger within him.

"The old girlfriend."

"How old are these pictures?"

"I do not know."

"What do you mean you don't know? How could you not know?"

"I mean I don't know, as in I've never seen them."

Hershey lifted his head, staring him in the face. "What? Marco, that's the dumbest lie I've ever heard. How could you not know them if you were with them?"

"I don't know. I mean, I've never taken pictures with Emily before."

"Emily?" The name came from his lips. As soon as he said the name, he apologized. "Yes, the girl in the pictures is Emily, but I never took any photos with her at all."

Hershey took a few steps back, "How did you know they were here?"

"I swear Hershey, I've never taken photos with that girl in my life."

Hershey threw the photo album on the ground, "Whatever."

With that, he stopped at the door."I won't lie to you, Hershey." He said.

"Not even a picture." She yelled back as she jabbed a key into the door knob lock. Turning it to the right, she turned the doorknob, pushed open the door, and climbed the stairs to his room.

Marco Junior went down and took the album. He pointed to the pictures. They look like him, but he knows they don't.

"Marco, I'm sorry." Jade whispered.

"That's why you came here, right? To show her the pictures?"

"Well, they look like you."

"I'm not, Dammit." He said, his breathing heavy.

"Calm down." Jade instructed.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down when my fiancee just stormed those stairs? You want me to calm down when it took me four years to prove to that girl that she's the one I can trust, just to return it to my face? Calm down, Jade?" When he finished, he was screaming.

Jade backed away with an angry shriek that scared her. His eyes seemed dark like a tornado cloud. It is both intriguing and terrifying.

"Look, my roommate showed me those. She said her boyfriend left her and their baby. You look just like the man."

"He's not me," Marco said. I don't know who the hell this is, but he's not me, and more, her being pregnant is bull shit."

Jade stopped her back against the gated entrance. "How did you know?"

Marco Junior tasted it. Staring at her with a menacing glare, he growled, "Where is she? Where is she? I told her to stay away from me."

"I think she said something about going to the library." Jade's voice rushed.

"The library."

Because of that, Marco Junior turned to his car without looking back. He will kill her.

XXX

Marco Junior went up to the oldest building on campus, the UST Library. This building is where the very first class books were given to the founder of the school. He opened the iron doors, he went to the receptionist. "Will you page me Emily Reyes?"

"I'm sorry sir..."

"Please, this is an emergency." He said, trying to control his burning temper.

The receptionist, sensing his urgency, picked up the phone and asked which section Emily Reyes was in. After telling him the information he got from Jade, the receptionist paged the girl. Within minutes, Marco Junior caught a glimpse of her dark brown hair moving towards the double doors.

When he reflected on her features, there was a big grin on his face. As he looked at her, he wondered what he saw in her. He couldn't believe he was with her. He is nowhere near his kind. Standing at five-ten, one hundred and ten pounds, he was as thin as a rail, the last person he thought of being with. He's not really that attracted to thin girls, let alone one as thin as him.

"Hey, Marco." She congratulated him.

Marco Junor smirked. When she stepped into his space, he grabbed her arm.

"You have nerves." He hissed softly.

The receptionist at the front desk glanced at the two of them, her eyes on Marco's. Seeing this, Marco led Emily out.

"Nice to see you too, baby."

Marco led her away from the entrance of the building to a secluded area. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm studying." answered Emily.

"No, what are you trying to do to me, Emily? What the hell do you want from me?" Marco Junior shouted, breathing heavily.

Emily reached out and took one hand, running it through her in a frenzy. "Come on, Baby, calm down."

Marco stared at her in disbelief. Pulling her away from him, he said, "What's wrong with you?"

Emily smiled, her hand pausing in mid-air, "Why do you have to be so clueless Marco? It's obvious that you want me here, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

Marco scratched his head, placing a frustrated hand over his face, "No, I don't want you here. I don't want you anywhere near me."

Emily shook her head, that smile of rejection on her face. "You didn't mean it."

"Yes." Marco said, his expression irritable. "Look, I love Hershey okay. I love her, I want to be with her. I want her. Not you."

The look in his eyes was full of brightness as he spoke his heart. His voice softened, "I've waited a long time for this moment, Emily. A very long time and I am not going to let you mess that up. Now, you're either going to leave me alone and leave her alone or I'll go to the police."

XXX