Chapter thirty-seven: Not Ready To Say Goodbye

Chapter thirty-seven: Not Ready To Say Goodbye

Jessica

Walking back to lectures was dreadful, I felt like a newborn penguin who didn't quite know how to walk with their little legs. I was sore and all I wanted was to take a nap but I still had three more lectures to attend and that would be another hour of pure torture.

I saw Janice walking from the Art building to her next lecture. Her phone was in her hand and she looked deep in conversation. I decided to just wave her instead of interrupting her call and she waved back with a smile. I hope she wasn't still upset with me over Jeffrey issues.

"Hey," she said to me, covering the microphone with her hand.

"Can I talk to you later?" I nodded.

"Yes, just hit me whenever."

I decided to walk back to my hostel, I couldn't stand to be in another lecture. I flopped down on my bed immediately I got to my room but I couldn't keep my eyes open. All I could think about was Jeffrey meeting my mother and him going back to Paris.

I rolled onto my back, staring at the ceiling as I became lost in thoughts. Going with him to Paris would be a bad idea, I couldn't afford it and it wasn't like my mother would agree to it. I really need next semester's credit to graduate and it was far too late to find a school in an entirely different country and register for classes.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes, why didn't Jeffrey tell me this early? Why couldn't we have met sooner? Was the universe using this to tell me that being with him is wrong and I shouldn't go with him? No, I know he would stay loyal to me while he was away. He would and I would also do the same.

Four months away from him felt equivalent to an eternity. Maybe I could be visiting him randomly, I would start now making plans for it since it is still a couple months away. I would love to actually get out of this country one day.

A knock ratted on the door, I glanced at the clock and surprisingly, I had laid here for over an hour without sleeping. I guess it was Janice.

"Come in," she walked in and set her bag beside my bed.

"Girl, I just wanted to say I am really sorry for being rude. I shouldn't have told you how to live your life and I feel really bad about it." I sat up with a sigh.

"It is fine, Janice. I know you meant well for me." She smiled and gave me a tight hug.

"Anyway, how is life with Mr. Hot Pants himself?" I groaned and rubbed my eyes, shaking my head as she looked at me wildly.

"He is going back to Paris in December." She shrugged.

"Okay, that is cool."

"He is not coming to this country after that." She gave me a bewildered look.

"He is what? What the hell? Why is he going back?" I blew a raspberry with my lips, shrugging my shoulders as I explained.

"He just recently expanded his business on Katagum and it is moving well so far which means he doesn't need to stay here anymore. He is going back to his headquarters to work until he gets a new expansion."

She paused for a moment, wanting to say something but looking as if she couldn't find out what words to use.

"How…do you feel about this?" I looked down at my hands and twiddled my thumb.

"I don't know, I am confused and I don't know what to do."

"You are not going to go after him, are you?"

"I can't, Janice. I have to finish this year and I can't do that if I go to Paris. Applications for study abroad have already closed for the year, so I have no other options."

"Why don't you just go to Paris with him and spend the Christmas holidays and just come back after New year? I shook my head.

"I don't know, Janice. That's really a big step."

"You seriously need to do what is best for you and Jeffrey. But I think going to Paris and spending as much time with him as you can is a great idea."

I hadn't really thought about it, it did seem like a good idea. Maybe spending Christmas holidays with him would be fine.

"You can at least try Christmas holidays with him so better than saying goodbye."

Goodbye? But I wasn't ready to tell Jeffrey goodbye. My heart ached with that lingering unknowing feeling. I want Jeffrey to stay, I want to go with him, I just wanted everything to work out but the odds were pointing at Jeffrey going back to Paris and me being stuck here without him for who knows how long. My phone buzzed and I looked at the screen, seeing Jeffrey's name.

'Remember, Princess. Just stay present.'

The summer holidays started on Friday and I was laying on my bed thinking about all the possible questions my mother is going to ask Jeffrey. I prayed she shouldn't ask about something that would bring up him leaving in December to Paris, my mother is a bit nosy but she meant well. I pulled my phone, wanting to reply to the message Jeffrey sent me earlier.

'Goodnight, I can wait to see you on Friday.'

I hit the send button and shoved it back under my pillow, closing my eyes and not really expecting a response from him until tomorrow. It was already midnight and he might probably be asleep by now.

Around four in the morning, my phone woke up with its annoying vibration. I clinged, rolling over and silencing it, going back to sleep and deciding to worry about it in the morning.

It was already Friday, I went to classes and would be traveling to my village in the afternoon. I had to travel to Amaife, a small town, four hours from Katagum. It was quaint and I missed the small town feel after being in the city for these past months. I pulled my phone to see a message from Jeffrey and I poned it.

'Good morning, Pumpkin. I am sorry I can't see you today but I wished you a safe trip back home. I can't wait to see you at lunch with your family on Sunday."

I smiled at his message, we had agreed that he would be having lunch with my family on Sunday. I wanted to see him today before I travel but it seems like he had a meeting and didn't have free time. I couldn't go to his office and say goodbye, I just have to wait till Sunday. I quickly replied to his message before the professor walked in.

'l will be thinking of you until then.' I got a response immediately.

'I am always thinking about you.'

After the lectures, I went back to my hostel to get ready to go home. But as soon as I got to the door, there was a small box laying outside my door. I quickly picked it up before anyone else noticed, I saw Jeffrey's initials engraved in black letters in the bottom corner and my heart fluttered at the thought of what could be inside.

I opened it once I was inside my room, seeing a note with his penmanship written on the paper.

'Jessica, I hope you will make use of these until I am able to pleasure you myself. Enjoy your break, Pumpkin, I will see you soon.'

I looked past the note and there were those two little balls he had me wear to Leonard's party. I bit my tongue, he was really such a cheeky man.

I stuffed the box into my backpack making sure it was in a pocket where my mother definitely would not see it. Grabbing my duffles off the bed, l left my room after locking it.

The drive back home was more than uneventful, all I wanted was to be in bed with Jeffrey and relax but I knew the moment I got home, I would be greeting the endless questions of my mother. I wanted her to like Jeffrey and get along with him but he was older than and had already married before. I am worried that she would see it differently than I did.