Chapter 600 Meeting
"If you're really stuck on whether to go or not, just flip a coin," Elara said. "The second that coin's in the air, you'll know what you really want."
Jesse glanced at her, a flicker of emotion breaking through his usually cool exterior. Like a lot of folks, he wanted to share his happiness with his mom, but he wasn't sure if she deserved it.
"If you're still unsure, just listen to me," Elara decided for him, radiating confidence. "Go see her."
If he truly didn't want to go, he wouldn't be this torn. The fact that he was conflicted meant he wanted to.
So why overthink it? Just follow your heart.
"I don't know her that well," Jesse admitted, unsure of what would happen if he went.
"That doesn't matter. Strip away all those complicated thoughts, and you want to go," Elara said, her words filled with sincerity. "It's just a meal, not a battlefield."
"Are you sure I should go?" Jesse was still hesitant.
Elara nodded. "Yes."
After making the decision, Jesse didn't immediately respond to Rainey. It was easy to make impulsive decisions at night; It was better to think it over in the morning.
That night, Elara still let Jesse hold her as they slept.
Jesse told her about his childhood and how he went to school with Daphne's support. By the middle of the night, the stories were almost done, and they both fell asleep.
Compared to the previous night's tension, this night felt much more natural.
The next day, Elara's decision remained the same. So Jesse gave Rainey his answer.
At the same time, Eugene called, sounding frustrated, "I've called you so many times, and you never pick up. How dare you?"
"What do you want? Just spit it out." Jesse's tone was cold.
"Didn't you see the messages I sent you?" Eugene's tone was harsh. "Didn't I tell you to come back for a blind date? Are you ignoring me now?"
"My business has nothing to do with you," Jesse replied.
Eugene immediately got angry. He always wanted to control Jesse, and hearing Jesse's bad attitude made him furious. "What kind of attitude is that? I'm your father."
Jesse pressed his lips together, already feeling resistant.
"You didn't even tell me you got a girlfriend. How am I supposed to explain this to Nash?" Eugene snorted, clearly displeased, "His daughter is still waiting to meet you."
"I told you long ago that I wouldn't come back," Jesse reiterated.
He didn't miss that place at all. If he had to miss something, it would be the street where he met Daphne that winter.
"Watch your mouth," Eugene's face darkened, and he started thinking of other plans. "If you don't come back, I'll have Nash's daughter expose your ungrateful behavior online. All these years, you never come home..."
Jesse hung up the phone directly.
Elara heard the conversation and held his hand. "I'll be with you."
"I'm fine," Jesse's face remained calm, with little emotional fluctuation. "I'm used to it."
"Your dad really doesn't act like a dad," Elara sighed, seeing for the first time a parent who didn't raise their child but demanded so much. "From now on, my dad is your dad, my mom is your mom, and the three of us will love you together."
A slight smile crept onto Jesse's lips as he reached out to ruffle Elara's hair.
Elara, still thinking about the phone call, looked a bit worried. "What did he mean by 'expose'?"
"Nash's daughter is an internet celebrity with hundreds of thousands of followers," Jesse explained, recalling what Eugene had said before. "He probably wants her to go online and say I'm ungrateful to my own father."
"Should we talk to that girl first?" Elara asked.
"No need," Jesse's eyes darkened slightly. "Talking won't help. Most of her videos get popular by jumping on trending topics."
"How do you know?" Elara was curious.
Jesse didn't seem like the type to watch online videos all the time.
Jesse glanced at his phone and explained, "Big data monitoring. Shortly after my dad called, my phone automatically recommended her to me."
The first recommended video was just riding the wave of the trend, so he checked out a few others, and they were almost all the same.
"Jesse," Elara suddenly became very curious about something.
Jesse looked at her.
"You're amazing," Elara thought about what he had said. "Growing up in such a family environment, you turned out so well and have such a good personality."
"If I had stayed with my dad for a few more years, I might have picked up some of his bad habits," Jesse was always straightforward with Elara about these things. "But after that incident, I never lived at home again."
Elara hugged him, wanting to share her warmth with him.
A few days later, they met with Rainey.
Besides Rainey, her current husband Terry Perez was also there.
When Jesse saw Terry, he frowned slightly. Although he was a bit unhappy, he didn't say anything.
"Jesse, this is my husband, Terry," Rainey seemed a bit nervous. After glancing at Elara, she continued, "And this is your girlfriend, Elara, right?"
"Yes," Jesse responded lightly and gave Terry a distant greeting.
During the meal, no one talked much. Even the usually lively Elara couldn't lighten the mood.
The atmosphere was a bit strange.
"I'll go check on the remaining dishes," Terry noticed the awkward atmosphere in the private room and deliberately left to give them space. "Take your time eating."
After he left, Rainey put down her utensils.
Seeing Jesse's cold demeanor, Rainey looked a bit complicated. "Are you still mad at me for leaving you with your father?"
"Why did you bring Terry?" Jesse changed the subject. "I said it would be just the three of us."
"I'm sorry," Rainey apologized.
Jesse felt an indescribable sense of oppression.
Elara comforted him, "It's okay; it's just a meal. The more, the merrier."
Jesse's thin lips pressed into a straight line, and he finally uttered, "You're right."
"What do Elara's parents do?" Rainey asked.
"They're in business," Elara answered simply and naturally without giving too many details.
Rainey didn't think much of it and continued chatting as usual, "How did you and Jesse meet?"
"We were high school classmates and have known each other for over a decade," Elara's words were always comforting, and she preemptively answered Rainey's next question. "We found out we were both single when we reconnected, so we got together."
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