Forced Marriage: Escaping Her Monster

"Come on, quick! It's been a long time since I've had guests staying over in our home," Scarlett was excited.

"Yeah, yeah..." Jerlina chuckled as she balanced her phone between her ear and shoulder while packing some of her stuff. "I'll be there in five minutes."

"Yes! Quick!" Scarlett screeched followed by baby Cia and Jerlina ended the call with a smile.

  "That's a big bag... Let me carry..." 

Jerlina raised her eyebrows meeting with the big man waiting by her door. Earl was beside him wagging his tail rubbing her legs and Duke had his don't-care attitude as always.

"It's not heavy..."

Jerlina's words fell on deaf ears and the bag was grabbed by his rough hands and he walked towards the stairs while Jerlina followed. 

"You can return anytime. Odin and others won't hurt you... Or if you're scared, call me and I'll come and get you. Jerlina, I am sure it would be hard for you to sleep at night. Are you sure you want to stay there?" he stopped in the middle of the stairs and Jerlina let out a sigh rolling her eyes.

There he goes...again... What is going to be the twelfth reason he is going to procure to stop me from going to Scarlett's place? The previous reasonings included loud baby noises, rodents, mosquitoes, MOTHS, and even ghosts in his previous reasonings.

Is he a child or what? Is he that scared to sleep alone?

"Look, I am not kidding... Those two... " Jeremy held her arm and Jerlina looked at him. "...they hump like teenagers on heat all the time and Scar...she's loud... like reeaallly loud! You know her nickname is Kitty, right? She really makes cat-like noises...I'm not kidding!" he added seeing her unimpressed face. "I know! I've heard it!"

"Why were you listening?" Jerlina asked with her face scrunched up in disgust. "That's a weird hobby you have... listening to your friends...Do you just listen or...eww!"

*Plop*

Jeremy dropped the bag out of shock. He didn't think his words to stop her from leaving would backfire on him like this. Jerlina picked up the bag and walked out of the home with a smile.

"See you in the morning, Jeremy!" she waved her hand.

What a weird guy!

In Bobby's house, Jerlina was offered a guest room for stay and Jerlina was feeling a little awkward. She is not someone who stays in other people's homes. Usually, she stays in her home or in hotels. She didn't know if she'd be imposing, but she was welcomed with joy and it made her awkwardness fly away.

After dinner, they watched some shows on TV and that time Bobby's phone rang with notifications. Bobby walked out of the room to check it and came back with a chuckle.

"I knew he'd try something and I slightly changed the positioning of the cameras... But..." Bobby couldn't control his laughter. "Look..." he passed his phone to Scarlett and both Scarlett and Jerlina took a look.

It was the footage from one of the motion detection cameras along the fence and they saw Jeremy trying to make Earl jump the fence of Bobby's house. But poor Earl was not in the mood to jump the fence and he turned to look at Duke and Duke ran away. Jeremy was waving his hand in frustration and tried to push Earl at the other side of the fence without giving up.

"Is he... is he trying to find a reason to get in here..?" Jerlina asked pointing her hands at the phone.

"Oh, yeah..." Scarlett rolled on the carpet holding her stomach and laughed. "Man! It's been a while since I've laughed this hard!"

"Should we..." Jerlina felt a little bad for Jeremy because he was laughed at like this. He probably thought it was a blind spot and tried this not knowing Bobby changed the angle of the cameras.

"No need... he'll go away... But let me record this..." Bobby was excited. "I hope the little guy farts in his face... That would be amazing!" 

Both Scarlett and Bobby laughed to their heart's content watching Jeremy and Jerlina joined them. 

He's quite the funny guy!

The next morning, Jerlina went for a walk with Scarlett in the trail of the woods behind the Fitzgerald mansion. Scarlett said she usually takes a walk here and it is fairly safe except for the occasional sightings of coyotes. But since Jeremy's dogs roam freely and had marked these places, coyotes appear only rarely.

Jerlina found the walk in the woods early in the morning very refreshing. After her walk, she went to the Fitzgerald mansion to take care of the planter and the little boy who is scared to sleep alone.

"You're late! You weren't there when I looked..." Jeremy was standing by the door. 

"You're annoying and you're a stalker!" Jerlina grumbled.  She had quite a laugh because of him, but she did find his act a little weird.

"Stalk-?" Jeremy rubbed his chest. He was hurt by her words.

"You tormented a poor dog to find a reason to enter Bobby's house. Why? I am not a child and I don't understand your interest in keeping me with you all the time. I thought I am not your prisoner..." she glared at him. 

"...I am sorry... I was just worried..." he bowed his head. 

She is right. He did go a little overboard... well, a lot overboard. And she knows what I did with Earl? 

He was very embarrassed. 

"You can go... I'll prepare my own breakfast. You can stay there as long as you wish... until the wedding that is," he looked at her. Her amber eyes were fixed on him and he bowed his head once more unable to look at her.

"Okay then. I'll leave after watering the roses. And I need days off until the wedding. I have a lot to prepare," she said. 

"You won't come to work either?" He raised his voice but meeting her eyes, he bowed his head once more. 

"Yes..." Jerlina was surprised by the way he was acting. He was acting like a boy. 

What a weird guy!

But she knew she should keep her distance from him. Otherwise, it might get complicated between them and he'll find it hard to let her go. She needs to draw a clear line. 

"Okay," he said after thinking for a long time. "So I'll be seeing you on the day of the wedding then?" he asked and Jerlina gulped.

Somehow it seemed like they are following some traditions where the bride and groom will be kept apart until the day of the wedding.

"Yes," she nodded and he let out a deep breath.

He knew she is drawing a line.

  "Wait..." he stopped her when she turned to leave and ran to get the Porche keys. "Here, use this car when you need to. You were saying that you're visiting your company today, right? Scar can't drive you all the time and you are not comfortable sitting in the same car with Charlie. So..." he stuffed the keys in her hand.

Jerlina's heart clenched.