Jitters

Meredith's POV:

He should know.

I will never be the same Meredith. He is stupid enough to send someone to trail me. Gustav might think that I do not know, but I do. Dixon is in the entertainment center and I basically dragged him to the car while maintaining my resting bitch face.

"M-meredith, hang on. You are hurting me." Dixon complained.

"Oh, you have no idea what I am dying to hit you with! How many times do I have to tell you not to give me jumpscares again?"

"Sorry," he said as he sat in the passenger's seat, buckling his seatbelt.

The drive was silent. The air of my annoyance hanging heavily. I had no intention of discussing how disappointed I am at him because I am afraid that I can't hold back and I've learned my lesson. Teenagers are walking time bombs and they tick at the slightest pressure applied.

"I'm going to my room. For dinner, feel free to order." I toss a hundred dollar bill on the kitchen counter before heading to my bedroom. A lot has happened today.“I should try to sleep a little.”

“How true you are getting married?” He calls after me, and I pause, shocked to a standstill and turn to glance at him over my shoulder hesitantly. Not sure he actually said that to me.

“What did you say?"

I think I’m hearing things, I am scared to the bone that I herad him right. My face must visibly drop, insides lurching and breathing gets laboured at his words and he looks instantly apologetic. Gustav. The fucking bastard. He really had the balls to say that to Dixon. And the agreement or the contract was still written in the air but he already mentioned it to him as if he is already conditioning Dixon to what comes next.

Bastard!

"Who said that to you? Wow, I don't even have a boyfriend for starters." I point out with a shy smile, trying to make that enough for him for now.

"Um, just so you know, I am cool with it as long as he loves you more than I love you, sis."i

I can’t handle anything beyond that for the time being. Dixon nods, but I am sure he's not buying it especially after the sweet kiss he saw last time. I don't have to probe who he had as a prospective groom in mind either. It's as clear as day. I quickly scoop up my purrse and make a run for it before this conversation goes around in circles.

After obsessing crazily and turning my head inside out for a few hours, I finally managed a little sleep. Torn about the choice in front of me I never imagined I would ever have.

Conrad admits he likes me. Gustav wants me to marry him and Dixon, he doesn't seem to be bothered.

I think the world has ended, and hell has frozen over because I cannot seem to digest this at all. Never in a million years would I imagine myself having problems like this. My problems before revolved on overdue rent and what to eat for dinner.

My initial reaction to his confession is blank because a lot was at stake, even my little heart. I hate to admit it, but Conrad Knight is growing on me.

"Stop it, Meredith. Focus!"

I get up, shower and eat breakfast or lunch, should I say, as it’s afternoon when I surface, all alone. Dixon is nowhere in sight, he's at school, he made sure I see his note stamped on the fridge, beside our photo together.

So much rests on whatever decision I make. Life will never be the same, no matter which path I follow.

I wish it could have been like in the movies when the hero finally admits his love to the wronged girl, and she falls into his arms, and they kiss all the pain away, and we all know it’s an inevitable happy ever after. After all, that’s how it’s meant to go, right?

Unless it’s all a clever part of a bigger game, and it’s all lies.

My phone rings, speaking of the devil. It is no other than Conrad Knight, I did not see that coming at all, and to be honest, I don’t think I had the brain capacity to take it in when he told me he like me. I was at saturated levels of emotion, and it was one more block to a pile of scattered bricks that I couldn’t put together. Today, however, I’m pulling that little titbit out of my head, and I’m examining what he said. He said he like me, and not love.

I watch as the call ends only to start all over again.

"Are you going to answer that or you want me to talk to my future brother in law and tell him you ate spoiled pizza and in the toilet spilling all your guts?" Dixon said behind me, startling me.

I don’t know if I want to know precisely what he means by that, but knowing how sadistic Dixon can be, I don’t doubt it was a fact and he'd do it without remorse.

"I..." I cleared my throat first, "you're supposed to be in school."

"You should check the school website. We are kind of having a family thingy at school this afternoon and that means...I have time to save the world from alien invasion."

"Whoa, Superman, chill. That's today?"

"Yeah, the school sends email."

"I am sorry, I was just busy."

"No worries, I have no intention of going. It's not like we have a family." Dixon shrugs it off but it pinched my heart.

My brother may be a young man now but I have a lot to know about him. Parenting is hard. That's true and anyone who says they have it easy have imaginary children. I would die arguing for my cause. Dixon is upset because he thinks we are not what a family is. These are the parts of him I need to know more about if I have a chance of anything. And what bettter way can there be than to attend a school event?

An invisible lightbulb moment came to me. "Hey, who said you are not going?''

"Duh, I did."

"What if we go?"

Dixon was not thrilled. He said the only way he's going is if there's three of us. Which leaves me no choice. My phone rings again. This time, I caught my brother's naughty smile. I pick up and muster the courage and brace for impact if his answer is a no. Keeping my fingers crossed behind me, I tried to sound energetric and full of life.

"Hey, um, you called?"

[Yeah, three times already. Are you busy?]

"Nope, but I have something coming up at Dixon's school and I was wondering if..." a lump started growing on my throat.

[What time?]

He did not even ask what the school activity was!

I asked Dixon first before going back to him. "He says it's two in the afternoon. Are you sure it's okay?"

[I am sure,] he laughed heartily on the other end of the line, [the truth is, I was planning to take you out for coffee but school activities are fun too. Text me the address of the school or you want me to pick you up there?]

"Excellent, I will text you. We will see you there." However, he needs to know what to expect when we get there. Right? Do I tell him? My debate was futile because Dixon grabbed the phone from me and yelled excitedly.

"Hey, bro. It's family day! You'll get a free practice today!"

"Dixon! GIve it to me," if Conrad could see me right now blushing, I'd rather die. I gave Dixon a death stare. This kid will be the death of me! "Sorry about that. So, um, see you later? Don't you have work?"

[Don't worry about me, I own the company. And besides, I will put anything on hold for you.]

The Conrad I thought I knew was only a tiny part of a bigger picture.

I need to be smart about this.

This decision will alter the rest of my life. I don’t doubt that if I give him a chance and see if this can work, my life will be short-lived if it falls apart. I know too much, and I would be a liability. Gutsav couldn’t just let me go all over again if I failed. He would have to kill me. That’s the norm for his world when women try to walk away.

That puts a new slant on my decision and adds about ten times the weight.

"If I were you, I'd get ready."

"For what?"

"My school teacher is older than you by five years. She's hot. So is my P.E teacher. If they see Conrad, I don't think they won't try to take him away from you."

"Hot? You are fourteen!"

"Man is a man, sis. I am saving you the regret."

Holy shit.