It's A Habit

While Emery and Marcus spent their time bantering like always, Jason was quietly driving the car with Catherine sitting on the other seat beside him.

After his little sister 'forced' them into this situation, it was hard to say anything.

Will Catherine find it strange?

He wasn't sure why he was so adamant about not confessing now. Maybe because he was too convinced that Catherine Sage will reject him. He finally got a bit closer to her after years of watching her from a distance and... he didn't want to ruin everything.

While Jason's mind was occupied by these, he suddenly heard the sound of Catherine chuckling. Confused, he shifted his gaze to her despite being in the middle of driving and gave her a confused look.

"Your sister is really something, Mr. Hayes," Catherine remarked, meeting his gaze. "I find her more and more adorable."

"Well." Jason Hayes rubbed his temples with one hand while driving with the other hand. His gaze was now back on the road as he didn't want to cause an accident on his first ride with Catherine Sage. "She has become more menacing since she lost her memory," he shrugged without much thought.

"Lost her memory?" Catherine raised a brow and the atmosphere suddenly turned a bit serious. "What do you mean?"

Jason Hayes was reminded only now that Catherine still didn't know about it. Letting a few seconds pass, he said, "You heard she got into an accident. She lost all her memory when she woke up and we are currently helping her learn everything anew."

Catherine Sage's expression was a mixture of disbelief and confusion!

"I'm sorry. I -I had no idea about that," she stammered and put a strand of hair behind her ear. "I mean... she looks quite fine. She's very cheerful too."

"I know," Jason agreed, flashing a little smile. "Those are the advantages." He let out a breath and said, "But it's fine. Even if she forgets all those memories, she's still alive and that's more than enough for me." He forced a small smile and mumbled, "I thought that my world was over when she was in a coma."

Jason Hayes continued driving quietly, not even knowing that Catherine Sage was staring at him the whole time.

"You know what, Mr. Hayes," she spoke up, immediately shifting the Vice-Chairman's attention to her. "I used to have an older cousin from my late mother's side. He was just like you. I mean, he cared so much about me and he did everything to make me happy.

"Even when I was struggling with my match and even when I lost, he was always there for me but... he passed away due to a car accident when I was in college."

The light turned red and Jason pulled over the car. Now, he can look at Catherine without thinking about the possibility of causing an accident. When he stared deep into her eyes, he saw pain for the first time.

"Miss Sage -"

His voice died when she suddenly turned away and forced a smile. "I don't know why I suddenly brought him up when I never did this before. The way you cared for your younger sister reminds me of him and maybe that's why."

Unable to utter anything, Jason Hayes looked at the woman whom he secretly loved for years.

Was it because he was too used to seeing her being strong? It felt so strange to see her this way!

"It's green," Catherine suddenly reminded him, briefly pointing at the traffic light. Nevertheless, he still had his gaze on her for a few seconds before he finally got back to driving.

* * *

Two weeks passed by quietly and Emery was now good enough to walk on her own. Though she still couldn't do it for long, let alone run; she was happy with her recovery considering the fact that she will be returning to university the next day. It would be too awkward if she had to go there with a wheelchair.

In the past weeks, her two friends from the university helped her a lot. Though her family didn't feel the need to keep her condition a secret; her two friends, Mia James and Sarah Reed, used to show her some photos of her acquaintances from the university and told her some stories from the past, concerning those people. Now, she believed that she memorized the names of everyone she should know.

It was night and Emery was alone in her room, going through some books when her father came.

"Emery, are you sure about going back to university?" Patrick Hayes asked. "I mean, you can take a break and return next year. Even if you don't wish to return anymore, I won't push you."

Emery raised a brow at her father's words. "Marcus told me that you want me to finish BBA and after that, I'm allowed to do anything I wish. Did he get it wrong, Dad?"

Feeling a bit perplexed, Patrick Hayes let out a heavy sigh and crouched down beside his daughter. Then he held her hands. "He's right but... almost losing you was enough to open my eyes, dear. I won't force you into anything from now on. You can do whatever you want."

"My engagement is still an exception, right?"

The father looked at his daughter and slowly, his surprised expression was replaced by an anxious one. "Emery -"

"I know, Dad," Emery calmly interrupted. "I'm just saying. I won't ask you for that because I believe that you will have a good reason."

"Aren't you happy with Marcus?" Patrick Hayes asked, curious yet apologetic at the same time.

"I am." Emery Hayes flashed a little smile. "He is a kind person and I don't think anyone will be able to look after me like he does. Besides, he knows my situation and he's the best choice for me."

Patrick Hayes never took his gaze off his daughter but... he can't come up with any words to say. At one point, he even blamed himself.

Why did he always fail to protect his loved ones?

"I'm really fine, Dad," Emery reassured him and showed him her book. "I'm studying. So, you shouldn't disturb me anymore."

Staring at the book, Patrick Hayes finally laughed. "Don't worry too much. I already talked to the Dean and the Professors about your situation. They will understand."

Emery nodded and with that, her father stood up and finally walked out of her room. While she was staring at the disappearing form of her father with a subtle smile on her face, Emery's phone went off, and she quickly turned around to see who it was. She looked at the caller ID and picked it up with a smile.

"What do you want at this hour?"

Marcus Pierre was alone in his room and he instantly frowned when he heard his fiancee. "Can't you be a bit friendly?" He complained.

Emery Hayes giggled and put the phone closer to her ear. "I'm just joking. You take everything seriously."

"It's a habit," Marcus clarified. "The old Emery Hayes never played around with me."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes yet she laughed again the next second.

"Wait for me tomorrow," Marcus said, ignoring everything else. "We can go to the university together. I will bring my car."

"Are you worrying about me?" She asked yet she realized right away that she still sounded playful and it frustrated her fiance who was on the other line.

"If you don't want, forget about it."

"No, no, no. Who says I don't want?"

She was sounding pretty anxious this time and it earned her a chuckle from the aloof Marcus Pierre.

"Alright then. I'll be there by 9 a.m."

"Okay."