"You seem to really like that ring." His green eyes dipping down to the new piece of jewelry he had recently purchased, before returning to her enamored stare on the shimmering rock snugly placed on her left ring finger.
"I do." She said with a gentle nod, before her eyes falling onto his on his own left hand. "I also really like yours." She said honestly, her eyes taking it in, glinting with a bit of pride as he wore it in little protest choosing to humor her in their little outing.
"It looks nice." He said glancing down at it momentarily and giving her the satisfaction that she indeed picked well."I honestly didn't think you were materialistic." His own words showing his surprise still in effect at how set she was on both of them wearing a piece of metal around their fingers
"I'm not materialistic." She said back quickly her tone carrying an offense to his word.
"The bill from the jeweler would say otherwise." He said back in a joking manner as he leaned against his chair he sat upon in the bustling restaurant.
"Need I remind you that I did not pick out my ring? I was far more conservative with my choice than you were." She stating that the materialistic one was him, her hand wrapping around the stem of her glass as she raised it and drew some wine into her mouth.
"You're the one who wanted the rings bad enough to present your naturally derived female talent of manipulation in order to get them." He said back firmly, showing he was definitely aware of her actions at this point, his response not denying or admitting his hand in the expense of the matter. His clear realization only stemming from the fact that she seemed too modest to fuck him at his parents home, but melted like butter under his grip as he slammed into her body in front of the store fronts large open windows only after he bought those rings. He also knowing he gave her the ammunition by whining about the unfairness of her withholding her affection, and taking note to mind his words in the future.
"Well, I should have a ring." She said with a shrug, her own response not denying or admitting his blunt statement and the hand she played to make it form. "And so should you."
"I initially wanted to purchase it so you would be more comfortable at the meeting, I didn't anticipate this being a continuous thing." He said with diverting his eyes away momentarily as he raised his scotch to his lips. Even though it was a traditional thing with the regs and normal in their world, a physical object representation of the unification of romantic partners, he found her request more so demand quite endearing. It felt weird on his hand, a foreign object inhibiting his hands natural lay, but it was something he would quickly get used to, finding a deep warmth inside him that she in her own way wanted to show her claim of him.
He was serious about the need to switch it to a necklace when he was out and about so he wouldn't be put in a situation where it could be lost in spontaneity, but when she looked at him with large excited swirling hazel orbs and asked if he was going to try it on, he was unable to decline. Opting to keep it on as they had a late lunch in the depths of the city, his own desire having been fed and satisfied by her successful tactic against him, which in reality wasn't a selfish act but it was a distorted way of her showing her mark on him indicative on their very different upbringing.
"Well, it is." She said back with a nod. "I think it's unfair that males get to scar their chosen partner but walk about as if they themselves are unattached." Taking another sip of her wine as she gave a very much matter of fact eye roll at the clear sexism.
"So you like me enough now, that you want to make sure everyone knows I'm taken?" His green eyes landed back on her as he arched his eyebrow. "And just to be clear, you want me to wear this-" his opposite pointer finger poking at the thick black band. "But refuse to come home with me?"
Her eyes dropped down to the table where she started her fidgeting habit of adjusting the silverware on it ever so slightly back and forth. "Well... I love you Jason, but I just need more time." She said her eyes flickering up to his for only the briefest moment, catching his clearly shocked expression at her words said, neither one of them had said it in normal conversation, but it always being elicited when their bodies collided.
"I love you too, Elizabeth." He said leaning over the table to pause her fidgeting, and grab her eyes attention once more. "But you need to come home. Things are very different now. They're how they should be. I'm not going to change from what I am now, as soon as you come home." He said speaking in full earnest, his words stated slowly and carefully giving them weight to show his sincerity. "You need to trust me." He added, showing that it wasn't just about sex or not having the comfort of his own home, but that it hurt him that she was still hesitant and saw him as a threat. Knowing full well it was his fault, but struggling with her inability to put faith in him as she kissed, cuddled and actively began to seek him out.
"I'll come home when the heats over." She said back quickly looking him dead in the eye and finally airing out her hesitation, not wanting him to be hurt further in unknowing.
His hand immediately left hers and he turned his head to the side as his eyes narrowed in immediate aggravation, leaning back in his chair with a tense jaw and small frustrated head shake. He brought his glass to his lips with more tension in his hand and pulled a heavy draw of scotch into his mouth, his Adam's apple moving up and down in a strong manner as he swallowed it quickly before emitting a sharp exhale through his nose. "That's what this is about?" His green eyes growing darker as they flickered back to her for the briefest second before he resumed his hard stare at the open room of the restaurant, looking beyond all the people and staring at nothing, not being able to look at her. "You know you can get pregnant outside of heat right?" He scoffed bitterly in his deep tone, showing that her concern was ridiculous as it would happen eventually.
"I don't want to get preg-" she began to try to explain knowing she once again hurt his pride.
"Pregnant with my child. Thanks for the reminder as if I was unaware." He sharply spat back not allowing her to finish.
"No Jason, it's-"
"Save it Elizabeth. I don't give a fuck about what you have to say right now." He said with another head shake. "Just stop speaking." He took another sip of the scotch and pulled out his phone, using it as a means to distract his attention.
"I'm young Jason." She not allowing him to stop her from voicing her opinion. "I'm twenty-two, I want to have a career and travel... and-"
He emitted a dark laugh from the base of his throat. "A career? No. Maybe in a different life, but certainly not this one." His eyes not even looking up from his phone as he began to sift through his emails. "They also make these wonderful apparatuses called strollers and car seats." His tone still heavy dripping in sarcasm as if she believed it was impossible to travel with a child.
"I thought you were different." Her own bitterness coming back in her voice, drawing his dark eyes up to her. "But you clearly still believe you can control every aspect of my life." Her arms crossing as she leaned back in her own chair shaking her head and diverting her eyes out the large windows they sat near.
"My job is to protect you. How you view that is of no concern to me." He said staring intently at her face as his jaw fixed in unwavering tension, indicating her perception did bother him.
"If protecting me means keeping me barefoot and pregnant locked in your house, I think I'll pass." Her eyes rolling at his audacity in trying to reason that his views were normal.
"Funny, I don't believe you have a choice." He sharply said back showing that it was in fact not funny.
"My body, my choice." She said back firmly.
"My mate, My choice." His reply snarky in nature, before his eyes returned to his phone.
"I think it's best you sleep at home tonight." Her eyes watching the people outside the window, her demeanor faltering as she could have sworn she saw a intensely familiar pair of blue eyes appear and then disappear in a flash through the glass.
"Not fucking happening." He said as he replied to an email with heavy fingers tapping at the screen.
"I'm sure your parents will feel otherwise." She said shaking away the weird sensation of dejavu from the window, and returning her eyes to his as he dropped his phone in clear irritation and laced his fingers together before pressing them against his lips.
"Let's get something real clear, Elizabeth. I'm following their rules out of respect, but if you want to challenge me and make this difficult, there will be nothing either of them can do to prevent me from taking you back to our home." His eyes darkening further as he gave her a very hard look showing the truth behind his statement. "I am the alpha. Did you forget that?"
"I don't want you spending the night." She said back bitterly as she began to rise from her chair.
"Sit. The. Fuck. Down." His words quietly spoken through gritted teeth.
"I have to go to the bathroom. Or do I need permission to piss?" She said now fully standing, her glare just as strong as his.
He took to standing up immediately throwing the napkin off his lap. "Go." Clearly showing he lost all trust in her to go by herself.
"So disappointing." She said with a head shake as she bitterly walked with him hot in her heels.
"Keep running your mouth, Elizabeth." He warned trying to invoke the opposite of his words.
"Keep being insecure, Jason." Landing a measured strike with her words that instantly pissed him off, she being very lucky they were surrounded by regs in the busy restaurant in an even busier city. Otherwise, he would have been extremely tempted to smack the fuck out of her smart ass mouth.
He grabbed her by the bicep before she walked into the bathroom, snaking his other arm around her waist and whispering into her ear darkly. "You know dear, you can be a real cunt." From the way he deeply pressed a kiss on the side of her head, they looked like an attractive affectionate couple very comfortable with pda to outside eyes, hiding the fact that they both were venomously targeting one another with their words.
"Well, this is the only cunt you'll be getting from now on, my love." She smiled sweetly her whispering words dripping in angered certainty.
"We'll see about that." He pressed another kiss as his hand gripped harshly at her side before he opened the door and less than gently shoved her into the bathroom. Immediately, adopting a lean against the frame of the door, his arm extending up its height and his face boring into the wood as if he was glaring still at her through it.
Elizabeth had the very familiar to her sensation of tears beginning to well at her eyes as she sat down and relieved herself, she in fact needing to do so. Her hands utilizing the time as her bladder emptied to run some of the toilet paper underneath each of her eyes to soak them up. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction that he once again made her cry.
Eventually, she cleaned herself up entirely and flushed the toilet, walking over to the sink and washing her hands before beginning to splash her face with cold water. No she was not going to give him the satisfaction. In the middle of her efforts she felt something hit her directly in the back of her head before she heard the clatter of a hard plastic hit the floor behind her her, looking up to the ceiling and seeing a tile slipping snuggly back into place. Her eyes immediately shifting to behind her and widening at the discovery of what hit her from above.
It was a tracphone, one of those disposable ones that could be purchased from gas stations and used often by cheating spouses or drug dealers. She looked back up at the still ceiling and then back to the phone which she rapidly picked up. It was on, and it was already on silent.
"Elizabeth. You almost done?" Jason's voiced called out to her in mock sweetness from behind the door.
"Just a minute!" She said with a bit of a frantic tone as she saw the phone registering it had an unread text. "Almost done!" The water was still running making it plausible she was still using it.
Her fingers tapped at the phone to open the messages and when she read its contents her heart stopped before it began to rapidly beat out of her chest.
E. I'm coming for you. Not safe now. Give me time. Don't let him find this. A.
Alex was coming to rescue her. She had a real plausible chance to get away. She hadn't wanted to recently, but Jason swiftly just reignited that desire. There was hope.
"Elizabeth?" His tone more prodding, showing he was losing patience, but still sounding sickeningly sweet.
"Coming!" She said as she shut the faucet off and rapidly tucked the phone into her bra ensuring it was snug and would not dislodge. Walking quickly to the door and opening it to find his leaning presence waiting for her expectantly with still dark eyes.
"Let's go eat. The foods on the table." His hand immediately grabbing hers in a tight white knuckling grip and leading her back to their table with an incredibly forced smile keeping up appearances.