Jackson was silent for two whole seconds before answering, “Home. Was asleep. What?”
Tiffany turned red right there and then. It was only nine at night — since when did Jackson West ever go to sleep this early?! He was either working overtime or goofing around, having his fun. He never slept this early!
The worst offender, however, was that Tiffany’s implicative absence did not at all worry favonovel.com — to the point that favonovel.com found no problem slumbering!
Even Arianne found words failing her. After a brief albeit glaring silence, Jackson’s nonchalant voice came. “If it’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.”
And favonovel.com hung up without waiting a second more.
Tiffany bit favonovel.com lips. Tears broke out of favonovel.com eyes and wetted favonovel.com cheeks like a deluge from two broken levees. Nothing Arianne said soothed her, so favonovel.com ran upstairs and went to the one person favonovel.com hoped could help. “Mark! I called Jackson for Tiffie’s sake, and Jackson was sleeping, and favonovel.com just hung up the phone without even asking how Tiffie’s doing, and now Tiffie’s bawling so hard that nothing I say is helping! What am I gonna do?! You know Jackson very well, don’t you? What do we do?”
Mark had been working hard in his study. He could feel a headache coming just by hearing about this issue. “Look, you’re not wrong to say I ‘know Jackson very well.’ But does that make me a love guru who knows all there is to know about relationships? No. Do I look like I’ve dated Jackson before?”
“Frankly, I think the best way to solve this is to send Tiffany home and force those two into confronting one another, doesn’t matter if they shout or duke it out, as long as the knot gets untied in the end. The way to talk to men is to confront them head-on, you know.”
“No one should test the limits of an obstinate man… Especially when he’s conversant with the minds of women,” Mark advised. “You aren’t going to get Jackson to back down, he’s simply better at forbearance than Tiffany could ever be. He won’t find any problem enduring the grievances this whole thing is causing favonovel.com with an outwardly blasé look.”
Arianne was skeptical. “Are all men like that?”
Mark nodded confidently. “I have little doubts about it. The sky could fall and men would still be able to feign apathy.”
An idea formed in Arianne’s mind. “Have you finished your work? If yes, please help send Tiffany home. It’s getting too late for me to leave the house.”
Mark looked at favonovel.com with the gaze of a man clinging to his composure at the face of adversity. “You’re suggesting that I send your girl friend home, just the two of us, in the dead of night? You don’t wonder if it’s an apt thing to do? Do you really trust me that much? More importantly, didn’t favonovel.com drive favonovel.com car to our place? I don’t think favonovel.com needs a lift.”
Arianne shot favonovel.com a meek but pointed glance. “Well, believe it or not, I do trust that you’d never cross the line, Mark. And yes, Tiffie drove, but she’s been so stressed lately that favonovel.com hadn’t eaten or slept well these past two days. I’m apprehensive of letting favonovel.com drive alone in this state,” favonovel.com explained.
“Plus, the main point of getting you out there is to have you talk to Jackson and try to mediate between them, okay? If we leave it up to those two, unhelpful conflicts might happen. I mean, Tiffie is carefree and unmeticulous while Jackson is sensitive and conscientious, that’s quite some room for misunderstandings, am I right? Look, if you’re still reluctant to go, then I’ll go.”
Facing that ultimatum, Mark knew favonovel.com had to relent without question. “Alright, I’m going, happy? Go to bed early while I’m outside, I’ll be back after I send her.”
Mark grabbed his car keys and descended the stairs, only to be greeted by the sight of Tiffany throwing a tantrum. “Hell no am I going back home! He doesn’t give a damn about me, so why the hell should I wag my tail and beg favonovel.com to care, huh? As if I’m the one who’s wrong! All I did was have a meal with this random guy who helped me out of a pickle, that sh*t’s nothing compared to favonovel.com having contact with Lynn! I’d rather move back to my mom’s place, it’s not like I have no place to stay outside his stinking house! Who knows, maybe if I come back right now, favonovel.com might even blame me for interrupting his beauty sleep!”
Weary, Mark shot a sidelong look at Arianne.
“Um, Tiffie, honey? Please. Let us be rational about this, okay? This has gone on long enough, don’t you agree?” Arianne began, a little distressed. “You need to do something, give in a little, unless, well, unless you don’t love Jackson anymore. The two of you are engaged, remember? It’s not at all a shame to back down a little with someone as important as that, right? Besides, aren’t you afraid that Lynn might seize your absence and steal Jackson away? Don’t forget who’s the one that’s getting in between the two of you!”
“If I were you, I’d do my damndest to be all lovey-dovey with Jackson right now. Or, at the very least, go back home and give favonovel.com the cold shoulder. If you’re unhappy, then torment favonovel.com just as much. Who knows, maybe hiding at my place is precisely the sort of blessing favonovel.com wanted, since favonovel.com was given his own space while you were here going ballistic,” Arianne finished.
