Spare Me Some Time

"Can you arrange a driver for me starting tomorrow?"

The Hayes's were in the middle of dinner when Emery asked her father about arranging a driver for her as the latter had said in the morning.

Patrick Hayes and Jason Hayes exchanged glances with each other, surprised that Emery suddenly brought this up. They both knew how she always protested whenever they talked about getting a driver for her but now... she brought it up herself.

"That's not hard," Patrick Hayes responded after a while. "But why do you suddenly want a driver? What about Marcus?"

"With my illness and all, I just think that I bother him too much," Emery Hayes replied. Her voice was low and due to the meal she had with Catherine Sage a while ago, she wasn't really eating at all. It seemed as if she was simply holding her fork and spoon without even attempting to eat.

Jason Hayes thought of how Emery decided to come home alone and put it together with what she said just now.

Did she really have a fight with Marcus? But... why did it seem like things were quite serious? He wanted to call Marcus and asked him about it but he can't even do that because he was wary of how Emery would react.

This was too frustrating!

Patrick Hayes thought of what his daughter said and then nodded. "Alright. I will have it ready for you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Dad." Emery offered her father a small smile and then rose from her seat. "I ate a while ago and I'm not really hungry. I will be in my room." The two men can only nod and watched as Emery left the dining room.

"She's acting strange," Patrick Hayes muttered and shifted his gaze to his son. "Did anything else happen?" He had heard about how Emery didn't go to the university due to the pain in her head that resurfaced all of a sudden. But it seemed like there was something more.

"I'm not sure," Jason replied. "Don't worry too much, Father. I will try to talk to her later. Let's give her time first."

Patrick Hayes sighed but it was still followed by a nod. He felt like it had become even harder to understand his daughter since she lost her memory.

* * *

As her father agreed the day before, Emery Hayes saw how a new car and a driver were waiting for her when she finished breakfast with her family.

"It will really be your first day," her brother said to her just before she walked out of the door. "Do you really not want me to come with you?"

"I can take care of myself, Jason." Emery sighed as she lost count of how many times she had said this to her brother since last night. "Sarah and Mia said that they will wait for me in front of the Business Department building. You should stop worrying too much."

For the many times since last night, Jason Hayes couldn't bring himself to argue. "Then what about Marcus? Did you talk with him?"

"I will meet him at the university anyway. Don't be bothered," Emery replied in a tired voice, and before her brother could say anything, she walked past the door and got inside the car that awaited her.

The driver started the car and drove right away while all Jason Hayes could do was stare at the car until it was out of his sight.

His sister was really being stubborn this time!

*

Like she often did, Emery enjoyed the view through the rolled-down windows while sitting in the backseat. She always loved it when bleeze blew in her face as it felt so refreshing. However, when it reminded her of the ride she enjoyed with Marcus yesterday, her pleasant expression changed.

She didn't talk to Marcus at all since she left the Pierre family mansion yesterday and she heard nothing from him too. Even now, Emery was still struggling to understand why she felt so bothered by her question from yesterday.

As positive as she was, she shook her head and tried to brush it off her thoughts.

*

"Did you wait long?" Emery Hayes asked her two friends who were waiting for her in front of the building as promised.

"No," Mia responded to her with a huge smile on her face and held one of her arms. "You're on time."

"Let's get going," Sarah said while holding onto Emery's other arm. She gleefully added, "We will give you a tour of the building."

Emery didn't even say anything and simply let her two friends drag her toward the entrance of the building, until...

"Emery."

They heard a familiar voice coming from behind and it made the three friends halt. They promptly turned around, only to see Marcus Pierre who was walking towards them.

At the sight of her fiance, Emery was reminded of yesterday once again and she started feeling uneasy. Nevertheless, Marcus was already standing right in front of her.

Mia James and Sarah Reed exchanged glances with each other, confused. They've known Emery and Marcus for a few years now but... this might be the first time the two talked to each other at the university. Well, it's not that they didn't talk at all but even when they did, it's about their studies and only when it was truly needed.

Nevertheless, they realized that they should at least expect this. The fact that their friend changed so much was already the biggest miracle anyway.

"Can we talk?" Marcus asked his fiancee who was avoiding his gaze.

"Mia and Sarah are planning to give me a tour of the building," Emery replied, still refusing to look at her fiance; much more like she can't bring herself to.

"I won't take long," Marcus Pierre insisted. "Please... spare me some time." Seeing how she was avoiding his gaze struck Marcus Pierre in a strange way. However, he can't say anything about it.

He was pleading with her and Emery struggled to turn him down. Then she looked at her two friends who were gesturing for her to go with Marcus.

Why was it so hard to say 'no' to him?