CHAPTER 6 “CATCH UP”

JENNY is immediately taken aback by what Jason told her.

"Really?" she did not force the sarcasm that penetrated in her tone of voice.

A sad smile tore at Jason's lips at that moment. "Are you still mad at me?" the young man asked her.

"What do you think?" she asked him back then took a sip on the coffee in her mug.

Jason just shrugged his shoulders with that question. “So you are a chef now? I am happy for you.”

Jenny felt his words in his tone. But she did not know why she felt like bitterness.

"You know what? I'm not in the mood to listen to your lies and sugar-coated words. I am going through something that is why I thought of taking a vacation,” was her irritated answer.

"What? I'm not lying and not fooling around," Jason's prompt correction of her misconception on what he said.

A bitter smile broke Jenny's lips. "Thank you for this coffee but I'm not really in the mood to have a conversation with you," she told Jason frankly as she stared straight into his eyes.

"So I was right, you're still mad at me," Jason spoke sadly.

“I don’t know, I’m not sure either,” she replied.

That is the truth. Nor can she explain why she suddenly seems to have lost her excitement for this vacation. She even feels that the pain she is feeling right now is doubled. She didn't seem ready to see Jason again.

But on the other hand, it seems very immature to see if this is how she will always react every time they meet. Maybe it would be better if she just became a professional. She should act according to her age.

"I'm sorry," she eventually thought of apologizing for her behavior.

Jason nodded then gave her an understanding smile. "It's okay," he replied.

“How are you by the way? Why did I hear your mother said earlier that you are still single? How did that happen?"

Jenny forced herself to speak casually. In a way that it is as if nothing painful had happened between the two of them and somehow she succeeded there.

"I don't know either," Jason replied chuckling. "How about you? It is hard to believe that you do not have suitors? Now that you look more beautiful than ever," he said in a tone full of admiration as he gazes all over her face.

She should not be affected by Jason's compliments for her. She grew up hearing praises like those. But when it comes to Jason, now, why is that she can't help but blush?

"Oh, why are you blushing?" it was Jason's amused question on her.

Jenny decided not to answer that question even though she knew why it was happening to her. And she knew that Jason also knew the answer to his question.

"You didn't change," it was Jenny said as she once again sips on the mug of coffee.

She did not look at Jason but from the corner of her eyes, she could see that the young man is staring at her.

"Did not change? So it means there is a possibility that you will still like me just in case I started courting you?”

With that question, Jenny lifted her head and then stare at the young man. "What did you say?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders ang then stood up. "My mother asked me to take you on a walk? What do you think? Is it okay with you?" instead that is what Jason replied to her question.

Jenny's eyebrows knit as she remained to stare at Jason's face. "Are you serious?"

The young man clicks his tongue. "Come on, just say yes already. Do you know Mama will not stop until I do what she asked me? What she wanted to happen," she could feel in Jason's tone the intense longing that she would agree to what he is asking.

Jenny is not sure if it is because of Jason's pleading which is why she is unable to control the weak laugh that came out of her throat. It is also amusing for her that a man as handsome as Jason does not have the ability or the capacity to refuse what his mother is asking.

For her, there is nothing wrong with that.

Even when they were both still in college Jason is already very close to his mother. In that aspect, the young man has had a similarity with Daniel, their late best friend, and boyfriend of her college best friend Ara.

"All right, if it's for Mama Loida, no problem," she agreed then stood up and took the mug on the kitchen sink. "Let's go?" Jenny said.

"Do you want me to give you a ride? But if you will ask me, it is way much better if we just walk," said Jason as they walk through the driveway of the row of for rent cabins that are in more than ten units if she is not mistaken.

Jenny shook her head and then looked up at the young man. "It's okay, I also prefer to walk," she said, putting on the hood of her jacket.

“Are you sure? You might get tired?" Jason again.

"I'm okay, I want to walk. That was my plan this morning,” she said truthfully.

“Is that so? I'm sorry if ruined your plan,” Jason asked jokingly.

"How are you Jason?" that was her response to what her ex-boyfriend said as a start to a conversation.

"Are you asking if I'm happy with my life?" the young man replied.

It was when she turned to the young man and then looked up. "You are happy," she said truthfully.

"Just okay," Jason replied.

"What do you mean just okay?"

"It's quite hard to explain. But that is what I exactly feel. Not so happy and not sad either. But even if I do not admit it, I know something in my life is missing," Jason explained.

Jenny laughed softly at what she heard. "I understand, we are just the same," she finally decided to say. "Let's sit down first?" when she saw a bench she invited Jason. She went ahead and the young man followed her.

"I wanted to ask you something," Jason said as they sat side by side on a steel bench.

The young lady simply nodded but she did not look at Jason who is sitting next to her. She placed space between the two of them so that they would not look like they were dating. And one more thing, even though she agrees to talk to the man like this, she can still feel the nervousness in her chest because of his presence.

"What is that?" she asked, looking up at the rising and beautiful pine trees around.

“You said earlier that you are going through something. What about?"

She felt the concern in Jason's voice. She wanted to be happy, but since they had a past and she had not completely forgotten what he did to her, her feelings seemed to be divided.

A sad smile tore at Jenny's lips along with a heavy but weak sigh because of that question. She turned to the man sitting next to her for a moment. He is staring at her. In his eyes was the desire to know the truth right from her.

And since she saw no other reason to deny Jason what he wanted to know, Jenny decided to just tell the young man the truth.

"I broke up with my boyfriend," she began then turned to Jason again.

In the young man's eyes, she saw the seeming frustration at what she had said and he proved her suspicion correct when he spoke and confirmed right from what she said the feeling she saw from his windows of the soul.

"Now I understand why you reacted like that when you saw me earlier," he said in a bitter tone.

Jenny shook her head and laughed softly again. "It simply came to our notice then. It is even more intense than you can imagine,” she said.

"What do you mean?" Jason's eyebrows knit.

“I broke up with Ryan because, for almost a year, I did not know that he was married. I didn't know I was a mistress,” at the last word Jenny said she quickly felt the warmth in the corners of her eyes because of the tears that were about to flow.

"What?" Jason asked in shock.