Adrian isn't answering any of her texts or calls.

And it's unfair, Mary Jane knows, for her to be contacting him. She shouldn't have mentioned Seth, because she knows she and Adrian were going somewhere. Somewhere that wasn't just about the deal anymore. It hadn't been in a while—maybe it started in between the time after the dog park and before the arcade. Maybe a little bit after that. And Mary Jane shouldn't have mentioned him, and she doesn't know why she did at that exact moment, when both of them were vulnerable to each other, and she hates herself, and she understands why Adrian doesn't want to talk to her right now.

"You look like a kicked dog, stop it."

Mary Jane ignores Sabina and focuses on putting her earrings on.

"MJ. Seriously? It's been two—almost three days. You're going to that shitty family dinner, and I can't believe I'm saying this, you can't go with that shitty attitude."

"I messed up," Mary Jane mutters, sliding the lock of the earring in place before moving to the other ear. "I messed up so bad."

"Then apologize to him," Andy suggests softly, eyebrows drawn together in concern. "He'll understand, MJ. Just apologize and I'm sure he'll forgive you."

There's something heavy on the ginger's chest for the past two days, and it isn't a question of whether Adrian's going to forgive her or not—he will, Mary Jane knows. Adrian is kind-hearted and sweet and he's just hurt, and he has every right to be.

But it was the deal. Wasn't it?

There's something else weighing on Mary Jane's shoulders, and it feels as if it's suffocating her.

"I like him," she says, twisting around to look at her roommates in the eye. "I think I like him."

The elder rolls her eyes and cups Mary Jane's cheeks. "Then fucking tell him, dumbass. I didn't raise a coward."

"You're a year older than me."

"I didn't raise a coward," she repeats more firmly, holding the younger's face tightly in between her fingers."Get through this shitty dinner with that bitchass wrinkle-face and then go to him. Alright?"

Mary Jane snorts. "You just called my grandmother a bitchass wrinkle-face."

"I know what I called her, orange head. Come on, move it."

Estella chose the Tudor Hall Restaurant this time. Greek food.

"How's the training going?" Mary Jane's mother asks her. "Are you enjoying it?"

Instinctively, she nods. "Yeah. It's good. Dad's teaching me a lot of things."

"Then actually learn from them," Estella comments snarkily, looking at Mary Jane from behind her wine glass. "It'll all be a waste of time and effort for everyone if you don't listen to your father well."

"Maybe Faith should do some training too," Alice interjects with a wide smile, wrapping an arm around her daughter's shoulder. Faith stares at her food. "Just in case."

"Mary Jane is doing great," Samuel cuts in tiredly. "Can't we all just have a peaceful dinner for once?"

"Just in case what, Alice?" Madeline questions, arching an eyebrow, and Lord, Mary Jane is about to have another headache. "MJ is perfectly capable of handling the family business."

The brunette shrugs and reaches up to play with the expensive necklace wrapped around her neck. "Just in case she spirals down another depressive hole, Madeline, surely you understand the danger of that for our family. Faith can do a good job as well—a better job, actually."

The ginger puts down her fork and gives Alice a menacing stare. "She's fourteen. Fourteen. Are you really going to take away her childhood just so she—my half-sister, by the way—can compete with me? She isn't a fucking pawn. You're crazy."

"Language," Estella hisses.

Mary Jane scoffs. "Oh, please. And stop with that fucking bullshit, Alice, we all know you wouldn't have survived without my family's money."

Alice's eyes are wide with disbelief and indignation. "Samuel. Is this really how you raised your daughter? To be a disrespectful bitch?"

"I've sat here for years taking everything you throw at me," Mary Jane snaps, pushing her chair back forcefully that it squeaks against the tiles, and she stands with a finger pointed at the brunette. "I've been nothing but decent with my attitude towards you even when I know I should defend myself. Who the fuck are you calling a bitch?"

Samuel raises his palm and exhales loudly. "Okay, stop. Sit down, MJ."

The brunette's jaw drops—her eyes are bright and angry with fire as she stands from the opposite side of the table. "You've brought nothing but shame to our family. Where were you when the world was talking about the Chaucers about your shameful...issues? Nowhere. We had to handle the situation because you were a miserable piece of trash. Are."

"Shameful issues?" Mary Jane repeats in a whisper, balling her hands into fists. There's rage and fury clouding her mind and she barely even feels Madeline's hand on her arm. "Shameful issues—"

"Our reputation was tainted because of you," Alice continues, leaning forward on the table, mouth forming into a sneer. "Were you doing it for attention? Because Mom and Dad weren't paying enough attention to you, is that it? What is wrong with you, Mary Jane?"

"That's enough, Alice," her father all but growls. "If the world wants to talk about us, then we'll let them and take care of them like we always do. There is nothing wrong with my daughter. Mary Jane is a Chaucer. Faith is a Chaucer. You are not. You are invited to dinners out of decency and politeness, but one more word and I'm kicking you out."

If Mary Jane wasn't so angry, she'd laugh at the look on Alice's face. "Samuel," she says, hands shaking, "I didn't say anything that was false."

"You are fucking ignorant," Mary Jane says, gritting her teeth. "And I hope to God Faith never experiences this kind of treatment from her own mother. There is nothing wrong with me, Alice. Check yourself first. Do you have anything to say, Grandmother?"

Estella blinks, taken aback. And then she grunts and turns her attention back to her food. "All of you are too loud. Sit down and finish your dinner."

"I think it's time you find a job of your own so you can stop being a parasite," Madeline says coolly, curling her fingers around her daughter's wrist. "We've helped you for years, Alice."

The brunette clenches her jaw. "A parasite?"

"We'll find you a job at the hotel in the meantime," Samuel says calmly, reaching for his wine glass.

Alice doesn't say another word—just huffs and sits down.

Mary Jane leans over to her mother and murmurs, "Thank you."

"Nothing to thank us for, honey," her mom says in return, stroking her hair. "Don't listen to her. We love you, you know that, right?"

Mary Jane nods. Yes, she does.

*

When Adrian opens the door, he doesn't look surprised to see Mary Jane standing there. "Hey."

"Hi," she greets in return, offering him a small smile. "Is he dead?"

The impassiveness on his face is gone in a second, replaced with confusion. "What?"

"Is Seth dead?"

Adrian pushes his tongue inside his cheek. "You came here to ask about Seth. Again."

Mary Jane shrugs. "Just...the way you've been talking about him. It's all in past tense. Should be. Was. Loved."

The boy leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms. He's in a simple white shirt and a ball cap slung backwards on his head, and he looks good. Handsome as always. "Have you spoken to him before?"

"We talked on the phone a few times," she answers without hesitation. "I forgot his voice."

Adrian doesn't respond, only fixes her with a stare.

The ginger sighs. "Just tell me...is he okay? Is he happy?"

Adrian stares at her more for a few beats before finally saying, "Yeah. He's fine. Better."

"Okay." Mary Jane gathers the last of her courage and steps forward. Pushing up on her tiptoes, she hooks her arm around the nape of Adrian's neck and pulls him down to her. His eyes are wide with surprise, but he doesn't push her away. Mary Jane drops her gaze to his mouth and whispers, "Okay. I like you too."

There's a smile that touches his lips before he leans in and kisses her.

Mary Jane's arms slip around his hips, and his hands move to her face, thumbs caressing her skin gently. Her mind is blissfully blank, and she lets him kiss her for as long as he wanted.

And then they're inside the apartment, he's shutting the door close with his foot, and then they land on the couch the same way they had been before—Adrian's sprawled on top of her, sucking on her bottom lip, swallows her gasps and small intakes of breaths, strokes his hand across the skin below the hem of her dress.

"This okay?" he asked lowly, mouth travelling from her lips to her jaw to the curve of her neck.

Mary Jane pulls him closer. "More than okay."

Adrian draws back suddenly, head cocking to the side, features drawing together.

Mary Jane blinks. "What?"

"You better not be thinking about Seth right now."

That makes her grin. "Who?"

Adrian lowers his head. "Good answer."

*

Mary Jane snuggles deeper into his chest. "I'm sorry."

"What? No," Adrian says, frowning. "Don't apologize. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I was a dick. I kicked you out. During our date. Ah, that was an asshole move. I'm sorry."

"No, I just—we both knew it wasn't about that anymore," Mary Jane mumbles, tracing his skin with her finger, "and I panicked, I think. I hurt you."

Adrian sighed. "We weren't clear about it. I was the one who got butthurt over something we had an agreement on. It was stupid of me to get mad."

"I asked it while we were making out."

"Okay, that's—yeah, don't do that again."

Mary Jane laughs and turns over to face him. "Were you really going to continue ignoring me if I didn't show up here?"

"No," says Adrian immediately, reaching over to tuck loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Actually, I've been gathering my guts to go to your dorm and properly apologize. But....guess I was too embarrassed and prideful to face you. I thought you just wanted me for Seth."

"Initially, maybe," Mary Jane answers, hugging him close, "but don't do that again either. I've been looking and feeling like a kicked puppy the whole time you were ignoring me."

"I actually panicked when I saw you at the door."

"You did not!" the ginger says, laughing. "You looked mad!"

"I wasn't!" Adrian shot back, laughing as well.

Mary Jane raises an eyebrow. "But you were mad when I asked about Seth. We haven't been talking in days and Seth's what I wanted to talk about first. Again."

The boy swipes his tongue across his bottom lip. "I mean—I thought you didn't want to fix things between us anymore."

"Were you going to let me leave, then? If I didn't want to fix things? If I just wanted you for Seth?"

Slowly, Adrian shook his head. "No."

Mary Jane leans forward and presses a sweet kiss to his lips. "So I'm not allowed to ask things about Seth anymore?"

"I'm not that much of an asshole," he murmurs. "You're allowed. I just...don't like talking about him. Sometimes. Most of the time."

There's a question of why at the tip of her tongue, but she's sure Adrian isn't ready to answer. Instead, she says, "You must really care about him. I feel like you've known him a long time."

"My whole life, actually," Adrian corrects her quietly. "Pain in the ass."

Mary Jane bites her lip and nods. There's a harshness to his tone, a sound of resentment and bitterness, and Mary Jane wants to know why.

But she's going to wait. Wait until Adrian's ready to tell her.

She changes the subject and hugs him closer. Tighter. "I can't believe you actually like me."

Adrian laughs again. Mary Jane's heart swells. "Please, beautiful. I've liked you since day one. You're the one who doesn't date people you hook up with, remember?"

"I have this fear about people only wanting to go to bed with me, or date me, or actually be friends with me, because of my surname. And it sucked back in high school."

Adrian's mouth presses into a thin line. "Did people take advantage of you?"

Mary Jane drops her head to his chest so she can hear his heartbeat. "Yeah. Yeah. That's why I said I was going through something before...when I met Seth. And it was bad. My parents made me see a therapist."

He's quiet for a few moments before asking, "And did that help?"

"They were supportive, yes," answers Mary Jane quietly. "And the therapist helped. I'm better now, but what didn't help was Seth completely disappearing. Out of nowhere. After he helped me go through a lot."

Adrian wraps his arms around her body. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm really sorry."

"Not your fault," Mary Jane whispers. "Thanks for actually wanting to date me. I'm a handful, you know."

"Don't worry," Adrian whispers back, reaching over to interlace their fingers together, "I have two hands."