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"Jer?" she called. She hadn't told him she was coming, but she had hoped she'd find him here. After Jacqui's comment at last night's disastrous dinner, she knew she needed to really talk to Jeremy. She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to say, but she'd find the right words when the moment came.
He walked out of the front door in paint-splattered jeans, his dark brown curls plastered to his forehead and his face covered in a light sheen of sweat. "Hey, beautiful. What a nice surprise." He gave her a kiss and brought her inside. "Come take a look."
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He took her first to the kitchen, which had been demolished, creating a huge open space, "It's going to have an island right here and then stainless steel counters and appliances," he said proudly. "But don't worry, I'll do all the cooking," he added with a sly grin. Eliza couldn't help but think of that day earlier in the summer, when she'd laughed off the thought of Jeremy ever thinking of her as a housewife. That seemed so long ago now.
She followed Jeremy around the house as he pointed out the work that had already been done--two bathrooms restored with marble tiles and Japanese toilets, as well as the refinished floors, sanded down and stained to a clean, light gray color. It was all incredibly beautiful and exactly to her taste.
He brought her to the master bedroom, which was still a mess of plaster and dust. "Looks like there's a lot of work still to be done," she observed.
"Yeah, but I think we should be finished by Christmas. I want to be moved in by December."
"Kind of big for a bachelor pad, isn't it?" she asked playfully.
"I think the two of us should keep it warm," he said, coming up behind her and folding her into his arms.
"About that..."
"I know, I know, you need to be in New York. I understand. But we can stay out here on the weekends. The Hamptons are really beautiful in the winter. So quiet. And then once the spring rolls around and you're done with classes, I was thinking we
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should come out here full-time and have the wedding in June. You know, the month we met."
"June?" Eliza said. "That soon?" Jacqui's words from last night's disastrous dinner were still ringing in her ears. You don't want a commitment; you're just wearing that rock on your finger for show.
Jeremy turned her around to face him, holding on to her arms and looking deep into her eyes. "Liza, I don't want to wait, and I've got no reason to. I've been working hard my whole life, and now I've gotten this big break. Best of all, I've got the girl of my dreams to finish the package. I see the future, and I want it now. I know we're young, but we're not stupid. I love you."
"Jer--I can't," Eliza said, pulling away. She looked at the five-carat rock on her finger. Wearing it meant she was engaged to be married. Jeremy was dead serious about them, about the ring. "I can't move into this house with you."
"But . . . don't you want to be with me?" His eyes searched hers, his brow furrowed in concern.
"I do, I do, I do," Eliza said, shaking her head. She could feel the hot tears welling in her eyes. She'd just uttered the very words she would have to say at the altar, but she wasn't ready to say them in a church.
"Then why are you crying?" Jeremy asked, mystified.
"It's just--it's too soon." She looked into his eyes, begging him to understand. "I'm only nineteen. It's all too soon. I want more. ... I want to experience more of life before I settle
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down. . . ." The words spilled out from her lips before she could even think about them. But they were all true.
She took off the ring. It felt heavy in the palm of her hand, but not as heavy as her heart. "Jer, I have to give this back to you."
She closed his hand over it, and, choking back a sob, she ran away from him, from her Barbie dream house, and from their future.
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THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS
MARA WAS THROWING IN ANOTHER LOAD OF THE KIDS'
laundry when her cell phone rang. She grabbed for it eagerly, hoping it was Eliza or Jacqui. The girls hadn't spoken to each other since their fateful dinner, almost a week ago. Jacqui was now at Marcus's 24/7 and had ceased even pretending to be an au pair. Eliza was busy gearing up for the big Vogue party, meeting with the magazine's party planners to prepare for the event, and Mara hadn't so much as run into her at the house. And since the shoot with the Aussie boys was wrapped and done, she knew Eliza and Jacqui's paths weren't crossing either. She missed her friends, but she didn't want to be the one to apologize, since she hadn't really done anything wrong.
"Hello?"
"Hey, what's up." The voice on the phone didn't belong to either Jacqui or Eliza--it was Ryan's. "I'm out by the beach right now. Can you hang out?"
