Arranged Marriage Ch. 18

CHAPTER 18: Punishment!

     Skyler wakes up from her sleep, a little sad it had to end. She was rudely awaked by her cell phone. Her monster of a mother calling. Skyler waits for it to get her mom's message, even though she knows what it is going to be about. Skyler picks herself out of Liz's bed, Liz still sleeping soundly, and goes to the bathroom to use Liz's extra toothbrush she keeps for Skyler in case she sleeps over at the last minute.

     She cleans her face and looks herself in the mirror. A total mess. Her face looks worn out and tired. She puts her glasses back on before she slips out of Liz's house and back home. I'm gonna get it now . . . she sighs.

     When she enters her house, her mom is already waiting right there. "Morning mom."

     "Where the hell have you been!? And jail!? Again?" she snarls. "I thought you were done with that phase. I thought I taught you better than this! I raised you to be a well behaved lady, not to be a criminal!"

     Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up, Skyler thinks to herself. She wishes she can say something but knows she's in for it. "Back to Isolation Island?"

     Her mom crosses her arms. "You bet your sorry ass you're going back."

     "I'll get packing then," she sighs and goes up the stairs.

     Jacob rolls over and sees a message from Rob and replies back before rolling out of bed. He walks down the stairs to the kitchen where his father is sitting, reading a paper, and having breakfast.

     "Jacob," he begins from behind his paper.

     Jacob pours himself a cup of orange juice ignoring his father and sitting at the opposite end of the table. He takes a sip of juice before replying, "Yes, father?"

     John Hayward, Jacob's father, lowers his paper and stares at his son with a hard gaze. "Do not forget what your priorities are Jacob. Your mother's silly proposition is a great business plan. Our company will grow exponentially when you two marry. The money is important, nothing less."

     Jacob looks at his father before shaking his head and standing up, "You're an asshole dad."

     "You will remember your place!!!" Hayward Sr. growls.

     "I hope you remember yours in hell dad," he says calmly before walking to the garage and getting on his bike. He guns the engine and heads to Rob's.

     Skyler packs up all the clothing that will help her survive the heat on the island. It is not like a tropical island, more like an island with a mountain feel to it. No electronics. This is punishment for going to jail again. No contact with the outside world.

     She packs all her summer dresses, shorts, skirts, tank tops, shirts, and sneakers she can use up there. She goes downstairs with her first luggage of things as she hears her mom talking on the phone with Mrs. Hayward. Sounds like her mom has the growing suspicion that Skyler still doesn't like Jacob and made a proposal that he should go too since he hasn't been around Skyler often so it seems.

     Skyler shakes her head, even if his mom forces him to go, he won't come. Skyler sighs and goes back upstairs to get her second bag.

     Jacob gets off his bike when his phone rings, he takes it out of his pocket to see his mother's name. He picks up the phone and his mother informs him that a car would be coming to pick him up and take him to the airport where their Private Jet is located. She hangs up on him without explaining.

     So he wheels his motorcycle into Rob's garage. Completely sure that he will take care of it.

     Jacob gets into the back of the Rolls-Royce without question and settles into the seat. He takes out his phone and sends a message to Rob informing him of the situation. They soon pull into the private hangar and his bags are loaded into the luxurious jet. He gets on the plane soon after, but it seems they are waiting for someone else, he figures it's his mother.

     Skyler daydreams as her chauffer drives her to the airport to go into a jet to the island. The limo stops some ways away from the jet as the chauffer and Skyler walk with her luggage to the jet. Skyler tosses her luggage in and grabs her other bag before climbing inside. She looks up and sees Jacob in the jet too. Oh crap, he IS coming!!

     She lightly blushes at him, not sure if its anger or embarrassment. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asks him in shock and disbelief.

     Jacob opens one eye and stares at Skyler. What the hell is she doing here? MOM. He will be having several words with her after this. Though she is being annoying already. He refuses to raise his voice at her. He chooses a logical response instead, "This is my family jet . . . I think the question is what are you doing here Skyler?" he asks simply.

     She huffs and drops her bag on the seat behind where she'll sit.

     "Punishment for going to jail again. My mom usually sends me off to the family island with no source of entertainment to keep me bored and feel grateful for what I have instead of underestimate my parents," she answers him. "Usually my mom would keep me there for about half a month to a month, mostly during vacations if I did anything to wind me up in prison." She sits down on the unusually comfortable seat just across the aisle from Jacob and crosses her arms. "Never mind me, how come you're coming along on the journey?"

     "I was tricked," he says simply, not wanting to speak of the subject. The pilot comes on over the intercom telling them flight details and soon they were off. Jacob stares out the window looking at the clouds noting the tension in the air between him and Skyler. He's perfectly comfortable not talking to her at the moment as he doesn't know what to say to her. The last few conversations had been hectic to say the least.

     Skyler doesn't try talking to Jacob. She wants him to make the first move. She stares at the clouds daydreaming, imagining she can actually touch the clouds, which comfort her real easily. Her sleepover with Liz helped her a great deal to understand her feelings. But talking to him is now the big step.

     He lowers the flap on the window and settles into his seat before turning to Skyler.

     She sees Jacob turn to her. "Yes?" she says quietly.

     "Why did you do it? Those cars I mean?" Jacob looks at her with a meaningful look. He sums up his courage and moves over to sit in front of her. "Skyler, I'm sorry . . . About everything. I―" he falters at a loss of what to say, "It's just everything is weird now. Ever since you kissed me that nig―" He pauses with a look of horror on his face. "Oops."