TRIGGER WARNING: Brief mention of abortion/death.<br/><br/>Cat’s heart skipped a beat when Jonas mentioned that he had been hoping that she would, her whole body warm with excitement and happiness. Not to mention relief that wasn’t bothering him. “It Is such a relief to hear your voice and I’m happy to know that. I’m not happy often, either…” She cleared her throat awkwardly, embarrassed by her oversharing of feelings.<br/><br/>As they spoke, Cat remembered the business card Jonas had handed her the previous evening. She had a very vague understanding of the importance of Ackerlund Steel, and respectively the Ackerlund family. To say that they were loaded was a vast understatement. Hell, they were practically royalty.<br/><br/>This was big gossip in the small, traditional town such as Wasilla- it was impolite to bring up ones finances in discussion; despite the discretion of the benevolent townsfolk, the news spread like rapid fire.<br/><br/>To Cat- who was raised alone by her father for most of her life in a modest, lovely updated A-frame just outside of town- it was irrelevant. She had always been to value the simpler things in life, so while money had never been a problem for her, it had no importance other than it being  a tool to build a better life.<br/><br/>Most were, that is. Nicholas was the exception. He was charming, cruel, cunning, manipulative- and he had the entire town wrapped around his finger.<br/><br/><em>“What was your night terror, do you want to tell me about it?”</em><br/><br/>She cringed as she was hit by yet another icicle of sadness as his reverberated in her mind. She couldn’t help gasping as her vision temporarily took on a blue tint as she remembered the events that led to her being the empty shell she had become.<br/><br/>She hesitated, anxious about letting him privy to this dark part of her history. Only her father knew the full truth of the matter, her mother having passed from cancer mere months before the event. The opinion of the town were split evenly, some pitied Cat’s clear “imbalance” from her mother’s death, the rest shunned her for ruining the reputation of their beloved golden boy..<br/><br/>To say that the whole situation had left her traumatized and with severe trust issues was an understatement. even after all this time, Cat had not been with anyone else and she only had a small handful of acquaintances now and her father, and now, dare she say it… Jonas?<br/><br/>Jonas was not like the others. Where everyone else seeped cold and disapproval, he leaked warmth and kindness. It was what had brought her here, what had lead her to call him. She trusted him.<br/><br/>She took a deep breath before telling him the memories that she had relived in her nightmares-much of it permeated tears and sobs: her mothers passing, the months Nicholas had put into wooing and seducing her. Her unplanned pregnancy and the abortion she had endured at his insistence- she was young, but she could not help feeling that getting pregnant so soon after her moms passing was a sign from her. Losing the baby was like losing her mother all over but even worse.<br/><br/>After Nicholas had made his conquest and the baby was out of the picture he had ghosted her for weeks before rumors began circulating about him dating Cat’s close friend, Amber. It wasn’t long before they were making their relationship public knowledge in school and throughout the town.<br/>Nicholas completely and publicly denied everything that had happened between him Cat. the next year he had left for college out of state and she hadn’t seen or heard from him since, other than in her nightmares.<br/><br/>She had lost so much in such little time.<br/><br/>Cat was surprised to realize that she felt a little better rather than worse after telling Jonas her story- the fiery pain that usually consumed her heart was merely a slow burn. She could not help but worry that Jonas would not see her the same way after hearing it.<br/><br/><em>“Get dressed and meet me outside your dorm in 15 minutes. I know a great spot for breakfast and coffee, and you can tell me everything going on in your mind”</em><br/><br/>“No need to tell me twice, I’ll see you soon!” Cat’s voice radiated happiness and excitement despite the heaviness of their prior conversation, and for the first in a very long time, she found herself hopeful for the future.<br/><br/>Getting ready did not take much time-l As Jonas would eventually find out, Cat was a bit of a perfectionist and very organized. She hopped off her bed, crossing the room to her large closet and opening it. Like everything else in her, it was impeccably clean organized; everything had it’s own place and she had a couple weeks worth of outfits pre-hung.<br/><br/>She quickly stripped off her clothes and grabbed the first outfit, hurriedly pulling on articles of clothing. She chose a pair of distressed dark blue skinny jeans, a form-fitting v-necked black long-sleeve shirt, dangley turquoise necklace, brown leather jacket, and matching brown riding boots. She had just enough time to brush her hair and teeth, and apply some makeup when she received his text saying he was waiting for her outside.<br/><br/>She pocketed her phone, grabbed her bag and slung Jonas jacket over her shoulder before fleeing her room, her insides suddenly alive with excitement. There was only one car parked outside the dormhall- a sleeky, shiny black BMW.<br/><br/>Cat did not know brand-names- she had never really bothered too- but she could appreciate a nice car when she saw one- the glossy ebony paintjob, sleek build, and flawless cream-colored leather interior screamed luxury vehicle.<br/><br/>She was not disappointed when she sat down- heated seats. It even had the new-car smell. She was about to compliment him on his car when she made eye contact with him- he was even more handsome than he was the day before, his smile welcoming and warm . The small exchange was enough to warm her cheeks and send her stomach aflutter- a reaction she most definitely was not accustomed to.<br/><br/>“Hey,” she breathed, her smile glistened and leant even more to her natural beauty. She felt oddly chipper and confident beyond the scope of feeling her excitement to see him. She couldn’t understand why, but she did not mind.<br/><br/>Her next phrase fell out of her in a gush, faster than she could rear them in- “I missed you…”<br/><br/>