Scarlett OHara couldnt bring herself to tell her family about her marriage. She made several hasty, almost absurd, verbal agreements with Jay Gatsby in the car, and only then did he let her go, dropping her off at the OHara estate.
On the ride, she had briefly explained her situation with Tom Joad to Gatsby, not going into great detail but mentioning that they had been on the verge of marriage when she discovered his infidelity. She had broken things off with her ex-fiancé and then went to drown her sorrows at a bar...
Gatsby knew what happened next. She didnt need to say any more.
Gatsby stopped the car in front of the OHara mansion but didnt immediately unlock the door. Instead, he turned his gaze to Scarlett.
Scarlett couldnt open the door. "What are you doing?"
"Arent you going to invite me in?" Gatsby asked her.
Scarlett felt a headache coming on. "Didnt I tell you its not the right time..."
"Then tell me when youll deal with your ex-fiancé?"
"As soon as possible."
"As soon as possible can mean anything," Gatsby said, now seeming like a petulant boy. "A day is as soon as possible, two days, three, five, ten days, a fortnight, its all as soon as possible. I dont want to wait..."
Scarlett was taken aback. "You..."
Gatsby took her hand. "I like you."
The sudden confession startled Scarlett. "Ah...? No, I mean... Didnt you say you only ever liked one person? You..."
Gatsby nodded. "Yes, I only like one person, and I only like you."
Scarlett tried to pull her hand away. "This is quite pointless."
Gatsby looked somewhat wronged. "You dont believe me. Before I met you, I had no one I liked, nor did I know how to like someone."
Scarlett scoffed. "Dont tell me its love at first sight."
"If I said it was?"
Scarlett felt a headache coming on. "Jay Gatsby..."
"Call me Jay."
"Weve known each other for less than twenty-four hours."
"It doesnt matter. I can give you plenty of time to get to know me. We are now legally married, so dont be afraid."
Scarlett didnt know what to say. "Jay Gatsby..."
"Jay," Gatsby corrected.
"Alright, Jay, I hope you understand that I dont have those kinds of feelings for you yet, but..." Scarlett took a deep breath, "But I promise, since Ive married you, I will be faithful to you."
Gatsbys eyes lit up with a warm smile.
"But I also want you to know that I am not someone who forgives easily," Scarlett said seriously. "If you do anything to betray me, I will not hesitate to leave."
Gatsby held her hand, his voice soft. "I wont give you any chance to leave me."
He had finally captured her again; how could he bear to let her go?
He leaned in and placed a kiss on her lips. "I know youre not used to my presence yet, and I will try my best to make you accustomed to me, not annoyed by me... I also hope that you can like me a little before you deal with Toms matters."
Something inside Scarlett seemed to collapse.
"Even if its just a little bit, I can handle it," Gatsby said warmly. "Go on, Ill wait for you."
After Scarlett got out of the car, she didnt go in right away. Instead, she watched as Gatsbys car drove away before she pushed open the door and entered her home.
Little did she know, the moment she stepped inside, she found Tom Joad, disheveled and waiting in the courtyard of her home.