Something is wrong.
I sense it in my bones the moment I walk inside our house.
The air is stuffy, suffocating even.
Knox and Teal sit with Agnus and Dad in the lounge area. The chesterfield sofas appear like a battlefield.
Dad and Agnus sip their coffees in silence. Knox appears thoughtful. Teal’s brows are pinched together in… confusion? Anger?
She’s wearing a pullover, with the words, If you see me jogging, kill whatever the hell is chasing me written on it.
Usually, I’d smile at her sarcastic quotes, but the mood is completely off today.
I inch closer, fingering the strap of my backpack.
“Princess,” Dad smiles as soon as his light brown eyes meet mine. “You’re finally here.”
“Sorry, I spent time with Kim and Kir. We promised him to watch a film together.” And I just finished a run in the rain. It’s been too tense lately and only running allows me to relax. Of course, I changed my soaked clothes at Kim’s or Dad would give me grief. Like Aunt, he’s strict about endangering my heart condition.
“It’s okay.” He stands. “Let’s talk in my office.”
He walks ahead of me. I throw one last glance at the other three. Agnus encourages me to follow Dad with a nod.
Knox sighs. “I hate this whole shit.”
“You…” Teal clears her throat, peeking up at me. “You have to think about it.”
Okay. That makes the situation even more ambiguous than when I walked in. Better follow Dad and find out what’s going on.
Dread tightens my muscles as I take the steps two at a time. When I’m at the top, I check my phone.
My stomach falls when I find no texts from Aiden. For some reason, I want to talk to him right now.
I’ve been barely keeping myself sane this entire week. With him gone, RES is empty and fucking depressive. I see him in every corner and every hall. Hell, I even went to the football practice, imagining him scoring a goal in that perfect posture.
I didn’t know how much I needed Aiden in my life until he was gone.
With the time difference, we could only text at odd times of the night. It’s not nearly enough.
The thought that we’ll be permanently separated at the end of this year brings a taste of nausea to my throat.
It steals my breaths, that thought.
To distract myself, I’ve spent nights at Aunt and Uncle’s, doing yoga. I went out with the horsemen, Knox, Teal, and Kim, but nothing and no one can take up Aiden’s place.
He’s been a constant in my life since the beginning of the year, and now that he’s gone, it’s pure torture.
Tucking my phone back in my pocket, I hug my backpack to my chest and follow Dad into his office. We sit side by side on the black leather sofa in the centre of the room.
“How was your day?” he asks.
“Good.”
Dad always asks about my day and if I need anything. While that makes me happy on most days, I’m not the least bit joyful right now.
Bricks of anxiety pile at the bottom of my stomach with every second he remains silent.
“What’s going on, Dad?”
“You know that your opinion matters to me more than anything else, right?”
I nod once, unsure where he’s going with this.
“As you know, the Rhodes have a voting committee in place. Their members will decide whether Jonathan or I get the partnership.”
“I do.”
While I’ve been butting out of Dad and Jonathan’s war, Agnus has been keeping us in the know. Each company has been recruiting members of that committee to vote in their favour.
Sebastian Queens, Silver’s father, is a member, and Jonathan is pissed off at Aiden for breaking off the engagement at a time like this.
Still, I’m sure Sebastian will vote in Jonathan’s favour considering they’ve been long-time allies.
I heard Agnus talk about how Dad has been recruiting some of the aristocratic members. If they manage to convince one of them, all the other ones would follow. Those noble folks are loyal to each other.
“I found a possible strong ally within the voting committee,” Dad says.
“Really?” My face lights up. “Who is he?”
“Earl Edric Astor.”
“Oh. Ronan’s father. I’m happy for you, Dad.”
His expression isn’t the least bit joyful, though. “There’s a catch.”
“A catch?”
“Earl Astor only agreed to form an alliance if we become in-laws. My daughter to his son.”
The information hits me like a hurricane with all the lightning and thunder.
“Do you mean… I have to marry Ronan?”
The idea doesn’t even sit straight before my brain completely revolts against it. Ronan is my friend and I really like his goofiness, but that’s it.
That’s all.
He’s not the one I dream about. He’s not the one I’ve been yearning for, feeling all empty and miserable.
“Ronan wouldn’t agree to that,” I whisper. He’s a player and loves his freedom more than anything in the world.
Dad remains cool and calm. I don’t know how he does it. “Earl Astor said Ronan will agree to anything he asks of him.”
Oh, God.
I’m going to be sick.
“And…” I meet Dad’s gaze. “What did you tell him?”
“I said I’ll talk to you.” Dad takes my hand in his, strong, warm, and safe. “I’ll never force you to do anything, you know that, right, princess?”
Oh. Thank God.
I want to help Dad, but I’ll never agree to an arranged marriage. I want to marry someone I love. Someone who flips my world upside down by just being there.
Someone like Aiden.
Wait… no. Where did that idea come from? I don’t want to marry Aiden… right? It’s too early to even think about marrying Aiden.
Stay the fuck down, heart. Don’t even think about celebrating that thought.
“Think about it,” Dad says. “I’ll go with whatever you decide.”
I’m tempted to tell him ‘no’ straight away, but the look in his eyes stops me. It’s not pleading, but it’s close to… desperation.
Dad needs this alliance.
It hurts me to think about killing all his hopes at once. I need a lot more courage than I have right now.
After agreeing to think about it, I retreat to my room.
I throw my backpack on the chair and flop onto the bed. I hit play on my iPod and Another Place by Bastille fills the air.
What’s the best way to refuse Dad’s offer without being a complete bitch? Either way, he’ll lose Earl Astor and might even be categorised as an enemy by the upper-class community.
Dad spent a lot of energy on this come back. Hell, he returned from the dead. I can’t just destroy his efforts.
Ugh.
This is so confusing.
I need a cup of hot chocolate to calm down. Oh, and my meds. Aunt will call me in a few and give me a lecture if she finds out I didn’t take them.
My heart palpitations have turned up in intensity these last couple of days. I’ll have to cave in and visit Dr Albert.
Please don’t have the doctor suggest a surgery. The thought of another one terrifies the bejesus out of me
My phone vibrates on my way to the kitchen.
My heart beats loudly at the thought that it might be Aiden. What would he say if he found out? Actually, I know what he’ll say.
He’ll ask me to refuse and if I can’t, he’ll do it for me.
Aiden doesn’t care about Dad’s well-being or how much losing Earl Astor’s support would devastate him.
Aiden is shameless about what he wants and isn’t above flipping the world the middle finger.
My stomach sinks when the caller ID doesn’t turn out to be Aiden.
Speak of the devil.
I swipe the screen. “Hey, Ronan.”
“Hey, fiancé.” His playful tone releases some of the dread perched on my chest.
“This isn’t the time to joke around.”
“Who says I’m joking? Father just said I’m getting married to you. I hit the jackpot! Think about the number of threesomes we’ll have, Ellie. Even Kimmy will be game to join if you’re my wife. Le paradis est juste ici.”
I narrow my eyes as if he can see me. “Why do you sound so happy?”
“Because I am! I’ve been imagining the look on King’s face when he finds out you’re my fiancé.” He hums. “You think I’ll be able to catch his expression on camera before he chops my head off with an axe?”
I smile despite myself. “Probably not.”
“I’ll ask Knight or Nash to film it, then. I’m leaving a legacy behind. Oh, and a fortune. You’ll be one of those lethally rich widows who dresses in black and has three black cats.”
I laugh, stopping near the corner. “You’re such a twat.”
“See? Marrying me won’t be so bad. We’ll have so much fun.”
“Be serious, Ronan.” I sigh. “Why don’t you tell your father you don’t want to get married?”
“I can’t tell my father anything. His word is law in this household.”
“So you’ll agree?”
“Already done. I’m an earl’s only child and heir, Ellie. It’s written in my birth certificate that I’ll have an arranged marriage. I’m lucky it’s with you and not with some snob that will suck the life out of my bones. You know how fucking scary that is?”
I pause, thinking about his point of view. I never thought Ronan would have these types of worries. He’s always so playful and carefree, no one sees the weight he carries on his shoulders.
“But I —”
“I know.” He cuts me off. “King, that lucky bastard, came first. Fucker. However, I’m not allowed to refuse the engagement from my side. You have to be the one to stab your sword straight to my virgin heart.”
“You’re such a dork.” I laugh.
“And you have such an awful taste in men,” Ronan mocks with an edge of drama. “Now if you excuse me, I’m going to nurse my broken heart with some weed and a girl — or two.”
I hung up with a smile.
The smile falls when I realise that Ronan’s completely out and I have to be the one who ends this. I groan. Is there no other way aside from hurting Dad?
“Are you going to agree?”
I jump at Teal’s quiet voice. I didn’t even notice she was there.
“You know about it?” I ask.
“Agnus mentioned it.” She studies her black nails, not meeting my gaze. “Thirteen already agreed to marry you.”
Since that practice football game, Teal often calls the horsemen by their jersey’s numbers.
“I thought you were with Eleven?”
“I am… sort of,” I say. “I won’t marry Ronan. I just have to find the appropriate way to tell Dad.”
Teal meets my gaze, but she remains silent. “Dad needs that alliance with the Astor family. Earl Astor has the best title amongst the voting committee and if he pledges to Dad, everyone else will follow his lead.”
“I know that.” That’s why it hurts so much, and my brain is working in overdrive.
“If you know, why don’t you act?” she asks with genuine curiosity as if all of this is too easy.
“I can’t do an arranged marriage when I already have someone else in my heart.”
“That’s why it’s better to have no one in your heart. Those who show weakness lose.”
“It depends on who you show that weakness to, Teal.”
She gives a sharp nod and sidesteps me to walk towards her room.
I’m tempted to follow and ask her why she’s been in such a pissed off mood today — more than usual — but I choose to give her space.
Besides, I’m too caught up in my own head right now.
My phone vibrates.
My heart jumps with joy at Aiden’s name.
Aiden: Come out the back entrance.
I don’t even think about it. I jog down the hall and straight to the back door used by the staff.
The moment I step outside, a strong hand wraps around my mouth. I gasp, but the sound is drowned into the skin.
The hard, strong skin I recognise.
My gaze meets Aiden’s for the briefest second, and excitement whirls into my bones.
I barely get a glance before he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder like a caveman.
Squealing, I hold on to his back with both hands. “W-what are you doing, Aiden?”
“I’m kidnapping you, sweetheart. It’s been long overdue.”
