Chapter 147
A
A Gony et emotions flick across Nathan’s face in quick succession as he spins in his gaming chair towards the door–surprise, delight, confusion, apprehension.
“April
My knees buckle, and he shoots out of his chair, tearing his headphones off as he races towards me.
He catches me in time, and we both gently sink into the plush carpet. The same type that was in the meeting room, now drenched with vodka Marisol spilled, because she was shocked, because my big fat mouth-
“Oh God,” I whisper, fighting back the bile that rises in my throat.
April.” Nathan’s voice is a blend of urgency and dread. “What the hell happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Not a ghost. A demon, maybe.
I latch onto Nathan’s shirt, burying my head in his chest. His arms wrap around me–a protective shield. Nothing can get to me here; I’m safe with Nathan.
But…
It’s discipline, April.
Samuel got Nathan–and he can get me too.
I look up at him, and his eyes widen, cupping my face. “Baby, you’re scaring me.” When his thumb swipes my cheek, I feel the dampness and realize I’m crying.
“What happened?”
“I-* The words are like stones stuck in my throat, and trying to force them out is painful.
If I feel this much dread after one conversation, what kind of hellscape has Nathan lived in his entire life?
“We have to leave,” I choke out.
Nathan frowns. “What?”
“They’re never going to let me marry you.” As I say the words, I realize how true they are.
And not just because of today.
From the start, no matter what I did, how hard I tried, I was never going to win this competition.
Orphaned, impoverished, uncouth.
I fit into the Ashford standards about as well as a bear fits into a mouse hole. It’s clear that Samuel and Marisol make the decisions–and
1/4
17:24 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 147
They were never going to choose me.
“April.” Nathan’s voice shakes. “What. Happened?”
“–” I swallow hard. “I met with your parents.”
His body locks, and I feel the tension from him strumming through me. “And?”
I shake my head. “I fucked up, Nathan. 1 fucked up so badly.”
His jaw clenches. “Did he…do anything to you?“
BJ
I think about how Samuel rose to his feet, those fists that had bruised Nathan clenched. The fear in Marisol’s voice… She knows what her husband is capable of.
“They’re never going to let me marry you, Nathan,” I repeat, banishing that terrifying image.
The world seems to hold its breath for a tense heartbeat. I can see the gears turning in Nathan’s head, and then-
“Okay.”
I blink. “Okay?”
He nods, his thumb stroking my cheekbones. “I was going to leave as soon as you and I got married, anyway.”
Tentative hope blooms in my chest. “That won’t happen if we stay till the end of the competition.”
He nods, pulling me to him. “I know. I know, baby. We’ll go.”
I wrap my arms around him, holding on tightly, terrified that if I let go, I’ll never be able to find my way back to him.
“He didn’t…” I feel a shudder run through his body. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Not for lack of wanting.
I shake my head.
Nathan heaves a sigh of relief.
I burrow deeper into him, wishing I could merge us forever.
“Come on,” he mumbles.
I automatically latch my arms around his neck as his hands grip me to his body. He stands, cuddling me like a baby, and walks us over the
short distance to his bed.
When he gently deposits me, I don’t let go, pulling him down with me.
I love how perfectly we fit together–like a puzzle made of only two pieces.
2/4
17:24 Mon, Oct 13 N
Chapter 147
I nusrle his neck, breathing in his warm scent.
“Where would we live?” I mumble.
His armas grip my hip, pulling me to him. “What about Paris?”
1 roll my eyes. “I’m serious, Nathan.”
“So am 1.”
460 2
He pulls back to look at me, and I can’t find a trace of sarcasm or mirth. “I think you’d love it there.”
“But…” I brace myself to address the elephant in the room. “How would we afford it?”
My net worth is about the price of a movie ticket, and if he’s running away, he’ll definitely be cut off.
“I’ve always known I don’t belong in this family,” Nathan says. “I’ve been saving for the day I finally leave since I was fourteen. Plus, I have a trust fund that unlocks when I turn twenty–five.”
He kisses my forehead. “I’ll take care of you, April.”
I hate the way my body slacks in relief. Nathan shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of my baggage. Especially since he’s doing this for
- me.
He has everything to lose, and he’s throwing it all away for-
“Hey.” He kisses me softly. “I can hear the noise going on in your pretty little head.”
“I’ll do my part,” I whisper. “If I have to drop out of college, I’ll—”
“Absolutely not.”
I sigh. “If I haven’t been kicked out already, I’ve probably lost my scholarship by now.”
“Then I’ll fund the rest.”
I shoot him a glare. “Absolutely not.”
He caresses my face. “You’re going to be my wife, April,” he says. “I will take care of you. And your sister–my sister.”
Something hopeful and beautiful squeezes my chest. “Are you sure you won’t regret this?”
Nathan looks at me for a long moment, his eyes tracing every inch of my face. Then he leans in and kisses my nose.
“Hold on.”
He untangles himself, and when I whine, he chuckles. “One moment.”
He pads into his closet and returns with the satin box I made for him.
3/4
17:24 Mon, Oct 13
Chapter 147
“So, I was going to do this after the competition. It was going to be the most romantic shit in the world.”
I sit up, frowning in confusion.
He takes something out of the box before depositing it on the bed beside me.
I frown at the black velvet box in his hand. “What is that?”
He smiles at me with the radiance of a thousand suns. “Take a wild guess.”
My heart lurches as he drops to one knee, flipping it open. The diamond within glints like a star.
“Nathan,” I whisper, barely able to hear myself over the blood roaring in my ears.
“I was going to prepare a whole speech, but…” He sighs. “April, you are a ray of sunshine in a world that has only ever suffocated me with darkness. When I’m with you, I can breathe. I laugh, I feel, I love.”
A tear slides down my face, splashing on my hand. Nathan takes that hand in his and presses a kiss to the back.
“April Farrah, my love, the literal light of my life…” My heart pounds so loudly I almost don’t hear the following three words that alter my
life.
“Will you marry me?”
Chapter Comments
1
Write Comments
« SHARE
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
