Chapter 26

Jace:

I was sitting by the edge of her bed, just waiting for her to come out. She'd been crying and then the sound of a shower covered the tears. I felt a million emotions but anger towards her didnt seem to be a part of it.

I was in love with Selene Arly to the day.

I could never lose her in my heart.

I was playing with my fingers as moments of the past night flashed in my head. She was so close to me. She was enjoying every moment with me. The dances on the floor, the teasing in the corners, holding my fork between her teeth to irritate me more. That girl was fire and I was burning in her.

Then the moments we shared on the same bed I was sitting was. She tried to release herself of me but all it took was one kiss to get her to give in to.

You're mine. I'd said. For the first time, in months, I was proud of saying something to her. Something that brought a smile to her face and made a whole new person relive in her.

Her kisses had been soft and so careful. She'd handled me with so much affection. The way she'd placed a kiss on my forehead to get me to sleep. Everything was like a dream that I'd been wishing for... for years.

No matter how bad I'd gotten, I was thankful that she was alive. She was walking the earth around us and she was achieving her dreams. Her illness, years of agony couldnt stop her from chasing what turned her to herself. I was proud of her for that.

I was looking back on the bed into our previously visited memories when the bathroom door opened and Selene walked out. She was wrapped in a white towel around her body and she didnt look up at me. Her short hair dripped lightly on her naked shoulders. I stood up but she used the spare towel in arm to dry her hair out before throwing it on the hooks behind her bedroom door. Her head moved to the small white built shelves that I hadn't noticed before. She picked up a couple papers from it and walked to me. Just when she was close, the papers fell from her grip.

"Stop." She pushed me away as I bent down to grab the papers at her feet.

"Selene!" I growled, at her ignorance. I  grabbed her wrist when she was about to crouch down. Pulling her up, I came close enough gor myself to be able to taste the aroma of her intoxicating scent. I couldn't show her my giddiness so I swallowed that arousal and kept my eyes fixed on the most fierce yet gentle pair of blue orbs I had ever seen.

"Leave me." She whispered and I felt my anger fade.

"Why?" The hurt in me spoke.

"Because you are hurting me." She tried wiggling out of my hold. Her eyes drifted to my body and the tattoo etched on the curve of my waist caught her attention. I smirked. Finally, she noticed.

"I would never hurt you." I bit my lip with a little frustration at her trying to leave me. Water dripped from the hair over her forehead, fury etched in every rhythm of her breathing.

"Ja-" She started but I knew better than to let her go on.

"Don't think I am letting you go. I am your stop and there is no turning back." I whispered before shoving her away lightly and heading to the bathroom myself.

Papers, shmapers, I didnt care. Selene Arly was going to meet the lover Jace Anderson. And that was more important than anything.

I jumped in the shower and stood under cold water for what felt like an hour. My body was only heating up every second and I couldnt think of what was revealed to me. Her affliction in life and many other reasons to give up flashed in my head and punched the marble wall. The pain made me grunt and I felt hot tears cascade down my face. I felt like punching through burning hell and punishing my soul to the rotten core.

She was wrong but so was I. I didn't care to listen to her side of the story. All I saw was red and felt cheated. I felt like a discarded piece in her life and I turned my ego into the steps to her torment.

"Jace?" I heard speak my name and I realized she must be waiting for hs to go downstairs together.

Right... the forced engagement...

"Yeah. I'm coming." I answered, letting the cold water sprinkle and clean up my face. Drying myself, I headed towards the sink and brushed my teeth with the spare toothbrush. Everything was so elegant in her little bathroom. Silver veined granite for counter space and white sink. Floral patterned metal toothbrush holder, soap plate and a cabin by the right wall of the mirror.

Dressing my hair and face, I walked out of the bathroom with the towel wrapped around my waist. She was standing by the closet, bent in, doing something. I noticed she was in black, knee length cargo pants. I cleared my throat at which she jumped out and I noticed how she was wearing crop red sweater. It exposed her waist a bit when she ran her fingers through her hair. The sweater had lantern sleeves and the sleeve holes measured the length of the smaller sweater. She looked damn cute.

"Um, my bag." I pointed at the black suitcase behind that standing mirror. She pushed a small strand of her hair behind her ear and pointed to the bed.

A fleece light blue sweater and a dark blue pair of pants, neatly settled on the edge of her bed. I smiled in a thank you when I saw a pair of black boxers there as well. She was already like a wife to me.

My smile faded at the word in my head.

Wife.

Was I even going to give her happiness?

I looked over at her staring at me with a held breath. I felt awkward. Not hot, not happy... uncomfortable.

"I'll, uh, wait out?" She left the room and I inhaled a deep breath.

"Kill me now." I muttered, dropping my towel.

Selene:

The man was going to be the death of me. So damn hot, not all of sudden, so caring and did I mention hot? My head was babbling at me. Screaming to give in but also stay mad at the man. He didnt care for my side of the story. He only went for what made him happy and everytime I thought of that, more animosity surged through me.

Who the hell did he think he was?

Everyone goes through pain. Some for decades, some for days... happens but we dont hold the right to destroy someone's soul just for the sake of some food for our ego.

Yes, I loved Jace. He was a great man but the way he played our lives out... I was disappointed.

After snapping at him, I couldnt look at him with care of love anymore. It took so much make up to cover up that stupid hickey on my neck. I was surprised Jace hadn't noticed it.

"Enie?" I heard a call behind me. Allan came running up, breathless.

"What?"

"Dad's asking for the wedding date." He gave out a big smile and my body shook.

"We were thinking this week. Small wedding." Jace interceded out talk, moving out of my room and I almost fell into Allan.

What?

No!!!

"Yeah, but babe, we thought that Thanksgiving could be hectic for the family-"

"Nonsense!" We heard a shout from the bottom of the stairs and found mom and Bethany standing.

"Jesus, Allan." I smacked his shoulder and he laughed it off.

"Cant wait." He tapped my arm and ran down the stairs. I looked back at Jace with wide eyes and he winked.

Was it just me or did I just get turned into a soon to be bride very quickly?

When we reached downstairs, bethany was going through mom's phone book, Dad was on the phone. Allan was buried in his cellphone and I felt myself bury in fear. They were giving their everything into something that was fake from the beginning. I looked up at Jace who stood on the last step of the staircase. I raised my brows and he tapped a kiss on my nose before walking to the busy crowd.

What the hell?

I pulled Jace to a side when everyone was walking around in the lounge. When we were finally alone in the kitchen, I lost words on what I wanted to say. Weird.

"What?" He shrugged and I looked at him with a tilted head.

"Did you hit your head last night?" I questioned and he laughed.

"I think this will be great. Dont you?" His fingers came to my cheek and caressed the hair away.

"We are alone here. Talk straight." I slapped his hand away.

"Selene, I want to marry you?" His shoulders bounced as he stated the words like they were an obvious emotion he had expressed a billion times before.

"Jace, this morning you couldnt bear to see my face and now all of a sudden you want to marry me?" Was I the only one who saw this whole new flip to be completely put of story? This wasnt what I was expecting and frankly this surprise wasnt a good one.

"Selene, if we call off the wedding, your parents will be heartbroken." He popped a butterscotch cookie in his mouth from the pineapple shaped yellow, cookie jar.

"We could've called the engagement off? Why suggest the wedding so soon?" I argued. My arms were flaying in the air and I was so damn confused.

"Jesus, Jace! This is messed up!" I grunted, "You cant marry me. We-"

"What? Don't know each other? Don't love each other? Don't know each other's background? Don't like to be by each other?" He threw questions at me like that we both knew the answers to.

"Jace, you know that's not enough to get married. We have a rough history and we cant just hash that out!" I fought like we were a couple or something. Frankly, I was having a hard time digesting anything. What the hell was going on?

"It is for me." He neared in towards me and I moved away.

"Not me." I ran out. My feet had just let me in the lounge when I bumped into my dad who smiled through his thick glasses and held my shoulders. He was in his regular polo white shirt and khaki pants.

"Sydney's flying in tomorrow. I've booked the engagement photos for tomorrow afternoon. Good?" Why wasnt my dad being reasonable. He was the most sensible man in the world but in that moment he seemed as contained by the news of the marriage as anyone else.

"Sounds wonderful, Brian." Jace's voice cheered from behind me and I shut my eyes in frustration when dad left me for him. I could just scream my brains out till atleast one of the crazy things around me started making sense.

Three months ago, the furthest photgraph I was getting ready for was my graduation picture with the dean. Looking around, thinking about engagement photgraphs... that was not what I thought of even in years ahead of me.

When I raised my hand to pull at my hair, the diamond ring in my finger shone. Since Jace had slipped it onto me, it was the first time I was noticing it. It was definitely a princess cut small diamond, sparkling louder than a chandelier. A platinum plain band ran around my finger and lifted the diamond on top. I felt a flip in my heart and a smile stretched my lips.

Jace bought this ring with me years ago. When we went shopping once and he said he wanted to buy it for his mother. I didnt know what he had in mind until the moment I watched my hand tucked in this ring.

I turned to look at a laughing Jace with my dad.

What the hell was I going to do?

Run away...

Or marry him?

I craved a beer and that's what I headed for in that moment.