Chapter Eighteen

Her heart was racing so rapidly, she felt her breathing suddenly stop. It's like he stole the stars in the sky and placed them in his eyes.

His glinting eyes searched hers, then traveled down her body then up to her flushed face.

She had to gasp for air before she suffocates and faint in front of him.

She gasped for air with her entire body still underwater. She quickly opened her eyes feeling all the water she inhaled rush in through her nose and mouth.

She could taste the soapy water and feel it in her throat. She quickly lifted her weight and rose to her seat in the bathtub panting heavily.

She started coughing off the water she gulped and spat it on the floor. It was a lot of water.

She hugged herself seating in the bathtub like a lost little girl.

The lather in her mouth gave her an insight into what death felt like. This is the second time she is putting herself through this kind of situation.

Shuddering she reached for her phone again. She needs to talk to him before she does something worse to herself.

She tried to catch her breath holding onto her chest.

It took a while before she could finally hold out her phone and call him. It rang twice before it stopped. But no one spoke from the other end.

She has no idea if Edward mentioned anything to him. It would give her a clue on what to say to him.

All she wanted was to hear from him, that's what matters to her now.

"Matteo?"

**

Matt lay on his bed staring into space. He keeps blaming himself for letting his brother come this far with his plans against his little Jemima.

She isn't like most girls he comes across. She taught him what having a close friend felt like.

He could vividly picture the day they met. Watching the sunset together was the most beautiful thing he could remember ever doing with anyone.

He loved spending his evening with a girl he only just met. Watching how her continual blushing made her look ridiculous.

Everything about her was ridiculous including her ugly outfit.

Yet he loved spending his evening with her. He makes him smile without a logical reason. It was

weird for him but he loved the feeling.

His phone started buzzing near his ear. He tilted his head to glimpse at the screen and saw the caller was his little Jemima.

He gritted his teeth. She had to call him right now.

What does she want to say, what does she want him to say?

It's over. Her signature concluded everything, they have nothing more to say to each other.

He reluctantly took his phone after it rang twice then he held it to his ear waiting to hear her voice.

"Matteo?"Her voice was soft and soothing in his ear. It felt like she was singing his name but in a very sad tone.

"Jemima," He replied her sounding as calm as he could. He didn't want her to detect anger in his voice.

His voice tonight reminded her of the Matteo she is used to. Kind and thoughtful.

"What happened today... At the meeting"

"What do you mean?"

"You asked me to marry you just when I agreed you act as if I did something wrong. You told me it was the only way you can help me," The sadness in every word she said hurt him.

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I do remember Jemima," His guilt was biting his conscience.

"Then what happened?" She inquired.

There's no way he can tell her the truth now. Not after he has let her sign a contract she might live to regret.

But leaving her to suffer for that decision hurts way more.

For the first time, Matt was at loss for words and had nothing to say to his Jemima. Not when those words are more lies.

"Matt are you still there?"

Matt rose to a seat on the bed. "Yeah,"

"Talk to me please, I know so much has happened. So much but that doesn't change anything. We're still friends, right?"

"I don't know Jemima, you can't be a friends with someone you hate." After their last date or meeting, he is very certain she hates him.

"I don't hate you, Matteo."

"Believe me I've tried to hate you but I couldn't."

He has no comment on that. It was quiet between them for a while before she continued talking.

"I do think about it, how you hurt me. I thought breaking up was Keith was heartbreaking but after everything I've suffered I realize meeting you hurts way more. You changed, more like I finally saw who you really are." She was stuttering all those words, he had to pay attention to every statement to understand what she was saying.

"I don't know why I can't hate you..." She wiped the tears from her face.

"Why then do you want to still be friends with a man like me? Your worse nightmare." Matt was subduing so many emotions, that his eyes turned red.

It was strange for a girl to still want to be close to the person she hates most in the world.

Jem bit her lower lip and then sniffled. She needed all the courage to be able to say what she had in mind to him.

"Because I love you."

The two became quiet. Matt knows this truth but hearing it from her felt different. It felt like he needs to say it back.

"It's not just because we are friends, I don't know but it's what my heart wants. To be with you."

"You don't know me, Jemima. And you think you love me."

"I don't think I love you, I know I love you and I know you are Silver. The infamous CEO, The Devil himself. I know about your ruthlessness. I don't care if we're going to be a couple I want you to know that I'm willing to be your wife.

"You have hurt me so much, Matteo, what more can you do if I become your wife? Kill me. Cause I feel like that's the only thing left on your list.

"I'll still take my chance regardless." Her voice was a lot more audible now.

He admired how brave she was to admit all that to him. It's what the world knows about him so he couldn't blame her.

Telling her his reputation is the least of her problems is very difficult for him.

"I don't know what you want to hear."

"Anything. Tell me anything as long as it's coming from your heart."

'You have no idea, if you did you would do everything to avoid me and everything that has to do with Silver.'

The last thing he wants is more lies between them. He doesn't know what love means but he is sure he cares for her more than anything in the world.

Saying it back to her means too little to him. He rather gets her out of his brother's trap before telling her she is the most important thing in his life.