#6

MEDDIE'S POV

Today is the day I marry him. Tonight I leave for my home. If I do anything he doesn't approve of, my friend will suffer the consequences of my actions.

I want to run away. From him. From my life. I want my mom. I want my best friend. I can't handle it anymore!

I don't want to marry him. I can't marry him.

I would never be happy with this marriage.

Who can be happy with a forced marriage?

I had such big dreams for my wedding day. I had plans for my wedding. Where it would be held, who I would invite, what different delicacies would be there, what I would wear and so much more.

A dream… that's all it is now. A fucking dream!

I hate him. I hate him so much!

"Do you take Damiano Dragos Yuri as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

I feel him squeezing my hands. But I can't say 'I Do'.

I just can't.

Another squeeze of the hand.

His grip is becoming more and more painful as the seconds tick by.

I don't even look up. I don't want to look into his eyes. I don't want to look at his face.

Even though he is a handsome man, in my eyes he's the ugliest man on earth right now.

"Say I do." His warm breath tickles the hair held captive behind my ears. His voice reaches my eardrums. But still, I am unable to follow through.

I keep looking down. In front of my vision is white. The dress that I've been forced to wear. I never wear dresses. Don't like them. At all.

'Or skirts.'

'shut up you stupid ass conscience.'

The dress is simple. Tight to my chest but flowy from the waist down. It's not fancy. It's just there to fulfill a requirement. That's all.

He leans back. I can see the gun he's carrying with him in the waistband of his black pants. It's all matte black.

Still very calm.

Then, he snaps his fingers together. I look to my right. There stands Stuti, with a gun to her head, in one of his goon's grip.

"I do. I do. I do. I DO!!" I scream the last I do. I don't want to feel anything right at this moment. Not the tears that slip past the barrier of my eyes, trailing down my cheeks. Not the kiss he pressed to my lips. Nothing.

I want to be numb.

We are still on Stuti and I's vacation, technically. Not one single soul in my family knows what's happening right now. My friends don't know that now I'm married - according to his culture. At 18. What will I even say to my parents? What will I tell my friends?

Today was supposed to be day 14 of Stuti and I's two week trip, the last day. Tomorrow we were supposed to return to our regular mundane lives. I wasn't supposed to be married. I was supposed to have fun. To live my life. But no. Life isn't that just. Life can't bear to let you have fun.

The day I was kidnapped along with Stuti, and after I had the fight with him, he left us locked in that room for hours I believe. We were clinging on to each other like babies. We cried so much that day. I can't believe I still have tears left after that day.

He came back to talk to me. The other guy was there too. The green eyes. The one who had taken Stuti. That guy came into the room, didn't speak anything. Just grabbed Stuti and took her out of the room.

I've never been this scared of anyone in all my life as I was at that exact moment. So many thoughts ran rampant in my head. It was chaos inside. Utter mess of thoughts and feelings.

He shushed me as I was about to ask him where Stuti was taken to. I didn't want to be apart from the only support I had in this place. She was the only strength I had right now.

"I'm here to talk to you and make some things very clear to you." He paused for a second.

"I'm going to marry you." Another pause. I couldn't say anything at the time. He did not only have me, but he held my dear friend hostage too. I couldn't risk him getting angry again. I'd already made that mistake once.

I remained mum.

"You and your friend are going to stay here for the rest of your vacation period. My men will bring your clothes and everything else here. I will allow you to contact your family, in front of me. If you try escaping from this house, I will hurt your friend. And I will make you watch." Another pause for emphasis.

"On the last day of your vacation, you and I will be man and wife."

"That way you will be my wife according to my customs." He smirked. I could only look. I didn't have anything to say to him. Nothing at all.

"The consequences of your actions will befall your friend." I didn't notice it before, but with every sentence he was inching closer to where I sat on the bed.

"I'm allowing you and your friend to stay in this room together. You make one mistake, and you'll be shifted to my room, cuffed to my bed so you can't move. One mistake. And your friend will go to the basement."

He was now leaning over me on the bed. One of his knees beside my thighs. One of his arms stretched over my head. Face looking down upon me.

I was barely holding myself through whatever he said. I don't know if I can truly register in my mind the extent of his words. Everything's chaos.

"Capisce?" ( Do you understand?)

I nod my head. Not fully knowing what I'm agreeing to. But what else do I do? He has my friend at gun point.

He then takes a velvet ring box out of his suit jacket's pocket.

My eyes widen. What! The! Actual! Fuck! How many years was he waiting for this moment?

"This is the engagement ring. It's a family heirloom. You take this off of your finger, and I will shoot your friend." He stares into my eyes. Making sure his point got across.

What do I even say to him? He threatens Stuti before he even completes his sentences. Every sentence that comes out of his mouth is just another threat to Stuti's life. And I have to obey everything he says, otherwise he'll hurt her.

He stands straight and pulls me into a standing position in front of him. I've never stood this close to a boy before let alone a man.

He takes my left hand and places the ring on my finger. Looking down, the ring is beautiful. It's a big blue sapphire surrounded by many little diamonds around it.

However beautiful the ring is, it signifies my imprisonment. My imprisonment to Damiano forever. And I can't object to it. I can't deny anything he says.

I felt two fingers under my chin. He pulled my head upwards and kissed me on the cheek. I close my eyes and sigh. At least he didn't steal my first kiss from me.

He smirked again, somehow understanding the meaning behind my sigh. He leaned down to my ear, kissed it and whispered, "I'll take your first kiss on our wedding day."

I think he likes watching me in this state. Helpless, crying, obedient.

He pulls back, stares at me for a couple seconds and goes to open the door. Finally some words escape me, "what if I don't want to marry you?" I had thought I had spoken softly and the words wouldn't reach his ears. But they did.

"Say that again?" His voice was rising now. He was getting angry.

"Nothing." I look at him. He has taken an aggressive stance. Ready to pounce on me if I say another wrong word.

He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it. Thinking something over.

Pointing his index finger at me he speaks, "You can throw that thought out of your head. You try anything, anything at all, I won't be able to stop myself from what will happen next. Do you FUCKING UNDERSTAND ME?!" I was startled at the angry tone of his voice.

I begin nodding my head with fervour. I don't want to cross him right now.

He takes a deep breath, "I'll send some food up for you and your friend", and leaves. The door left open behind him.

A couple of minutes later Stuti re-enters the room. She looks like she has been crying. I look over her form, making sure she's not hurt.

"What did he say? What did he want? Meddie? What did he say?" Her voice was hoarse. She must've been screaming at that goon who took her.

"He said someone would bring food for us in a while."

That's the first thing that came out of my mouth. My thoughts were like a puzzle. Jumbled together. Not able to set straight.

"Meddie… what did he talk to you about?" She softened her voice further. I could tell she was trying not to lose her patience with me. I gave her a blank stare.

"We… we are to st-stay here for the r-rest of our vaca- (hiccup) -tion. I am, I am-m to m-m-marry him on our l-last day here (hiccup). If I don't, he...he will h-hurt you." And then I started sobbing again. I've never cried so much in my life.

Stu comes forward to hug me.

I'm trapped in this room. I have to live in his house for the next several days to come. And I have to marry him.

Can life get any worse?

I was brought back from my flashback by a tug on my waist. I'm married to him. According to him and his customs, I'm his wife.

How will I tell my parents anything? How will I explain to them why I have two rings on my left hand? How will I explain anything to them?

What has my life come to?

"You will sleep in my room tonight." I can hear the victory in his tone. Like he achieved the most precious trophy there is in the world.

I look up at him shocked. Yet again my brain is left in such a frenzy that I can't formulate a single word.

Sleep… in his room… tonight…

'I am not giving up my virginity to a forced fucking marriage!'

"I w-want to be with m-my friend."

"You'll sleep in my room tonight. With me. On my bed. And that's final."

"B-but-" he put a finger up, stopping me from continuing.

"No buts. I've been very understanding with you. I've let you contact your friends and family-"

"Once." I say, venom in my voice. Fire in my eyes.

"DON'T cut me off again." His accent comes through when he's angry.

"As I was saying, I've been understanding with you. I've let you contact your loved ones. I've let you be with your friend. I'm letting you go home for the next three years. I want to have this night with you on my bed."

"But-" he glared at me harshly.

"The contract you signed makes you my wife legally. There's only one thing that's left to do, to completely make you my wife. If you know what I mean." I hate his fucking smirk.

"I'm not sleeping with you. I'm not gonna lose my virginity to a monster."

"Oh baby! You are in no position to oppose me. I can take anything from you. Whenever I want. Wherever I want. Do you understand baby girl?" His smug face irritated me to no end.

Oh my god! I hate his fucking smirk. I wanna rip his lips off his face.

"I want to call my mom."