Th_omas

" How about we help each other?" He says and I look up at him, eyes still wet from the tears streaming down my cheeks, heart freshly broken from the public humiliation and betrayal that was Lucas's breakup. I can faintly make out the first droppings of snow floating magically under the light of the street lamps. It's that time of the year, a time for wool coats, a time for relaxing, none of which I'll be doing. "I'm an orphan with a wicked aunt and a boyfriend who left her because she has nothing to her name, how could I possibly help you?" I say another sob escaping my lips. "Marry me" he replies and my eyes widen in anger. Is he mocking me?. I look into the eyes of this stranger and see he's dead serious. "I need a wife, you need a home, marry me and you'll have all you want". I nod.

A Snowy Marriage (A Christmas agreement)

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask voice still in the same hushed tone that practically everyone else is using to speak, for a good minute i see the faces of the two people near me turn painfully rigid, before they burst out laughing all the while trying to hold in the way thier body seems to want to fall on the floor and let out wracking convulsions of laughter.

I think they're messing with me but the solemn faces of the others that also stand in the crowd, makes me know something serious is going on here, though the two people beside me might not be too serious themselves.

The gaze of one particular person lands on me, and I turn my head in fear expecting to see the face of the woman on the seat like throne staring disapprovingly at me, I don't find her gaze though.

Instead I catch the gaze of a person who has eyes like the sun. Arden stands up effortlessly and blocks me from his line of sight and she looks at me with an expression, like hadn't she just told me to stay away from him.

My cheeks turn red at this accusatory glance that she gives me, and I can't help but feel I'm being wronged by these two people. I had to ask a question only to have them laugh thier heads off, and make me almost get lost in eyes that had the ability to capture your heart and your soul in one fell swoop.

I feel like digging my grave and just plain burying myself in it now that i might have the chance. There's no telling what could happen tomorrow and I'd better meet death on my terms, than on the terms of some...., what exactly are these people again.

Adrian seems to catch the worried expression in my eyes and suprisingly, he comes to hug me just placing his hand above my shoulders and burying my head in the light fabric that made me feel I'd almost come into a feather light touch of his chest.

He's taller than me, and so I only stop below his shoulder or so, not so tall that we'd seem oddly mismatched, but tall enough that I can enjoy the sound of his beating heart and the heat radiating off him In this darned winter weather.

The way Adrain acts sometimes makes me forget that he's just a teen like me. It makes me forget that he's also someone who's meant to be living life to the fullest at this stage of his life, he's also meant to be as free as a bird and fly wherever he wants to. I look around at the room full of people, people I barely know, people who are all probably just my age or just some years older. I can see the grim determination in thier eyes, as they make me get the mental image of a cavalry waiting for instructions.

They'd all forsaken thier free lives to play hostage in this dumb place for every two months. I find out we are all truly waiting for orders as a few moments later, the details to the winter games are finally revealed.

Chapter 38