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)

The explanation does nothing to calm the feeling of dread i no doubt had been feeling ever since I'd walked into this place.

The walls and it's fancy trimmings feel like a steel trap now. That's how I feel now that I'd heard the whole truth of the story. "Why didn't you tell me all this before?" I ask Adrain and i I can see his face crumple as he refuses to meet my eyes "I could have lost my life in there" I say and he looks at me with open pleading eyes, the sort that people used when they want to say they're sorry I can't seem to take my eyes off the way his face falls in trepidation of what I will do next.

" I'm not going to leave" I tell him "but I need some answers", and that's what we spend the rest of the night doing. I ask questions and he gives me answers, and if he doesn't seem to know anything about it, he simply tells me so.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth in the first place?" I ask him and he shrugs his shoulders like it's something he's already ashamed of. "I didn't want you to leave" he says and I know that it was an honest answer.

"Look, if you're going to keep this arrangement between us, I want us to be as open as possible with each other. I don't want to go walking into a trap and have myself poisoned the next minute, in case you haven't noticed I'm too young to die" I say and he chuckles.

I stretch out my hand for a handshake, and he takes it and we shake on that agreement. Now, the problem that has been at the back of my mind since we entered his room, how do we sleep?. He seems to notice my hesitation at lying on the bed, and he gives me a reassuring smile. He takes some pillows and put them on the floor, and he lays down his head to sleep.

I lay down on the bed and face the ceiling thinking of what exactly I've gotten myself into. I could have just as easily been killed this evening if Arden to come to my rescue, if she hadn't been there with the steel resolve in her eyes.

I would be preparing to meet father and mother by this time. The way those people took the poison still scared me as I just can't help but think of what fate lies ahead of thier children now, the kids that they sacrificed so much for, the kids that they loved up to the very end, the kids they got into that mess for in the first place.

I can only imagine the level of love and dedication that would have taken. I also had parents like that once, I can't seem too imagine what would have happened if my parents did that for me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. My mind strays to Adrian as I notice that the floor would seem terribly cold. I thow the duvet over him and I can't help but smile at what tommorow would bring. I almost wonder how Adrain lived all these years?.

Chapter 33