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 ripple of her laughter as they seem to bounce along the walls is scary, and I almost hide behind Adrian, but he looks at me and the message reading in his eyes makes me know that she can't do anything to me without any sort of evidence.

She's only doing this to scare me, to scare all of us in this room, and from the way I can see some people's face falling, I know that she's succeeding.

This woman should basically be twice the age of the oldest person here, and yet she seems to have so much crazy grins that I wonder if she didn't set this up.

I remember the calculated part of her, that I had noticed earlier on and that part was telling me that each and every action that she took had a motive behind it. If it was to instill fear, or to instill shock, or to just make us feel less than. Each and everything this woman in front of me does is calculated, especially how I noticed now that it is only the younger generations that are here.

I doubt if the elders, as Adrian had referred to them, had been here, she would be acting so crazy and screw loose.

I think i mutter those last words to myself, and Arden's face contracts In trying to hold back her laughter.

It seems no one is speaking a word here and I notice this monster of a woman's stare come back and land on me. I do not show the slightest trace of fear this time as I remember the one that Arden and given to me.

If I made just one mistake, I could end up in my grave if I made the stupid mistake of smiling or going in as my mind was currently suggesting. I would find myself in a shallow grave if I made the mistake of cowering before her eyes, I could be accused of being the one that killed this young girl and then I wouldn't even have a grave at all.

I seem to consider all my options to avoiding whatever noose this woman who seems so intense plans, while inflicting pain on me, and so I did.

I did what I have been doing for five years now, I kept a straight face while I let every other thing around me go to hell. The resolve in my eyes seems to surprise her as I can see the audible gasp that she takes while I keep my face neutral.

Each and everything that she does could be a plan for me to suddenly fall into this ditch she seems so intent on trapping me in, a good deal of the eyes in this place is trained on me right now and I always cringe from the amount of attention I was getting.

For some reason this woman seems to have an estranged look of familiarity in her eyes, like she knows me from a very far away place but I can't seem to have any recollection of her. I don't think I want to if this is the crazy way she behaves, she clears her throat and begins to address us on the nature of the winter games, that was a close one.

Chapter 44