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)

We have a breakfast in comfortable silence, and occasional bouts of chatter and laughter.

It is a very pleasant morning as I can hear the chirping of a few birds outside, and my mind seems to go blank on how such a beautiful place could hold such monsters in it.

Adrian seems nervous about something and I can feel the nervous gaze he tries to hide deep in his blue orbs.

"What.... is the matter?" I ask him making my voice sound exhausted, like the way he was trying to hide whatever this was had gotten me tired of noticing it.

He gave me a short chuckle, and his eyes dropped to the cups of cappuccino that I had made for us. He sips is a little and his eyes look up to mine.

I think my people reading instinct kicks in at this time, as I can see the effort that he's making trying so hardly to reassure himself of something, and yet he's scared down to his bones, and he's scared of something but yet he still tries to make himself act brave.

I almost wonder if this thing is a particular event, or mistake he might have made, or something else, or if this thing could simply be the mystery that is life.

It seems the look he has in his eyes is the same way I would be approaching life from now on. I would be approaching it with fear in my heart, and yet always encouraging myself because I do not want to let down the people that I love, or if it really matters, the people I am coming to love.

It makes me realise there and then that there is one fundamental thing I see in Adrian, it's self encouragement and self assuredness. He's afraid of letting us down, and that is exactly what makes me know he's brave as it.

"Is it going to be something that's going to happen today?" I ask him, and he nods slowly, but he acts lile no answers are forthcoming.

It's almost like he wants to protect me from whatever is going to happen. I can't say I appreciate that just too much.

"Adrian, please be honest with me" I say not making it sound too whiny, that would probably make him feel guilty. I make it sound straight to the point with exactly just a little bit of humour carved into it.

He regards me with a shy glance, and I can see he's really reluctant to tell me about this thing.

"Adrian please..." I say to him throwing a bit of a chuckle inside my sentence to make him feel more reassured. We aren't going to discuss anything and everything today, today simply isn't the day for that sort of nervousness and heart pounding dread.

"You know the winter games aren't actually just about getting enough connections, right?" I shake my head at this, and he drags a hand through his own hair. The hair that I had earlier ruffled with mine, and that seemed so soft to the touch.

"The Winter games, are actual games that run throughout the Christmas period, and people die during these games. One of them is today". I feel my breath catch in my throat.

Chapter 79