[Main Character Narrates]
Wow I'm getting married, this couldn't get any crazier? I literally spat out my water out of disbelief, the maids whispered it all around and I just thought it was gossip, the way they drooled over him was, to me it was utterly pathetic.
Luke used all the softness of his baritone voice to lure me outside the dining room; he did a hell of a job.
What he told me next was a slap on my cheek; I was mesmerized by his eyes that I completely forgot I was against men.
"What the hell?! Where are you taking me to?" my brain finally kicked in.
He rolled his eyes, and I understood I was being annoying.
"I demand to know!" I shouted again, trying to sound intimidating.
"Can you just shut up? I had an agreement with your dad, to marry you and get you out of your misery, Aliyah. You probably don't know this but this is not a 'dream', it never was! I'm real, and so is the wound on you hand, I'm trying to get us out" he said, all in one breath as if he had been bottling it down for years.
He was at the verge of breaking, I felt like putting my hand on his shoulder to calm him down but I drew back.
"Are you trying to say that this is real?" I asked. Amused about how good my imagination had gotten.
After all he did to prove this was real I believed him, well, to an extent.
He came closer and my left hand had the reflex to punch him but I stood still. I had never kissed a guy before and I was determined to keep it that way. My body did a different thing, it tensed up and my eyes closed.
I wanted to lift my hand for a slap but he gave me pinch on my forearm, I knew at that point, this wasn't a dream so that was not relieving.
I finally said to him:
"You make this adventure worth it, now marry me!" I commanded.
That felt like a rush of adrenaline, I've never accepted anything but money and awards, I hope this is worth it.
***
It was finally morning, I went to the kitchen, rubbing my eyes and my daily waking up by midnight routine hasn't been keeping my body alright.
I groggily went to make 3 cups of coffee and hopefully do it right this time, I brought out a sachet of milk and poured it into my cup.
Once I was done, I took my (1) coffee and left the other two for Luke, knowing he's a coffee addict.
He hadn't come down so I brought the coffee upstairs to him. I knocked on his door and creaked it open, careful not to stumble and spill his precious coffee.
"Luke?" I whispered, he was still snoring, so I placed his coffee on his bedside table and mine in my hand, I tried to shake him awake, he didn't budge, with one final tug, the blankets flew open, and underneath wasn't Luke, but a sound recorder, that he potentially put there to deceive me, he placed pillows around to make it look like a person was there.
Sneaky brat.
I pulled out my phone to call him but it rang in the room next door, his study.
He couldn't.
Leave.
His.
Phone.
That's impossible, something was wrong. Deadly wrong.
***
Aliyah said yes to a man she didn't know, because she had to get out of her father's control, she had a newfound unspoken resentment towards him now; everything seemed fake, yet real.
Luke's eyes were hers for minutes, digging her soul out and her innermost desires; she finally tore her gaze from his stare. Her heart was racing and his hair that was now scattered seduced her even more.
"If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now." Aliyah muttered and Luke smiled, knowingly.
"Let's go back" he whispered into her ear. "Yeah sure” She was really convinced he had magical powers or he was an enchanter because she said those words with fear.
Luke led her back to the dining room to finalize her decision, Aliyah didn't want to marry him, and she wanted an adventure, an escape, a life. And she wasn't convinced this will be the change she needed.
She finally got to the dining room, and she glared at her father, he was fake, inside and out.
She managed to force a smile, a part of her mind didn't want a man, and the other part knew she didn't have a choice.
"Are you ready for your marriage?" Fredrick said, enthusiastically, all Aliyah could do was to groan and cough out a sarcastic "yay" she said rolling her eyes.
Luke grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Yes sir! I'll take good care of her!"
_'oh brother, this is too disgusting'_ he thought to himself. Aliyah wasn't pleased with his lips on her fingers; her fingers trembled in a way that was scary.
He wasn't a fan of the opposite gender either, apart from his sister and mother, he utterly despised them.
Her hands trembled, his lips quivered.
This wasn't his first time, yet he could clearly see the fear in her eyes, he needed her to trust him even if that meant he'd try all day and night, he inwardly promised to make this adventure worth it, even if he had to spend all day with her.
She smiled nervously and pulled her hand back. Luke got up from his position, and pulled out a ring from his pocket, he didn't have to ask her to marry him; she already knew she had to, to escape her dad, because she knew if she defied him now he'd trash her because her use is no more.