On The Border - Marry Him Or Die

2.45

Angelina’s POV

I wear a navy blue jogger pants and a grey fitting sweater then take a look at myself in the mirror.

My face was paler than usual. I had some dark circles under my eyes that I never had before. I looked like shit, and it wasn’t surprising given everything that happened to me recently.

My hair was damp but when I took a look around the bathroom and the room searching for a diffuser to dry it, I couldn’t find it.

I headed out of my room, about to knock on April’s room to ask her for one when I ran directly into Lucas, just outside my door.

He was standing in the middle of the hallway looking a little nervous.

His eyes snapped to meet mine and I noticed him checking me out from head to toe before he went back to gazing at my face.

I also couldn’t help myself as I took a general look at him too.

He looked like he just stepped out of the shower himself. His hair was still damp, he was wearing black loose pants and a black hoodie.

“Are you feeling better now?” he asked quietly as he took a couple of steps towards me and stood directly in front of me.

“Yeah, I am” I said simply.

He chewed on his lower lip, struggling with whatever was on his mind that had him standing outside my door in the first place, probably.

When he didn’t say anything for about a minute, I asked him firmly “Do you guys have a diffuser?”

“A what?” he asked in confusion.

Yeah, he was probably the last person I should have asked about this.

“it’s a… kind of like an extension you attach to the end of a blow dryer to dry curly hair, it looks kind of like a big shower head with thick spikes coming out of it” I explained.

“Oh….uh…no I don’t think we have that sort of thing. I mean you’re kind of the first person with a curly hair that stayed here. I can have Mathew hit the town and find it for you” he said firmly as he reached for his phone from his side pant pocket.

I said hurriedly “No, No, it’s okay. It’s not necessary at all. Don’t trouble him please. I’ll just let it air dry”

“It’s no problem. Besides, you could get sick in this weather if you leave your hair wet like that. It’s…. A diffuser right? That’s what It’s called?” he asked as he typed on his phone.

“Yeah” I said, giving in to his insistence on getting me one.

“Done, it’ll probably be here in half an hour or so” he said happily as he tucked his phone back in his pocket.

He went back to battling with himself for a few seconds before he blurted out “I wanted to ask you something”

“okay?” I said carefully.

He scratched the back of his head and said nervously “I know you understood the real reason for doing what I did back at Mathew’s house… you know… with the touching part and binding you with the tape…. But uh…. I wanted to know, have you forgiven me?”

I blinked several times, trying to comprehend his question.

He seemed a hell of a lot nervous and wary of my answer. Almost like he was desperate for my forgiveness and it kind of baffled me.

“Why does it matter to you if I forgive you or not?” I asked in confusion.

He gave me a puzzled look as he asked “Why wouldn’t it matter to me?”

I hesitated before saying what I said next, but I didn’t know what else I could say to him “Because…. You don’t strike me as someone who seeks forgiveness or salvation from anyone outside your family. You do what you do and you don’t care what it does to those around you as long as it doesn’t affect the people you care about”

He said sharply and instantly “I care about you”

I scoffed “Since when?”

He blinked and said seriously “I don’t know since when, but I know that I do. And you’re right. I’m not the kind of person that asks for forgiveness from just anyone. I reserve that for my family, which if you haven’t noticed, includes you now as well”

I was touched with those words. Him admitting that he cares about me and that he sees me as part of his family now, but it’s not true, is it?

I could never belong here. It wasn’t possible. Not after everything that happened and is about to happen in a couple of days.

They were extremely kind to let me into their house and let me stay here for a while especially after they learned who I really am, but I don’t see myself belonging with them.

“You have a funny way of showing that you care about me” I said dryly.

He winced at that and lowered his eyes to the ground.

“Is that a no then?” he asked stiffly as his eyes darted back up to meet mine.

I don’t get it. Will he really be that sad and devastated if I said no? I’m no one to him. Literally no one. Why would he care whether I’m mad at him for what he did to me?

I sighed and said honestly “I understand why you did it, Lucas. As long as you don’t pull off something like that again if your plan doesn’t work, then we’re cool”

He looked genuinely relieved as he released a breath I didn’t know he was holding and gave me a small smile “Thank you, it will never happen again, I swear”

I gave him back the same smile and started walking down the stairs to put an end to this awkward conversation.

Everyone was already in the dining room, waiting for us to arrive.

We had a peaceful silent dinner then moved back to sit together in the living room.

Sara served strawberry cheesecake again and we all couldn’t resist from having a slice, it was heavenly.

Mathew was able to find me a diffuser and gave it to Sara to put it in my room for me.

I was struggling with something ever since dinner started and I was itching to ask about it.

After a stretch of silence, I gathered my courage.

“Lucas, I need to ask you something” I said in a small voice.

I was sitting in front of him on the long sofa, in the middle between April and Diana. Him and David were sitting in the arm chairs opposite us.

He looked at me interestingly and nodded his head for me to ask away.

“Zade’s men…. He said they will be waiting by the border to take me once he hands himself over to you and I was wondering….are you going to?” I asked nervously.

“Hand you to them?” he asked stiffly.

“Yeah” I said hesitantly.

He stared at me for a while before he asked curiously “Do you want me to hand you to them?”

I gulped and struggled with my answer. Honestly? I was confused as hell about my fate.

“If you don’t, they’ll just keep coming after you” I said in a scared tone.

He shook his head and said sharply “That’s not what I asked you”

Why does he look mad at me?

I stared at him, unable to say anything.

“Do you want to go with them?” he pressed when I didn’t speak again.

“No, but I…” I start to mumble but he cuts me off intensely “Then I won’t let you go anywhere near them”

“But they won’t stop! They’re going to retaliate when you break the deal you made with Zade!” I protest.

“They will not be able to do a damn thing, because I will take care of them. You can trust me. As long as you don’t really want to be a part of that world, I will not let anyone force you into it” he said determinedly.

I press my lips. I didn’t like it. Him fighting my battle for me. Endangering himself and those around him for me. He could easily hand me over to them and get rid of a huge headache he is better off bringing to himself, but he won’t.

I mean the headache is coming either way right? He will be killing their boss, so a retaliation was inevitable whether he hands me over or not. At least that’s what I was telling myself in order to accept and understand his protection of me. He will kill them to protect his family and the rest of the town, not just for me.

“Is there something else you’re wondering about?” he asked curiously.

“Yeah, there is” I said determinedly.

“What is it?” he asked, playing with his stubble beard absently.

“That fake ID you promised me before, are you really able to provide it for me? For real this time?”