On The Border - Marry Him Or Die

2.20

Angelina’s POV

To say I wasn’t scared shitless by his dark, cold, threat would be a total fucking lie.

Even my knees went weak from the intensity of every single word that came out of him.

Of course he knows that I’ve been lying to him! But how many lies was he able to catch from me? That, I had no clue about. One thing was for sure though, he still doesn’t know who I really am. Which is about the only reason why I don’t pass out of fear right here in this kitchen and instead, gather myself despite the terror coursing through me and speak steadily to him “And you think I owe you a single damn truth Lucas? You haven’t exactly given me any reason to trust you with them! You don’t get to stand here and threaten me about lying to you. I don’t owe you anything!”

“I saved you from those animals! If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead at the bottom of that mountain because there was no chance for those assholes to cross over that mountain without risking their car flipping over, and even if they managed to cross; and that’s a big fat if, you’d have been handed over to Zade to do god knows what with you! You owe me your fucking life! There’s nothing more deserving than that for you to tell the fucking truth!” he snapped at me coldly but somehow, it still managed to feel like he was slapping me with his searing words.

I had no come back for his words. Everything he said was true, I believed that. He did save me. If it wasn’t for him, I would have been taken to the last person I wanted to see in this world. Or killed in a car crash underneath those mountains.

So I said the only truth I could really mean and say to him, I meant to say it steadily, but my voice wavered despite my efforts as it came out so vulnerably “Maybe I didn’t want to be saved”

I was talking about me wishing I could’ve met my end at that mountain road and not about being taken and delivered to Zade.

Somehow, he knew exactly what I meant by that as his face softened much to my surprise. I was surprised that he both got my meaning, and wasn’t heartless enough not to let it affect him even though he doesn’t really know why I would prefer dying over being saved by anyone, let alone him.

The one who’d probably regret the second he saved my life from that probable death, when he finds out who he really rescued yesterday.

I jump and gasp softly at the sudden beeping of the microwave which came out too loud after the dead silence that fell between us during those ten seconds, making my heart shoot up to my throat.

Lucas walks around me and takes out the now warm casserole and puts it down on the table between the two plates. He finally decides to hit the lights, as he turns on the soft yellow lights coming from the small, antique, bronze chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the dining table.

He sits at the side chair and gestures for me to sit as well as he says more softly “Come eat before it gets cold”

“I prefer to starve than sit alone and eat with you, Lucas. Here’s another truth for you, don’t say I never gave you anything” I said flatly, not planning to be trapped into what was probably another attempt to mess with me, as I grabbed the bottle he put down for me on the middle counter, and turned away to head out the way I came from, when I heard him chuckle softly and shoot to stand in my way, blocking my exit.

He was looking down at me amusingly. We weren’t that different in heights really, but his muscled, toned body gave him a little more length compared to my small frame.

How the hell could he be so intimidating merely three minutes ago and still manage to smile at me with an amused look now?

I guess psychopaths can do it all.

“I won’t bother you with my words or be harsh again throughout the whole dinner. I’ll be the perfect gentleman, I promise” he said tenderly.

Damn that tenderness that catches my heart on fire every damn time he uses it!

“And if you break it, what then?” I ask curiously.

“I never break my promises” he said solemnly.

“Everyone breaks them at some point, even if they didn’t mean to” I said back immediately, thinking back to mom’s promise to stay with me until she’s very old and about a hundred years old.

Something flashes behind his eyes, but he’s quick to cover it up before he says in a sweet tone “Come on Hope, I’ve already admired your courage and strong will so far, don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little dinner with me now”

I close my eyes when he calls me that name again, barely fighting back tears and I don’t give a shit that I’m making it obvious every time he calls me with it that it’s not really my name, and there is nothing I’d love more than to ask him not to call me that name ever again but then I’d have to say my real one or come up with another fake and they were both off the table.

I blink several times, willing the tears to go back inside before I meet his gaze, which was a little sad if my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

“Fine. Let’s eat” I said in a small voice before I turned around and walked over to sit at the head of the table as he sat on my left.

I managed to gulp down the whole, 0.6 liters bottle of water in one single breath as he put down a serving of Lasagna into my plate.

“That brings back a certain memory” I heard him murmur to himself.

“What?” I ask curiously.

He shakes his head as he puts a serving into his own plate and says “Nothing, never mind. By the way, we have to take a picture of you first thing tomorrow, to start the process for your new ID”

My fork breaks a small piece of the Lasagna and freezes there as my eyes go back up to look at his expression, trying to catch any hint of deceit or lying, but I find none.

I nod my head silently in agreement and put the first bite inside my mouth, my eyes watering at the heavenly taste of melted cheese that devours my whole senses.

I resist the urge to moan as the bite dissolves in my mouth and I relish in it. It was so damn yummy, and it wasn’t because I haven’t eaten anything in forever, it was really tasty.

I sense him staring at me but I ignore him and decide to enjoy every single bite I could eat without his interruptions or any snide comments he enjoys throwing at me to provoke me and get under my skin.

Weirdly enough, he let’s me eat completely in peace, not saying a single thing the entire time as he eats his food in complete silence. But I could still feel his eyes on me almost the whole time, even though I don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me squirm under his uninterrupted gazing or return his weird staring with my own.

“Would you like another piece?” he asked gently when I finished the last bite on my plate.

I would go for a second and even for a third piece of that heavenly dish, but I decide against it. It has been so long since my stomach had any real food and I think it would be wise not to push it further.

I shake my head and say politely “As delicious as it tastes, I think I had enough. Thank you for the food,…. and the silent, gentleman company like you promised”

“You’re welcome” he said back just as politely before he got up, taking both our plates and forks, and putting them on the sink while opening the faucet to wash his hands and mouth.

He shuts it, dries his hands and mouth with the hanging towel by the nearby wall, and goes to the refrigerator to take out two sealed bottles of water.

He hands me one and takes several gulps from the other one.

I put mine on the counter and go wash the two dishes and the forks we ate with before washing my mouth and drying it with the same towel.

I turn around to find him putting back the casserole inside the refrigerator.

“You didn’t have to wash them. Sara could have done that in the morning” he said casually.

I vaguely remembered Sara to be the one who opened the front door for us and then showed me into the guest bedroom.

“It’s no problem. I like washing dishes” I said nonchalantly.

We stood there awkwardly for a few seconds. Neither of us saying anything.

I walked over to where he was standing by the center counter, and he watched me curiously as I approached him. As if he was expecting me to do or say something, which confused me a little.

What was he expecting exactly?

With my eyes glued to his, I reached for my water bottle that I left on the counter, and walked past him.

I stopped short just outside the kitchen entrance when he said smoothly “Good night, Merida”

I whirled around to face him and saw him looking at me in amusement again, leaning against the counter with his hands inside his front pockets.

“Merida?” I asked nervously.

He raised one eye brow at me and asked in mock disbelief “You don’t know princess Merida?”

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to stop my erratic heartbeat from exposing how nervous I really I am for the sudden name change.

“I know her. But I don’t know why you’re calling me her name” I said carefully.

He smiled at me smugly “isn’t it obvious? I mean you might not have the red color but your messy, wild, curly, thick, long hair is exactly the same. And let’s not forget those gem-like, deep blue eyes and that headstrong, stubborn personality. You’re a copy paste version of her. I think I’ll hold on to that nickname while you’re here. It suits you”

Well, it least it’s not…Hope anymore.

Wait a second…. did he do that on purpose because he noticed how much calling me that hurts me deeply every time?

No way.

That man who just threatened me very harshly merely half an hour ago cannot be that sensitive towards me now.

It’s just a coincidence.

I shake my head slightly and look back up to find him gazing at me with that same stupid, alluring smirk on his face.

As if he knows something that I don’t.

I purse my lips and say flatly “Good night, Lucas”

Then I turn around and head upstairs back to the privacy of my own bed and as far away from that confusing man named Lucas Snow.