How he’d rolled his eyes, pacing and throwing out his hands. “What the fuck do you want from me?”
I couldn’t tell him because I didn’t know. Didn’t know why it hurt so much when he missed dates or forgot to call, and why it hurt even more when he was there. But somehow, that was more bearable.
There was more pain when he pulled out his hunting knife and ripped off the sleeve of my shirt. “Now you’ll remember,” he repeated as he dug the sharp point into my forearm, making the first rough line. “Now you’ll remember who saved your life. Now you’ll remember you don’t need to bother me with your questions.”
And I remember the blood that had fallen from my wrist and sunk into the wood of my bedroom floor. How the pathetic splatter of it is still there today.
But he had left.
And he left with his name carved into my arm and my blood on the floor.
Now, he smiles down at me. “You don’t have to look so concerned. I’m home now.”
“It’s just—” He cuts me off with a kiss. His mouth covers mine, and his tongue slips between my lips. As he moves against me, I struggle to pull my sleeve back down over my arm. A rough hand travels down my body, groping at my breast through my t-shirt, then snaking around to cup my bottom.
“I missed this ass,” he murmurs into my ear. “The city girls are so skinny. Nothing to grip.”
“Lucas.” Ice floods my body as I picture him there. How many girls had he slept with?
“Don’t be jealous, gummy bear.” He tilts his head to the side, a half-smile on his face. “You should thank those city girls. How else could I realize what I want?”
I swallow in a dry throat. “What do you want?”
“Speaking of that, we have to get down to our party.”
“Wait.” He grasps my arm and pulls me back into the crowd. “Ourparty?”
I’m not sure why, but there’s a pit in my stomach, growing and growing. A foreboding, like as soon as Lucas leads me out into the fray, something is going to happen. Something is going to change. Something that can’t be undone.
I’m not ready. I’m so not ready.
Lucas drops my arm, then jumps onto the table in the middle of the crowd. He gestures for them to quiet.
“Alright, folks!” his voice booms. “There’s good news and there’s bad news. What do we want first?”
The crowd vibrates with anticipation, cheering and raising their mugs of ale.
“Alright, alright.” Lucas waves his hands to settle them down. “I’ll start with the good news. I’ve officially decided to take over the Hunting Lodge from my parents!”
The surrounding crowd erupts in a cheer, and his dad wipes a tear away with a napkin.
“Expect some modern improvements, though always keeping with long-standing family traditions and values.” Lucas flashes a smile. He really is handsome, his hair glowing a burning red in the flickering light of the fire. “Now for the bad news.”
An uneasy murmur passes through the crowd. I take a step back.
“With taking on the responsibility of the lodge,” Lucas continues, “I’ve had to consider other responsibilities as well. And as of tonight, I’m officially off the market!”
A few laughs burst through the crowd, and I see a group of girls clutch at each other and start whispering. Something dangerous churns within me.
A boom radiates through the lodge as Lucas jumps down from the table to stand in front of me. Then he’s not standing anymore. He’s kneeling.
There’s a small box in his hands, and he opens it. A diamond, square and huge, and the light of it is so bright I blink back tears.
“Break the hearts of everyone in town and be my wife, pumpkin?” Lucas smiles, eyeing the crowd.
Lucas…
Lucas is proposing to me.