No going back
1145 Words
I loosened my hold on Tessa and she shoved me away only for me to turn and watch Conrad march into the hallway with his wife after hearing their daughter's cry.
“What is it, Blair?" Her mother asked, the concern visible in her eyes.
Tessa took three steps away from me, not daring to meet my eyes while I watched her intensely, waiting for her to spill the tea.
"I caught them making out right here." Blair cried again and I sneered.
"Oh my God!” Her mother shrieked, clapping a hand over her mouth.
“What insolence." She proceeded to cast a dirty look at us.
"Come with me boy.” Her father ordered and walked past us, down the hallway and into an open door by the right.
Tessa hurried ahead, walking right behind him like I would eat her up if she was left with me.
I started to move towards the door.
"So disgusting." I stopped in my tracks after hearing Blair's comment.
"What, beggar? Want to hit me or something?" She provoked but I swallowed down the words hanging at the tip of my tongue and hobbled forward into the open door.
“Here! Sign." Conrad slapped the papers on the table the moment I entered.
I looked at the table and moved to take up the thing they called a pen, not having the faintest idea how it is used.
“Conrad. I…I don't think I want to do this anymore." Tessa said, shaking her head in the process, her eyes wide with fear.
My head snapped towards the direction where she stood hugging herself tightly as she trembled slightly.
“What nonsense do you mean by that?" Her father thundered, banging his fist on the table.
I watched her jump in fright.
“I… he…” She stuttered and shook her head.
I narrowed my eyes on her lips.
"Do you want to keep bringing ill luck to us by refusing to officially get married?” He asked, banging both fists on the table this time.
She shook to her toes and began rocking herself forward and backward.
“I don't think I will want to get married to her either." I said boldly, holding my head high.
“What!?" Conrad's eyes bulged like he was being strangled by an invisible hand.
“You don't think you want to get married to her, but you could make out with her in the hallway?" He jumped to his feet and rounded the table, walking towards me.
“You misunder…”
A fist was sent flying towards my face and I dropped to the floor, feeling like my jaws would snap into two.
"Conrad!” She cried out, running towards us but not daring to interfere.
"How dare you try to scam me after a mutual agreement?" He stood astride me.
I laid still even as he fisted on the collar of my badly shaped cloth and threw another punch to my left eyes.
“Conrad!" She cried again.
“I will never get married to her against her wish." I declared, holding myself back from wincing.
“I will sign the PAPERS!" She shouted from where she stood and Conrad's hands hung mid-air.
“Say what?" He asked, glaring at me.
“I…I will sign them!" She repeated.
“Good." He hissed, letting go of my collar.
I laid on the floor, eyes to the ceiling.
“Tessa!" I called out as loudly as I could.
“The moment you sign those papers … there's no going back.” I huffed.
I wasn't looking at them but I could feel the hesitation in the air.
“Fine!" She mumbled and I breathed before struggling to sit up.
I watched her sign the papers with the strange object they called a pen, her tears falling rapidly on to the papers and soaking them up.
After she was done, she looked towards my direction and swallowed before walking towards me.
Bending her knees, she hooked her hand beneath my arm and struggled to raise me up.
“You signed the papers." I reminded her the moment I got hold of my cane.
She nodded once and looked away.
Hobbling towards the table, I took hold of the pen just like I had seen her do and scanned through the documents before writing my name beneath hers.
“Good!" Conrad exclaimed and snatched the papers from me before exiting the room.
Tiny stars exploded in my vision, the ache spreading from my left eyes to my head.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?" She was by my side in seconds.
I worked my jaws when the loud beat of her heart infiltrated my brain again.
Why could I only hear her heart beat and no one else's?
I grunted a response and shifted away from her a bit.
“You are hurt?" Her voice shook as she stared at my neck, avoiding meeting my eyes.
“Whatever you saw…forget it.”
She looked at me then, her green eyes dilated.
"Your eyes, they…"
“I said to forget it!" I clenched my jaw, irritated that my gum would choose this moment to get itchy as the flowery scent of her blood invaded my senses.
I walked slowly towards her while she stood rooted to the ground.
“Whatever we have ends on paper." She snapped her head up to meet my eyes and I stopped in my tracks.
I was just about to ask if I could trust her.
I was just about to confide in her.
“Fine." I spat but that didn't mean I was going to grant her a divorce later.
“I'll show you to our room later in the day." She had her fists clenched tightly by her side as she spoke to me.
“Come, let me treat your wounds."
“I am fine." I snapped.
How was I to tell her that I needed a sip of blood to instantly heal my wounds?
She stared at me for a bit before lowering her gaze. If only she could stop lowering her gaze.
“Where is she?" Her mother's voice broke the silence just then before she rushed into the study.
“What the hell are you doing here when the guests have long arrived and are waiting to be served?" She thundered.
Before I could say Jack, she had slapped Tessa across the face.
Tessa stumbled backwards, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears as she held her cheek.
I watched Tessa try not to cry and my vision switched to red and back to normal again.
“How dare you?" I bellowed.
She turned to look at me, face clouded in anger.
“You filthy…” She moved but I struck her first, the sound of my palm loud against her cheek.
- Writer
