Chapter 43: Please marry me!.

I don’t wait for Lysander to say anything. The moment I step out of Uncle Lorenzo’s office, I start walking.

I hate him, I hate everything about him, I hate his stupid family.

And right now, I hate the fact that I have to ask him for anything.

I turn down the hallway and push open the door to the library.

I step inside and the familiar smell of old books and polished wood fills my lungs.

I walk farther in as I hear the door open behind me then close.

My heart beats faster.

I spin around.

"Okay. Spill."

Lysander stands against the closed door, arms loosely folded over his chest.

His face is unreadable.

"Spill what?"

I stare at him.

"The fact that you faked the bloodied sheets and you probably knew my sister wasn’t a vir.....

Before I can say another word, he pushes away from the door and crosses the distance between us.

"What are you...."

His hand comes over my mouth.

My back nearly hits the bookshelf and my eyes widen as for one stupid second, I forget what we’re even arguing about.

Because he’s close, a little too close. His body blocks mine from the room, and suddenly I’m engulfed in his scent.

That same scent, the one I remember from four years ago.

Rain, something warm and distinctly him.

It’s fucking good....Way too good and before I can stop myself, I inhale.

Just once.

A deeper breath, trying to get more of it.

Then my brain catches up with my body.

What the hell am I doing? I shove him away hard.

"Don’t ever touch me again."

His eyes remain on mine.

"Like I want to be anywhere near you."

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand even though there’s nothing there.

My pulse is hammering but I refuse to acknowledge it.

"Good. Now that we’ve established that, spill."

He gives me a look.

"You don’t tell me what to do, pequeño motín."

*little riot.*

I blink.

"What the does that even mean?"

He says nothing and that irks me.

"Whatever that means, fuck you."

Something almost resembling amusement touches his mouth.

I hate that too.

I point at him.

"You knew my sister wasn’t a virgin, yet you presented the sheets. Why?"

His expression hardens.

"How do you know I knew?"

I scoff.

"I didn’t peg you for a fool, Lysander. You shouldn’t peg me as one too."

His jaw tightens.

Good. At least I’ve managed to annoy him.

"You knew and you still married her."

"I had to."

"No."

I step closer.

"You wanted to."

His eyes narrow.

"Careful."

"I’m not scared of you."

"You should be."

"That’s the problem with men like you."

I cross my arms.

"You think everyone is supposed to tremble when you lower your voice."

He stares at me and I stare right back.

The silence stretches then I ask the question that matters.

"What is your end goal? Tell me."

"Now why would I do that?"

I exhale sharply.

"Because your wife is pregnant with another man’s child."

His face doesn’t move.

"And?"

"And you’re supposed to care."

He scoffs

"Tell me what you’re planning."

"No."

I glare at him.

"You’re turning me in circles and I’m getting angrier just talking to you."

"That sounds like a personal problem."

"You’re unbelievable."

"I’ve been called worse."

"Probably by people who survived long enough to tell you."

His eyes flash and the room goes completely still.

"Okay."

I point between us.

"Let’s do it like this."

He waits.

"I’m very sure your people and mine won’t appreciate the fact that you broke tradition and cheated them."

His eyebrows lift slightly.

I continue.

"They just watched you walk downstairs with bloodied sheets. They think you consummated your marriage."

I take another step toward him.

"But if they find out those sheets were fake..."

I let the sentence hang as his gaze becomes colder.

"Is that a threat, Nerissa?"

I shrug.

"I don’t know. Take it however you will."

A slow smirk appears on his face and right there, I get the feeling that I might have just poked the devil.

But will I back down? No. Very mature of you, Nerissa

He pushes away from the bookshelf.

"You aren’t in any place to throw around threats. Because I control this little game right now."

He walks past me.

"Lysander."

He doesn’t stop.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to the office."

"That’s it?"

He reaches the door.

"You wanted answers. You got them."

"I didn’t get anything!."

He opens the door.

"Then perhaps you should have asked better questions."

The door begins to close and suddenly I realize what is about to happen. If he walks out of this room, he goes back to Uncle Lorenzo and Olivia’s secret becomes a ticking bomb.

Nathaniel could die, Olivia could lose her baby, the truce could collapse and I can’t let that happen.

I don’t know what makes me say it, maaybe fear, maybe desperation.

Whatever it is, the words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

"Please marry me!"

He stops. Looking completely still.

His head slowly turns.

"What?"

My heart is pounding so violently that I’m sure he can hear it.

I swallow.

"Marry me."

His expression changes. Not into shock exactly, something harder to read.

I force myself to continue.

"Marry me and let’s forget about my sister’s pregnancy."

He turns around fully now he’s staring at me like I’ve lost some brain cells.

I suddenly feel very exposed but I don’t move.

I can’t.

"If you marry me," I say, "then everyone gets what they want."

His eyes narrow.

"What exactly do you think everyone wants?"

"The families still have their alliance."

I begin counting the reasons on my fingers.

"The Sanchez family gets a Luciano bride, the Luciano family keeps the agreement, the marriage isn’t broken and nobody has to know that Olivia was already pregnant."

His gaze remains fixed on me.

"And what do you get?"

The question catches me off guard.

"What?"

"What do you get out of this?"

I almost laugh.

"Nothing."

"That’s a lie."

I look away because he’s right.

I would get Olivia’s freedom, I’d get Nathaniel’s life, I’d get the chance to keep my sister from becoming another casualty of the war between our families.

But there is something else, something I refuse to say.

I look back at him.

"I get to protect my sister."

He studies me for a long moment thn he walks toward me until he’s standing directly in front of me again.

My body immediately remembers how close he was before.

And i hate it.

He lowers his voice.

"You hate me."

"Yes."

"You threatened me."

"Yes true ."

"You just blackmailed me."

"I prefer negotiation."

His mouth twitches.

"And now you’re asking me to marry you."

"Yes."

For the first time, his expression becomes completely serious.

"And you have no idea what you’re asking for."

I hold his gaze.

"Then tell me."

I don’t look away.

"Marry me, Lysander."

The words come out quieter this time but more certain.

"Take me instead."