NovelEnglish"I'll marry you."
Those words, usually so full of promise and joy, hung heavy in the air, as they were tainted by the gravity of the moment and the
price of her freedom. Had they been spoken under different circumstances, she might have wept with happiness.
How could running someone over result in just a year behind bars? But when Fitch said one year, it meant that money would be
used to smooth things over, to gain the forgiveness of the victim's family,and to bargain for a lighter sentence.
One year. Just one year of her life in exchange for a future with Fitch.
Zoey leaned against the wall, oblivious to its chill—perhaps because her own body felt even colder.
She had so much to say, but Fitch's next words froze her in place.
"You wanted to marry me, didn't you?"
He knew. He remembered everything and had deliberately ignored her feelings.
She did have feelings for Fitch, deep ones.
But they were worlds apart. She had never known warmth, and had always yearned for it from others. Her mother's coldness only
fueled her desperate attempts to please her, which was a twisted mindset indeed.
Hfor her was like a decrepit wall, full of holes and about to crumble anytime, yet she stubbornly kept repainting it, convincing
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtherself it was still solid enough to lean on.
Fitch was different. He had learned early on not to rely on anyone. Affection was superfluous to him.
He couldn't understand the insecurities of a girl from a broken home—in fact, he found it almost laughable. If he deemed
something as broken as that wall, he'd probably pull out a gun and finish the job.
Zoey had grown up a clinging vine, never taught to stand alone in matters of the heart.
At fifteen, she met Murray, who helped her escape the shadow of her stepfather, and she clung to the most beautiful illusions of
love.
Fitch was numb to such sentiments. He could marry a stranger—a well-behaved heiress—and not bat an eye, as long as she didn't
stir up trouble like Wendy.
If Zoey was too dependent on love, Fitch was the epitof independence.
Zoey knew her mindset was unhealthy, and she longed for Fitch's self-reliance.
Because of this longing, she understood his allure better than most women.
And that was her downfall.
After all, we always chase what we don't have.
She never quite understood why she liked Fitch, but now it was becoming clear.
Fitch was shrewd. He knew what she wanted, but had withheld it deliberately.
So, the offer on the table was like candy to a child.
"You want to marry me? Serve tfor my sister, and I'll grant your wish."
Fitch's grip on her chin forced her to look up at him, and his face loomed over hers.
He always got his way with Zoey because he knew she'd never refuse.
Their lips met, and her hands were captured in his. Zoey was like a butterfly caught in a spider's web, unable to escape.
He kissed her for what felt like an eternity, until her pale lips turned red under his.
Then, cradling her face in his hands, he waited for her response.
He had never kissed her like that before, not even during the brief period he had lost his memory. His kisses were always brief, to
the point.
But Zoey loved to be kissed, and her eyes always begged him for more.
"Okay."
Looking into his face, she uttered the word.
Fitch let her go, and his expression turned cold immediately, as if he had conducted a business transaction.
Zoey touched her lips, feeling she was still processing the turn of events, even when he spoke with the police and the smug Mia
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmwas led away.
The cold metal of the handcuffs snapped around her wrists; it was a chillingly familiar sensation.
Standing before her, Fitch was silhouetted against the light, with a cigarette between his fingers.
His hand suddenly cradled the back of her head, pulling her towards him.
"I'm sorry, Zoey," he said.
She had been numb, bu as those words broke through, tears started to stream down her face.
She had waited so long to hear them.
Zoey had always wondered if Fitch was truly heartless, if he thought she couldn't feel pain.
And at this critical moment, he finally offered the words she needed to hear: "I'm sorry."
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