Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
The doors to Carlos’s office open, and his mom Nina walks in. Carlos drops his hand from my cheek, but the other on my shoulder only digs in a little tighter. I shake him off, turning to greet the woman who has become like a mom to me over the past five years.
“Nina, I have the best idea! I should marry your son.”
2
Carlos
“She hasn’t come of age!”
My shout echoes through the room, and both women turn to look at me as if I’m crazy. And maybe I am. What man wouldn’t be driven mad by the teasing temptation of Heavenly?
“She’s not old enough,” I say, calmer this time, trying to show some control, something I find I have none of anymore. No, sweet little Heavenly has chipped it all away over the years.
My mother fights a smile as she steps into the room. “Carlos, she’s days away. I think it’s something to consider. We love her like family, and having her stay with us would be a dream come true for me.” She walks over to Heavenly and kisses her on the cheek. Heavenly beams up at her and leans into her embrace. My mother loves her. She dotes on her every chance she can. I can’t blame her. Heavenly is easy to love. I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her. She has a little bit of a wildness to her that is coated in sweetness. “Give Carlos some time, sweet child. He’ll come around.” She kisses Heavenly on this head this time as she winks over at me.
“What?” I say, choking on the word. I can’t believe how easily my mother said that. As if it’s no big thing that we marry, that she would be all mine. I thought having her would be some big battle - a battle I’m willing to fight when the time comes, but a battle nonetheless. I’m too old for her, they will say. Questions of if I crossed a line before I should have would linger in people’s minds. “She didn’t mean me,” I push out, hating the words as the fall from my lips.
I want to scream again, but they’re looking at me like I’m a lunatic. I feel the very last of my control when it comes to Heavenly slipping away. I clench my fists at my sides and grind my teeth to keep from yelling and ripping the walls down around us. How can they both be so blind?
“Oh? Did you mean Romy? I’m so sorry, Heavenly. I had assumed you meant Carlos since…well.” She looks over at me and leaves the implication hanging there while a smirk plays on her lips.
“Mother - ” I begin, but she cuts me off.
“Romy would be perfect. He adores you, Heavenly, and I’m sure he would be agreeable. I’ll go talk to him personally.”
“Thank you, Nina, I knew - ”
“Enough!” I shout, loud enough I’m shocked the walls don’t shake.
I can feel my blood pressure spiking and coming to a boil. I’m breathing hard at the thought of my sweet Heavenly being touched by any hand other than my own, and I won’t allow it. I’ll burn this castle to the ground before I ever let that happen.
“She will marry me. That’s final.”
“But you don’t want me,” Heavenly says, looking away from me, but not before I catch a glimpse of her face. She’s wearing an expression I’ve never seen before.
“I said it’s final. In three days’ time, on your twenty-first birthday, I will make you my queen. End of discussion,” I growl.
“Carlos - ” Heavenly starts.
“Mother, make the arrangements.”
“As you wish, Your Highness,” she says, and dips her head to me. If I’m not mistaken I see a trace of a smile pulling at her lips.
I unclench my fists, feeling the blood circulate back to my fingers. As the adrenaline rush caused by thinking about Heavenly marrying someone else slips away, shock takes its place. I’m going to marry her. She’s going to be mine. Any thoughts of her being with someone else better be leaving her mind. Her fate is sealed. I will have her like I was always meant to.
The sound of the door closing snaps me out of it, and I look up to see that my mother has left us alone.
“Carlos, you can cancel this. I know you didn’t mean it.” Her voice cracks, and I can see the sadness on her face. I don’t like it. Not one bit.
“Heavenly - ”
“No,” she says. “I might not be as famous or as beautiful as Princess Star, but damn it, I deserve to be someone’s first choice. Not their pity.”
With those words, she turns on her heels and sprints out of the room. I don’t have time to blink before she’s gone, and I’m still in a shocked state at what just happened. I shake my head and run after her, determined to make this right.