ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Kathy Pov

“What did you say?”

I asked even though I heard him perfectly the first time, I didn’t trust him, was he going to make me come with him and then kill me? Or he was just mocking me, this wasn’t the Cross that I remembered though, he has changed a lot in both appearance and the way he talks, the Cross I knew before would have told the driver to bring me to the hospital and maybe got on a taxi to get to the airport.

‘Well, he didn’t know who you were,’

My mind said and I agreed but still, he looked more approachable and was even talking to me.

“I said come with me to New York, on second thought don’t, I don’t need to deal with you anyway, you are not having the best time of your life right now so that’s enough punishment,”

He said.

“Why? Don’t you want me to suffer more?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Well you are suffering right now, and it doesn’t look like it will get better for you any time soon, do you even have a place to sleep?”

“None of your business, so can I go now?”

“Hmm, yeah, right after you clear your bills,”

He said smiling again, I knew he was mocking me, wanted to do nothing than to punch him in the face and spit on him, I hated him so much but I didn’t have any money on me, the little I had was what I used to get the clothes I am currently wearing, when the car had stopped in front of me, for a moment I thought the end has come and even though I had been a seed, I had welcomed it, I was surprised when I woke up at the hospital, I didn’t recur getting here, and when the doctor had asked for my family, I told him I didn’t have any but when he insisted I just kept mute and he left only for someone else to come in and that person turned out to be the reason I am in the mess, yes he was part of the reason, even though it is my fault if my parents hadn’t given me away to him at my birth, then I wouldn’t have had the plan to run away, I won’t have been here, but even as I thought that it felt all wrong even to me, I got myself into this, no one else did.

“I don’t have any money with me,”

I let out as he made to leave, he turned back to face me with the same wicked smile.

“Yeah, you are penniless I remember, but I don’t care,”

“Please help me,”

I said out of desperation, I wasn’t used to begging but right now I didn’t have much of a choice and I didn’t have insurance either, my whole existence was a nightmare that I tried to get out of but I couldn’t.

“So you can say please? Where is the girl that told me off last Wednesday?”

He asked folding his hand in his chest.

“Please,”

I pleaded.

“Why should I help you?”

I couldn’t answer that, I just stared at him, he seemed to be thinking of something, before he nodded.

“Okay, I will help you, on one condition,”

Oh here it comes, the devil always comes up with conditions to help someone.

“What’s the condition?”

“Nothing, I am not going to help you,”

He said and walked out of the hospital room, leaving me standing there in shock, I got back to my senses and ran after him.

“Please Cross, I am begging you,”

I said when I caught up with him.

“No,”

He said still walking off, he was stopped by the doctor who had treated me earlier.

“Oh, you guys are leaving now?”

He asked while looking at a file.

“Yes Doc, thanks for your help,”

He replied to the doctor.

“Well, she should not be left on her own, she might look okay now but she fainted not only because of the shock of the almost accident but also because her body is weak, madam you might wanna consider taking a break from anything stressful,”

The doctor explained I nodded in agreement even though I knew there was no helping me, except I beg Cross to allow me to come with him to New York there was no telling what will happen to me if I stay on my own, the food at Louis house was almost gone and I had no money to restock, the electricity was cut this morning due to unpaid bills, I had that on me too, Louis had been the worst kind of man in existence, he made sure to leave me helpless,

“Thanks, Doc, we will leave now,”

He said suddenly taking my hand and pulling me along with him.

“Are we not supposed to pay before we leave?”

I asked, struggling to keep up with him as he dragged me along.

“My driver got that covered,”

He said, his voice seemed to have changed, he sounded even more pissed.

“What’s going on?”

I asked looking around.

“A cameraman is watching, the doctor might not have recognized us but the man with the camera did and he was gonna start filming,”

He explained as he dragged me into the car before he told the driver to head out of the hospital, of course, the news about the engagement that didn’t happen must have circulated but I didn’t know about it because I didn’t turn on the internet or the television.

“Where are we going to?”

I asked looking around.

“To where you have been living since you ran away.

“No,”

“Yes, you have a lot to answer for and I already missed my flight so we can as well talk until I can get on the plane and leave the city, I don’t want to go back home, my mom is a pest,”

“Your mom is better than mine, at least she didn’t disown you,”

I said, wiping off tears that formed at the thought of the words my mom had said to me.

“You deserve it though,”

He replied.

“I know,”

I looked out of the window of the car, thinking of what I will do next, nothing seemed to come up, I only had one option no matter how I look at it, and that was to beg Cross to take me with him, marry me so that I can get my position back with my family so that I can have the power I need to find Louis and deal with him. I needed to marry Cross to achieve my goals even if it means dealing with a loveless marriage, love didn’t exist anyway, I thought it did but no, it didn’t, I was w fool to have ever believed that love existed and I paid I huge price for it.

“Are you going to tell me the directions to go or are we going to keep driving in circles?”

He asked to bring me out of my thoughts.

“I don’t want to go back to that house, can we find somewhere else to talk?”

I requested expecting him to say no, but he agreed to my surprise.

We stopped by a park, he told the driver to wait in the car while we went up to the quiet area of the park, it was still school and hours so the park was pretty much deserted. we found a spot and sat down.

“So what happened to you?”

He asked.

“My boyfriend ran away with all the money I took from my account,”

I said, there was no point beating about the bush anyway.

“Wow, that’s nice,”

He said in a mocking voice, he liked the fact that I was suffering, I couldn’t blame him much though, he had a right to be.

“Now, I am broke and alone cuz like you know my parents don’t want to have anything to do with me again.”

“Yeah, I heard that, have you spoken with them at least, I am not sympathizing with you just asking a question.”

“Yes, that’s where I was coming from.”

He stood up.

“Hmm, good to know you are having a taste of what you prepared, you made your bed so lay on it,”

He said and I knew he was going to walk out now, he was my only hope, if he left right now then I am as good as gone, so I did something that I never thought I would do in a thousand lifetime, I knelt in front of him.

“Please, Cross, please marry me,”

I pleaded.

“Are you out of your mind?”

He asked laughing at me.

“Why will I marry you? When you left me hanging at our engagement a few days ago?”

“I know what I did, and I’m sorry, I didn’t think it through, please, help you me, you are my lost hope, if you don’t help me I might die, I am not used to a hard life, I can’t lie about the fact that I was spoilt from birth, I wasn’t groomed for a hard life, these past few days have been hell for me, please take me back and I will do anything you want,”

I pleaded, I knew I was digging myself in a hole but I didn’t have a choice, it was either this or I will have a hard life, life with Cross looked easier than life on the streets of Arizona.

“Anything?”

He asked, I didn’t have much to give or life so I nodded.

“Yes, anything,”

I said…