Tilly Ann
"Hi" He whispered after a few seconds of staring.
"Hi" I found myself saying too against my wish. I felt myself relax just a little bit even though I should be racing out of there angrily.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked him.
Knowing Chase, he was going to make an arrogant self important remark or something cocky.
"One million and one thing is racing through my mind, I'm afraid" he surprised me by saying.
"Tell me one" I insisted. And took a step closer to him.
"Your eyes" He whispered.
"Gorgeous, right?" I winked at him. "It's the best of me"
He smiled. It was the first genuine smile I have seen on wheelchair Chase. "Extremely" He agreed. "But it's my least favorite thing about you, Matilda"
I feigned shock. "If not my world class pair of darkest shade of green eyes , then please tell me, Alpha heir... what's your favorite thing about me?"
"Your unapologetically decision to live by nobody's rules but your own, your big heart, Tilly Ann. And it's not even my favorite thing about you"
I felt my eyes water a little. "Wow. Way to make a girl blush, Dubois" I smiled a little. If I had any chance of standing my ground then I needed to go. "I should go"
I murmured and turned around to leave.
"And your eyes are not the darkest shade of green. I know everyone says they are but they are not."
I stopped walking and turned around to look at him. "They are not?" I laughed. "I can't wait to hear the smooth line you are going to come up with, Mr. Dubois"
"No line. Just the truth, Matilda. There's a ring of gold around your pupil, it's tiny but it's there and little flecks of gray like a storm passing over a meadow" He exhaled "It's not just green. t's a whole landscape, sweetheart"
I stared at him blatantly and exhaled. "You say things like this.... beautiful things like this but you won't publicly apologize for shaming me for liking things you did to me without my permission"
I swear to God, he flinched. I don't know why but he did. He rolled his wheelchair back a little bit and he held my gaze.
"No. I won't have this conversation" He murmured and tried to roll away. I wouldn't let him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him.
"Forget it" he murmured.
"No! Tell me" I insisted. "Tell me why you won't admit that you were wrong for calling me a whore!"
"I never called you that!"
"Yes, you did. I'm just asking you to apologize!"
"Publicly?" He was shaking with frustration.
"What grand reason do I give, as Alpha heir, to issue a public apology? Something that would alienate my pack and embarrass my father—who, in case you forgot, is a Lycan King?!" He was yelling now "'I hurt her feelings' is not good enough!"
"Feelings?!" The word exploded out of me. "You think this is about feelings? You disrespected me in my home! In my kingdom! I am not a fucking barmaid, Chase! I am a Dragon Princess. My veins are blood and steel. I don't do 'hurt feelings'! I just want an apology for your disrespect"
"If you don't want to be disrespected, then stop letting him—!" He cut himself off, chest heaving.. "Stop letting me do it" he corrected, the words gritty. And exhaled "Next time I come to you, wanting to stick my fingers or my tongue where they don't belong, here's an idea: SAY NO!"
"FUCK YOU!" I screamed.
"I CAN'T!"
The silence after his scream was deafening. The waterfall roared, but it was just noise now.
His face was pure, unadulterated agony. He looked like a man being torn in half. "I fucking can't! Don't you understand? Why are you so dumb?!"
I didn't think. I really didn't. I simply found myself walking towards him, I moved forward and slapped him.
The slap was shockingly loud. His head snapped to the side.
He looked at me, his eyes wide like a mad man's.
I was breathing hard. My hand stung.
"The engagement is off. Find someone less dumb to play your games with, Chase Dubois!"
Without another word, I turned and walked away, my boots pounding the path.
"You can't call off the engagement, Matilda!" He yelled after me.
"Watch me!" I told him and then I turned around one last time to look at him. "And Chase? Do me a favor and just...die!"
I walked away so fast after that. Not even the sound of his voice calling after me stopped me.
I reckoned nothing on earth could stop me at this point.
"Tilly!" he called, his voice hoarse.
I didn't stop. I didn't look back.
"Matilda!"