about using my fathers money to start a new life with the man who loves me. If he refuses to let me be happy with Theo, while keeping him in my life, then I will happily never lay eyes upon him again.
“Where shall we go?”
He shrugs. “Anywhere. Everywhere. We will be free.”
“He’ll never stop looking for me.” My lower lip wobbles as I imagine never being free of my fathers control. “I will be a runaway and you, a criminal. But I refuse to let him choose who I’m to marry.”
“We will marry.” Theo slides his hand up my back to my neck, then brings his lips near mine. “I will never let you marry another. You belong to me.”
His words thrill me. Just before his lips meet mine, I whisper, “And you to me.”
The kiss is chaste; innocent in a way I know I haven’t been in an eternity. Our mouths move against one another, our bodies flush against one another, all the promises in the world between us.
I long to undress, pressing my soft, naked form against his strength-filled one. I know from experience how he can lift me without much effort and hold me against a wall, breathing unchanged. I wonder what it would be like when I’m bared before him; how he will touch me and what words he will whisper in my ear while making love to me.
Theo is an honorable man, for all that my father believes him not. He refuses to take me until we are wed. And in spite of the fact I don’t care either way, I still adore him all the more for it.
I pull my mouth away from his. “Let’s go now. I cannot bear to stay here any longer.”
He doesn’t even have a chance to reply as the door to my room flies open.
Theo shoves me behind him as my father enters. My eyes go wide at the sight of the revolver in his hand.
“Thought I had no idea you would try to run away with my daughter, didn’t you?” He lifts his arm, pointing the gun straight at Theo. “And now, you shall die for being foolish. You should have taken the money and left my daughter alone.”
“Please father,“ I move out from behind Theo, trying to take the attention off of him as I take a step toward my father. “Don’t shoot him, this was my idea—“
“QUIET!” His eyes, wild with anger, find me as he keeps the gun pointed at my love. “You stupid, witless girl. You are under age. You belong to me and you will do as I say!”
I lift my chin, defiant until the very end. “I will not. And if you kill Theo, you shall never see me again.”
He laughs. “Stupid! What will you do, hmm? Take up work as a maid? You have never done even so much as dress yourself.” His eyes move back to Theo, dismissing me.
Putting his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender, Theo gives me one long, heartbreaking glance before looking back at my father. “I will go peacefully. It is not my desire to make life difficult for Josie. I love her.”
“You think me unintelligent? I know that unless you die, you will never leave her alone. And since you are trespassing in my unwed daughters room, no one will find fault with me protecting her honor.”
I’m frozen with fear. My father is right. Nobody will question him if Theo is shot.
I don’t want to live without him.
I see my father say something, but it is lost amongst the thoughts swirling in my brain. At what my life will be if the man I love is not in it.
And when he steadies his hand and shoots to kill, I do the only thing a girl who will suffer either way would do.
As if I’m outside my body, I watch as I scream and jump in front of Theo. He shouts ‘No!’ but it is too late.
The bullet lodges itself in my chest as my fathers eyes go wide with horror, his face draining of all color as Theo wraps me in his arms.
With my last breath, I stare up at Theo as he holds me, eyes filled with tears and gasp one final word.
“Run.”
My eyes close as the darkness approaches with one final thought.
If I somehow end up living, I shall never love again.
~*~
The morning of our wedding dawns
“Where shall we go?”
He shrugs. “Anywhere. Everywhere. We will be free.”
“He’ll never stop looking for me.” My lower lip wobbles as I imagine never being free of my fathers control. “I will be a runaway and you, a criminal. But I refuse to let him choose who I’m to marry.”
“We will marry.” Theo slides his hand up my back to my neck, then brings his lips near mine. “I will never let you marry another. You belong to me.”
His words thrill me. Just before his lips meet mine, I whisper, “And you to me.”
The kiss is chaste; innocent in a way I know I haven’t been in an eternity. Our mouths move against one another, our bodies flush against one another, all the promises in the world between us.
I long to undress, pressing my soft, naked form against his strength-filled one. I know from experience how he can lift me without much effort and hold me against a wall, breathing unchanged. I wonder what it would be like when I’m bared before him; how he will touch me and what words he will whisper in my ear while making love to me.
Theo is an honorable man, for all that my father believes him not. He refuses to take me until we are wed. And in spite of the fact I don’t care either way, I still adore him all the more for it.
I pull my mouth away from his. “Let’s go now. I cannot bear to stay here any longer.”
He doesn’t even have a chance to reply as the door to my room flies open.
Theo shoves me behind him as my father enters. My eyes go wide at the sight of the revolver in his hand.
“Thought I had no idea you would try to run away with my daughter, didn’t you?” He lifts his arm, pointing the gun straight at Theo. “And now, you shall die for being foolish. You should have taken the money and left my daughter alone.”
“Please father,“ I move out from behind Theo, trying to take the attention off of him as I take a step toward my father. “Don’t shoot him, this was my idea—“
“QUIET!” His eyes, wild with anger, find me as he keeps the gun pointed at my love. “You stupid, witless girl. You are under age. You belong to me and you will do as I say!”
I lift my chin, defiant until the very end. “I will not. And if you kill Theo, you shall never see me again.”
He laughs. “Stupid! What will you do, hmm? Take up work as a maid? You have never done even so much as dress yourself.” His eyes move back to Theo, dismissing me.
Putting his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender, Theo gives me one long, heartbreaking glance before looking back at my father. “I will go peacefully. It is not my desire to make life difficult for Josie. I love her.”
“You think me unintelligent? I know that unless you die, you will never leave her alone. And since you are trespassing in my unwed daughters room, no one will find fault with me protecting her honor.”
I’m frozen with fear. My father is right. Nobody will question him if Theo is shot.
I don’t want to live without him.
I see my father say something, but it is lost amongst the thoughts swirling in my brain. At what my life will be if the man I love is not in it.
And when he steadies his hand and shoots to kill, I do the only thing a girl who will suffer either way would do.
As if I’m outside my body, I watch as I scream and jump in front of Theo. He shouts ‘No!’ but it is too late.
The bullet lodges itself in my chest as my fathers eyes go wide with horror, his face draining of all color as Theo wraps me in his arms.
With my last breath, I stare up at Theo as he holds me, eyes filled with tears and gasp one final word.
“Run.”
My eyes close as the darkness approaches with one final thought.
If I somehow end up living, I shall never love again.
~*~
The morning of our wedding dawns
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