Chapter 104 BETHROTHED BETRAYALS
CORMAC.
AGE 16
“It’s a new car, Cormac,” she said as she pushed brought her fork to her mouth. “I just can’t let you take it.”
“But nothing’s going to happen to it. We’ll bring it back without a scratch,” I tried to convince her. We knew she wasn’t going to just let us take the new car, but Lorelai had insisted that we try.
Mom smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes though. “It’s not about that. I just don’t feel comfortable with it right now.”
Lorelai pouted from across the table. “Come on, Mom.”
When mom didn’t respond, Lor shot me a frustrated look. I could tell she wanted me to argue more, but I didn’t. I knew Mom wouldn’t budge.
What got to me, though, was the reason behind it. Was this really about the car? Or was it about him?
My father.
The thought alone made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know what Mom saw in him. He wasn’t the kind of guy you’d call decent, and the thought of her caring what he thought about anything made me feel...weird.
Lor kicked my shin under the table, snapping me out of my thoughts. She tilted her head as if asking, 'You’re just gonna let her say no?’
I shrugged in defeat. There was nothing we could do at this point. It was her car.
Watching mom eat, I thought that she was perfect.
She was a perfect wife to a despicable King. Sometimes, I felt sorry for her. Having to deal with my father was such a chore. Imagine being married to him.
Hours after breakfast, I tried to clear my head as the two cars rolled up the driveway. The valets stepped out of the cars and handed me the keys.
As we walked down the steps,Valtor glanced at me, “Why are we taking two cars?”
I leaned over and said, “Thought we could split up and make the most of the day.” With that, I winked at him, hoping he got my meaning. “I’ll go with Merrielynn, and you can ride with Lor.”
I noticed how Valtor’s face turned red, and his eyes went wide. “Are you… Are you serious?” he stammered, looking at me and then the cars.
I shot him a look that screamed, 'Don’t ruin this for me.’
Then, without giving him time to argue, I tossed the keys his way. He barely caught them, fumbling as I turned to Merrielynn.
“You good with this?” I asked her in a softer voice, and she simply nodded.
“Cool,” I said with a smile, opening the passenger door to the Range Rover for her. I made sure she was settled before shutting the door and rounding the front.
As I got in, I looked back and saw Valtor still standing there, scratching the back of his neck like he was trying to figure I out what to say to Lor.
I turned to my sister, and when she locked eyes with me, I cocked my head toward Val, silently telling her to handle it.
She let out a dramatic sigh, unfolded her arms, and grabbed him by the wrist.
“Come on,” she said, pulling him toward the other car.
I chuckled as I settled into the driver’s seat, watching Valtor stumble his way into the car with Lor. He looked like a rabbit in a spotlight. Poor guy thought my sister didn’t like him at all, but I knew Lor better than that.
She was just being her usual stubborn self. Valtor would figure it out—eventually.
I turned to Merrielynn as I started the engine. “So, lunch first?” I asked, glancing at her.
She smiled, tucking a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
The day unfolded perfectly. We got sushi cause it was her favorite. Followed by a movie she’d been wanting to see. I pretended not to mind when she picked some romantic comedy—it wasn’t my thing, but watching her laugh made it worth it.
After the movie, we hit the fair, and she dragged me to every booth and ride she could find. She laughed the loudest on the Ferris wheel when I pretended to be terrified of heights, and she beat me at a shooting game, earning herself a stuffed bear she insisted was hers now.
By the time I dropped her off at her house, the sky was dark, and the porch light was on. I leaned against the car door as she came around with a soft smile on her lips.
“I had fun today,” she said.
“Me too,” I replied, holding her gaze as I brushed my thumb along the edge of her hand.
Before I could say anything else, Merrielynn leaned in and gave me a kiss on the lips.
It wasn’t a soft peck or anything like that. It was a kiss, a real, slow kiss... and it caught me off guard.
But I didn’t pull away.
I kissed her back.
And then, we heard the sound of the front door creaking open. Merrielynn pulled back instantly, her cheeks flushing as she glanced toward the door. Her dad stood there with his arms crossed, and though his expression was unreadable, it was undeniably stern.
“I should go,” she whispered.
“Sure,” I muttered, pulling back.
She hurried up the steps, keeping her head down as she said something to her father. Sounded like “Goodnight, Dad”, but didn’t reply and she just slipped past him without looking up.
Otto didn’t say a word, not until Merrielynn was inside. His gaze finally shifted to me when it was just two of us, and I watched the man step out, walking towards me.
“Cormac,” he called. “Can we have a word?”
I hesitated but nodded, stepping away from the car. “Sure,” I said, keeping my voice steady.
His arms were no longer crossed, but he didn’t look exactly friendly either. “Look,” he started, “I’m not blind to what’s been going on between you and my daughter. It appears things are getting serious between you too.”
I didn’t say anything, just waited for him to continue.
“I’m not saying Mere’s a child,” he went on, “but you should know that she’s not ready for marriage. And you need to understand that.”
Marriage? I frowned in confusion when I heard the word. “What are you talking about?”
Otto exhaled, his face tightening like he was annoyed he had to explain. “Your father and I had a conversation recently,” he said. “The King made it clear that you’ve been pushing for some kind of marriage agreement between your family and ours. You believe it’s important to secure ties and solidify alliances.”
“Wait, what?” I asked, more annoyed than confused this time.
“Your father told me you’ve been pressuring him to make this happen,” Otto stated. “So, I’m here to tell you that Mere isn’t ready, and I won’t allow her to be dragged into…”
I stopped listening at this point.
All I could see was red.
Otto was still talking, but I was too angry to pay any more attention. My fists clenched at my sides as a single thought burned in my head.
How fucking dare he?