Chapter 155 A CRAZY PROPOSAL
SLOANE’S POINT OF VIEW.
Have you ever been hit by a truck?
No?
Well, I haven’t, but if I were, it would feel exactly as right now. My muscles screamed in pain, my belly rumbled in hunger; I fought to open my eyes… basically, it felt like I was in hell.
“Sloane….” I heard someone calling from far away as I stirred, the dark haze clearing bit by bit as I opened my eyes inch by inch. “Can you hear me?” The person called again, but I got a whiff of his garlic breath….and I wanted to puke.
“Move,” I said, but it came out muffled from how uncomfortable I was, and because I felt him literally hover.
“What was that?” he asked, dropping his face even closer to mine, and I almost screamed….I would have screamed if I had an ounce of energy in me.
“She wants you to back the hell up.” I heard someone else say….But I still hadn’t opened my eyes, because my lids felt like they weighed a ton.
“Oh.” The person squeaked, and finally, I felt him move away; and fresh, ungarlicy air wafted in my nostrils. I sighed in content, but frowned as another presence hovered over me again.
“Sloane.” The person called… earned a jerk from me. I know that voice…..I don’t know where, but I think I know it. “Baby….please open your eyes.” The person whispered, their hands pulling at my hair softly in a familiar way.
Where do I know this person from……how do I know you?
“Come on, princess.” They said, eliciting a sharp gasp from me as a sharp surge of energy plunged into me, forcing my eyes open. The moment they were open, a painful, bright light hit me, and I closed them again instantly.
“Ahh.” I hissed, and next thing I knew, there was a frenzy around me at the command of that voice.
“Check on her, now.” They growled, and instantly, someone else hovered around me, while another clutched onto my hands for dear life.
“Come on, baby…. don't give up on me, please.” They whispered in my ear, and it was in that moment that recognition flashed through me.
“Lucien?” I gasped, thinking he wouldn't hear me, but by some magic, he did.
“Yes, baby…it’s me. Open your eyes.” He whispered, kissing my hair softly while he stroked it. My eyes fluttered open a few minutes after someone spurted a cold liquid on my lids, and instructed softly as if I would break;
“Open, miss.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Lucien jerked from beside me, his arms pulling me into a tight hug before I could even blink.
“Ow.” I gasped at the contact, and he quickly pulled away from me, muttering multiple apologies.
“Just kidding.” I giggled, but he wasn’t having it.
“That’s not funny.” He fixed me with a deadpanned stare. “There’s nothing funny about you being in pain, Sloane.” He scolded, and instantly, the giggle froze on my lips. He looked like he’d been through it. He appeared older….much older, his eyes bloodshot and red, as a slight stubble grazed his jaw. His hair looked as if he’d run his hands through it in frustration multiple times.
His clothes looked out of place, too; his lips cracked, and pale… You get the point.
And then, I knew it wasn’t the time to joke around.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, trying to sit up.
“I’ll help you. Stay still.” He scolded again, forcing me still, my eyes following his movement as he lifted the pillows behind me, fluffing them so they appeared bigger, before he lifted me as well, and helped me rest against them in a sitting position.
“How long was I….?” I asked, feeling froggy at best as my muscles sagged. I wasn’t in pain; my body just felt like I’d run a marathon for weeks, and this was my first time resting.
“Three days…..three fucking days.” He whispered, his eyes filled with unshed tears. And I stared at him for a moment.
There were three things I knew about Lucien; two of which are;
He doesn’t beg….ever. He’s the type to take what he wants without feeling apologetic.
Secondly, he doesn’t cry….at least not in front of other people….it seemed rare to ever see him like that.
And in the past few days… or weeks…I had no concept of time; I’d seen him break two of his ‘uncrossable’ lines…and it was all for me.
He’d gone on his knees before Eldric without an ounce of hesitation and begged for my life and release, even though it must have been humiliating to do it in front of everyone present.
Second, he'd cried… like shed actual tears in front of other people for me….twice. The first was at the abandoned warehouse, and the second, now….as his tears rolled down his cheeks while the doctors stood on the other end of the impossibly huge room.
“Oh…..Lucien….you’re crying.” I whispered, my eyes contracting at the sight of it. At my comment, he closed his eyes briefly, hiding his face from me as he palmed it. I pulled him closer immediately. “It’s okay now….I’m okay now.”
I reassured him even as he shook his head against me.
“I thought I lost you…..I almost lost you; I was so sure I lost you, Sloane…..what would I have done if I’d lost you…..what would I..?” he croaked with sobs, his back racking from the force of his gut-wrenching sobs as I caressed his back softly, my own tears gathering in my eyes with each sob pulled from him.
“I'm here, I’m not going anywhere…..no matter what, Lucien. I swear it.” I said, pulling away so we could stare at each other. With a soft peck to his lips, I smiled sadly, but with a note of relief, because all this could and would probably have gone south.
But I didn’t know which entity supported us, and allowed us to come out of this with lesser wounds than imagined, but I’d thank them.
“Don’t leave me…..don’t ever leave me, Sloane…..I won't survive it.” He begged, his shoulders trembling as his body shook.
“I won't….I swear.” It was true. There was no one for me….it would always only be Lucien till the end of time.
“Let’s get married, Sloane….please……marry me.” My eyes grew wide as saucers as I stared at him with shock.
“What?” I whispered. “Lucien…..are you drunk?”
“No,” he chuckled, earning a chuckle from me too while we stared as if no one else was in the room with us. “I’m dead serious…. I’ve always been serious with you, Sloane. The moment I saw you walk through the doors of Ravenscroft High, I fell madly in love with you.
But I was too much of a coward to act on those feelings, so I stood by and watched as Roxanne bullied you. Sometimes I even joined her, because I felt as though it was the only way to get your attention.
If I bothered you just enough, you would never stare at anyone else.
To be honest, many of the guys at school wanted to take a shot at you, ask you out on a date….But I spread a rumour that you registered yourself in a convent the following day, and that you took a celibacy vow.”
My eyes widened, and before I knew it, I smacked him right in the arm. “That was you?! I should have known; no wonder the teachers didn’t bother investigating the matter when I reported.” I chuckled.
“Oww.” He laughed while rubbing his arm. I pouted as guilt wrapped around my heart, so I shooed his hand away and helped him massage it instead. “There was no way I would have let one of those fuckers get to you before I could….have you seen you?!”
He exclaimed dramatically. “Oh, please, you were right there whenever Roxanne called me an ugly-looking cow.” I kissed my teeth.
“Did you ever hear me agree with her, hmm?”
“Well….no, sometimes you shut her down even.”
“Exactly.” It was true, one time, she called me a fat rhino while we met as a class for gym class, and I was to be on the running team, and instantly, Lucien shut her down with an ice-cold, ruthless glare, and three words.
‘Apologise to her.’ He’d said, and instantly, without even hesitating for a second, she muttered a quick;
‘Sorry.’
It was one of the very few times he defended me before we started our fake dating saga.
“So….will you marry me, Sloane Everhart…will you be my wife, my Mrs Ravenscroft…?” he whispered, kissing my ears.
“It does have a nice ring to it….Sloane Ravenscroft…” I rolled my eyes playfully.
“Come on…” he groaned with a chuckle.
“I’ll say yes…for now; but I'd better get a grand proposal; not just me dressed in a fucking hospital gown; looking like what the cats dragged in; understood?” I asked, my finger pointed at him, a stern expression crossing my facial features.
“Done! Mrs Ravenscroft.” He said with a groan, before trying to pull me in for a kiss.
“No kiss yet… and you can't call me that until we actually get married, you know.” He didn’t listen to me; he simply chuckled heartily, pulled me in, and crashed his lips to mine with a satisfied groan.