“Ameille, this is a struggle I want to experience alone. When I decide what to do, I’ll tell you,” Ponce informs me sternly.
“That’s not fair. It’s my life, not yours. If I want to...to... It’s up to me, not you,” I tell him forcefully. Ponce’s gaze is fierce powerful.
“I refuse to let you throw your life away,” he states firmly. I sigh and roll my eyes.
“I won’t be throwing my life away. I could do what you do, and at least this time you wouldn’t be alone. Besides, you know for a fact that if you make me go away for good, suicide will be my answer.”
“Ameille!” he shouts lividly. I shy away from him and watch him fearfully. When he gets livid like that, it’s scary. “You will do no such thing, do you understand?”
“I’ll do it and you know it...”
“Ameille,” he warns crossly. I turn away from him and stare up at the ceiling. “Why?” I laugh but don’t give him the satisfaction of looking at him.
“Why? Try having nothing left to live for. Typical and stupid, yes, but true. Everything else in my life has abandoned me and you’d be the thing that pushed me over the line. I can’t handle pain very well... You can give me that stupid spiel about how you don’t want to condemn me to the life you hate, but I still won’t care. After all of this time, I’m finally realizing that---as sudden as it is---I love you. And if you say that you love me too, then why wouldn’t you do what’s best for me? What’s best for me is being with you and you know it. So why would you force me away from that? My experience would be different than yours. I wouldn’t be alone and I would have your support. Sure I’d have to struggle a bit, but I could do it. I will do it,” I tell him.
Ponce’s hand reaches my face and he turns it to look at him. I blink and stare at him, compiling as much emotion as I can into my gaze. He moves his hand and takes a strand of my disorderly hair to play with.
“I’ll make you a deal. You can stay here until I can arrange for you to attend one of the colleges that accepted you. Once it’s all set up, you’re going to go a---”
“I don’t want to leave!” I shout. Ponce glares at me quickly, upset that I disrupted him before he could finish.
“Once it’s all set up, you’re going to go and live your life. I’ll come and check on you, but I won’t disrupt anything. I want to give you a chance to find another choice. You don’t have to worry about me while you’re gone at all, and when I make my final decision, I’ll tell you.”
“That’s an unfair deal and you know it,” I accuse him, narrowing my eyes.
“Fine. I’m giving you a four year limit. If you aren’t happy, I’ll bring you back,” he offers reluctantly.
“Much better, but you don’t need to. I’ve already made up my mind and you can’t change it,” I tell him confidently.
“You’d be surprised what college can do,” he mumbles.
“Well, you’d be surprised what being kidnapped can do,” I laugh. Ponce stiffens and stares at me.
“I didn’t kidnap you! I saved you!” he defends. I smile.
“Trust me, I know. Did I ever thank you for that? If not, thank you, I appreciate it now more than ever.”
“Why is that?”
“Because now, I’m happy,” I tell him genuinely. Ponce smiles.
“I suppose I can be proud of that. Now, I want you to get dressed. You need to have breakfast and Adailia needs to fit you for your wedding dress. She’s essentially taken control of the entire thing, hopefully you don’t mind...”
“Not at all,” I tell him, smiling.
