An Unexpected Engagement

Chapter 43

I can barely breathe, totally stunned, as I leave my grandmother, and instead of going to my room to confront Steve, I head downstairs and out of the house, walking aimlessly through the snow, trying to make sense of the chaos.

"Natasha, what are you doing?" - Steve's half terrified voice makes me turn and I see him coming towards me. "Don't even think about doing that!"

- What? What are you saying? Do what?

He stops, panting.

"I saw her walking towards my car and I thought she was going to slash the tires again or, I don't know, break the windows.

Oh God, I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

"I wasn't... You know what? It was what you deserved! I just left my grandmother's room, because, as a good granddaughter that I am, I decided to tell the whole truth about the wedding and she revealed to me that she actually already knows everything!
How could you, Steve?

"Yes, I already told you.

'And it's not the worst!' She said we're getting married for real! "I was still hoping Grandma was delusional about that part.

"Exactly," Steve answers calmly.

"Would you really marry me without telling me anything?"

"I've been trying to tell you all day if you haven't noticed!"

- Oh, were you? And when did you decide to reveal everything to our families without telling me? Did you find it funny to make a fool of me?

- The lies were already going too far...

'You've gone too far!

"Yes, I think I did.

"And you talk like that, in that calm?"

"Someone has to remain calm.

"I'm so mad at you...

"I hope you don't try to ruin my tires again. Well, I'll sue you for assault.

- Assault on tires? Do me a favor! I yell, pacing like a caged tiger.

"Natasha, do you want to listen to me for a moment?" He tries to touch me and I push him away.

"I just asked you for a favor!" I asked you to be my fake fiancé and suddenly I'm in the middle of preparing for a huge wedding, plus you've decided to tell my family the whole truth without consulting me!
Told my grandmother!

"Your grandmother needed to know the truth.

'And who decides that?'

'You yourself just told me you went there to tell her!' And there will be a wedding. She just needed to know the whole truth.

'This is absurd!' Are you really saying you were going to marry me for real?

"I'm going to marry you for real!"

"My goodness, you're crazy!" Set everything up...

- Exactly. I can be a psycho stalker too, Natasha.

Oh, heavens, it's true!

Steve is a psychopathic stalker.

And he is very serious!

He wants to marry me!

It's all so surreal that I'm expecting that at any moment the lights will come on and cameras will appear, revealing that it's all just a
tasteless prank.

Deep down, I know it's not. Steve is looking at me very seriously.

- Because? I mutter, feeling my mind spinning and my heart somersaulting in my chest.