Arranged Love

Chapter 6

After they finished eating, they decided to all head home and let Red and Chloe rest. Red grabs her hand and walks to Chloe's room. She sits on the bed and looks at Chloe. "I'm going to guess that Rachel was an ex of yours?" She asks. "No. Well, kind of." Chloe sighs. "She and i were trying to figure out sexuality and what not. You know, like you normally do." Red nods. "Mhm." "And when i realized that i was a lesbian, i wanted to tell my parents. She didn't. I asked why and she said that she didn't feel the same way. I knew she was lying, i knew she felt the same way, she just didn't want to come out. Probably afraid of what her parents would do if they ever found out." Chloe sits next to her. "So, what happened?" Red brushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Nothing, just exactly that. We never dated, we never went out on a date. She was my first kiss but we never did anything else. I wanted to but she didn't. And when she left to go back home, she called everything off. I tried texting her but she never responded. I called and she never answered. It was like she just disappeared."

"So, you were ready to come out but she wasn't?" Red asks. Chloe nods. "Well, why didn't you just come out on your own?" "Because it's scary, you know? I mean, you're vulnerable to yourself. Admitting it like that, out loud. To yourself, let alone to someone else. Your parents? It's terrifying." Red nods. "Yeah, I've been there. Thankfully for me, my mother being the Queen of Hearts, didn't really care much. She just wanted me to be happy." Red shrugs. Chloe scoffs. "I wish my parents were like that." She mumbles. "They tried to get me to marry a man, force me to come out and then still managed to control my life. And I can't do anything about it. I'm a princess, there's expectations. There's rules. There's all stupid shit!" Chloe throws her head back. "Chloe, I'm so sorry she did that to you." Red rubs her back. "She made me fall for her, tells me she doesn't love me, even though i knew that wasn't true, and then leaves me to rot and suffer in my own depression." Chloe mumbles. Red looks at her. "Yeah," Chloe nods, "i went through a depression after she left me. I barely ate, I didn't sing in the shower anymore, i stopped going to fencing lessons, i stopped playing the piano. I just....i wasn't myself anymore. Eventually, i picked myself up. I told Chad about it, he said that I'm better than this, than her. I just had to prove it, not to her but to myself. That i didn't need anyone. I didn't need a prince, or in my case, princess. So when my parents wanted to schedule an arranged marriage. I told them I'm a lesbian, i was planning on telling them that i was seeing someone, although we never made it official, but she left me the day before so...."

Chloe looks over at Red. She had a look in her eyes. And Chloe did not like it. "Red?" Red was shaking. "Red?" She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Please look at me." Chloe touches her cheek and turns her face to look at her. She sees Red's eyes were glowing red. Red quickly closes her eyes as she calms her breathing. "Red?" She shakes her head. "Red, look at me." Red slowly opens her eyes and looks at Chloe. Chloe places her hand on her cheek. "It's ok, I'm ok. I've moved on from that. From her. I'm better now. I promise." Red scoffs. "She put you through depression. I should have her head for that." She mumbles. Chloe starts to tear up. She's never had someone who cares this much for her. "You don't have to do that." "Yes i do. You deserve the world, Chloe. Not someone who couldn't bother to have you in theirs." Red shakes her head, eyes glowing. "Red, calm down." Chloe whispered. "She broke your heart, Chloe! That pisses me off!" Red shouts. "I know. And I'm touched that you care but she doesn't mean anything anymore. I've moved on. I don't need her, i have you now." She smiles. Red looks at her. "Do you really mean that?" She whispered. "Yes. I mean, we're getting married, aren't we?" Chloe smirks. Red chuckles and frowns. "Yeah, I'm still sorry about that, by the way. The whole arranged marriage thing. You deserve to love whomever you want to love, I'm sorry you got stuck with me." Red jokes. Chloe shakes her head. "I didn't get stuck with you, Red. I'm glad I'm marrying you. I feel like I'm marrying my best friend." Red nods. "Yeah, me too." Except she didn't want to be friends. She never did. She wanted more, but she wasn't about to confess that when Chloe just had a whole episode about her ex/not ex. Maybe some other time. For now, this, whatever it was, was enough for her.