Kidnapped to love

chapter 6

Crystal sat in the room, utterly stunned by what Dimitri had just revealed. The weight of his words seemed to hang in the air, suffocating her with the realization . She slowly raised her hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. This couldn’t be real… Could it? But it was. It was all real. The memories, hazy from alcohol but clear in feeling, began to flood back. Her breath hitched as she closed her eyes and her mind raced back to that fateful night—the night she had first met Dimitri.

The flashback began to unfold ahead  as though it were happening all over again...

---

The party was in full swing, the air heavy with laughter, music, and the scent of alcohol.

She stood , clasped her hands together, eyes squeezed shut as she whispered a drunken prayer, “God, please… please give me someone like him. Dimitri. Make him my boyfriend. I want him!”

Her friends snickered, amused by her tipsy antics, but their laughter abruptly died as a tall figure emerged from behind a tree. Dimitri. He moved with a calm, commanding grace that sent a ripple of unease through the group. Crystal didn’t notice; her eyes were still closed, her lips still murmuring that same wish.

Her friends tried to warn her, but with a simple flick of his hand, Dimitri silenced them. They moved back, giving him room as he approached Crystal, a smirk playing on his lips.

Crystal opened her eyes to find Dimitri standing before her. She blinked several times, confused and still lost in her inebriation.

“Who... who are you?” she slurred, her voice a mix of curiosity and drunken boldness.

Dimitri’s smirk widened. “The one you’ve been praying for.”

She frowned, her foggy brain trying to process his words. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

Dimitri glanced at her friends, who stood frozen, their faces pale and tense. He turned back to Crystal, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Why do your friends look like they’ve just seen a ghost?”

Crystal waved her hand dismissively, wobbling slightly. “They’re just jealous... jealous ‘cause I’m gonna get a boyfriend tonight. Right?” She pointed at Dimitri, her smile crooked and wide. “You’re him, right? You’re my boyfriend now?”

Dimitri tilted his head, watching her with a mixture of amusement and something darker. “Is that what you want?”

She nodded eagerly, stumbling closer to him. “Yes! You’re tall, handsome... strong. I knew it. I knew you’d come when I asked God for you!”

One of her friends, stepped forward, trying once again to intervene. “Crystal, you don’t even know him. Maybe you should—”

But Dimitri silenced her with a single glance. His eyes flashed, and without a word, She stepped back, her mouth clamped shut.

Crystal, oblivious to the silent exchange, giggled and grabbed Dimitri’s arm. “I prayed for you, and here you are! I always knew God liked me.”

Dimitri leaned closer, his voice low and teasing. “You think this is God’s doing?”

She nodded enthusiastically, still hanging onto his arm. “Of course! I mean... what else could it be? I asked for you, and now you’re here. That’s like... a sign, right?”

Dimitri chuckled, the sound deep and rumbling. “Perhaps. Or maybe I was always meant to find you.”

Crystal’s eyes sparkled with excitement, her intoxicated mind latching onto the romanticism of his words. “Yeah! That’s it. We were meant to be together.” She rested her head against his chest, sighing contentedly. “So now we can do all the things I’ve always wanted to do with my boyfriend.”

Dimitri raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

Crystal pulled away, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she started to list off her plans, ticking them off on her fingers as if they were the most important things in the world.

“Well, first, we’re gonna watch movies together. Lots of movies! You like movies, right?”

Dimitri shrugged, amused by her enthusiasm. “I don’t mind them.”

“Good!” she exclaimed. “We’ll watch all my favorites. And then we’ll go shopping. I love shopping. You’ll have to carry all my bags, though. Think you can handle that?”

Dimitri smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “I think I can manage.”

“Great! And then... we’ll talk. All the time. About everything. You have to listen to me, okay? No interrupting.” She wagged her finger at him as if she were giving him serious instructions.

Dimitri nodded, his expression playful. “I’ll be a good listener, I promise.”

“And!” she added dramatically, pausing for effect, “you have to cook for me.”

Dimitri laughed, a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down her spine. “Cook for you? I don’t know how to cook.”

Crystal pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, you better learn! I like men who can cook. It’s important.”

Dimitri leaned closer, his breath warm against her cheek. “Then I guess I’ll have to learn. For you.”

She beamed up at him, her cheeks flushed with excitement and alcohol. “See? We’re gonna be perfect together.”

Dimitri’s eyes darkened slightly, though his playful tone remained. “Perfect, huh? You really think so?”

Crystal nodded eagerly, completely unaware of the shift in his demeanor. “Yep! We’ll be the best couple ever.”

Dimitri’s smile was almost predatory as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I hope you don’t regret saying that.”

“I won’t,” she said with a giggle, swaying slightly on her feet. “I never regret anything. Especially not this.”

“We’ll see about that,” Dimitri murmured, his voice low and dangerous, though Crystal was far too drunk to notice the edge in his tone.

She grabbed his arm again, pulling him closer. “You know what else we’ll do? We’ll travel! I’ve always wanted to go to Paris. You’ll take me, right?”

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by her drunken ramblings. “Paris, huh? Why Paris?”

“‘Cause it’s romantic!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. “And I want to see the Eiffel Tower. We can kiss under it, like in the movies.”

Dimitri chuckled, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

---

The flashback ended abruptly as Crystal snapped back to the present, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She ran a hand through her hair, her fingers trembling as the memories of that night continued to haunt her.

"What did I get myself into?" she whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet room.