Buy Me A Bride

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I stared at Ameliana. This was the girl who had humiliated me at my first dinner at the Carlisle Manor. She caught eye contact with me, but she didn't seem to really hate me that much anymore. I recognised the look. She wasn't quite mad, she was so used to being hurt that she was just...numb.

I was well acquainted with this feeling.

"My parents disowned me after you got married. They said that they only wanted a daughter who could get a rich man." She was speaking to Rome but still hadn't taken her eyes off of me. "They said they would call me daughter again when I am wed to a titled man."

I felt a pang of sympathy for this beautiful girl. Heartless or not, no one deserved to lose their family. I would know.

"It's alright. My parents sold me to a heartless ogre." My voice was quiet, and I was kind of surprised that that had come out of my mouth.

Ameliana gave me a slight smile, which surprised me even more.

"I just came to tell you that I no longer care. I'm done. I'm not going to try to catch a man that I do not love. You're welcome, Rome, congratulations, you've won." She turned and left immediately after that, hoping no one would see her tears, but I did.

Swaggart was still sitting there, probably in awe of her rare beauty. Rome just leaned back and sighed helplessly.

I pushed my chair away from the table, startling both of them. I didn't know why I was following her. She wouldn't follow me, but I had to help her.

"Ameliana! Wait!" I rushed out the restaurant doors and into the pouring rain.

"What do you want?" I wasn't expecting her to sound so mean. She glared hatefully at me. "You're the one who did this to me."

"I didn't try! I didn't really have a choice!" I was yelling over the rain.

"Well then I guess you just got really lucky!" She yelled back. I wasn't sure if I should tell her that I was sold. Probably not a good idea.

"Hey! Let's just...talk. It'll make us both feel better." She silently agreed and I followed her to a covering on the beach. We were both sopping wet, but I didn't really mind.

"Tell me what happened." I tried to sound kind. I needed someone to talk to as much as she did.

"What happened is that my parents only care about money. I grew up with Rome, and all my parents ever wanted was for me to marry him and get his wealth. At first, that was my plan. But then I fell in love with him." Her voice was soft, and I wanted to cry for her.

"I was certain he felt the same. At least he had to feel something! But he didn't...instead he chose you. My parents became angered, like I had betrayed them or something. My father told me he didn't want me; that the only reason they adopted me was because they wanted me to get them more money. Well, now I'm living in a one bedroom apartment by myself because they refuse to lend me anything until I marry a rich man." I didn't know how to soothe her.

"Well my parents decided that they didn't want to part with their fortune and ended up giving it to Rome..." Ameliana laughed a little.

"I'm sorry. Aren't parents just horrible? At least when they have money..."

"Yeah..." I laughed a little also. Who would have thought that Sayler Carlisle and Ameliana Roverell would be sitting here laughing with each other? Not me.

"So are you and Rome happy?" I could tell she was making an effort.

"Honestly? Not really. He wants absolutely nothing to do with me. It's our honeymoon, but he'll leave me for hours, sometimes all day!"

Ameliana gave me a sympathetic look.

"It's because you remind him of his past. He was so broken when he came home...he'll do just about anything to hide from the memories..." Her voice went deathly quiet.

"What happened to him?" I felt awkward asking this, but I had to know!

"Nothing." She smiled a sad smile. "He saved everyone, but couldn't save himself."

"What does that mean?" Tears were brimming in her eyes again.

"How old are you, Sayler?" She asked randomly.

"Eighteen. How old are you?"

"I turned nineteen the day you met me. Now I know you think that Rome doesn't love you, but I've known him for a very long time. The way he looks at you is the same way he used to look at guns. He has never been more in love than he is with you." Guns? I scoffed until I realized she was serious.

"Your wrong. Rome doesn't love me."

"No you're wrong. He does." She seemed so sure of herself.

"Whatever!" I laughed.

"No but seriously, I've been very...callous towards guys lately. I think that if one could hurt me so much, just imagine how much a whole race of them will do."

"A race of guys?" She ignored my question.

" I know I seem heartless and cold sometimes, but honestly I'm just a big ball of sensitivity and I just want to be cuddled and held most of the time." She smiled sadly.

"I'm so sorry." I sounded stupid, but I didn't know what else to say.

" It hurts when you realize you aren't as important to someone as you thought you were. They say follow your heart but if you're heart is on a million pieces, which piece do you follow?"

That did it. It was at that exact moment that all the pain and heat of the world weighed down heavily, and both Ameliana and I grasped each other as we sunk down to the depths of our own despair.