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Catherine was much easier to talk to than Nik, and having a conversation without yelling and arguing was surprisingly nice after being locked away. I was already taking a liking to her, and I liked the idea of having at least one person in my corner.
There was no way of knowing what was ahead of me, but if Cat could help make things easier for me, then so be it.
"Cat!"
She jolted at the sound of Nik's demanding voice from downstairs, and she stood immediately, but not without reaching for my hands first. She offered me another kind smile.
"I'm sorry, but I should go. I promise I'll talk to him and see what I can do," she said in a hurry, giving me a squeeze before letting go. She rushed to the door like a child in trouble and threw me a hopeful grin over her shoulder. "It was nice meeting you!"
In a flash, Catherine was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.
With a sigh, I found myself right back where I was. Defeated, exhausted, and still stuck in the spare bedroom. I made no progress with Nik, and he still seemed hell-bent on us marrying.
While the thought of a man going out of his way to keep me safe wasn't a terrible one, especially given how well we got along before, it wasn't enough to excuse how I was being treated.
In another life, I had no doubt we never would've been separated, and I would've gladly accepted a proposal from him. But, so long as he refused to see me as his equal and continued to hold my freedom against me, it wasn't something I could willingly put myself through.
Tired and completely lost as to how I was supposed to move forward, I dropped back on the mattress and reached for one of the blankets to pull over myself.
Given the chance to decompress at last, there was no stopping the swell of tears from spilling past my lashes, or the helpless feeling I couldn't rid myself of.
Chapter 10 - Nik
Aware that I had done more than enough waiting, the time had finally come. No more pushing it off.
She had been staying in the spare bedroom for over a week, and it was about time we got to the main event.
As much as I had previously envisioned giving Anastasia a well-thought-out wedding one day before I saw just how stubborn she really was, I knew it wouldn't be possible at that point. She already shredded one dress, and I wasn't willing to risk another.
Unlocking the door, I tapped my knuckle against it before opening it slightly.
"I'm coming in."
After waiting a moment, I pushed my way in and found Anastasia tucked under the blankets, blinking back at me with tired eyes. "What?"
"Get up and get ready. We're getting eloped today, and there's nothing you can say against it. I've heard everything you had to say, but we can't put this off any longer," I told her firmly as I stood my ground.
We had both wasted more than enough time and energy arguing and frankly, I was tired of it. There was no point running in circles any longer.
Wearing one of the black hoodies I had stashed away in the wardrobe, Anastasia pushed herself up to a sitting position. She looked surprisingly docile, but her tongue was still just as sarcastic.
"What am I supposed to do without a dress now?"
The comment spiked my blood pressure all over again, but I didn't entertain it. Instead, I sighed and crossed my arms.
"Since you can't be trusted with one, we're going without. Better yet, they don't give a damn where we're going. We will sign some papers and have it privately officiated."
At first, the emotions that moved through her eyes were difficult to read, but as the realization set in, her eyes widened.
"You can’t be serious."
"I am," I returned, not leaving it up for debate anymore. "The sooner you realize that, the better."
As she sat in that surprise, her brows eventually furrowed, and that familiar angry mask took over her face. "You're cruel."
Letting go of a steadying breath, I shrugged. "It's for your own good, even if you refuse to see it."
I could tell she was finally worn down, given that she didn't have anything else to say then. She only let out a forced breath and kept her irritated stare locked on me.
