Chapter 4 A caught

Josh's POV

It was those eyes, her hazel orbs that pierced through me as she whispered my name with so much pain, that had started all of these, these feelings that wouldn't just fade.

My hands wrapped firmly around her, the surrounding fading out for a bit before she shook my hands off, standing upright on her feet.

" Father, what are you saying?" I asked, hoping with everything in me that he hadn't meant what he had just said.

He had promised me that I was going to choose my Luna, and that was after I had mentioned how much I loved the relationship he had with mother. This was clearly contradicting that.

He let out a sigh, a hand on my shoulders, before he said.

" Come with me, let's talk"

I gave Max a wry smile, one that didn't get to my lips before storming off.

The door shut behind us when I stepped in, waiting for what would be his excuse.

" Josh, you have to understand that I didn't have much say in this, I heard Emily likes you and..."

" And what?" I was intercepted.

" There are countless other persons that would have been a better fit for me, Lina would have and..."

Dread shunned in his eyes, as he glowered at me.

" You like her?"

"What if I do?" I retorted, my feelings had been caged, no one knew about them, not a single soul.

" Would it change anything?"

He heaved, taking in gasps of breaths before bridging the gap between us. With hands on my shoulders, he explained.

" You wouldn't understand what exactly is happening, whatever feeling you have for her, it would be best that you kill it, you both are never going to work out, I am going to announce your engagement tonight and it is only fitting that you stay away" he warned, before meandering out of the office, his strides powerful and focused.

I punched hard against the wall, my heart rattling as I did so.

I needed to think, needed to do something, anything to get away from her. I couldn't let this happen, I wasn't going to be bound to this.

Watching crimson drizzled down the wall, I spun on my heels, stalking out of the office, when I heard voices.

" I have done it"

" You said you wouldn't let it out, if I announce both of our children as engaged, and that is what I am going to do, so don't let it out, not to my family."

" Josh" , a hand squeezed on my shoulders.

I flipped my head over his shoulders, sliding a finger in-between my lips as I prompted him not to say a word.

" What is it?" He murmured out, before glancing back as I ushered him out.

Finding out that there was a reason why this was happening was overwhelming, but I was certainly going to find out what it was about, and get myself out of this mess.

I had never taken my father to be one who kept secrets, or who had deadly skeletons that could be used against him, but it seemed we didn't know him enough.

" Are you fine?" Max's voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he asked.

The music drummed as I stretched out a hand to take a glass of champagne from a waiter's tray, gulping it in a go, livid at how my life had changed in an instant.

" I can't say, can't explain. It feels so sudden, you know from last night, this hadn't happened"

"But Emily isn't a bad choice, you know, she loves you and a relationship between you both would be best"

I glared at him.

"You're not the one wrapped up in a proposal, why wouldn't you say something like that?"

I threw a glance around, trying to find that one blondie hair that always stood out in the crowd, but I couldn't find her, no matter how hard I searched.

"I am fine," I assured Max, before getting his hands off, and spinning on my heels.

" Where are you off to?" His voice rattled behind me as I sauntered past.

" I need to think about this, I need time alone!" I added when I saw he had taken a step forward.

He threw both hands in the air, before nudging me away.

I sprinted, breaking into a race while I pushed off every single door that I passed down the hallway, but she wasn't in any of them.

My heart slammed as something tugged in it, I tried to get past the fact that she wouldn't hate me but I knew that was going to happen.

I had gone back on my words, barely a day after we had agreed to fake date. I knew I shouldn't care this much but this was Lina and she meant the world to me even if she didn't know.

Pushing against the knob, I yelled out.

" Lina!" I tapped on my chest, a step away from the window when I saw her, seated on a bench in the garden, her hair swaying alongside the wind.

My feet glided off the marble tiles to the brittled sharp grass that laid just outside, still I couldn't bring myself to relax at the fact that she might be hurt especially when I noticed she didn't have her shoes on

" Lina" I called out, sauntering over to meet her.

She quickly slipped her legs into her heels, before forcing herself up, as she tried to walk off in the opposite direction.

Her scent mixed with the roses drifted into my nostrils.

" Get your hands off me!" She shoved me off, eyes brimming with tears, sending sharp jolts of pain into me.

" Please...stop"

" Should I stop?" She asked, while fighting hard to stop the tears.

" What exactly is wrong with me? I shouldn't care this much, right? I mean, it is nothing to me and...."

I cupped her cheek, shaking my head as I did so.

"I didn't know and I would never want her,I would never do so"

She scoffed. " I guess you will have to live with that, beside this was fake, it doesn't make sense, I don't want to do this anymore"

She walked off, heels digging into the brittled grass as she did so, her words drummed on me.

I ran after her, wrapping a hand around her wrist as I pleaded.

" Let me go" she shoved, pushed me off, but I stood adamantly.

" I won't hurt you" I stroked the tears off her eyes, forehead leaning against hers.

" Just don't do this," if this was it, then I was ready to tell her how I feel.

"You are the one that...."

My words caught in my throat, our bodies stiffened when a voice asked.

" What the hell is going on here?"