Chapter 48: 45. My First Marriage Proposal - Part 2

Stolen First TimesWords: 7197

*Edited*

*Elijah's POV*

Veronica shoved me away from her and yelled, "What are you doing?"

I gave her a blank look and hitched an eyebrow. "What did it look like?"

She furiously shook her head with a faint pink color tinged on her cheeks. She took a few steps away, stepping inside her room and said, "I can't do this with you. I feel like we always have this conversation."

She was right; we always did have this conversation because I knew exactly what she was thinking.

One second, I was deeply in love with her and the next, I gave her the cold shoulder.

Veronica and I always argued. It seemed like we couldn't go longer than a month of civilization between us. We've even broken up in the past because of my attitude.

And each time we had an argument, I apologized and gave an excuse for why I had behaved in the way that I had.

Yet, she had never once apologized to me about it.

And that's because she was never at fault. I was always the one in wrong.

No one can fix me if I'm part of the problem.

"Ronnie," I warned, making her back stiffen as it was faced toward me. I strode right up to her tiny frame and leaned down, whispering in her ear as my lips grazed her jaw.

"Have I ever really explained myself to you?"

Goosebumps rose on her arms and I smirked, enjoying what I did to her.

"No," she snapped, "You confuse me way too much that I'd rather just have you leave me the hell alone."

Ouch.

"No can do," I said, slipping my hands under her armpits.

She squirmed in my embrace, cursing me the entire time I lead us to the only bed with sheets on it. I dropped her on the purple bedding and she bounced a few times before settling down, glaring up with me with huge, clear eyes.

Her bottom lip frowned in a pout and she angrily crossed her arms over her chest. Without giving her the chance to speak, I shut the door and sat down beside her on the bed, careful not to touch her.

I mimicked the way she was sitting with her legs criss-crossed applesauce and faced her so our knees were just centimeters apart.

And then I told her everything.

I told Veronica about the wedding between my mother and her fiancé, Allison's father. I told her I had been using Allison to help stop the wedding since I knew how she felt about me.

Veronica snickered at that, but still didn't look like she believed me.

So, I told her about my jealousy and how I could never be who she deserved. I kept my eyes intently on hers as I spoke to show her I was being sincere for once.

When I was finished, she just stared at me.

"And?" She prompted.

"And?" I repeated, incredulously. "What else could I possibly say?"

"You admitted that you were a jerk to me and apologized for it, but you never told me why. I mean once you told me it was because you didn't want us to end up like your parents, but I think it's something else. So just spit it out before I kick you out," she demanded, huffing the hair out of her eyes.

"Ronnie, you were there for all of my first times. I even told you that you had actually stolen all of my first times as well," I began. She gave a quick nod as if she remembered when I had said that.

So, I continued.

"It's true that I never wanted to lose you which is why I had initially pushed you away, like I had said before. But that's not the real reason."

"Enough with the jibber-jabber. I've heard all of this before in your previous speeches that all end the same way," she said, again pointing out the fact that we always discussed the same things.

I sighed. "You really don't know, do you?"

Her eyebrows drew together as she narrowed her eyes on me. "Know what?"

I wished I didn't have to tell her this, but it truly was the real reason I was always mean to her.

I'd actually never wanted to get attached to her. I thought it was easier if you never made attachments to anyone.

It was especially hard not to do so when you were in love with someone and they felt the same way about you.

Those few precious moments when Veronica and I had admitted our love for each other and had been together because of it were the best times of my life.

Then I would realize that we shouldn't be together and I'd do something to get her to hate me. I could never bring myself to tell her the truth.

No one knew my secret -not even Uriah.

I couldn't be who she wanted me to be.

Because I wasn't even who she thought I was.

"I'm engaged, Ronnie."

The look on her face was priceless. It was so comical that had it been a less serious situation, I would've laughed my ass off.

I gently placed my fingers under her chin and tipped her jaw back up, closing her mouth.

"You'll catch flies like that," I cautioned.

"You're what!"

"My ears," I complained, placing my hands over my ears.

"H-How are you...what!"

"Relax. That ring I gave you is supposed to be my fiancé's. I'm not planning on proposing to her," I said, anxiously waiting for her reaction.

I know I'm kind of young to get married, but...

"You're only nineteen! Why are you getting married!"

This was the hard part. The part that not even Uriah knew.

"My father came to America when I was five years old and married my mother without even having a green card. When they filed for a divorce, the government found out that my father was not a citizen, and neither was I."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, basically my father and I received green cards that same day my parents got divorced and if we don't get married to a citizen of this country, then we'll be deported."

That was the real reason I had wanted the wedding to stop. I needed my mother to remarry my father because I knew he wouldn't marry anyone else to get us to stay.

Which would then leave it up to me to get married and save our lives here.

Veronica's eyes grew large as she asked, "You keep saying you and your father, but what about Uriah?"

I shook my head. "He was adopted here in the United States, so he's a citizen. Yeah my father was devastated when my mother wanted a divorce because he was in love with her. It just made it a whole lot worse when we found out we'd have to go back to our country."

"Woah. So you have how many days to marry someone?" She asked, nervously. I guessed she was dreading the answer.

"Ninety. Well, less now."

She swore and jumped off the bed, scooping the ring off the floor.

"I'll marry you, Elijah."

My heart stopped dead in my chest. I placed my hand around hers holding the ring and tightened her fingers around it.

"No, you don't have to do this," I said, refusing to put the only girl I loved in this situation.

Her eyes hardened, showing the determination in them. I knew I wasn't going to agree with whatever she was about to say.

"Elijah Reed, if you do not get on one knee right now for me, I will."

I knew there was no going against her word. I had no chance of getting out of this situation.

So, I unwrapped her fingers from around the ring and knelt down in front of her bed, holding the ring out in front of me.

"Veronica Fray, will you marry me?"

That was when the door to the room was swept open and a girl entered with eyes the size of the moon and her jaw practically on the ground.

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Oooo, this story needs to be rewritten when I finish writing it so everything fits in better, if you know what I mean. Haha