ME AND HIM ✔️

Pt.52

Nadine's POV

Rue's lips part as a tear falls down her cheek. "What?" She whispers. I look down, not meeting her gaze.

"It's for an alliance."

"You're marrying Ivan's daughter, aren't you?" She whispers.

"Yes."

She lets out a small laugh that turns into a sob. "Is that why you've been ignoring me? Because you have to focus on her?"

I look up and feel a pang in my heart. "No- no, of course not, Rue. I didn't want you to get hurt." I stand up and walk to her door, shutting it all the way. "There's something big coming up. That's why we've been training. It's definitely not- I just have to focus on the reason I'm doing this in the first place."

I hear her sniffle. "What's gonna happen?"

"When me and Isabella-" she turns to me and lifts an eyebrow. "When the alliance is official. They're gonna question you guys. Join or die. If you don't join, they'll come after you."

"Why do they care if we join or not?" She asks. She takes a seat on her bed.

"They said if you don't join, your whole Mafia is dead anyways. You have a secret. And they don't trust you to keep the secret."

"Fuck that. I'm not joining."

"Rue, please. This is the only way you survive. Think of Alex-"

"All I do is think about Alex! But now I'm done. Im done thinking about you, and everyone else in this fucked up house." She lets out a breath and runs her hands through her ponytail. "I'm done taking care of everyone. Im gonna start taking care of me."

"Rue- please stop and think about how fucked up your plan is."

"Why do you need an alliance? Why can't we go back to New York and leave all this shit here?" She's taking deep breath's and bouncing her knee up and down. I'm tempted to place my hand on her knee, but after all this, I'm pretty sure she would just yell at me.

"We can't do that, Rue. It's not that simple."

"I don't want you to marry someone else." She whispers. "Have you fucked her?" She asks. I hear a sudden softness in her voice.

I widen my eyes in surprise. "No! It's not like that. Why do you care anyway."

She looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. "Because I care about you, Nadine. Even if you are a real dick. I don't want to lose you." She stands up and walks over to me. "But I'm not joining either."

"Jesus, Rue. What do you have against them?!" I yell. She rolls her eyes and scoffs.

"They killed our Mafia. They took my parents. Why shouldn't I hate them?"

"They were framed. It was the French, not them."

"Oh really?" I ask sarcastically. "They told you that? Did you ever think that they're maybe lying?"

"Fuck you, they're not lying." I slightly step back. A little stunned by what I said. This is my Rue I'm talking to like this.

Break her heart.

"Why do you care about this more than me." She sobs. "All I've been trying to do is make you love me."

Rue.

"So you know what! Fuck you, too." She says, surprised.

"Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you." She's standing in front of me. She's not backing down. She has to look up to keep eye contact with me.