2024 Story Collection

Best Friends to Enemies to Arranged Marriage to Soulmates to Lovers III

"Do you know who he is?"

"I wish I didn't."

Hugh's normally ice cold expressions falter for a moment under her gaze as she says that.

"That means you do!" Susan screams. "Who is it?"

Amy's attentions is drawn away from him in that moment. It seems no one else caught that, but he did.

"Amy, I need to talk to you," he says. "Now."

She turns to him with a look of annoyance. He couldn't help but smirk. He loved getting a reaction out of her. He always had.

Even when they were kids. Their mothers were best friends and had arranged their marriage at the age of 7. They'd played together long before then, but that was the first time they began to resent eachother.

Arranged marriages were rare but not frowned upon. However, they were usually only for those who had already lost their soulmates before getting their mark or after being rejected.

They were so young and both had wanted a life, marriage of love even at that age, like in the storybooks. But they couldn't find it within themselves to hate their mothers for their selfish choice, so they took it out on eachother.

But in their first year of highschool, they'd taken it too far. Or rather, he had.

They were arguing on the school's roof. He had told her, in a fit of anger, I wish you'd just die. Then I could be happy and live my own life.

She'd gotten so mad that she'd stomped over to the edge of the roof and stood up on the narrow railing. She'd said if you want me dead so bad, how about I grant your wish? I don't want to live with you either!

They'd both known she wouldn't do, so he didn't apologize and instead doubled down saying I couldn't ask for a better gift.

Then she was gone.

He could still see the horror on her face as the gust of wind threw her over the edge. He'd ran over as soon as he noticed her unbalance, but he was just barely too late. Her fingers had slipped through his. He'd look down to see her body laying in a large pile of leaves. He could still hear the ground keepers scream.

It had been a miracle, the doctors said. She'd only suffered a concussion, and an dislocated knee and shoulder.

He'd been the one to ride with her in the ambulance, letting her crush his hand in hers from the pain. He'd stayed with her all night, never leaving once, in fear that when he'd come back she'd be gone. The next day, she'd kicked him out.

He had tried to bring it up and apologize when he visited her in the hospital with his mom, but she'd just kept changing the subject or asked him to leave.

It'd taken him a week before he could sleep at all, two months before he could get a full nights sleep, two years to not see her scared face as she fell over the edge every time he looked at her, and he still has nightmares about it almost every night. He knew she did, too.

After the incident, they still fought and bickered, but they drew a line. It was a silent understanding.

He didn't think either of them really hated eachother, not really. It was more that they had just been forced into a situation neither of them wanted to be in.

Amy stood up from the chair and followed him outside. Their friends all protested, but nonetheless, they said their goodbyes and left.

They walked back to their apartment quietly. It had been almost a year now since they'd gotten married and moved in together. They'd kept it a secret from everyone but their families. They didn't want to explain it all. Besides, they'd both wanted to keep it a secret from their friends. It hadn't been something they were proud of.

He unlocks the door, and they enter the apartment together.

"What is it?" she asked, deadpan.

"What are the initials?" he asks.

"Why do you care?" she scoffs.

"They're mine, aren't they?" he was dreading the answer.

"Why would you ask that?" she asks, turning away from him.

"Because of what you said earlier. Because of the way you looked at me when you said it."

"I don't know what you're-"

"Damnit Amy," he yells. "For once in your fucking life, can you be honest with me?"

"No," she says weakly, her head low. Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear it. "It makes it too real."

"What?" he asks, his voice an ounce more calm.

"No, I can't," she snaps, her voice cracking as she speaks. She turns to him, tears in her eyes. "I can't because of what it would mean. What if after all these years of hating eachother, fighting because we hated that we were forced to be together, to give up our soulmates, what if we found out-" she cuts herself off with a sob. "What if we were to find out that we're soulmates? What do we do then?"

She was full on sobbing now, and Hugh was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to do. So it was true. He felt numb, scared and maybe a bit excited? Surely not.

He looked at Amy, really looked at her. She didn't deserve this, any of this. He wants to start all over, without their moms playing matchmaker. What would've happened if they'd gotten along and slowly grown closer over the years instead of further apart? Would his childhood crush have turned into love? How would they have reacted to the soulmate mark?

He knew after everything, she'd want nothing to do with him, but the selfish part of him, wants her. He must do right by her.

"Amy," he says, taking her hand in his. "I-" but his words are cut off by his own scream.

He falls to the ground, still screaming, tears rolling down his face. He feels an immense amount of pain spread over the whole right side of his body. He hears Amy's voice calling out to him before he passes out.

To be continued...

March 8, 2024