A Toast To Duty

Allison's POV

After witnessing Hayley and Michael come out from Hayley's room, I made my way to my room, feeling a wave of loathing and disgust.

I lean onto the edge of my bed, the noise of the party downstairs was now a muffled distant and a hollow echo, I'd no interest in it anymore. I wondered about the series of events that had just happened, as I replayed them in my mind —a chaotic film reel of unbearable moments.  

My gut was twisted with a sick, churning anguish. Luke's denial, so cold and unwavering, made me regret that beautiful, reckless night at the Citadel. I was so sure it was him. "Why would he deny it?" I whispered into the air of my room, the question felt heavy and hopeless. 

To make matters worse, the memory of Hayley and Michael together crawled into my mind, an image I couldn't easily shake off too. My heart ached, at some point it felt like it was fracturing. The weight of everything —the betrayal, the lies, the endless expectations—was becoming too much to bear. I wanted nothing more than to run away from Fox City and never look back.

Probably this has been happening all the years I was away from Fox City? What I saw wasn't a mere hug —it was a romantic embrace, and the thought of it made my stomach turn. The smell of cocaine and whiskey clung to them as they passed, it was a disgusting sight. 

My father had to be kidding me right? Get married to a drug user? Maybe even an addict also for all I knew?. 

Suddenly, I was filled with a sickening rage, my hands clenched into fists and with a single thought: to confront my father about this whole thing, I wouldn't live my life to please an ancient treaty.

For all I care at this moment, they could go on a bloody war. The thought had barely formed when a knock rattled my door, "Who's over there?!" I yelled, my voice sharp with frustration, the response made my heart stop me. “It's Luke.. Luke Reynold” came the familiar, low voice. 

Shock waves ran through my body, I couldn't trust my ears, could I be making the sound of his voice up again? Was this just another trick of my mind? Well to be sure, I asked again, “who did you say you're?”

Then he mentioned again, “it's Luke Reynolds… from the Citadel”. My heart jumped right out of my chest, I wanted to scream with joy, but I had to maintain some composure. "Yes!" I wanted to scream. "Yes, it's him!”

Oh yess! He finally admitted to being at the Citadel. I quickly wiped my eyes and put on a blank face. I would not let him see how happy I was.

I flung the door open. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice cold, betraying the joyful chaos I felt inside, also had a very stern, unpleasant face, one that he wouldn't miss. He definitely could read how I was feeling.

He moved to stand near the chair, he wore a pale face with fear. "It was me," he confessed, his words sounded like a whisper. "But no one can ever know. If they do, they'll kill me. And my family." His words were a brutal truth. 

He was a man with everything to lose, I couldn't find my voice —the words were stuck in my throat, I left him hanging with no reply to what he had said. 

I could feel his desperate need to make this all go away, but I couldn't do it. The memory of that night —the breathless, perfect intimacy we had shared was my selfish consuming force. 

"Your father requests your presence at the party," he said, turning to walk out. I watched him go, but his confession had stolen every word I could say.  

Words failed me. Not because I'd lost voice, but because my mind had no response to his confession. How could I, in my selfish search for the truth, now be responsible for a man's death? His family?  

Well, I definitely wouldn't let my actions get him killed. I had to let our night go, but this would mean I'd have to accept my fate to be with Michael and get to know him as well. 

I tried to talk myself into forgoing everything —him and the night at Citadel, but I couldn't.

I wanted to kiss his lips, craved for the feel of him inside me again, I just wanted him to myself. I wanted him all to myself, I definitely knew I wasn't ready to give all this up yet. 

I wasn't afraid of the consequences that could await me, instead I was afraid of losing him, at this point I knew I had already fallen in love, and it was a love I was determined to fight for, no matter the cost.

There was another knock on the door, this time a servant, “your father has requested for your present downstairs at the party” she said bowing her head, “I'll join him soon” I responded to her, as I got off my bed to return to the party. 

….

Back at the grand hall, My Father, Gerald Wenston raised his glass as he announced. "A toast to my sweet daughter, Allison, on her return back home", the applause that followed was resounding. 

Right there in the crowd, I saw them. Hayley, Michael, and Luke. The three most awkward people in my life, all of them standing to applaud me. In that moment, the situationship I found myself in felt like a storm, ready to crash over me.

Michael approached me a few moments later, his "Damon Salvatore" look up close and yes! He truly is a handsome man, he had a smell of whiskey on his breath, as he made his greetings “it's nice to have you back in Fox City”, he said. I gave him a weak smile in return as he walked past me, his eyes were dark and full of mischief.

The sight of him leaving Hayley’s room was disgusting. What was he doing there? I thought to myself, but I honestly couldn't care less, as I have got my head all wrapped up in Luke.. my mystery man.

Later that day, there was a small meeting —my father, Mother, Finn, Esme, Michael and I. Everyone raises a glass, as my Father gives a toast to the union that will soon bind our families, and a proposed date of 3 weeks time for another meeting to discuss a more vivid plan towards the marriage, as they thought it well for me to settle again in a city I had left for years.