HIS BRIDE ON TERMS

"It makes no sense that you suddenly do not want to get married; we had agreed that we were going to have a wedding this year," Lila said as they drove out the party. 

"And the year is not even yet half done, so I do not know what the rush is about," Gavin said, rolling his eyes. 

They were just leaving the reception for a wedding. Gavin knew that Lila always got like this whenever they attended another wedding. She would calm down in a few hours; at least by the time they got home, she would be better. 

"Half the year? You haven't even asked me to be your wife yet," she scoffed as she crossed her hand over the seat belt. She hated having this conversation with him more than anything, and yet they had it at least once a month. 

He was constantly getting invited to weddings, and as if he were just trying his best to torture her, he took her to every single one of them, and in each one someone always asked her when she was getting married. She had been together with Gavin for six years now, so it only made sense if they got married.

"Do I need to ask you? We have been together for so long that it is only common sense that we got married"

"I do not like your tone" she announced with a pout. 

"Lila, what tone?" he asked, looking out his window instead of out the windscreen. "And when did I ever say I was not going to marry you?"

"Your actions say it; everything you do says it. The way you treat me in public says it, Do you not want to be in this relationship anymore?" Lila asked. Her tone was raspy, and she could feel tears blooming in her eyes. She wondered if love was supposed to hurt as much as this one did because it hurt and she hated it. 

Gavin opened his mouth to talk but could not say anything because of the loud noise he suddenly heard and the way the car shook. He looked behind him and a girl lay down on the wet floor. It was then he noticed the droplets; they had been so engrossed in arguing that they had not noticed it had begun to rain. 

"What was that?" Lila asked in horror. 

"A person," Gavin said with a tremble in his voice.

"You hit a person?" Lila asked this time; her voice was rough and clearly laced with tears. 

"This is all your fault," Gavin said like a five-year-old that was ready to back out of the situation. 

"My fault? I was not the one driving." Lila was ready to defend herself. "Let us go check on her," she said when he did not say anything more, Her hand was on the handle when it locked from the central lock and Gavin drove away. 

Lila's tone rose in confusion. "What are you doing? Wait, stop!" Lila said as he drove away. "We should check on her," she kept saying over and over again, but it was like he had ears in because he did not stop until they got to the house. 

"None of that happened," he said, pacing the bedroom floor. He had not even changed from his party clothes; it was obvious he was afraid and was trying to mask it. Lila could smell the fear from miles away. 

"How could none of that happen? It clearly happened, and we are going to be in big trouble. We should have at least made sure that she made it to the hospital," Lila said, standing up. 

"And gotten questioned by the police?" 

"Why not? It was clearly an accident, but fleeing from the scene now had made us criminals; we have just committed hit-and-run" she said, her entire body shaking with fear. She could sense that Gvain was afraid, but she was sure that hers surpassed his. 

"Gavin, let us go back now and we can save ourselves because we would get caught," Lila said when he did not say anything. She stood up and walked to the door. 

"You would not dare do something like that," Gavin said, blocking her path before she could burst out of the room. "I cannot be interrogated by the police; if I show up on the news at this critical time, then I would lose everything I own," he said, like he was giving a speech to convince her to vote for him. 

"But a human..." Lial trailed off; her brain was not working in the best way to finish that line of thought. The room fell silent as they stood staring at each other. 

"I got it," Gavin said slowly as he held her shoulder. 

"Got what?"

"What we can do"

"About the accident?" 

"Yes, about the accident."

"What can we do? We have to make this right; I am afraid that she would die. I do not want to be an accomplice to murder." Lila already had tears rolling down her face. 

Gvain knew how soft and understanding Lila was, and that was why he knew that the new plan he had in his mind was going to play out perfectly; she would have no choice but to help him this way. 

"I cannot go to jail; I cannot even be interrogated by the police," he said, cupping her face with his hands and then planting a kiss on the corner of her lip. "You know I love you, right?" he asked, and she nodded. 

"Hoeny I know you do but what are you trying to say?"

"I want you to do this for me; if you do, I would marry you immediately," he said. 

Lila's ears perked up at the sound of the word marriage; it felt like that was all she lived for these days, and there was no way she was going to allow the opportunity to slip out of her hands.

"The cops are going to find the CCTV footage of the car and trace it down here; all I need from you is to say that you were the one driving the car."

"WHAT!"