003: A Psycho

Andy’s POV

A scream burst out of me as my body lurched forward.

Before I could fall in, a strong grip circled around my upper arm and held me.

My eyes widened and I turned to see my savior.

Oh my goodness he’s hot! The first thing I noticed was his eyes. They were dark, I couldn’t tell the color yet but the way he looked at me was so intense. Like he was picking apart my face and inspecting my skull.

He held me, right over the edge of the rail, effortlessly like I weighed nothing.

“H-hi mister,” I tried, smiling too widely, my body trembling from all the alcohol in my system. “Can you um…maybe pull me up? I’m kinda dangling over here.”

The handsome stranger turned his head to the side, glancing at where I was flailing helplessly over the railing.

“And why would I do that?” He asked.

“Because I could fall?!”

“Didn’t you want to jump in the first place?”

Ah. An asshole.

I sucked my teeth. “That was a mistake. I was only…I was only admiring the fish.”

He cocked a perfectly groomed brow. “Is that so?”

Okay and now he’s mocking me.

“Alright, fine. I’m sorry. But can you pull me up please? My arm kinda…”

I was about to say “hurts” then I froze.

Wait.

My arm hurts.

I can feel it.

My eyes widened as I looked down at the spot his palm was closed tightly around my arm. It hurts! it really does! The doctors said when I felt pain for the first time I would know! They were right!

I’m feeling pain!

A smile stretched on my face and a laugh of disbelief burst out of me. “My arm hurts! It actually hurts!”

“Of course it does, I’m holding onto you.”

“I still don’t understand why you haven’t pulled me up yet.”

“You’re a fucking brat huh?” He asked. Just when I tried to rely, his grip slipped. Just an inch. Enough for me to jerk back.

I screamed, grabbing onto his sleeve with my free hand. “No! No please! Pull me up!” I cried out, tears streaming down my face. I almost fell.

An amused smirk curled up his lip. “Again, that was your intention.”

Is he crazy?! What sort of person acts like this?!

My heart threatened to burst inside my chest. Maybe that will kill me faster. Okay I don’t want to die. I can’t die, not without making August and Liam pay! What was I thinking about trying to jump?

Hot tears filled my eyes, burning away every trace of alcohol in my veins. Thanks to this asshole I’m completely sober now.

“Please!” I sobbed, searching his face for a hint of compassion. “I’ll do anything you want! Please!”

“Anything?” A dark light came to his eyes.

I gasped, shocked beyond words.

He’s mad! He’s actually insane!

But it was either that or a cold, watery death. So I nodded. “Anything you want!”

“Marry me.”

My brain forgot how to function. “Eh?”

“Marry me, Andy, and I’ll pull you right up.”

What? What the actual hell? Marry him? Who stages a proposal like this? When I imagined today as my engagement, I wanted it to be with Liam and not this…I’ve not even seen this man a single day in my life and—

He let his grip. Again. Panic flared in my gut.

“Okay okay! Fine! I’ll marry you! I’ll do it! Just…just pull me up, come on! I haven’t gone to Korea yet! Bitch I don’t even have a passport! I haven’t traveled the world! I’m too young to die! I need to make August pay for what she did! Just pull me up dammit!”

I didn’t care if I sounded whiny. My arm was honestly feeling like it would fall off anytime soon. But the mystery of how I was suddenly able to feel touch didn’t matter if I’d be dead anyway!

The asshole looked at me.

For such a handsome man, I hope he gets his perfect nose chewed off by a shark. “You agree to be my wife?”

“Yes!”

Then, he pulled me up. Enough for him to lean in and whisper in a low, cruel voice. “You don’t sound convincing enough, Andy.”

He let me go.

He.

Let.

Me.

Go!

The image of his face was all I saw as I fell, landing into the water with a terrifying splash.

My scream was cut off the moment my body hit the water. I didn’t feel it. Not the water on my skin, not the coldness. I flailed around, sea water getting into my eyes and mouth.

It’s so dark.

I can’t see anything! What if something jumps at me?

“What do you say now?!”

I looked up to see that asshole. He’s smiling. He’s actually smiling while I’m about to drown.

He held up a floater. “I can’t hear you,”

“I’ll marry you asshole!” I screamed on top of my lungs, choking on the last word as seawater splashed into my mouth. My voice rose over the waves, but apparently it wasn’t enough for him.

“Say it again.”

The tears got hotter, almost burning through my eyeballs. “I’ll marry you! I’ll fucking marry you! Get me out of here!”

He stared at me for a long minute, then he tossed it over. Relief flooded through me and I wasted no time grabbing onto it. My fingers trembled as I looped it through my head.

He pulled me up. The moment my feet touched the solid surface, I whirled around, my hand raised.

He caught my wrist, yanking my body closer to him till there was no space between us.

“You bastard—“ I hissed, my voice shaky with a mix of rage and genuine fear. Fear of this fucking psycho!

“Would you like another swim?” He asked, his eyes dark with amusement as he gestured to the railings.

I pinned my lips.

His eyes raked over my face. Like he was committing every detail of my face to his memory.

Up close he’s even more handsome. His hair is dark, styled perfectly like he’s about to walk the runway at any moment. His entire body bleeds danger and sex appeal. And that mouth…oh my goodness. He has a mouth made for kisses and whispering filthy nothings.

He looks like he’ll ruin me and I’ll thank him, ask him if he’ll be free next Sunday. I hate this man. I hate him so much I can’t breathe. Is that a tattoo peeking out of his pristine shirt collar.

My heart flipped.

I don’t know this man and I just agreed to marry him.

Every cell in my body, every ill-formed sense of danger, screamed at me to run. But fear paralyzed me. And also his arm was still wrapped around my waist, holding me in place.

Our eyes met.

His eyes were green. A lovely shade of green. Too beautiful, way too perfect. His eyes moved down to my lips, and I had the burning desire to lick them. Then he looked down. At my chest.

I instinctively covered my chest with my arm, earning a cold chuckle from him.

He took his jacket off and draped it over my shoulder. “Wear this or you’ll catch a cold.”

I smacked it off and stomped on it. “And whose fault is that?!” I grumbled.

He muttered something under his breath, rubbing his temples in annoyance. Italian? Oh my goodness is he mafia?!

“You’re not—“ I felt a sneeze coming on and bit it back. Fuck.

Just because I can’t feel cold doesn’t mean my body doesn’t suffer. I just don’t feel the external sensation.

“Off to a great start,” he said, before he lifted me up, carrying me bridal style. His eyes were full of glee as he carried me off somewhere.

I agreed to marry a man whose name I don’t even know.

Then it hit me.

He called me by my name.