Chapter 13%
Troy’s POV!!
My voice was ice. “Get out”
Bianca pouted.
bed? Is this Come on, Troy. Why are you acting so cold? We’re finally together… What’s wrong with spending the night in the same
you always wanted?”
I stood still, indifferent. When she realized I wasn’t softening, her eyes welled up. “If you kick me out, I’ll cry!”
I closed my eyes and sighed.
Bianca beamed like she’d won, as if that sigh was permission. She pulled something from her bag–a worn scrapbook filled with yellowed pages and old photos. “Look what I found! Letters I wrote you years ago. Drawings of you, Silly teenage stuff but it was always your She flipped through them with an excited laugh, reading aloud: “Troy smiled at me again today. He probably doesn’t notice me, but I love
Then, without warning, she threw her arms around me. “You chose me, Troy. I knew you would. You always di
did. I’m so
I didn’t return her embrace. I was still, staring past her. And then I heard my voice before I could stop it.
“Let’s get mamed.”
Bianca froze. She looked up at me, wide–eyed. “What.. what did you just say?“%
“Let’s get married,” I repeated, cold and steady. “You want this, right? Then let’s do it publicly. I don’t want to hide anything anymore.” Bianca flinched. “Troy, that’s… isn’t that too fast?”
I turned to her slowly. “If you want to be with me, then be with me fully. I’m not ashamed of this. But it means you’ll need to leave the Green family’s registry. It means we go public. That I stand next to you and call you mine, in front of everyone. And that you are no longer my stepsister.”
Her expression changed instantly–panic. No. No, I can’t do that. If I leave the registry, I lose my inheritance. If we go public, everyone will think I seduced you after your wife left. They’ll say I was the reason your marriage fell apart!“3.
I raised an eyebrow, “So you want me to be your secret?“)
“Troy, it’s not like that,” she said quickly. “I just. I’m not ready for that kind of pressure. You know how people talk. Let’s just stay like this.
l be with you, just not in public, okay?”
stared at her. “Is that why you lied to your friends about us?“)
She stiffened. “You heard that?”
“I did.” I said calmly. “You told them you weren’t seeing anyone.”
She grabbed my arm. “I was just scared they’d talk. I didn’t mean anything by it, Troy. Don’t be mad. I’m just afraid.“}
I nodded slowly. “is that why you agreed when your father arranged a marriage proposal for you last week?”
Bianca blinked rapidly. “That was for show! I wasn’t going to accept it. You know that“}
I exhaled and looked away “Bianca, I liked you once. I tried to suppress it, because I knew how this would go.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not afraid of rejection. I’m not even afraid of what people will say. I was afraid because… I knew you’re selfish. You want me, but not enough to give up anything for me. Not your image. Not your last name. Not your money. You wanted me as a prize, a secret comfort, a trophy no one else could claim–but never as a commitment.“|
Her eyes watered, her voice trembling. “If you knew that, then why did you still choose me?“}}
I looked at her, and for the first time, I let her see the fatigue in my eyes. “Because a part of me hoped I was wrong. I thought. If you really wanted to be with me, I could go through hell and back for you. But clearly, you won’t do the same”
more
I stepped back. “So let’s end this.”
Blanca clung to my sleeve, sobbing. “No, Troy. Please don’t say that. I know I’m scared and selfish, but can’t you just give me a time? You still like me, right? Then just… accommodate me. Just for a while longer,”
me a little n
I gently pried her hands off, “I can accommodate everything–except being ashamed of loving someone. If you can’t stand beside me, then we’re nothing. Let’s just go back to being siblings.”
Her grip loosened, her breath shaking. And then she smiled–a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “So… was this your plan all along? To play nice until I messed up, then walk away clean? All those dates, those dinners, making me believe we were finally something real–was it just so you could say you tried before running back to her?”
Her voice cracked as she screamed, “You’re still in love with her, aren’t you? With Thalia!!
I was quiet. Then I said it
“I’m going to find her. I’m not signing those divorce papers.”
She stared at me like I’d stabbed her
“As for whether I still love her or not..” I paused, voice low. “I don’t know anymore. All I know is I’m used to her, I can’t get used to her not being around”
Bianca stumbled back, her laugh hollow and broken. “She won’t come back, Troy”
“She will,” I answered firmly
“She still loves me. And I’ll make her come back to me
