Arranged Marriage

chapter 9

Dinah pov

"Mani, what are you doing here?"

she didn't reply but instead hugged me tightly. she let out a sigh as i wrapped my arms around her.

"i needed to see you. it has almost been a month and i've been missing you like crazy. i wasn't supposed to be here but i couldn't not see you."

"you wanted this."

"you're right, i'm sorry. i shouldn't be here, i'll just go."

she lets me go and as she's about to walk out, i grabbed her wrist pulling her back.

"please don't leave again."

"i wouldn't dream of it."

i broke the hug and kissed her head. she smiled and kissed my cheek.

"you were supposed to be distant."

"i know what i said to Zendaya. she said it would be better if i stayed away from you. i did that and i always thought of you."

"i heard that you've been crying."

"you heard correctly."

"i thought you didn't like me."

"i thought so too until the day my dad wanted to know what i wanted to do. i hid my feelings and thought that if we parted, i'd feel better. truth is, i can't live without you Dinah. i miss coming home to you, sleeping next you, having the feeling of your lips on mine even if it was just one time, how you took me to your treehouse, how i spent 5 hours trying to find your favorite flower so i could give it to you, i miss everything."

"i want the truth of what happened when you were in sixth grade. i know my sister's side but i need to know yours."

"what do you know?"

"Kehlani was the one that bullied you. Lauren was the sister in your grade."

"wait, how old are you?"

"i'm 19."

her mouth dropped open and i just reached over to close it.

"you don't look 19."

"Mani, i never saw you until my freshman year."

"so all this time i've been angry at the wrong person."

"yes you have but if you weren't going to marry me, you would've married Kehlani."

"why did it go to you?"

"i convinced my dad to let me do it. Kehlani isn't into girls but he was like i don't care if she doesn't like girls. i told him that it'd be better if i married you because i could handle it."

"so he agreed?"

"after a whole lot of convincing. Kehlani wasn't aware about it and she probably knows about it now after i went off on Lauren."

"why?" she asked, as we took a seat on the bed.

"that night i broke down crying as soon as the door closed. i just fell to the floor crying and stayed there for awhile. it wasn't until Lauren came to help me that i moved. she started saying some random shit about you like how you didn't deserve me and blah blah. i yelled at her and she had asked me why i was defending you. i told her it was because i could take the blame for what Kehlani had done. i didn't care if you hated me or not. i wanted to save you from actually falling for someone that hurt you."

"that's where you're wrong. i wouldn't have fallen for Kehlani."

"you wouldn't know that. if you were to get married to Kehlani, who's to say that you wouldn't have fallen for her just like you did with me."