The King's Daughter

44 When Everything Changed

"Go?" I was filled with a throng of confusing emotions.

"You'll never care for me the way that I care for you. What I did was wrong and you have every reason to hate me always. So go. I won't stop you." Louis' face was filled with pain as he crossed his arms.

"You want me to go?" I breathed, in shock.

Even though this moment was one I recently started hoping would never come, it was one that needed to come. I wasn't prepared for the pain that suddenly took over my heart at the thought of parting from him. The wall of rain that had been heading toward us finally reached the island and drenched us.

"But...Louis. You'll be alone. Everything in your life has fallen apart except me." I whispered.

"It doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters." He said glumly, lifting his gaze to watch the downpour engulfing the entire area.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't just leave him. I didn't want to leave him, not now. I was so confused and conflicted because part of me knew the smart thing to do would be to take the opportunity to run back home where I belonged. But the thing was...I didn't feel like I belonged there anymore. That life seemed ages ago and Louis was my life now.

Louis pointed to the boat. "I told you to go. I'm a monster and you shouldn't be with me."

"No."

"Go, Aria." He turned to go back inside the house but I grabbed his wrist, my heart pounding madly.

"I'm not leaving." I said firmly.

"Why? It's what you've wanted more than anything since the day I took you. Just go home." He said harshly and peeled my hand from his wrist.

"It's not what I want anymore." I tried to pull him back to me, but he seemed convinced that I would choose to leave him.

"How can you say that? I did unforgivable things to you. Are you really going to forget that I kidnapped you and forced you to marry me?" He snapped.

"I said 'I do' on my own. You didn't force the words out of me." I said, not knowing what I was saying or where this was going. I just desperately didn't want him to make me leave. This couldn't be what he wanted.

"I fûcking kidnapped you." Louis argued.

"Your men kidnapped me." I said.

"Under my orders! What's gotten into you? I've...I've brainwashed you. You shouldn't be able to forgive me for all the things I did." He said, gripping my arm and pulling me roughly toward the boat.

I yanked against his strong grip and dug my heels into the ground to slow him down. But the rain made the ground slippery and I kept slipping as he pulled me.

"You haven't brainwashed me! I want to stay with you! Listen to me, Louis." With one mighty heave, I jerked my arm from his grip and backed up the slope toward the house.

"Aria, stop. You need to go home." He said in frustration, water dripping from his hair.

"Home is wherever you are." I said.

He paused and stared at me, confusion filling his features and perhaps just a bit of hope. "You don't mean that."

"I do. Why don't you believe me?" My shoulders slumped.

"Because no one should love me. I'm a murderer, a thief, a liar. Everything you should hate. I'm the worst of the worst. I deserve to be alone and I certainly don't deserve an angel like you." He said firmly.

"Don't talk like that. You've learned so much. You've grown and improved and you're different now. You've changed!" I exclaimed.

"Changed. Pfft. Don't be so naive. I might not want to shoot people in the face just for the fun of it anymore, but I still did that shît!" He threw his hands up.