"and that's final!" my father yells as he slams his hands on the table. my mother jumps in surprise but i simply sit there, tears rolling down my face as my eyes momentarily close.
"you will marry christopher next week and you will not argue with me. do i make myself clear?!" he shouts. my eyes open to still see him stood there. his eyebrows raise as he waits for an answer.
"yes father" i whisper, letting yet another tear roll down my face. he nods his head, clearing his throat as he exits the room. i see my mothers hand reaching for mine but i swipe it back, staring at her in disgust. i shake my head as i too stand up from the table.
"y/n" my mother calls but i'm too long gone to hear her. i wipe my tears as i grab my coat from the cloak room near the staircase. a butler opens the front door for me but instead of thanking him like i normally do, i simply walk out and ignore him. i was too angry.
so, to sum all this up; my parents are making me marry a man i had never met simply because our families uniting would be an instant and infinite gold mine.
i couldn't marry this man, i couldn't stop thinking about the man that saved me merely days ago. i couldn't stop thinking about when i stared into jake peralta's eyes, my hero's eyes.
my feet take me down the streets of new york, my lungs taking in all that it was. there weren't many instances when i came down here but when i did, i loved it.
the city atmosphere surrounded me as i wiped a few stray tears that had managed to fall. i put my head down as, like before, my attempts to stop crying had failed.
as my head faced the floor, i felt myself bump into someone else.
"i'm so sorry" i said, looking up.
the man turned around as i froze, like before. the man stood before me was jake. we simultaneously smiled, my head tilting as i looked at him again.
"imagine seeing you here" he whispered, still smiling. i looked at the ground again for a moment before i glanced back up at him again. the two of us remained in silence before he was the one to speak up.
"i was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me?" he asked, his fingers fiddling with each other as he awaited his answer.
i was about to answer with an eager yes, but i soon remembered why i was here. why i was wandering the streets of new york instead of getting ready for some dinner with my soon-to-be husband. i sigh, sadness taking over me before i look up at a hopeful jake.
"i'm sorry, jake. but i can't" i start. i take a deep breath before i carry on.
"i'm getting married next week" i tell him. my heart hurt as i told him so. he nodded his head, him too taking a deep breath.
"cool. cool cool cool cool. yeah, that's cool" he says, still nodding his head. his eyes well up slightly before he quickly wipes them. i shake my head, looking up at him.
"i'm sorry" i say again, rubbing his arm. he contracts it so our skin loses touch before he momentarily looks down at me.
"goodbye, y/n" he bids me, his face blank as he turns around and walks away from me. my eyes tear up again as i see jake walk away. i shake my head, not wanting this to happen. never in a million years.
i make my way back to the house, my parents there waiting for me.
"y/n! goodness me! where on earth have you been?! come on, christopher and his parents will be here in thirty minutes!" they tell me, the maids ushering me in as they speak.
whatever they were saying to me was completely useless because i wasn't listening to them. all i was thinking about was jake, the man who i haven't kept out of my thoughts for a week. the man who i am forbidden from being with because i'm being forced into a loveless marriage that i don't want.