FATALISTIC LOVE ✓

III

my new exciting life started two days after my birthday.

it was the worst kind of excitement because I wasn't the one excited, it was my parents.

"Valentina we've found the man for you!"

I remember stopping in my tracks, gripping my phone and asking what? my sister- Rhea stared at me confused at their words, assuming I knew what was going on. automatically my heart started to beat rapidly.

"you what?"

"meet Elias!" they announced.

"who?"

and out came a stranger with black hair, brown eyes- troublesome in my childhood home.

Elias was a boy who my parents had picked ... for me. a boy they thought I was interested in marrying. a boy I had never met before. a boy with a short stature, miniature frame, wary eyes and a spooked smile.

it was so sudden, so random that it made me want to scream.

it was the weekend and my parents surprised me with a boy. they want me to get married? I should just fake it and be a lesbian.

but what made me even more confused was the fact that Rhea started crying.

my parents didn't question it and simply laughed. "she doesn't want her older sister to get married. she'll miss you too much."

"mum, dad what the-" I started. "where did this whole marriage thing come from?"

they sighed. "we figured it was time. you're old now dear."

twenty. I'm twenty.

"look mate I'm not interested." is what I said to Elias. he couldn't even look at me for god sake. the boy was shy and anxious but he was quiet and obedient and that's what my parents liked.

"Valentina!"

"what?"

the boy didn't even look interested in me, he looked like he was being forced to go get engaged to a girl he didn't even know.

"I'm not getting married." fuck an arranged marriage.

"Valentina just listen-"

"no. Elias go home. mum, dad stop looking for boys .. for me. this is so random and so freaking-"

"stupid." Rhea finished for me.

I was touched by my sister sticking up for me but when I found out why she did ... I was dazed.