Chapter 69 - Im a Bad Person (2/2)

”Well that's not true. You happen to be the kindest person I know.” Yes, and that was the problem!

”You're surrounded by terrible people so anyone would seem kind by comparison,” I laughed bitterly. I should know; I was one of them.

”Not for much longer though,” he said optimistically while rubbing my back over the blanket. ”This time next year we'll be out of here and away from the terrible people.”

Would we really? Could I get away with disrupting the plot by kidnapping the Prince Charming character just to protect his heart?

Though I was the last person who had the right to even talk about protecting his heart. He had given it to me and I planned to throw it away because I didn't want to stay in this fake marriage.

Even if I did get him out of the country like he wanted, it was highly unlikely I would be able to shake him. Shibatsu wasn't all that large and a blonde blue-eyed girl would stand out. If I took Al with me I would be stuck with him for the rest of my life.

Would that be fair to either of us?

I shouldn't have to spend the rest of my life with someone I had been forced to marry who I saw as only a friend. At the same time, he deserved to be with someone who was just in love with him as he was with her.

Our relationship was unbalanced. Neither of us would ever be truly happy together because we wanted something the other couldn't provide.

”Al...about that,” I hedged. I wasn't sure what to tell him.

I didn't want to get his hopes up but I couldn't confess to my plan either. Especially since I couldn't explain that I had originally intended to hand him over to Marcy but changed my mind based on new information that didn't match the book.

”You're going to keep your promise, right?” I asked quickly before biting my lip. I hoped he remembered which promise because I didn't want to say the 'D' word out loud right now.

”What promi—oh. You mean letting you go live your life once we get out of here.”

I couldn't bear to look him in the eye but his tone was sad enough to pierce my heart anyway, especially when he dropped his arms away from me.

”Am I so horrible that you never want to see me again?”

No! That wasn't it at all! I would love to stay in contact with him if not for the fact that no decent sort of man would want a woman who was still close with her ex-husband. He would never be able to move on either if he saw me all the time.

If anyone in this ridiculous novel world deserved happiness, it was Alpheus McLeod. I wanted him to be happy almost as much as I wanted to go back home.