Mariana knocked on Caelen's door.
After returning from the town and making dinner, she had waited for him. But he did not come to her house like he usually did. So, she was here before dinner to condemn him about everything she had heard.
His mother answered the door. "Mariana! What a surprise, dear. Come in."
"Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Brown. I just wanted to talk to Caelen. Is he home?"
Just then she saw Caelen coming out of a room. He looked happy to see her. "Marie," he smiled.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Mariana couldn't summon a smile. She was really upset about him.
"Sure," he wrinkled his brows but came out.
After giving a smile to Mrs. Brown, she and Caelen walked to his backyard. A small area but pleasantly filled with bushes and few flowering plants. They walked sound-proof distance from the house.
"Are you here to say yes?" Caelen asked.
Mariana stopped and faced him. "I met Veronica today. She told me you talked with Gregory about us."
His eyes narrowed slightly and he looked flustered, as if caught doing something wrong, which he did.
"How could you do this, Caelen. How could tell anyone that I am yours!"
He closed his eyes in frustration. "Marie, I love you."
Mariana startled. He had not said that before.
Love?
She had never loved Caelen romantically. And never did she have any idea that he loved her thus. For a moment, she forgot everything and was about to tell him that she was flattered. But, his next sentence killed every innocent feeling.
"I can't let anyone take you away from me. Gregory would have proposed you and-"
"You should have let me decide my answer. To anyone for that matter." She tried not to scream. She wanted neither Caelen nor Gregory. But she wanted to tell them this herself. A man need not handle her opinion on her behalf.
Caelen grasped her arms. "I can't see you with anyone else, Marie." He looked anxious. Disturbed. Insecure." I was about to confess but he too, was planning that and what if you had accepted."
His hands moved up and he held her face roughly in his hands. "You are just mine, Marie."
"I am not yours, Caelen!" She pushed back his hands. "You have no right to call me yours. I always thought of you as friend and nothing more."
"No, you are lying. You love me. Everyone in the village says so."
Mariana began to breathe faster. Did everyone think she was with Caelen? She hated this fact. She did not want to belong to him.
She raised a finger at him. "You will tell anyone you have told otherwise that we are not together. That we are not going to marry."
"Oh Marie. We will marry. You will see."
"Caelen, I do-
"I will die if you don't marry me. You are the reason I feel my life worth living."
"What?" She never for a moment, throughtout her life, thought that Caelen was so very obsessed with her. He always used to be normal, laughing and chatting with her. A flirty comment was passed by him in times, but she always thought it charming and innocent. She never thought Caelen would take her so seriously regarding marriage.
"Yes, Marie. I will make you mine. I love you. I love you. And no matter what, you will love me." There was a weired anger in his eyes as he spoke everyword. Like he would never let her breathe freely again.
His eyes which always used to be so warm and friendly now looked greedy and furious. His skin, always so smooth and glowing with smiles was now flushed with the rage he was feeling from her rejection. He always used to speak such sweet words and compliments now threw accusatory words and blackmails on her.
Mariana shook her head. He was unbelievable. "I can't believe you are the same Caelen I had known all these years."
Just then, they heard someone coming to them. "There they are," Mrs. Brown said to aunt Penny who had joined them.
"Let's go, Marie. I have plated the dinner," aunt Penny said and from the way she looked at her, it was clear that she knew Mariana was stressed and upset over something. Mariana tried to smile.
"She was just coming back, aunt Penny," Caelen said in a perfectly controlled voice.
Stunned, Mariana looked at him. How could he speak so normally when just a moment ago he was shaking with fury and emotions. He was just greeting his teeth and threatening her.
Mariana strode towards aunt Penny. She did want to be with him alone even for a second more.
When they came to their house, Mariana was about to rush in the kitchen but aunt Penny grasped her hand. She came to stand in front of her and eyed her thoroughly.
"What's wrong, Marie?" Aunt Penny held her face softly. "Why do you look so upset? Did Caelen say something?"
Mariana wanted to pour her heart out to aunt Penny. But she didn't want her to stress out. Her fever had just recovered but she still was very weak.
"We just had a small argument over politics, aunt Penny," Mariama tried to say in a light voice.
Aunt Penny didn't look convinced.
"Is that really the matter?"
Mariana nodded her head. "I was just upset that we argued."
"Oh, it happens between friends, Marie. No need to stress out. Caelen is a good boy. He will not let you down."
He did. She wanted to scream that. Perhaps she should say it. Aunt Penny could take that well and guide her to what to do.
"Do you want to eat now?"
Mariana decided to talk about it later. For now, she wanted a quiet dinner with her family. Trying to hide all the emotions, she nodded.
Mariana was unable to sleep soundly that night. She kept changing her positions in the bed. She was so disturbed by Caelen's behaviour. He was almost blackmailing her emotionally. First, implying continously that she had been so close to him and she had to fall for him. And now that he couldn't see her with anyone else. That we would die without her. Literally. That he would make her his no matter what.
A lump had made a home in her throat ever since she had returned from Caelen's house. She felt uneasy, uncomfortable, unsafe and unvalued. How could he say he loved her and her feeling didn't matter in the same sentence.
Throwing away the quilt, Mariana sat up on the bed. She rubbed her scalp hardly. Trying to sleep was futile. She decided to read something.
Litting a candle on her desk, she sat and opened a book. It seemed the words on the page were not ready to get in her mind. Reading only a single line almost ten times and still being unable to grasp it's meaning, Mariana shut the book close. She couldn't concentrate.