Page 147 of Forsaking All Others
‘She must know that he would never want to be with someone like Cherry.’
“We’ll see, Cherry,” Thorun shrugs, “you’ll see too when we visit his castle and his family loves us more than you.”
“You don’t get it, Thorun. You don’t get what she’s saying.” I frown and spin to her. “Traditionally, only two go to the family visit. If three make it past the final contest, one has to be eliminated during the Dreams and Desires Suites. He’s kept you, and he’s kept Cherry…”
She stops her bead twirling and gives me her full attention.
“And you think he’s going to eliminate you? Tonight?”
“I don’t know,” I mutter.
“He sure will,” Cherry giggles.
“That won’t happen,” Thorun says firmly. “We talked about you a lot during my date. He likes you, Cat. I think he more than likes you, just like you more than like him, although both of you won’t admit it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Thorun,” I sigh. “You know he only wants a trophy wife, and you know why I’m here.”
“Yes,” she nods, whispering, “and I know Cherry is the last person on Earth he’d want to marry.”
“You and I can at least agree on that,” I grimace, meeting her eye in the mirror.
“Then stop worrying,” she shrugs, resuming spinning her beads.
I turn back to the mirror and give myself a hard look.
I’m not going to worry. I’m going to act.
I’ve been considering what to do ever since Cherry came back from her date. I was shocked she hadn’t been fed to Starlen, and I knew Thorun would return from hers too. Once again, this meant my head was on the chopping block and I had to face the clear possibility that, having saved Thorun as I was asked, I might not need to be even taken to the final two.
He might dispense with me now.
Consequently, despite Thorun’s breezy take on things, I know tonight is do or die.
‘It’s just, I don’t know if I can do what I think I need to do.’
112
We sit on the yacht, our legs dangling over the side, and I reach for her hand.
Although our conversation, and this night, is private, the crew is filming from some distance away. The director has begged that I try to demonstrate ‘some, any, emotional connection’ to this contestant.
I didn’t bother telling him that I do have a connection with the woman sitting beside me, even though I still don’t understand what it is.
‘I want her physically, her body, her blood. And I need someone strong like her in my life to remind me to remain true to myself, even if it means sacrificing others. Yet she’s so damaged. There’s a darkness in her that I’m somehow drawn to, perhaps because she fights it so hard.
But I feel for Thorun, too. There’s so much goodness in her. Perhaps the visit to my family and friends will give me some clarity about the two.
As for Cherry, Christ save me from marrying that wench. I know I should have eliminated her last night, given her to Starlen, but I just couldn’t do it. I needed to give her one last night of pleasure first. And after what Cat told me earlier, I know that Asumpta deliberately put me in this situation to force my hand. Cherry will be the first woman I’ll have to choose to be eliminated, her blood on my hands, even if I don’t do it myself. That bitch Asumpta must have laughed all the way out of that forest knowing I could never countenance marrying the Londoner. She’d obviously been watching the show carefully. On the plus side, Falcon won’t need to convince me to murder his cunting half-sister. I’ll happily do it when I get out of here.’
Cat looks down, surprised, as I enfold her hand in mine, while I try to think of other, less murderous thoughts. She doesn’t withdraw it, instead looking away to stare out at the water. I can hear her heartbeat thundering, and I give her fingers a reassuring squeeze. Her hand feels small in mine, and warm. Just like in the past when we’ve touched, I feel a deep pull towards her.
‘Her or her blood? Both. Either way, it’s an attraction she obviously doesn’t feel towards me.’
“You remind me of someone, you know,” I murmur now as I follow her gaze out to sea.
“Really? Who?”
“A woman I knew a long, long time ago.”
