He's got all the girls wrapped around his finger. Better yet, all, but one.

Chapter 17

Izzy's POV.

"Arranged marriage?" I questioned. The sound of it didn't seem right.

"Yeah..." Kale said scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Isn't that like so 1800's?" I asked. Kale shrugged.

"My dad needed the money..." He said softly. I looked over at my house then back at Kale.

"Stay right here." I told him. He only nodded as I rushed into the house. This dress just had to come off. I stripped quickly from it and then threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a hoodie. It was a little chilly out so I wanted to keep warm. I started back down the stairs to be face-to-face with Ash.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going for a walk." I told him. He nodded. I started around him and once I got to the door I froze. "Ash..." I started.

"I know. I'll talk to her. It'll be fine. I didn't even do anything tonight." I gave him a weak smile.

"She came back the first time. Don't lose her from that skank just flirting with you." Ash tried to smile back.

"Thanks Iz." My smile grew.

"You're welcome." I closed the front door behind me to see Kale kicking a rock on the driveway. I walked up to him and grabbed his hand in mine. "Come on." I told him pulling him down the street.

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Kale's POV.

"Arranged marriage?" The words seemed to echo off of Izzy's lips like if they were telling her that they weren't true off the back.

"Yeah..." I scratched my neck thinking of something else to say.

"Isn't that like so 1800's?" Izzy asked. I only shrugged.

"My dad needed the money..." I told her quietly.

Great! Just great! More excuses. At least this one is in this century!

"Stay right here." Izzy informed me. I raised an eyebrow as I saw her run inside. I followed her orders and stood there in the driveway just waiting for her to come back.

Any second Kale… think of something!

I looked around the yard to see if anything made my mind click. My eyes roamed the yard looking for anything to help. Then I saw it. A single rose from a rose bush. It lay their in the bushes along the house. It stood lonely and drooped over.

It's perfect!

Don't you think Izzy isn't going to like this when she finds out?

"She won't find out." I whispered softly to myself as the front door opened. I saw Izzy start out and now the front porch steps towards me. Once she got to me she took my hand and laced out fingers together.

"Come on." She said pulling me with her down the street.

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Izzy's POV.

I felt my hand heat up in Kale's like it did at dinner. I felt a faint blush creep up onto my cheeks, but luckily it was dark out.

"Where are we going?" Kale asked quietly as I pulled him into the grass towards the forest.

"I want to show you something." I told him as I squeezed his hand. His hand squeezed back and it was like it sent a spark through my body.

"What are you showing me?" He asked getting impatient. I let go of his hand and pulled a few branches out of the way as we entered the forest. As my hand came back to my side Kale's embraced it again holding it firmly in his own.

I felt my lips tug back into a smile as I took a few more steps and pushed the underbrush from the branches ahead and then stopped as I pulled Kale from behind me.

I looked out over the pond that was there. A ton of fireflies light up around the pond. Not a ripple in the water as they flew over it and around their lights blinking every so often. I sat on the damp grass tugging at Kale to sit next to me.

"This is my special place." I told him when he sat down next to me. The moon overhead shown brightly over the trees in the forest. I couldn't help, but look over at Kale to see his expression.

His eyes gazed at the pond as a ripple went through it after a bug had landed in it. His eyes left the pond and looked towards me.

The second they met felt like there was a tug at me heart.

"He left her." He said slowly. I was lost for a second until he continued, "My dad's new wife. She left him. She took his money and left us broke. After begging my aunt and uncle for a few thousand my dad started to drink again... well until he found an alternative to the whole thing. He got me into an arranged marriage with this girl." He said still keeping eye contact.

"Kale..." I whispered, but I was cut off by him.

"I don't want to marry her. I don't want to marry a girl I’ve never met... I want to marry someone I'm actually in love with." His words hurt to hear.

"Kale..." I whispered again. His eyes looked at the pond then back to mine. He raised his left hand, the one unoccupied by mine, and cupped my cheek. Slowly his lips drew closer to mine.

That felt like the longest minutes of my life. Once his lips touched mine it wasn't like those forced kisses before. It was real and full of passion.

When we pulled away Kale leaned his forehead against mine and breathed out a deep staggered breath.

"You were beautiful tonight." He whispered to me. My eyes flung open just to stare right back into his.