Break This Spell You've Created

My face remains unemotional, his accent wasn't near as sexy as Nathan's. I still couldn't believe this was happening to me. I wanted to lock myself in my room and never come out. But it's for my family, I'm sure anyone else would've done the same in my place.

"Well," my dad said clapping his hands together getting our attention and finished the awkward silence."let's eat. Follow me." My dad turns on his heel and starts walking towards the dining room. Cesar motions me to go before him, and I do. I can feel his eyes burning through me...or my dress.
"You're beautiful." his warm breath was intimidating, it sort of stopped my blood flow. My cheeks blush.
"Uhh...thank you, Cesar." I said in a low voice, he moves to the right side of me and I avoid looking at him, cause then he would see me blush. It felt like forever to reach the dining room. When we finally got there I could feel my blood circulating again. We take our seats. My dad at the front, my mom besides him, I sat across from my mom, Cesar sat next to me, and his parents sat across from him. I played with my fingers under the table, trying to make them stop shaking.
The adults started to talk, and I just stared off at the wall across from me, thinking about Nathan. Thinking of how much it's going to hurt him when he hears about my arranged marriage.
Why does destiny keep separating us? Is it not meant to be? Maybe it isn't...maybe he was just suppose to be another rock in the road...maybe this IS what destiny wanted. Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe....lives is full of maybe's. If this is what desnity wants...maybe I should just let it happen; stop fighting, I'm getting to tired of fighting. But I LOVE Nathan, I'm willing to give it my all for us to be together.

"How old are you, Melinda?" said a male's voice next to me. I snap out of it and look with a blank look at Cesar, who was now eating. I look down at my plate and noticed there was a bowl of Pozole (mexican food). The smell hit me like a truck; I realised how hungry I was.
"I'm...uh...seventeen." I answered slowly and in a low voice. His eyes widen in shock."Why? How old are you?"
His face turns a little red.
"Twenty two." he said, my eyes widen, I started to choke on the pozole in my mouth. I ,eventually,pass it down; my face red.
"What?!" I hissed loud enough for everyone to hear, all of their heads turn to us."You're twenty two?"
"Is there a problem?" asked his dad who's name I learned to be Juan.
"No, there isn't." my dad said, I look at him and he gives me a shut-your-mouth-look.
"He's...{my father glares}....he looks so young to be twenty two." I laughed it out, and everyone smiled."I thought you were eighteen or twenty." I lied with a fake smile.
"He takes care of himself." his mom said who's name is Mariela.
"I guess so." I said while nodding my head. Whew, I had saved myself from embaressment. But 22?! He's OLDER by like 5 years. That's a lot, I mean my birthday was coming up, but it was barely the end of January.

Most of the dinner I stayed quiet, not much to talk about though. 'Hi I'm the girl you have to get married to, even though we don't love each other'
After dinner we moved to the living room, the adults, including Cesar, were drinking wine, I on the other hand was drinking a non-alcoholic margarita.
"I hear your daughter is a genius, Sebastian." complimented Juan, as his eyes verted to me and I was merely looking at the floor.
"Yes, she is. Graduated a whole year ahead of her class." my dad said proudly.
"Brains AND beauty, she's quite a catch." smirked Cesar, and I blushed.
"She most definitely is."my mom said, almost in a sad tone. She knew the pain I was going through, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
"Well, it's getting late, we should get going." said Juan, as he stood, so did everyone else. Then as we walked towards the entrance door, I saw two luggages at end of the stairs. 'Please God don't let it be what I think it is.' I thought with a desparate look on my face.
"Ready to go to your new home?" Mariela asked with a smile. I tried my best to remain calm.
"Umm...may I have a moment with my father?" I asked politely and tried to hide my anger. They nod and my father and I walk back into the living room. "Is there something you forgot to mention, dad?!" I hissed with so much venom.
He chuckles nervously.
"Sweety you sort of have to go live with them...until the marriage, then you'll have your own house." my dad said. I gulp and take several deep breaths, with my eyes closed. I was trying eat my anger, but it was too much. I made my hand into a fist and bit it, keeping me from screaming.
"Fine." I said finally after calming myself down. Things were going from bad to worse. If only I had control over this.

<<FF to Rodriguez Mansion>>

The drive was long and silent. All my way I fought the thousands of tears. This was too much pain for me. First forced into a marriage and then moving away from my family. This was too much for me to handle; this was too much of a burden for a seventeen year old girl. But somehow I had the strength to keep going.
"Welcome to your new home." announced Mariela as we entered the house and my stuff were being taken by some servents.
"Where shall we put the Miss's luggages?" asked the main butler.
"To Cesar's room," she said as my eyes widen,"they have to get to know each other a bit."
I wanted to sat other wise, but I kept my mouth shut. The future of my family depended on my unhappiness. I swallowed my words and remained silent.
"Show Melinda to her new room Cesar." said Juan as he patted Cesar on the shoulder. Cesar nods and motions me to follow him, which I do. With nothing to say, I start to look around at my new home. Of course they had expenisive paintings and sculptures of Mexican artist, such as Frida, just like at Nathan's and Piccasso, just like Nathan's.

I let out a big sigh as I mused. Cesar cocks an eyebrow as he looked back at me and smirks.
"I guess you're not really into this arranged marriage, are you?" Cesar chuckled.
"No, not really. What about you? Aren't you a little too old to be living with your parents?" I arched an eyebrow. Cesar smiles.
"Well, it does have its advantages to live with your parents." said Cesar as he unlocked 'our' room and then I entered with Cesar behind me.
"Like what?" I asked in a chuckle.
"Well, I don't have to pay for rent, bills and car insurance. Saves me money." He said as he went over to his counter and dropped off his watch, keys and wallet.
"You haven't answered my other question." I said as I went over to the edge of the bed and sat."About how you feel about this marriage."
"It's..."he hesitates, looking for the right words. " come se dice (how do you say)...complicated."
"How so?" I persisted.
"You're a very nosy person." he pointed out.
"Well if I'm going to have to marry you, shouldn't I know you better?" I asked. He chuckles and nods.
"You're not like other girls." he smiled.
"Ha, if I had a nickle." I said. He gives me a questioning look."You don't know what I mean by 'if I had a nickle'?"
He slowly shakes his head.
"The full phrase is if I had a nickle everytime I heard that. It just means people say that to me a lot." I summoned things up."But for reals why did you agree to this marriage?"
"Why did you?" he asked.
"Forced to." I said.
"You have a boyfriend?"
"Yes. You?"
"No girlfriend."
"Are you dating?"
"No."
"Are you gay?" I asked.
"No." he said as soon as I asked, no hesitation means a good thing."My turn, if you have a boyfriend why are you doing this?"
"Were you listening? I said I was forced into this marriage." I snapped. His eyes widen at my reaction." sorry, it's been a rough week for me."
"I understand, I do." he said. Theres a silence and a tension that could be cut with a butter knife."What's his name?"
"Who?" I asked, startled by the question.
"Your boyfriend...well...now ex-boyfriend." he said.
"...his name is...Nathan." I said."He doesn't really know about the marriage...thing."
"Oh..he will...by tomorrow at least." he said in a smile. I get up from the bed and walked to him with a shocked face.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"My parents took the liberty of announcing our engagement to the entire United States Country and some parts of Europe." he said like it was nothing. My hear dropped to my stomach."Which reminds me, um...we have to make our public apperance as a couple at the mall or something like that."
"This.Can.Not.Be.Happening." I said and found my breathing shorter, the color of my face was gone.