The Deal by Gabriella Counou, Jennifer Allen (libby ebook reader txt) 📕

Everything I put in separate gift bags. I headed to the food court. I didn’t see Antony or Mr. R I sat alone at one of the crummy tables in the food court, I nearly cried it was so awful to sit in a booth alone, and with a dirty table. After about 15 minutes of waiting. I started getting annoyed. I pushed off and went towards the direction Antony went in but was knocked down. I fell on my ankle hearing a quick snap I cried out in pain.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry about that,” a deep voice said similar to Antony’s said. He tried to help me up but I fell back down moaning at the horrible pain in my ankle.

“Are you okay?” He asked caringly.

“Fine,” I mumbled stubbornly. I tried to help myself up but fell back down.

“You don’t look fine. If you would just let me help-“ He started.

“I don’t need your help for anything,” I snapped. I looked up at him and saw he had silky black hair and icy blue eyes. He looked similar to Antony.

“You needn’t be so stubborn Ms….” He paused waiting for me to fill in the blanks.

“Ms. Laxly, soon to be Mrs. Elton,” I said confidently. I looked up at his alarmed face.

“You mean…” He started. His breath heavy.

“Yes, to Antony do you know him?” I asked my eyes stated curiosity.

“Know him? Yeah I know him he’s my brother,” He said looking into my eyes.

Brother?

“Brother?” I chuckled. “You’re his brother. I’m supposed to believe this how?”

“Yeah and I’m supposed to believe your going to be his wife,” He said his voice dead.

I helped myself up wobbling a little.

“Listen buster-“ I started jabbing him in his hard chest.

“Its Jacque but family calls me my middle name Liam,” He interjected,

“Whatever, I don’t care who the heck you think you are but Antony and I were arranged, to marry. I didn’t fall in love and choose him he chose me. I don’t like your dead tone. I don’t like your attitude-“

“Yeah, princess I get it you don’t like a lot of things,” He said interrupting me.

“Don’t you dare call me princess. And you know what I missed I don’t like you-“

“Well get used to it,” He interrupted again.

“Don’t interrupt me, I am-“ I started then stopped as he turned his back to me. I grabbed his shirt and twisted him around. We were mere inches apart. He pulled me to him and kissed me. I was about to punch him and realized to the public it must’ve looked like something else.

I pulled away.

“You talk to much princess, otherwise you’d be my type,” He breathed. Then I saw a very angry Antony storm in front of Jacque. I then compared the two. Both had black hair. From a distance they looked like twins but had different eye color and a slight difference in height. Jacque was about an inch taller.

“Liam, you pigheaded as-“

“Hey. Hey. Hey. Not in my presence,” I said interrupting Antony. They both turned to look at me. Antony glaring at me and Jacque smiling at my comment. I felt my lips curl into a smile. His smile was infectious but Antony wasn’t catching on.

“What was that little brother?” Jacque asked.

“I don’t know what came over you. You’ve been here for a year and your already smooching up to my fiancé, how dare you?”

“How dare I? How dare you. You neglect the prize you have won and I am not about to let the princess fall when her ankles hurt. And guess what little brother I don’t see a ring,” He said. Antony snarled.

“You kissed her, why?” Antony snapped.

“Because little brother she needed it,” Jacque tried to reason.

“Excuse me, how did you magically decide I needed a kiss?” I asked angrily.

“Butterfly, you wouldn’t shut up. You needed it because he wasn’t giving it to you. He left you stranded, helpless-“

“Sorry, I think I missed that can you repeat that I can assure you I’m not freakin’ helpless I’m a 3rd degree black belt and have other martial arts training, I am not helpless just a tad bit injured,” I snapped. I boiled with anger. I grabbed my bags and grabbed Antony’s hand and said to him, “ I hate your brother.”

Then I led him out of the mall. “Did you get what you came here for?” I asked Antony. He held up a small package for me to see.

He pulled out his phone and whispered into it. We finally got to the car. The doors were locked and Mr. R nowhere to be found.

“Um- Antony where’s Mr. Robertson?” I asked.

“Not coming we have to walk,” He said his tone dead.

“Me… walk in 3 inch heels I don’t think so. Especially with all these bags, I think your on your own there. I will bust just like a piñata,” I said holding back my nasty tone.

“Well we are and we will,” He said his tone remaining dead. He walked ahead of me.

“Now first of all what did I do?” I asked walking in front of him. “I mean I don’t get it tell me what was so wrong? I didn’t do anything and my dad will put you through something horrible if he found out.”

“Is it worst then seeing your future wife kiss another guy?” He asked I could practically see the steam coming out of his head.

Then I snapped my tone nastier then ever. “Now here’s a question for you, why do you have to bring up something that wasn’t even my fault. He kissed me not the other way around. I didn’t tell him too-“

“Nor did you tell him to stop,” Antony shouted not looking me in the eye but at the ground.

“What the heck do you freakin’ want me to do? Go back in freakin’ time and stop me from twisting my ankle and him from knocking me down. Go on tell me,” I said loudly.

He didn’t answer after a minute.

“Answer me, Antony,” I shouted tears I didn’t know about were streaming down my cheeks.

He was silent.

“I can’t believe this,” I pulled out my phone. And dialed the first number that came to my mind, my mom.

“Yes honey,” She answered.

“Uh mom-“ I started.

Antony knocked the phone out of my hand.

“Are you crazy?” I asked trying to pick up the back and front pieces of my phone but found that it was no use. The front screen was cracked. The battery had fallen into the gutter and my hand had something in it. I cried out. I took a piece of paper out of my purse and swiped it against the thing in my palm and it came out slowly. I hissed. Ow, I thought. It started to bleed a little. I saw it was glass. I looked up at him angrily. I got up slowly. Letting my injured hand drop. I had no words anymore. The words that would’ve came out would’ve been ones I would regret. My ankle still hurt but I could walk slowly, injured hand and twisted ankle, Great, I thought. Best mall trip ever.

I started to limp away from him as fast as my ankle could carry me. I wasn’t running but I wasn’t walking slowly either. I heard him follow me, then I felt him grab my wrist.

“You know what? Don’t touch me,” I hissed at him. Shaking him off.

“You could be a little less-“

“A little less what, Antony, haven’t I suffered enough. You broke my phone. You make me walk. What next?” I asked my eyes watered.

“Look at me,” He demanded. “Look at me, Equina.”

I turned to face him. He looked awful like his heart had been ripped out and forced back in, he looked torn. I looked at the ground then he lifted my chin to him.

“I broke it because all you were going to do was tell your mom then I was going to have to go back to fr- I mean where I came from alone. And I made you walk because I was angry and I couldn’t bare sit in a car with you I needed to cool off and out here its pretty cold. And when you ask what next? What’s next Equina is we move forward together,” He said grabbing my hand and pressing it to his lips. My hand shook. It felt worst then butterflies in your stomach.

“Together?” I asked aloud.

“Yeah,” He said. He pulled out his phone.

“Mr. Robertson please come pick us up,” He said.

5 minutes later Mr. Robertson pulled around the curb. Antony helped me in. I put my bags in the car but put Lana and I’s bracelets in my pocket. We drove home with me still upset he made me walk and broke my phone I was silent.

“Wait, before we get out this car I want to know if your okay,” He said stopping me from getting out of the car.

“I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Be honest, love,” He said.

“No of course I’m not fine I can’t believe you would ask such a stupid question. You broke my phone and my mom’s going to kill me,” I shouted angrily.

Mr. Robertson looked back when we stopped at a red light.

“Are you okay Madame Elton?” He asked me caringly.

I smiled at him he genuinely cared. “ Thanks Mr. Robertson I think I’m okay,” I said.

“If your worried about your phone, I can have Mark stop at a phone store and buy you a look-alike so you don’t have to tell your mom,” He said to her.

“What?” I asked angrily. “You can’t honestly believe I would lie to my mother, do you?”

“Its not lying its just not telling the whole truth,” He tried to reason.

“Same thing,” I mumbled. “Would you tell me a partial truth, Antony?”

“Um- n-no,” He stammered.

“Then why would you have me trick my mother and tell her a partial truth,” I snapped.

He was dead silent. Mr. Robertson shook his head. I couldn’t tell what for.

“Not to be a bother but I think Madame Elton should be told the truth,” Mr. Robertson said hinting for me to question Antony.

“So I have been lied to?” I questioned Antony.

“Its not really a lie-“

“Excuse me, not telling the truth is a lie,” I shouted to him.

“Keep it down,” He yelled.

“Mr. Robertson,” I called to him.

“Yes dear,” He answered.

“Has Antony ever hurt a woman?” I asked.

“Don’t answer that!” Antony interrupted.

“No please tell me Mr. Robertson, I want to know,” I said to him calmly.

“Tell her, and consider your career this your final career,” He snapped.

“Well, Madame Elton, the answer to your question is yes, Antony has hurt two women one Madame Jane his ex-girlfriend. And two his first fiancé Chalice he-“

“That’s it!” Antony shouted. “Your fired.”

Antony hopped out of the car as if to cool off and not have to explain. He started walking in my house direction.

“Why’d you tell me this? You just lost your job because you answered