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

“Quinn, It matters not me losing my job it matters because you deserve the truth,” He said nicely. He shook my hand. “After all these years of service, I think I finally served my purpose.”

“I can’t believe him. He hurt a fiancé he never talked to me about an probably never would. Why did he break it off with his fiancé?” I asked.

“Because… um because he had to,” He trailed off.

“Tell me,” I snapped. “I’m sorry to snap at you but I need to know.”

“He broke it off the day he found out he had to marry you, he d-didn’t want to marry you it wasn’t his-his choice to marry you,” He stuttered.

I bolted out the car. Mr. Robertson shouted something to me but I couldn’t understand because I was fuming. Antony wasn’t walking outside anymore he was probably at my house we were going to have a talk. I left my bags in the car.

Anger ON Heels

I yanked off my heels. My ankle had stopped hurting but walking in heels stung.

I walked faster. I decided to skip my house and go to Jenny’s right now I needed my best friend and she gave me clarity. I knocked on her door.

Jenna answered the door. Her look stated she was angry.

“Jenna,” I whispered and hugged her. She didn’t hug me back. All those tears I held in came out. “I-I’m so s-sorry.”

I pulled away from her. Her expression softened.

“What happened?” She asked caringly. Then out of nowhere I broke down. I cried and cried.

She sat on the steps and next to me. She hugged me.

“Whatever is the matter… I’m sure you’ll be just fine. You always are so strong,” She said gently.

I pulled out of the hug.

“I’m sorry for being such a… ya know to Sera,” I said to her wiping my puffy eyes.

“Oh that’s perfectly fine, she lip locked with my “boyfriend” in her eyes,” Jenna said angrily.

I blinked twice. She wasn’t kidding.

“I can’t believe-” I started.

“I couldn’t either girl. She kissed him the day you went missing at the nurse. I guess she can’t keep her lips of any guy. I left them together to go to check into art club and 5 freakin minutes later I find her kissing my future husband and him trying to push her away,” Jenna said angrily and her face got red just talking about it.

“Now little sister what’s wrong?” She said ruffling my messed up curls.

My eyes watered.

“You know about the arrangement I told you about,” I started. She nodded. “Well he d-didn’t really choose me. He broke it off with his fiancé he broke his fiancés heart to be with me. You know how I feel about heartbreakers and cheaters and liars, and ugh! He lied and he broke Chalice’s heart and he broke mine, he just can’t do that Jen-“

“Wait did you just say Chalice?” She said interrupting me.

“Yeah but that’s not the point, Chalice was his ex-fiancé,” I said.

“Chalice is the name of a street, chalice is the name of a highway and Chalice is a name of a person what person, you ask?” She started pulling me into the house closing the door and leading me to her room. She pulled out her magazine and threw it to me. I caught it. “Chalice is a French fashion designer same age as us but she created her first clothing line at age 7. You see this picture.”

She said pointing to a picture of a boy picking up a girl while she was picking up a very stylish outfit. She was looking at the outfit and the boys eyes were transfixed on hers. The boy looked like a little Antony.

I gasped. “Is this your future husband?” She asked. I nodded speechless.

“They grew up together. It was only natural for them to get together. But they’re breakup wasn’t so predictable,” Jenna said pulling out another magazine. The cover had a very angry blonde with green eyes staring daggers at Antony.

The headline read ‘What happened? Will they get back together?’

So Antony was from France. That explains the name. And the language.

“Why couldn’t he have told me?” I asked Jenna.

“Hey, give him a chance to explain ‘Kay?” She pleaded.

“ ’Kay,” I groaned.

“If he doesn’t you know what we’ll do,” She said sarcastically pulling out her toy gun.

“Thanks Jen, you’re the best,” I said hugging her.

“Yeah I know little sis,” She said.

“Secret for a secret?” I offered.

“Yeah sure,” She said. “I love Robert.”

“Oh my gawd,” I said stunned.

“Yeah I know, your turn,” She said nudging me.

“Antony made me walk in heels and he broke my phone,” I told her.

Her mouth opened but she closed it.

“Wait a minute. Where is that as-?,” She started to ask angrily.

“Jenna, I need you to meet him bring Robert too,” I said interrupting her.

“Okay but I still have my gun if he gives you any trouble. See ya in 3,” She said holding up her plastic gun.

“Bye,” I said walking down the stairs and out the door.

I walked back to my house feeling lighter. But I looked like a wreck.

My eyes were puffy, my curls were faded, my blouse was wrinkled, and “waterproof” mascara was running. I went to our well out back to clean off. I washed off the make up. Then I pulled my hair into a French braid. Water cleared the puffiness and I was ready to enter the house.

I reached my house I heard yelling from the outside and I heard things being thrown around. I pulled opened the door unlocked.

“What in the world?” I shouted as I looked at the messed up house. I saw a knife go flying into the wall near my head.

“Amah,” I screamed. I saw my mom chasing my father who had a very sharp knife inn his hand he was chasing Antony. Antony’s father was also chasing Antony yelling at him about what a failure he was. Mrs. Elton was screaming to herself. And Antony’s little sister who almost got hit with a knife was covering her ears and rocking back and forth on the floor. More knives were thrown. “I’m sorry Sir!” Antony shouted to my father.

“Sorry not good enough,” My father panted throwing another knife.

“Everyone get down here now!” I shouted. Everyone stopped moving.

“But-“ Dad protested.

“I’ve had ENOUGH,” I yelled. Everyone but my dad came downstairs. I eyed him angrily, he came downstairs because he wanted to listen to my side of the story.

Mrs. Elton stopped screaming this was a bad idea but Antony’s little sister was still rocking back and forth. I knelt down in front of Lana.

“Lana, are you okay?” I asked her. I took her hand. She looked at me and stopped rocking.

“As long as you can be my fashion forward sister-in-law still,” She insisted.

I giggled. “There’s only one way that wouldn’t happen, you know why?”

“Because my brothers a total jerk?” She asked.

I laughed a little. “No, silly only if I lost my fashion sense.”

I pulled out the bracelets I had in my pocket. “I’ve got something for you,” I said.

“What?” She asked curiously. I gave her the bracelet. She squealed. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank youuu.”

I clasped the bracelet. “As long as you have yours nothing can come between us,” I said smiling.

Then I pulled out mine, “Your turn,” I said handing her the bracelet to clasp on me.

She clasped the bracelet on me. Then she practically threw herself into my arms for a hug.

“I’m so lucky to have you as my sister-in-law,” She whispered.

I pulled away and led Lana back to the couch. I turned back around.

Antony looked at me with amazement. I looked away from him.

“Take a seat, Antony,” I said coldly.

He sat down.

“Okay we will all speak and we will all share our thoughts, feelings and things we need to say to each other without interruption,” I ratted off. “I will go first.”

I took a deep quivering breath. “So first of all I think you Antony should’ve told me the truth in the beginning,” I said. Antony opened his mouth to say something. “Shut up, Antony. You should have told me about your girlfriend, and you fiancé. Oh especially the fiancé . You tried to get me to lie to my mom, how do you think that makes me feel?” My mom glared at Antony. “You even dumped your famous fashion designer fiancé to be with someone you didn’t even want to be with. And yet you come into my life, and for once in my life it feels perfect then you don’t tell me a thing about yourself. I don’t know you and you really really don’t want to know me. I see now you should really just go back to your home place,” I said sadly unknown tears fell down my face and I just looked down.

“Antony, go back to France where you really want to be,” I said in French fluently.

“Love, I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to make you feel this way. Will you forgive me?” He asked speaking in French also.

“Wee,” I said in French he hugged me.

“How do you speak French so fluently?” He asked in English.

“I picked it up when my robot nanny started speaking French instead of English as she was programmed,” I said.

“How’d you know?”

“I have a very good best friend who tells me everything,” I told him.

“My turn,” He said.

“I’m sorry for being such a jerk,” He started. Lana mouthed “Told you”. “Especially to Equina, and to you sir. I’m so sorry. I hope you can all forgive me-“

“So you expect me to forgive you for letting my daughter have her leg nearly sprained with your stupidity?” My dad asked. “Well, If you expect that, I hope you find the father in law your searching for, first you break her phone, then her heart, then our trust in you Antony.”

My dad said gesturing between mom and him.

“Then you try to sugar coat it with a hug, a kiss are you out of your f-“ Dad started.

“Daddy!” I shouted.

“And you- you let him run you over. You know your still upset you just let him get away with it. This is not how I raised you Marie, this is not how I raised you at all,” He said. He only called me Marie when he was serious. And I only called him Daddy when I was getting embarrassed or he was about to cuss.

I looked down in shame.

The doorbell rang. Finally about time.

“Yay its Jenna I’ll get it,” I yipped happily skipping to the door. I opened it and found it was Robert and Jenna kissing. “Guys!” I groaned.

Robert pulled away. Jenna rubbed his hand. And he took hers.

“Another arranged couple has arrived,” I said to the family.

“Robert this is Antony, Antony, Robert,” I said introducing them.

“Antony man it’s been awhile,” Robert said.

“Yeah it has, what you doing here?” Antony asked.

“I moved here with my family. And remember that arrangement it was between me and that sweet girl over there,” He said pointing to Jenna who blushed.

“You two, know each other?” I asked.

“Yes,” Both of them said in unison. Jenna and I laughed together.

“Yeah we were both dating fashion designers, I was dating Chalice and he was dating Rose,” Antony said. I looked at Jenna who looked shocked.

Antony looked