Chapter 58
AIMILIA
“Yes, I do.”
And before Aimilia could register what Nikias had just said, his lips were on hers.
Aimilia stumbled back. Nikias’ hand clutched her waist as the other braced against the wall while her back pressed into it.
Aimilia let out a sharp gasp and she just barely caught herself on his shoulders again. His body pressed into hers.
His kiss was searing.
It was a complete torrent of emotion. The way he moved, frantic and desperate, had Aimilia’s knees weakening. It was completely wild, and all Aimilia could hear in her head were those three little words.
“Yes, I do.”
Did he?
His kiss seemed to corroborate that he did.
With a kiss like this, Aimilia just might believe him.
Enough to kiss him back. Her fingers curled into his chiton as she responded in kind.
He pulled his lips away, gasping for breath as Aimilia’s head rested against the wall.
Nikias’ cheek brushed hers as he kept her pinned up against the wall.
He whispered, “I will not pretend for a moment longer that I don’t.
I do. I do love you. I cannot stand here and let you continue accusing me of being like that vermin.
You cannot let him use you. You cannot even entertain the idea of marrying him when he does not love you and I do. ”
Aimilia’s head was spinning.
Nikias loved her?
He turned his head, pressing a kiss to her cheek and then her jaw.
“I thought it was obvious, especially as of late, despite the fact thatI’ve been desperately trying to hide it.
Forget everything I said that night I first proposed to you.
That’s not why I want to marry you. Do you think I’ve done all this just because you make the most sense?
Do you think I would kiss you like this if all I cared about was my ego? ”
His lips just barely grazed her neck, eliciting a soft gasp from her before he pulled back to look at her.
He stared into her eyes, and it was that look again.
She could drown in his magnificent green eyes.
“Amata, all I want is your happiness, but I simply cannot see why you would not be happy with me. Do you really think it would be such misery to be married to me? Would it really be so bad to be the wife of a man who adores you? Can you not be happy with my name around your wrist?”
“Nikias—”
“I know—” Nikias paused, taking a shuddering breath.
“I understand you have something you need to prove. As much as it horrifies me to see you in danger, if this is what you need, I will keep standing by you. No matter how hard it is, I will. Once you’re done, and you’ve proven everything you need to prove, I beg of you, choose me. Marry me. Love Me.”
Could she?
Was this real?
Surely he wouldn’t sink so low as to say all of that in order to manipulate her, right?
He pressed another kiss to her lips, this one slower and sweeter, and Aimilia was torn between crying and opening her mouth to beg him to say it all again.
But her voice was stuck in her throat. Nikias rested his forehead against hers, eyes closed.
“You cannot be indifferent to me, even now. You have my name to wear; I will give it to no one else. You have my heart in your hands. Please, I beg of you the honor of having yours in return.”
Aimilia could never have predicted this. Dare she do it?
Dare she tell him he didn’t have to beg for it? That it was already his?
Nikias’ voice echoed in her head.
“I’ll never stop loving her.”
Hypatia’s voice followed.
“The person who gave you that ring is hiding behind a facade.”
“Nikias, I—” Right when she was about to stomp them both out and throw caution to the wind, she heard a sandal scuff on stone.
Aimilia glanced over and saw Turpis standing there, having just come out of the stairwell. Her stomach dropped. His eyes were scanning over her—her and Nikias given the position they were entangled in. His gaze darkened. He let out a small scoff, and then he was gone.
Out of the corner of her eye, a flicker of a smirk passed over Nikias’ face. How long had Turpis been there?
How long had Nikias known he’d been there?
Nikias glanced at the sun setting low in the sky.
None of this had been a coincidence. Nikias had known she was going to be here at sunset; he’d had all day to come and find her to do this. He’d waited.
A trap.
How stupid was she?
She’d seen him do this before, she’d even suspected he was doing it again, and she’d still fallen for it. Aimilia shoved Nikias off of her. She hissed, “This was your plan. Whatever you did the other day didn’t scare him off, so that’s why you did this.”
“Aimilia—” Nikias reached for her again, but she smacked his hand away.
“No! You don’t get to try and talk your way out of this. All of this went according to your plan. You got what you wanted. If you eliminate any other option, then I’ll have to choose you.”
“That’s not what I was trying to do—”
Aimilia laughed. “Really? You waited all day until you knew I would be at this tower, and you knew Turpis would be coming, and you didn’t mean for this to happen?
You didn’t come here with the intention of leading me away or making a scene so convincing that when Turpis arrived and saw it he would be scared off? ”
Nikias winced. “Well, that’s—I’m not trying to make you choose me.”
Aimilia just shook her head. There was no use talking to him. It wouldn’t matter. He’d say anything, and she couldn’t trust herself not to fall for it.
She already had twice now.
Aimilia reached into her pocket and pulled out the necklace with Nikias’ name on it. She took a few steps away from him.
Nikias looked up, eyes widening. They locked in on the necklace, and he said, “Aimilia— Let me just explain.”
Aimilia shook her head. “You’ve explained enough. There is nothing you can say to me now that will change what you’ve done. I know you well enough to know why you did it.”
“But the why matters. I love you. And you—” Nikias took a few steps toward her, following her as she inched toward the railing. “And I know you feel something for me too. Aimilia, tell me that you love me too.”
Aimilia looked down at the necklace. She curled her hand into a fist around it, and then looked back up at Nikias. The sun was almost below the horizon. Darkness was closing in on them. Nikias’ pleas hung in the air between them.
He sounded so earnest.
The way he looked at her was so familiar.
And that was exactly why she couldn’t trust it.
He was lying.
She’d seen plenty by now; not even her naivete could blind her to what was staring right at her. She locked eyes with him and whispered, “You haven’t changed at all.”
Nikias’ lips parted, each word seeming to knock the wind out of him. Then she turned and threw the necklace off the tower. Nikias lunged forward, but it was too late.
Aimilia ducked out of his grip and watched as he barely caught himself on the railing, just in time to see the necklace disappear from sight as it plummeted toward the ground.
Nikias stared at the ground, and Aimilia walked back toward the door.
She said, “If you wanted to manipulate me again, you should have chosen some better lies. You don’t win this time.
And when I win this, you can be certain of one thing.
I will never give up my position. Certainly not to marry you. ”
Nikias’ knuckles were alabaster white as he gripped the railing, not looking up at her. His hair hung in his face, hiding it from view. He didn’t say anything. He was completely still. He might as well have been a marble statue frozen forever in time.
The door shut behind Aimilia and she started down the stairs.
Good.
Let him rot there. Her grip on the railing tightened and her knees buckled.
She took a slow, shuttering breath, but it devolved into a gasp. She reached up and wiped at her eyes as she tried to blink away the water pooling in them.
She’d gotten what she needed. She finally had an answer.
She didn’t have to worry about Hypatia’s warning about his manipulation anymore.
Why did it still hurt?
It had all been an illusion from Nikias. He’d just been trying to manipulate her into having feelings for him in order to win her.
Aimilia leaned against the wall as a sob racked her whole body. Well, it had worked. Why had she let herself love even the illusion of him?
Aimilia didn’t have any answers. She just leaned against the wall, smothering her sobs.
It hadn’t been real.