Chapter Text
The party should have been a dead giveaway. She should have known something was coming when her mother insisted on throwing her a 16th birthday party. Her mother had barely acknowledged her birthday in the past… and now, here she was.
Lucy stared in shock at Paul. Her mouth was suddenly very dry and her stomach clenched. Her eyes darted over to Norrie.
Her best friend stood a little way off, her hands clamped over her mouth, horror in her eyes.
Lucy looked back at Paul, still on one knee, ring in one hand, her left hand in the other. She needed to say something, to tell him it was to soon but she couldn’t get a breath in. She swallowed, her tongue flickering over her bottom lip.
Paul watched her, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
Her mother stood at the edge of the crowd, arms folded and she nodded when she caught Lucy’s gaze.
This is what everyone expects… that I’ll say yes and we’ll be engaged until I turn 18 then when our talents fade, he’ll work as a supervisor under Jacob’s and I’ll keep the house and have his children. Tears blurred the edges of her vision. No one cared about her feelings, almost no one. She glanced over at Norrie again.
Tears rolled down the other girl’s face, then she met Lucy’s gaze and her eyes hardened. Norrie had made some decision; Lucy made a mental note to ask later.
Paul gave a soft cough.
Lucy looked back at him. ‘Aren’t we to young?’ She kept her voice so low only he could hear.
He smiled at her, then carefully slipped the ring on to her finger as the crowd of everyone she knew cheered. ‘Don’t worry Lu… we’ll have a nice long engagement.’ He kissed her forehead then pulled her in to a hug. ‘I just want everyone to know your mine.’
Lucy thought she might be sick.