Chapter 158
Kylie kept her hand against Christian’s jaw.
Her fingers rested lightly along his cheek, but she held his face steady enough that he couldn’t look away.
The air between them still carried everything that had happened since he’d returned.
Christian’s eyes remained fixed on hers.
Kylie studied him. Then her expression changed.
"You don’t want to get married because you want to be rebellious to your mum."
Christian’s eyebrows pulled together. "No—"
"Let me finish." She released his jaw.
Kylie stepped away from him. The sudden distance made the room feel colder. She crossed the living room and sat on the couch, pulling one leg beneath herself.
Christian remained where he was for a moment. Then he followed. He didn’t sit immediately.
Instead, he leaned against the opposite side of the room, with his arms folded loosely across his chest.
Kylie pointed at him. "See?"
"See what?"
"That."
Christian glanced down at himself. "What exactly am I doing?"
Kylie narrowed her eyes. She shook her head. "You know what your problem is?"
Christian’s expression became deliberately thoughtful. "I imagine you’re about to tell me."
"You think because you’re charming, funny, and good at getting people to laugh, nobody notices how stubborn you are."
His smile faded slightly.
Kylie continued. "You hate being controlled, and being told what to do."
Christian’s eyes remained on her.
"And," Kylie added, "you have spent years building your entire personality around making sure nobody gets to decide anything for you."
He was quiet.
She leaned back against the couch. "Which is why I think your mother is getting under your skin."
Christian’s jaw tightened. "She has always been under my skin."
Kylie shrugged. "I understand why you’re angry." She paused. "But I don’t think you’re angry about marriage."
Christian said nothing.
"You’re angry because she chose it for you."
That landed.
She could see it.
His expression didn’t change much, but something behind his eyes did.
Kylie continued.
"If your mother had never mentioned Isabel, never called you, never arranged anything..." She tilted her head. "I actually think you might have liked the idea, and liked Isabel as a person."
Christian’s eyebrows rose. "You think I’d enjoy being married?"
"I think you would enjoy choosing it." She crossed her arms across her chest.
He stared at her.
She pointed at him again. "You like the idea of things when they’re yours." She smacked her lips together. "And when your mother walked into your house and started talking about your wedding like she had already planned the rest of your life, you hated it."
Christian pushed away from the wall. He came closer but stopped a few feet from the couch.
"I don’t want you to misunderstand me."
Kylie’s eyes met his. "I don’t."
"I don’t want marriage."
She lifted an eyebrow.
Christian sat down on the other end of the couch. There was still a careful amount of space between them.
Kylie looked at him. "I would respect no one getting hurt by this casual flings." She released her arms. "Which is why you should channel this energy to Isabel. You would like her."
"Trust me, she would be doing herself a big favour staying away. I can’t learn to like someone." Christian leaned his head against the back of the couch. "Maybe that’s because I’ve only ever seen people use marriage as a weapon."
Kylie became quiet. She rubbed her thumb over the edge of the cushion absentmindedly. "My dad used marriage as a weapon too."
Christian turned his head.
She stared ahead. "He didn’t use it the same way your might had."
"No?"
"No." She shook her head. "He used it as an excuse."
Christian listened.
"He cheated, lied, disappeared, came home whenever he wanted, and whenever my mum questioned him, he’d remind her that they were married."
Her voice remained calm. She smiled softly. "Like that word meant she had to tolerate everything."
Christian’s expression softened.
Kylie looked at him. "So if I hear you say marriage doesn’t mean anything to you, I understand."
She paused bruefly, and continued. "But when I hear you say you’re never getting married because you don’t want your mother to win, I don’t understand."
Christian looked down.
"Because then she’s still deciding your life." Kylie leaned back. "You’re still letting her have a say."
He looked at her again.
She gave him a small shrug. "I’m not telling you to marry anyone."
"I’m telling you that if you genuinely don’t want marriage, that’s your choice." She paused. "But don’t make a lifelong decision just because you’re angry at the woman who tried to make it for you."
Christian was quiet for a long time. He shifted deeper into the couch. "Anything else?"
Kylie pretended to consider it. "You flirt too much."
Christian’s eyebrow lifted. He smirked. "Do I?"
"Constantly."
His expression softened. Christian shrugged. "Tonight has been strange."
"Very."
"But good."
Kylie nodded. "Yeah."
He looked around the apartment. "How about our relationship?"
Kylie looked at him. "We don’t have a relationship."
Christian nodded slowly. "But we’re friends."
"Friends don’t do what we were about to do."
Christian leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on his knees. "Kylie."
"Hm?"
He studied her face. "If I ask you to marry me..."
Her smile disappeared.
"...would you say yes?"
The color drained from her face.
Christian noticed immediately.
Kylie stared at him. For a second, she couldn’t even speak. Then she blinked. "Excuse me?"
His expression remained calm. "If I asked you to marry me, would you say yes?"
She stared at him as if he’d suddenly started speaking another language. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Because you’re advocating."
Kylie’s face went completely blank. Then she slowly stood. "You cannot do that. Do not ever ask me if I’d marry you?" She warned, visibly repulsed.
Christian looked almost too calm.
"You don’t get to use marriage as a hypothetical weapon just because you want to prove a point."
"I’m not using it as a weapon."
"Then what are you doing?"
He stood.
She swallowed.
"If you were asking me whether I could imagine marrying someone someday..." He paused. "I could."
Kylie’s eyes widened.
His gaze remained on hers. "You just saw how repulsed you were by the idea of it."
She didn’t interrupt. Kylie folded her arms.
"You felt sick when you said it." He added.
She shook her head. "Because of what marriage means to me. I wasn’t trying to look down on you."
She looked down. "My mother stayed with my father because they were married."
Christian’s expression softened.
"And I promised myself I’d never do that."
She looked at him again. "So when you asked me..." Her voice became quieter. "I didn’t think at first that you were trying to prove a point."
Christian didn’t move.
"I felt trapped."
"And that’s how I know." Christain finally said something.
"Know what?"
"That you shouldn’t be the one talking to me about marriage."
She gave him a sad little smile.
"We both feel repulsed by the idea of it. No matter who is involved." Christian held her gaze. "And if our first feeling towards something is repulsive, we shouldn’t be seen doing it."