Babel Novel
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
2.Chapter 2 Marry Me
Mikayla’s head was pounding as if it wanted to split open. Somewhere in her groggy state, she thought she picked up a cello-like voice.
The moment she finally started coming to, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. She squinted her eyes open, just glimpsing a guy’s outline before the harsh light forced her to slam them shut again.
Flashes of the accident flooded in, sending shudders down her spine. For a second there, she thought she was a goner, about to be in a nasty car accident. But it turned out she had dodged a bullet.
“Where am I?” Mikayla asked.
“The hospital,” replied a deep and magnetic voice.
Mikayla opened her eyes and saw a man in a green uniform standing against the light. She couldn’t help but notice his striking appearance and aura. His handsome, chiseled features, graceful demeanor, and calm, steady presence were utterly mesmerizing. His voice, rich and velvety like a cello, added to his undeniable charm. Everything around him seemed to fade into the background upon his arrival.
Suddenly, her bestie’s playful yet earnest advice sounded in her head, “Girl, do yourself a favor. Don’t marry a Guardian! Marrying one is like committing to a lonely life. You barely see them all year and end up living like a nun! Plus, folks at the military base are as dry as dust…”
The man, Carlos Ludwig, stared at Mikayla with deep, penetrating eyes. There she was, with her sun-kissed skin, a nose that seemed sculpted to perfection, and lips just parted enough to suggest a hint of invitation—all of it coming together in a face that was simply knockout gorgeous.
Noticing his gaze, Mikayla looked up. For that brief second, their gazes tangled together.
“You hit me?” asked Mikayla.
Carlos took a beat before he owned up to it, “Yeah.”
“What’s your make-good plan?” Mikayla kept a steady eye on him, not letting up for a second.
“Name your price,” Carlos replied, still curt and to the point.
“I don’t lack money,” she said.
Right then, the door burst open. Juliet Klein barged in, grabbed Mikayla by the hand, and gave her the once-over, top to bottom, in a hot second. “You all good?”
All of a sudden, it clicked for Mikayla. The “cello-like voice” she heard in a daze was actually calling her bestie, Juliet, to come help out. When she saw Juliet’s face all scrunched up with concern, her eyes started to get a little wet. “I’m fine, Juliet.”
“Tell me what you want.” Carlos remained indifferent.
“Is this guy who hit you? Luckily, I called you back then, Mikayla. Otherwise, he might have fled,” Juliet said, her anger rising as she whirled around to get a good look at the guy. The second she set eyes on Carlos, she just froze.
Mikayla seized the opportunity, dropping a bombshell. “Marry me.”
“Mikayla, are you crazy?” Juliet came to her senses and pointed at the man, raising her voice. “Did he hit your head too hard? Marry him? Okay, he’s hot, but looks can be blinding!” Not that Juliet would ever confess she was also taken aback by Carlos’ attractiveness.
Suddenly, the mood lightened. Mikayla met Carlos’ cool gaze and suddenly panicked, but she soon composed herself. “Juliet, trust me!” she urged, and as always, when she went all serious, Juliet couldn’t help but fall in line.
Mikayla then turned to Carlos. “Marry me. I’ll provide for you!”
Before he could say anything, Juliet lost it. “Mikayla, this is nuts! Aren’t you tying the knot in three days? With Jaxon, your supposed soulmate? Is this guy threatening you? I’ll call the cops!”
However, the other two completely ignored her.
Stunned, Carlos asked, “You sure?”
“I’m not crazy. Yeah, I’m sure,” Mikayla replied without any hesitation.
“All right. Wait for me,” said Carlos firmly before getting up to leave.
“I… um…” Juliet felt totally overlooked and flopped into a chair. “Mikayla, who’s this guy?”
“No idea.” Mikayla shrugged.
“Are you kidding me? You don’t know this guy, but you’re all set to walk down the aisle with him? You’re supposed to be with Jaxon!” Juliet blurted out, her voice laced with shock.
“You were right.” Instead of answering directly, she sighed.
Seeing Juliet’s bewildered expression, Mikayla went straight to the point. “He cheated on me.”
“That pretentious Winona?” asked Juliet.
Mikayla gave an honest nod. Juliet had always been wary of Winona, cautioning Mikayla to stay alert. But Mikayla had decided to put her trust in Jaxon despite the warnings. Now, reflecting on it
all, she just found the entire thing ridiculous.
“How dare he cheat on you? I’m going to teach them a lesson!” Juliet declared, jumping to her feet and clutching her purse.
“Wait, Juliet!” Mikayla stopped her.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking about forgiving and letting them be together!” Juliet was exasperated. Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.
“Juliet, I want to handle this myself.” Mikayla flashed a reassuring smile.
The car accident wasn’t just a coincidence, and Mikayla didn’t want Juliet, sweet and sheltered as she was, getting tangled up in it. Mikayla had felt the malice behind the wheel and now, having survived, she was determined to make the culprit pay the price.
“But you can’t just marry some random guy! You don’t even know him!” Juliet protested, still worried.
Mikayla knew Juliet was too wild and free-spirited to marry a cold husband, but Mikayla was different. She looked deep into Juliet’s eyes and whispered, “I don’t think he’s into girls.”
“You think he’s… you know… got problems?” asked Juliet.
Mikayla flicked Juliet on the head. “Girl, what have you been watching? Get your mind out of the gutter.”
*****
Meanwhile, Carlos left the ward and strode down the hallway, a muscled guy in tow.
“The driver died on the way to the hospital. He just got outta jail. According to the test results, he was drunk driving,” said the burly guy, passing over the paperwork.
Carlos took a moment to review the info. “Let’s head back,” he said. Then a grin slipped onto his face as he remembered how Mikayla had fainted into his arms.
“Now?” asked the burly man.
Carlos didn’t say a word, but the burly man seemed to understand his intentions and followed him into the elevator.