“You’re being dramatic,” Cold drawled.
“Ohhh!” Jimmy hissed, hurling the ring box at him as hard as he could. “You haven’t seen fucking dramatic!”
“After everything I’ve done for you!” Cold suddenly roared, swatting the box aside and letting it clatter to the floor. “You’re actually refusing me?”
Jimmy had never seen Cold this angry, but he was too hurt to care.
“Please!” Jimmy shouted back. “Like you do anything just for me! You always make sure that everything you do helps you most of all!”
“You ungrateful little brat!” Cold seethed, positively beyond enraged.
“Selfish fucking arrogant asshole!” Jimmy screamed. He snatched up his shirt and yanked it on over his head. “I don’t want to marry you! I can’t even stand looking at you right now!”
“Where are you going?” Cold barked, his eyes narrowing as he watched Jimmy start marching to the door.
“I don’t know!” Jimmy snarled, throwing up his arms in frustration as he began to storm out of the bedroom. “Away from you!”
“Told ya’ he’d be pissed,” Jules remarked gleefully, chuckling through a big bite of his sandwich.
“Shut up, Jules,” Cold growled disgustedly.
Jimmy heard Cold’s footsteps coming up behind him, and he had the most ridiculous urge to run. He held up his head high, refusing to look back at him, and stomped toward the stairs. He really didn’t know where he was going. He was hurt, his heart was aching, and he was desperate to put any sort of distance between them.
Cold grabbed Jimmy around his waist, picking him up and carrying him back to their bedroom, growling, “We’re not done talking about this yet, Jimmy!”
“Fuck you! I’m done!” Jimmy kicked as hard as he could. “Put me down!”
“No!” Cold stalked right back to their bed with Jimmy held firmly in his grasp, snapping, “Not until you hear what I have to say!”
“I’ve heard enough! I don’t wanna talk to you! I’m freakin’ pissed the fuck off!” Jimmy snarled, still kicking and shouting desperately, “Hey, Jules! Little help, please!”
“You’re on your own, Twig,” Jules laughed as he took another bite of his sandwich, clearly entertained by their fighting.
“Now! Damn you! Listen to me!” Cold growled impatiently, pinning Jimmy down in their bed. “I’m sorry that you feel betrayed by my clandestine efforts, but I’m not sorry for doing what I believe is best for you. For us.
“It is the next logical step in our relationship and although sooner than I would have anticipated, the benefits are immense. And yes, even though I do not need it, I did ask your father for permission to take your hand in marriage!
“That ring you threw back at me? If you’d actually looked at it, you would have seen that I had your mother’s diamond from her wedding ring placed in a new band for you. I also asked your father’s permission for that.”
Gaping dumbly, Jimmy was stunned completely speechless. He really thought Cold had planned all of this as a soulless business transaction, and he didn’t know what to say.
“Now,” Cold drawled triumphantly, smirking smugly as if he had won, “tell me again that this is just a deal for me. Tell me again that you doubt how I feel about you.”
Jimmy was honestly touched by how much effort Cold had clearly put into this, but he still felt betrayed that all of it had been done behind his back.
He had to hear it.
At least one time, Jimmy needed to hear those three words.
“Say it,” Jimmy demanded quietly.
Cold’s eyes widened. He knew exactly what Jimmy wanted him to say, and he bared his teeth defiantly.
“Say it,” Jimmy asked again, pleading gently.
Cold made an awful face, torn between anger and something horribly broken.
Jules did his best to appear completely invisible, holding a giant mouthful of food in his cheek and watching them both with wide eyes.
