a five match T20 International series against New Zealand which we won 3-2, I felt a little free.

Cricket is my passion but still traveling all over the country, having matches and all can be tiresome.

It's been weeks since I saw my family and now I miss them.

The last match had been a thriller. We had to chase a target of 190 and when I got out after making fifty five runs, I was afraid we might lose the match considering it was tied on 2-2.

But thankfully my team was able to win it.

I changed my contact lenses and wore my spectacles again before going down to the ground for the post match presentation.

I gave an interview after which one of my teammates received the Player Of The Series Award and later, I was handed over the trophy.

As I posed along with my team with the trophy, I notices something or rather someone standing on the ground, behind the boundary line with his hands behind his back and eyes on me. Calix Fucking Andrews.

The all black suit that he wore was tailored to perfection to fit his body like a second layer and it didn't make him look less of a devil.

What is he doing here? Why would he fly from Sydney to Brisbane? And how was he allowed to be inside the ground? Okay, maybe dad helped him considering dad was the former captain of the Cricket Team and Calix himself is a very popular and a respected person in Australia.

But still!!

And seeing the slight twist of his lips, this isn't going to end well. He is planning something.

Just as we finished posing, one of my teammate who was beside me nudged my shoulder. "Is that Calix Andrews?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, he is."

She gasped softly. "Oh God, he is so hot. Is he here for you though? Are you guys dating?!"

By now my whole teams attention was on me and they kept asking, "Are you dating him?" Fuck no.

"Isn't he your childhood friend?" More like enemy.

"He is so fucking gorgeous!" Get your eyes checked, babe.

"Have you slept with him?" Eww.

"Why is here, Thea?" God knows.

"Is he going to propose?!" What the--

"Can you please be silent for a moment?" I requested them.

By now, almost all the cameras were focused on him. And some of them were focused on me cause well, the whole world knows of our relation but what they all doesn't know that the amount of hate we have for each other. Over the years, we have managed to keep that out of media because media tends to exaggerate things.

And right now, I can't express my displeasure on seeing him here. Cameras are on me, this is going fucking live.

I managed to pull up a smile and a surprised look on my face as he stepped over the boundary line and walked to me.

Please tell me he is not going to do anything stupid.

Behind me my teammates just couldn't stop gossiping as his eyes doesn't leave mine for a second and the intensity in them scared me.

When he was quite close to me, I whispered, "The fuck are you doing?" And I kept smiling at the same time so that no one suspects anything.

He leaned closer and whispered softly in my ear, "For once co operate with me, Al. Don't embarrass me."

And then he did the last thing I expect him to.

He went down on one knee.

And pulled out a small jwellery box inside which was a diamond ring.

Loud gasps came from behind me, from my teammates and the reporters and the few public that was present in the ground. The cameramen went berserk.

"Co operate." He mouthed to me when I froze.

"Althea Coleman..." He began to speak. "I have known you since you were a baby and I would love to grow old with you. So, will you marry me?"

Fuck my life. He did not do that.

What the fuck.

Did he just propose me? Infront of the whole world? That too for marriage?!

He is playing a mind game. He knows there is no way on earth I am going to say no infront of the whole world. Everyone already suspects that we are dating, hell, the whole world was already shipping us. And he knows that. He knows that I can't say no. Because if I say no, it will be a whole new drama plus no matter how much I hate him, I don't want him to experience such a huge embarrassment.

"Say Yes! Say Yes! Say Yes!" My teammates started to chant.

"Al..." Calix whispered gently but there was a subtle warning in it.

"Yes..." I managed to say weakly and there was a round of applause around us and Calix slipped the ring down my ring finger and got up, engulfing me in a tight hug.

I have never hugged this idiot and neither did he ever hug me so I forced myself to wrap my arms around him.

His warm breath tickled my ear. "You can punch me for this later."

Yeah, no shit. He is getting more than just a punch for pulling such a stunt.

And he brushed a kiss under my ear sending a shiver down my spine and leaning back, he kissed my forehead lingeringly.

I was grateful that he didn't try to kiss my lips. Thank God or else I would have punched him right here.

When he pulled back, he kept his arm around my shoulder as the reporter who took my interview earlier rushed to us.

"O. M. G! This is so awesome!" She exclaimed as the cameramen stood with his camera infront of us. "Calix Andrews and Althea Coleman, you both look so cute together!"

Calix gave me one of his dazzling smile and kissed the side of my head.

None of this is real. I reminded myself. He is definitely doing all this for a purpose.

I smiled too, a fake one. "Thank you."

"So, tell me...how long have you both been dating?" And thankfully, she directed that question to Calix holding the microphone to him.

"It's been a year." Calix answered smoothly. "We wanted to keep it a secret, keep it private but I just had to propose her and what better place to do it other than the cricket ground."

She nodded to Calix's answer while smiling and then turned to me. "Althea, tell me, did you have any idea that he was going to propose?"

I gave a tight smile to that idiot. He is going to pay for this and looked at her again. "Absolutely not. I had no idea...I was so...shocked." Shocked would be an understatement to be honest.

"Oh, this is so awesome, I am so excited and happy right now. You guys have no idea for how long I have been shipping you both. Hopefully, we will get to see the wedding pictures soon." The reporter spoke and after which fortunately, she left us alone.

"Shall we leave?" Calix says to me.

And I stop myself from glaring at him. "Sure."

.

.

.

He takes me to a hotel room in Brisbane and as he turned around after closing the door, I punched him. Hard. On his jaw making him stumble back and hit the door.

He grunted in pain and clutched his jaw. "Ow. That hurt."

"Explain. Right now." I demanded.

He removed his hand from his jaw where a bruise had started to form and walking past me, he shrugs off his suit jacket and placed it over the armchair.

"Calix."

"Yes, baby?" He said nonchalantly.

He is so dead.

I charge towards him ready to hit him again but he grabbed my arm before I could punch him and the next thing he did was to throw me on the bed and climb over me making my breath hitch.

He held my arms above my head, his body hovering over mine and his face inches apart. "I am trying to protect you, Althea."

One thing that I had noticed:

When he is very serious he calls me Althea.

When he is not serious and in a okay mood he calls me Al.

And when he is in a very playful mood he calls me baby.

And right now he was serious.

"Save me by marrying me? How does that work?"

"Believe me it does."

"Dad is going to kill you once you go back to Sydney. This is not acceptable!"

He held both my wrist with one hand and his other hand trailed down and pulled off my spectacles and placed them beside me on the bed and he brushed away the hair from my forehead. "Your father already knows and approves of it. This is for your safety, Althea. You will be safe with me, I swear."

All I could focus on was the way he cupped my cheek and the way his thumb was caressing my cheek and the concerned look in his eyes and how close we actually were.

I gulped. "G-get off me."

He leaned even closer and my eyes closed involuntarily and then I felt the tip of his nose trailing down my cheek and down my neck before he buried his face in the crook of my neck. "Tell me you will marry me. Tell me you will go along with this plan."

I was breathing heavily by then, his closeness was messing up with me. "I am going to talk to dad and uncle, this doesn't make any sense, Calix."

He spoke against my neck. "Like I said before, they have already agreed to this. It's only a matter of some time. And you don't wanna announce that our engagement broke just after an hour of me proposing, do you?"

"You manipulated me back there! You knew I had no option but to say yes!"

"Yes, I know. So, are you agreeing to this?"

"No way!" I started to struggle and move around trying to push him away. "And first move back."

His grip around my wrists tightened. "First answer me, baby."

I paused and started to contemplate. I can't seriously say no now because he is right, the whole world knows about it now. I can't back off.

So finally, I gave up. "How long?"

"What?"

"For how long, Calix? Give me a deadline."

He finally lifted his head and stared down at me. "I don't know."

I glared at him. "Give me a deadline, Calix or I am not doing this."

His jaw clenched. "Six months."

"Six months." I repeated. "After that we are getting a divorce."

He looked like he wanted to argue but he nodded instead. "Okay. Six months and then we divorce."

He slowly released my wrists but not before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Thank you, baby."