My First Love Blackmailed Me Into Marriage

The rain pounded against the windows, a relentless drumbeat beneath the frantic knocking at Aitana's door. The sound cut through the stillness of her apartment, making her heart race. Pulling in a deep breath, she peeled herself off the couch where a horror movie played, the TV muted.

Cautiously, she cracked the door open. Jaxxon Nguyen stood there, soaked through, with a vulnerability clinging to him that she hadn't seen since high school—back when he was just the boy next door and her first love.

"Do you need something?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Jaxxon dragged a hand through his wet hair, his eyes dark, stormy. "It's me, Jaxxon," he said, his voice rough and unfamiliar, cutting through the storm's roar.

"I know," Aitana said calmly. "I recognized you."

He shifted his weight, awkward, like he was wrestling with what to say. "I need to talk to you," he finally managed.

She nodded, waiting. But he just stood there, brow furrowed, eyes locked on the floor. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, until Jaxxon spoke again, his voice rumbling like the thunder outside.

"Will you marry me?"

"What?" Aitana blinked, stunned. "Me?"

Jaxxon nodded, his expression solemn as the hallway light flickered, shadows slicing across his face. "For my mom," he said quietly. "She's sick."

Aitana got it right away. Even after all the years and everything that had changed, she still knew Jaxxon well enough to see the urgency in his eyes. This marriage meant security for his mother—a chance to ease her worries while she was sick.

Thinking it over, she replied, "Let me think about it."

Jaxxon dug into his pocket and pulled out two damp debit cards. "This one's my paycheck," he said, handing them to her. "The other's my side income. The password's 931111."

Aitana took them, hesitating, the weight of the gesture settling in her hands. "Okay," she said at last, before turning to grab her own card.

"Here's mine," she said, coming back and offering it. "Just so you know, I don't have a car or a house. Don't get mad if I hold you back."

Jaxxon shook his head, refusing it. "Keep yours," he insisted, his tone softening for the first time. "This is more about family than money."

Warmth spread through her at his refusal—a glimpse of the boy she once knew still there in the man before her.

"Are you feeling okay?" Aitana asked, noticing the flush on his cheeks.

He nodded, exhaustion dragging at his features. "Yeah, a bit."

"Go rest," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "Marriage can wait; your health can't."

With a reluctant nod, Jaxxon headed for the guest room, leaving Aitana alone with the storm's howl and her racing thoughts.

As the rain kept pounding, Aitana thought about the man now sleeping under her roof. Even with how sudden his proposal was, there was something so familiar, so comforting about Jaxxon—a connection that hadn't faded with time.

She looked back on all her past relationships. Each one ended as smoothly as it started, every ex-boyfriend a closed book. But not Jaxxon. He was different.

Memories of their young love—stolen glances, whispered secrets—came flooding back. Jaxxon, she realized, was the one she could never truly forget.

As she considered marrying him, she couldn't help but think about how compatible they really were. Mentally, she checked off all the boxes: looks, personality, education, career, family background. Jaxxon ticked every single one.

"Wow," she muttered, smiling up at the ceiling. "Where else am I gonna find a better match than this?"

She knew the answer as soon as the question left her lips: nowhere. Of course, she would say yes.

But for now, she'd let him sleep, let the storm rage on outside, while inside, a brand-new Chapter was waiting to be written.