Run off with Belle instead

It was the hardest choice Jamie had ever made in his life. He'd always done what Momma wanted, always been her good, obedient boy. Even now, as she tried to marry him off at eighteen to one of these women he'd never met, he felt the urge to just pick the one that would please her most so she'd be happy with him. Only, it was too much. As he stared at the list of strange women, all of them at least ten years older than him if not more, he knew he couldn't do this. He couldn't let his whole life be decided by picking just from a photograph and a few lines of text the wife who'd control it. If he told Momma that now, she'd be absolutely furious with him, but he couldn't do what she wanted this time.

Belle's voice echoed in his mind, her words strengthening his fragile resolve. His older sister had been upset about this too, and she'd offered him a way out, the only way out he could see. She'd take him to her college, hide him away from Momma as long as it took for her to understand this wasn't okay. Maybe Jamie couldn't stand up to Momma alone...but with Belle to help him perhaps he had a chance to escape this and one day find a wife for himself instead, one who'd love and cherish and protect him like he so dearly wanted.

He bit his lip, trying to keep himself calm despite the nervousness setting his heart aflutter. Momma's arm hugged him a little tighter, and he saw a moment's impatience flicker across her face. Clearly she thought he was taking too long, but at least she'd assumed his anxiety was just about his impending marriage. Taking in a sharp breath, Jamie raised his finger and hurriedly pointed at one of the women on the laptop. It didn't really matter which one he picked, so he had no intention of marrying her, so he chose the one he felt might appeal to Momma most. Hilda Berg, a stern-looking woman with a strong jaw and fierce, brown eyes. The list said she was a businesswoman turned local politician, and unlike the others she didn't seem to have any hobbies mentioned.

"Um...her, Momma." Jamie stammered, hardly trusting his voice right now.

"Ms. Berg?" Momma seemed surprised for a moment, but then a relived smile bloomed across her face. "That's a very good choice, sweetie. She'll treat you right for sure. She is rather...traditional though, and very busy with her career, so I might not be able to persuade her to meet with you before the wedding like you wanted. That's okay though, isn't it? She's wealthy, older and knows exactly what she wants, everything a boy needs from his wife, right?"

"Yes Momma, that's fine." Jamie murmured quietly, already regretting his choice. This Ms. Berg sounded even stricter than Momma. He should have picked that nice smiling Doctor in case Belle couldn't help him, but it was too late now.

"Such a good boy." Momma smiled, her hand patting his shoulder. "I'll tell you what, this weekend your Father and I will take you out to a nice restaurant to celebrate, and I'll buy you some pretty clothes as well so you can start married life out the right way." Jamie nodded, feeling a flicker of guilt at how happy she seemed with him now. His resolve weakened for a moment, but Belle's words about how unfair this was kept him strong. "Now why don't you go and wait upstairs in your room, darling, while I give Ms. Berg a call and tell her the good news?" Momma continued. "She'll want to have the wedding as soon as possible, so I'll have to start arranging everything now."

"Yes Momma." Jamie nodded hurriedly, squirming up from the couch on shivering legs. Dad kept quiet like he always did when Momma was talking, but gave his son an encouraging smile. Jamie grinned weakly back, then darted past, scared his obvious **** might give him away if he stayed any longer. The boy was breathing hard as he staggered up out of the living room and back upstairs. Momma would be distracted a while longer talking to that horrible-sounding woman, which meant this was his best chance. He didn't want to stay here any longer than he had to. He needed to talk to Belle and get her to take him away!

He stepped up to his older sister's bedroom door, closed right now and took in another shuddering breath. It had been a while since he'd been in here, not since he was young and Belle used to babysit him when Momma was working. Even as **** as he was, it took a short while for him to muster up the courage to raise a trembling hand and knock lightly on the door.

"Come in!" Belle's voice from inside. Biting his lip, Jamie reached for the handle and pushed the door open, stepping inside before he could get confused again. "Dad is this about...?" Belle was sitting at her desk, and swiveled round in her chair to look at him. Her smile faded in an instant as she saw him standing in the doorway. "Jamie...oh." She breathed, her blue eyes widening as she gazed at him with shock. For a few long moments she just stared at him, her breasts rising and falling under her tight t-shirt as she breathed. Aside from that she wore only a pair of casual shorts, leaving most of her pale, toned legs exposed. "I thought you were still with Mother. What do you need, little brother?" She leant forward in the chair, a small, hopeful smile on her face.

"Um...Belle..." Jamie began, his voice quiet and trembling. "What you said this morning, about taking me away...I think I need to do that." He sniffled, staring at her with wet, tear-filled eyes. Please let her help him. He didn't have anyone else.

"Close the door." She said firmly, rising from her chair. Jamie hurriedly shut it behind him, and when he turned back she was sitting on her bed, her long, muscled legs stretched out in front of her. "Here, beside me, Jamie." She patted the blanket next to her. Jamie scurried over, feeling his anxiousness already starting to fade. He sat down on the bed right next to her smoothing down his ugly long skirt. His sister's eyes flickered down to the sliver of bare leg that was exposed, before she glanced back at his face, her lips pursed. "After we spoke at breakfast, I really thought you were set on this marriage business." She began, a moment of what looked like pain flickering through her blue eyes. "What changed?"

"I...can't, Belle." Jamie replied, a little sniffle escaping his lips. "I don't know any of these women and they're...all so much older than me. I don't want to get married yet."

"And you shouldn't have to be. It's awful and cruel, what Mother's doing to you just because because she's ****." Belle replied firmly, and suddenly her arm was wrapped around his shoulder, tugging him into her side. Jamie gasped as he felt his older sister hug him to her, feeling the warmth of her skin through that t-shirt. His heart wrenched inside him, the anxiousness and agony of what he was doing dawning on him as he leant against his sister's shoulder. His throat ached, and suddenly he knew he was about to cry. "It's okay, little brother." She murmured fiercely, as a few hot, painful tears oozed down his cheeks. "I'm going to keep you safe, alright? Cry all you need to, I know how hard this is, but I'm going to protect you now." Her words washed over him, the certainty in her voice soothing his aching worries. This was his older sister, she'd looked out for him nearly his entire life and that wasn't stopping now.

"Yes Belle." Jamie sobbed, leaning closer into her. He turned his head and buried his tear-stained face in her shoulder, nuzzling into her warm body and drawing comfort from her. A sharp gasp escaped her lips above him, and he felt her shiver against him. Her grip on his shoulder grew gentler, like he was so delicate she feared he might break under her muscled arm.

"Jamie...oh Jamie...you're so fragile, aren't you?" She murmured above his head. "How could Mother do this to you?" Her voice broke, the raw emotion in her words bringing fresh tears to his hot, stinging eyes. She paused a moment, her sharp gasping breaths tingling on his skin. "Tomorrow, I'm going to take you away from all this. You're going to stay with me in my dorm as long as it takes for Mother to back down, but we can't have her finding out what I've done or she'll definitely come looking for you. So, you're going to have to listen to me now, very carefully, alright?" Jamie nodded, reluctantly lifting his face from her chest to gaze up at his sister through a blur of tears. She was blushing faintly, her blue eyes gleaming and fixed on him, but her lips were pursed with womanly determination. "I'll tell you exactly what you need to do, little brother." She said firmly.

Jamie stared up at his sister as she carefully explained her plan, sniffling softly and trying to remember every word. Her plan was simple and he could tell she was taking as much of the burden on herself as she could. In the end though, there were still some things he was going to have do for himself. The boy just hoped after all this he could manage it and escape with his older sister to safety, or else...he might end up married to that horrible Ms. Berg after all.