Page 9 of Unwilling Bride
He looks around at the broken glass on the floor and then to me, as if trying to determine if I’m still in one piece.
“Making sure you’re all right,” he says.
Glaring, I hiss, “Like you care. You’re a liar and you tricked me. Get out!”
“I did not trick you.”
I scoff, “Right. You knewexactlywho I was last night.”
He shrugs his shoulders, shaking his head. “I didn’t. I swear it.”
“Do you seriously expect me to believe that? You were fucking with me the whole time—like a cat playing with a mouse—and for what, your own amusement? To make sure you couldseal the deal?”
God, I thought I was hooking up with some random hot guy for one last night of fun before my nightmare nuptials. It was supposed to be a no-strings-attached fling so I could lose my virginity and have some tiny semblance of control over my life (and my body) before I was forced into the role of good little wife. Only to find out the cruelest truth of all: that the man I chose to spend the night with is the last one I want. He played me. And I’ll never forgive him for it. Not that it isn’t my fault, too. Maybe I would have been clearer headed if I hadn’t downed those shots. Maybe I would have realized that something was off and diverted this disaster.
Clayton’s fingers flex and I know he wants to touch me, take my arm, something. He wants to try to convince me that he’s an innocent party in all this. But he’s not. He’s guilty of ruining my life, just as much as my father is. I’m nothing but an object to both of them. Something to be bartered or toyed with.
“Charlie, I swear I didn’t know who you were,” Clayton says. “But I’ll be honest when I say that I’m pleased to know you now.”
If Clayton is connected to my dad in some way (which he must be, considering the contracted marriage), he’s clearly a piece of shit just like everyone else Dad associates with. Always up to something shady. Drinking too much. Fighting about money and debts. Clayton is probably involved in the gambling ring, too. Maybe a high-stakes bet—obviously an illegal one—is how I ended up engaged in the first place.
The worst part is that for years, I’ve dreamt of the day I could get out of this house and away from my dad for good. And now I’m getting handed off to a man who’s no better than Dad is. Well, fuck that.
I shake my head. “I don’t care who owes you what. Stay the fuck away from me.”
With a final glare, I turn my back on him and stalk down the hall to the office door. To my surprise, the door is wide open. The sound of the TV filters into the hallway. I hear a can crack open followed by a short fizz. Of course. It’s not even nine in the morning, and Dad’s already cracking his first beer.
I enter his office and move to kick the door shut, but something stops me. Glancing over my shoulder, I find Clayton standing in the hallway just outside the door. A ripple of anxiety goes through me. I do not want to be trapped between him and my father with no way out. Yet even as my rational brain tells me I can’t trust Clayton, something a little quieter says it’s okay.
With a huff of frustration, I stalk over to my dad’s desk. He’s got his boots crossed on the top as he leans back in his chair with a beer in his hand. He’s watching a horse race on TV, and I idly wonder how many bets he’s placed.
“What’s in it for you, huh?” I put my palms down on the desk and lean over, glaring at him. “There’s gotta be something in this marriage for you, right?”
“Don’t question me, girl.” He doesn’t sound upset, but he doesn’t bother to look at me either. His fingers clench around the beer can, crushing it a little. Seems his horse is losing.
“I want an answer,” I insist. “This is my life.”
I’m never this forward with my father. He’s unpredictable at best, and I’ve gotten slapped for the slightest missteps. So I usually rein in my anger and frustration as best I can to avoid escalating anything physical between us. I also have to make sure he doesn’t take anything I do out on my sisters. I figure, if I can control his anger, or corral it at least, then maybe I can keep it away from them. But I feel like my soul has been completely crushed by this deal my father has made—and I just want to know why he’s doing this to me.
“Dammit.” With a sigh of disgust, Dad suddenly whips the empty beer can into the corner. He grabs the remote and stabs a button, turning off the TV, and then tosses the remote across his desk. I wonder how many thousands he just lost on that race.
He looks up at me with irritated, soulless, red-rimmed eyes. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing, Charlie. You know, I’d expect this kind of fuss out of Frankie—but not you. You’re the good girl who does what she’s told. So be a good girl. And do what you’re told.”
That’s a crock of shit. He doesn’t know us at all. Frankie might be more strong-willed than me, but she would never defy him. She’s learned how to be a peacekeeper too, always doing her best to appease Dad, or at least avoid him and his drama if possible. Our little sister Livvie is the one we work so hard to protect. She’s the reason we try to stay in line.
“If I’m making a big deal out of nothing, then tell me what the nothing is,” I prod.
Dad throws his hands up in exasperation, his eyes shooting over my shoulder to the man lingering in the doorway. I wonder—if Clayton wasn’t standing out there in the hall, would my dad be acting on his anger right now? Clayton isn’t exactly a small man. He’s got a good few inches on my father and a hell of a lot more muscle…I distinctly remember how hard his body felt under my hands last night. He’s young, strong, and would have no problem tossing a man like my father clear across this room.
It seems Dad recognizes that, too.
“It’s a simple green card arrangement,” he says. “You get married, stay hitched for five years, get divorced, and go your happy, separate ways. See what I mean? It’s no big deal. You’re causing a lot of ruckus for nothing.”
Number one, I don’t believe him. Number two, five years is a long time.
“Fiveyears?” I hiss.
“It’ll be over like that,” Dad insists, snapping. “Clayton gets the appropriate citizenship paperwork, you get a fancy diamond, and everybody’s happy. Just don’t make any babies while you’re together and you can walk away from each other free and clear.”
