An Arranged Marriage - Episode 31

Anadia

I go down the stairs to see Linda King sitting on the sofa, lording it, Aroofa and Aroos her humble servants.

How did she get here so fast?

"Ohh, the bride approaches!" She squeals and my cheeks heat.

I kinda wanted to tell my sisters by myself.

Aroofa and Aroos's eyes lift to me, not surprised just alarmed.

They had heard the full length of my conversation with papa yesterday or this morning , so they must understand that I took drastic measures.

"You are getting married?" Aroos asks, her eyes going to Kane who's by the window making calls, his eyes on me. 

"Well.. Yes" 

I expect something, anything, for them to squeal or be happy but what I don't expect is this silence.. 

They just nod, my eyes flick to Kane to see him watching the proceedings. 

"So when is the wedding going to be?" Linda asks, totally oblivious of the air in the room. 

Or maybe she is ignoring it. 

"Um, I don't know" I say, my eyes again going to Kane, he's still making calls but his eyes are still on me.

"Well,a month? Two months? A year?" Linda questions. 

I don't have a year, father might be In the bank at this very minute stealing my last connection to my mother. 

"Well, I don't have a year, or even two months, or even a month" I say and she blinks. 

"You are not gonna have a big wedding?" She asks, appalled. 

"I can't afford a big wedding" I say and she tenses, her eyes going to Kane. 

"I hope you did not just insinuate that you will be paying for our wedding babe" Kane says, the phone away from his ear. 

"Well, I will be assisting, I have.." 

"Maybe you should keep quiet now" Aroofa whispers because indeed Kane's face looks murderous. 

"What?" I ask him. 

"You are not paying for our wedding babe" He says, his phone call forgotten. 

"Well, it's 'our', I believe I get to decide what happens? Don't you think?" 

"Is this going to turn into a lovers fight? Because if it Is let me know so I can get in touch with my designer, he has some pretty lovely dresses" Linda says and Aroofa squeals. 

"Are you talking about Petr?" 

"Well of course, I freelance as a model for him sometimes, have you ever thought of modeling?" Linda asks. 

"Me? No, never, I don't think I could" She says her voice small. 

"What? Why? You've got the face, the body and the grace, you could pull it off with tons of practice" She says and Aroofa's face darkens in a blush. 

This conversation goes on as I and Kane are locked in a stare down. 

"Kane..." 

I start but stop, no idea what to say. 

"Maybe we should discuss it in private?" I ask and he nods towards the kitchen. 

I nod too, leading the way, he follows. 

"I have to assist... It's.." 

"Babe stop right there" He says. 

"You don't understand" I begin but he holds up a hand. 

"Whatever is going to happen on that day is on me, not you, on me" He says and I cock my head to the side. 

"You don't understand" I say 

"Way in seeing things I think I understand enough" 

"Kane, we are in the Twenty first century you know? Women get a say in their weddings and if they want to assist they bloody well can" I say. 

"I'm aware but you don't get that I don't do things like that, I'm stuck in the twentieth century babe, you have to deal" He says, this is going no where. 

"Kane..." I start, tilting my head. 

"I'm kind of doing this for a selfish reason" I say and he freezes, his body going taut, all his attention on me, his eyes weary. 

"You might want to explain" He says, his voice gruff. 

"My father he has a hold on something that means a lot to me and my sisters, if I am to take it from him, I need power, which you offer, i get that this is selfish but you must understand t..." 

"Good, we both have our selfish reasons then, you have something to offer, and I do too" 

Contrary to what I once said that I didn't want to know what was in that box, I lied, I really want to know, I really really want to know. 

But... 

"What?" 

"You are worth everything Anadia, and I'm glad that you think I'm worth it when it came to it" I pause, really looking at him, he stills too, getting that my perusal is beyond the normal, this is me trying to see into his soul. 

Searching for sincerity, trying to finally, finally decide if this man is worth it, if I should take that leap. 

Because I am so scared, I grew up in a normal world, in the world I am from rich men do not fall head over heels for girls like me, they see us, they despise us.

I look into his eyes and I see something, what I see makes me let go and I decide that I've given myself to this man standing in front of me. 

I've made up my mind to wade in and take the plunge, this man owns me, I would shatter if.... 

"I'm getting this is a monumental moment babe" He whispers. 

I don't respond. 

"I'm getting that you just gave me you" He says and I nod. 

"You've got me too babe" He says and I nod again. 

"Walk through hell babe, before I hurt you, I will walk through hell" He says and I swallow the emotions clogging my throat. 

He steps forward, his hands tangling in my hair. 

I find it best at this moment to announce my little predicament. 

"I think Linda will kill me" I say. 

"Don't get" 

"I want a small wedding, like just you and me and our family small, not like she's planning"i say and he lifts my chin to him. 

" Are you doing this because you do not want me to spend? "

"Partially, and also because in not a very big fan of crowds" I say. 

"What you want you get babe" He says. 

I'm getting that the man standing in front of me, whom I'm about to pledge my troth to is very big on free will. 

"She's gonna kill me" 

"She won't do shit" 

"But she will look murderous" I say. 

"She will have lots of time practicing on your sisters and herself, what you want you get" He says, pulling me by the hand and out the kitchen. 

He just insinuated that I will be in his life long enough for my sisters to get married. 

My stomach warms. 

I feel good, seeing as I'm about to get married to him, it's good that he's seeing our relationship as long term. 

"My girl wants a small wedding" He says, we are in the sitting room. 

Linda gasps, looking like she might faint. 

I wince. 

"Stop the theatrics woman, you are making Ani scared" 

"I will never forgive you for taking away the awesomeness that will be me planning your wedding" She says with mock anger. 

"I might need help with the gown you know, I'm not an expert" I say and she beams.

"Well I have some designs you might like" She says and I nod, taking the seat beside her. 

My eyes go to Kane to see his phone in his ear. 

Ohmigod, he must have placed that poor person on hold since. 

Geez. 

Brute. 

AN

I know you must hate me right now. 

It's okay, I understand. 

But it's not my fault, legit. 

The app I used for writing erased my draft and almost a full novel, all my character planning and development? Gone. 

All my sweet ideas? Gone. 

I cried, yup, I cried yesterday because it I was really that bad, I've spent a lot of time on those ideas and they are gone. 

I got in contact with the developers of the app and they are trying to see what they can do but I'm not holding out much hope. 

I got another app though, fingers crossed that this one won't glitch. 

I'm sorry about the lack of updates again.

I hope you had a happy Sunday. 

I didn't. 

Please leave comments. 

I love you. 

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/an-arranged-marriage

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Read " The God And His Bride " by the same author ( Bebe Ernest )