Page 5 of Give It a Day
Damon’s father chimes in, “Indeed, it’s turned out to be a match made in heaven. Our families would thrive with this union. You and Damon would make a perfect couple.” He gives Damon a meaningful look,and usually, I’d be on the ball with interpreting such gestures, but I am freaking the fuck out inside my head too much to think properly, and my heart’s hammering so loudly that I feel my pulse in my ears. It’s thunderous, unlike the simmering anger threatening to explode out of me if I don’t get the hell out of here soon. And the fluttering panic is now a full-force hurricane.
Tears prick my eyes as I slowly realize my body’s shaking all over from the instant Damon’s mom—or rather, my fucking future mother-in-law—said I’m in an arranged marriage with Mr. Damon Fuck-me Eyes.
Hiss mother gives an equally tearful reaction, but hers seems to be out of happiness because she’s smiling?!
Damon’s father comforts her with a caress on the back, while she speaks. “Isn’t it wonderful? And the best part is the wedding will take place in a couple of hours from now. A humble but elegant affair, with only our nearest and dearest.” She points her smile at Damon, who steps forward again.
I step back instinctively when Damon moves toward me. “A…weddingin…acouple of hours…?” I repeat, getting more and more shocked.
“Yes,ourwedding is in a couple of hours,” Damon says, his voice calm and collected, as if he’s discussing a business merger instead of our arranged marriage. “The invitations have been sent out, the dress is ready, the cake is baked, and the reception is being prepared as we speak.”
I look at him, straining my neck as I give him a face that says, ‘What the fuck are you talking about?’
When all I get is his slightly amused smirk as a response, I huff out half a bitter laugh and half a frustrated sigh. I call it half and half, and it goes well with my metaphoric steaming cup of very bitterhatred.
Smiling sardonically, I shake my head, putting my palms up. “Okay, well, this has been all well and good. Truly, a spectacular pleasure tohave met a family of supermodels. At a church, no less. Such a rare life event, but I think I’ll be heading out now.”
2
Damon
My expression remains neutral, but I put a little bit of warning in the way I speak to her as I close the distance between me and Kayla. She’s walking away at a pace that only tells me she is most definitely displeased. “Let’s try this again, shall we?”
She throws a look of suspicion my way. Knitted brows and narrowed eyes. “Not really down to, Damon.”
“Please, I insist you call me Dae.” I walk in front of her, blocking her direct path. I give her ample space to walk around me, should she dare, but I relax my shoulders to show that I won’t stop her if she insists. Though, I will if I have to. I won’t hesitate. But I’m being charming at the moment to get through to her. “May I call you Kaye?”
Clearly still suspicious and with her guard up, she crosses her arms and scrutinizes me with her bewitching brown eyes. I’m as relaxed as can be, yet she’s as tense as a brick wall. “I don’t see why not. But none of this matters because we willneverbe speaking to each other ever again after this.”
“I’m afraid that’s not an option,” I say, bristling a bit. I steady my voice to stay calm, but I can’t help that there’s an undercurrent of authority. I’ve always had an authoritative voice. “You’re part of this, whether youlike it or not.”
She laughs at me incredulously, a huff of disbelief coming out of her luscious lips as she stares at me with furrowed brows. “Tough luck, pretty boy, I didn’t sign up for any of this.” She moves, but I block her path again.
“Pretty boy?” I repeat, unable to help the amusement in my voice as I take her by surprise with my hand wrapping around her wrist before she even dares to move again. “Kaye.” My voice drops lower, more intense like a proper warning than before because it’s wholly true what I’m about to say. “This is your fate.”
Kaye glances at me with a fierce glare, looking like she’s ready to give me a well-earned earful when she appears to have been rendered speechless at the sounds of our parents, talking to each other, behind her.
She looks over her shoulder at them, then whispers, “They’ve been in on this the whole time.”
Whipping her head at me, she scowls. Her long dark locks frame her face so beautifully, it nearly takes my breath away, but I listen to her next words. “Don’t you feel the same way as I do? They’re treating us like pawns in their game.”
I look at our parents with a mix of frustration and resignation. “Of course I do,” I admit quietly, leaning closer to her. I can smell her hair, and it smells awfully like fresh flowers, even though her appearance gives away that she rolled out of bed like this. Without thinking about it, my thumb strokes her wrist where I’m still holding her, and I keep it that way when she doesn’t do anything to stop me. “But what choice do we have right now?”
“We can sayno!” she whispers harshly. A sigh escapes her pouty lips as she looks at me, almost glaring but with more curiosity behind her alluring eyes, drawing me in as if she wants me to drown in them. “Did you know about all this?”
“Yes,” I answer truthfully. She reacts immediately, snatching her wrist from my hold, but we keep eye contact as I explain, “Mother told me yesterday. She made it clear that refusal wasn’t an option.”
“Justyesterday…?” She frowns, eyeing me hopefully under a new light. Perhaps she thought I was as scheming as our parents, which is an understandable assumption, but as she said, we’re simply pawns in their game. In fact, I make a perfect knight in a chess game—a work horse, so to speak. I don’t see how fighting back against their wishes would do us any good, considering everyone wins once we merge our family businesses through marriage. Then she speaks emphatically, “Shit, I’m sorry. I thought you were in on this for longer.”
I sigh, running a hand through my hair, my frustration mounting to heights that I suspect I may not be able to control much longer. “No, I wasn’t. And to be honest, I’m not thrilled about the idea either. But our families…they have their reasons.” I study the perplexed look on her face, gauging if she can understand where I’m coming from.
There is no escape, this is your fate, I want to tell her again, but I’m trying this method first, being honest and charming. But I don’t know if it’s working, and I’m beginning to lose my patience because this marriage would solve all kinds of problems our families are facing, and I’m determined to solve all of them. And if getting through to Kaye is what it takes, I’ll do anything.
Kaye looks to be in thought for a moment, same as me, but then she frowns. “Well, fuck their reasons! Let me go and you won’t have to marry me.”
I raise my eyebrow at such an asinine suggestion, a small smirk playing on my lips at her audacity. “And risk bringing down our families? I don’t think so,” I say. “No, Kaye. Whether we like it or not, this is happening.”
“Bringing down our families…?” She frowns deeper. “Damon, who are you? What does your family do?”
