SIX

CHAPTER SIX

Noah.

Well, I did not intend to let her know right off the bat that I wanted to put a ring on her, but the words had slipped out already, and I was not a man who would retract or take back what he said, so I stuck to my guns.

"I have an obscene amount of money." I said, hoping to appeal to her fleshly, materialistic desires, but for some reason, I did not think this would work, even if she knew it was true. "I need a wife for the next two years." I said, getting it out of the way.

"I don't understand" was her very fair and reasonable response, although I expected more laughter.

I cleared my throat and straightened my back. "It's a... business proposal kind of thing." I said.

"Wait," her eyes gleamed with excitement, "like one of those contract marriages thingys?" She laughed.

"Uh... I suppose so."

More laughter. "No way. That happens in real life?" She put her hand over her mouth to laugh some more, hiding her beautiful smile. "Is this like a regular thing?"

"I wouldn't know," I said, unable to fully resist the urge to smile. Hers was rather contagious. "It's my first time doing this and, I'm new to the concept myself."

"Oh, let me tell you how it goes then. You offer me an insane, insane amount of money-"

"Is that what you want?" I interrupted.

"Hey, let me finish." She frowned. "And then I agree to marry you and we sign a contract binding us for a year... in your case, two years... but there's always a catch. What's the catch for you?"

"A child."

"Bingo!" She said gleefully and laughed. I was a little uneasy as the concept was truly new to me, and here I was acting out the script of an apparently cliche trope.

"So... Does this script involve you saying yes?"

"It should, because there's always some awful conflict, typically involving your family... and I'm not ready to deal with that for what might be the rest of my life..." Her words trailed off and suddenly the expression on her face was a sad or sober one. I sat silently, waiting for her to resume her speech while trying to read her expression but it just looked like sadness.

"Charlotte?" I said and snapped her out of her gloomy reverie.

"Let's play." She said and picked move a pawn two steps forward.

I wanted to ask if she was sure, if she was okay, but instead I decided to simply nod and make my own move- bringing out my knight. She looked up briefly and frowned, then played her own move- another pawn. I brought out my second knight.

"Oh, no you don't." She said in a very low, serious sounding tone. "Now it's no longer primitive?"

I smiled. "It is primitive, but aren't we all?"

"What is it with you?" She looked like she was about to scatter the pieces again but she didn't. "Why are you here? No, really, what do you want from me?"

"I already told you. I want to marry you. Now, if possible."

"No, you want to get me pregnant."

"As a byproduct of marriage, why not?"

"No, it's not a byproduct. You clearly gave it importance already. Why?"

"I'm not going to tell you why just yet."

She put both elbows on the table and let her head fall into her hands. There was something she was going through that was unrelated to what I had just said, I could sense it. I sat quietly and let her feel whatever she was feeling. Finally she sniffed and looked up.

"Why me?"

Could I really answer that without lying? Could I tell her she was my mate and we were quite literally made for each other?

"Because you are the one." I said with earnestness, a sincerity she herself could not doubt.

"What- what does that even mean?" She said, sighed and got up from her seat. I watched with confusion as she pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes tightly while walking away. Was I meant to follow her?

"What did I say wrong?" I asked, startling her by how quickly I caught up with her.

"What the-" She looked back at were we sat previously. "You were just over there!"

"And I'm here now. What did I say wrong?"

"Nothing... Everything..." She sighed heavily. "Look, stop- just stop asking that."

"As you wish." I said and we resumed walking. By now, I had gotten somewhat used to her presence, and so my bodily reaction to proximity with her was not as aggressive as it was earlier, but it was still a very strong burning sensation.

"Where are you going?" She asked some seconds later, as if suddenly realizing that she was now strolling with me.

"Well, wherever you're going. I'm chaperoning you."

She scoffed. "I'm pretty sure I need a chaperone before to even be chaperoned by you."

"What do you mean by that? Have presented myself as potentially dangerous in any way?"

She arched one eyebrow up. "Is that a serious question?"

I didn't respond so she chuckled and shook her head.

"Something is bothering you." I said, sort of thinking out loud.

"Apart from the fact that the strange man just admitted to wanting to put a baby in me is walking alongside me?"

"That's not bothering you."

"Oh? And how do you know that?"

"If it were bothering you, I would know. I would feel it."

"So it's what you feel, not what I say that matters?"

"It's what you feel that matters."

"And you think you know how I feel."

"I can sense it." I said, smirking.

"Okay. Go for it. How do I feel?"

"Towards me or generally?"

"Oh, we're going into specifics. Both."

"Towards me, you feel intruige."

"Wow, you are one confident guy." She said, blinking rapidly.

I continued. "Generally, I sense a great sadness. I intend to take it away."

"Not saying you're right but how would you do that?" She stopped and crossed her arms. "With your 'obscene amount of money'?"

"That's one way." I said.

She looked at me incredulously and scoffed, shaking her head, then resumed walking. We spent about three minutes strolling in silence until she threw her hands in the air.

"Ah, screw it." She turned to face me squarely. "One year."

"What?" I knew what she was saying but I wanted her to say it clearly. I struggled to keep a poker face.

"One year. I can't give you two years, I can give you one."

"So, you're going to marry me?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Jeez." She rolled her eyes and walked off.